ACANTHUS PRESS LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
02458792 · ltd · incorporated 1990-01-11
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Sept 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 18129
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 65-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 65). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
7 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 24.1y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 24.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: high (82/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
7 charges (7/7 with lender, 7/7 with type)
90
Directors & officers
10 officers (1 active, 10 linked, 8 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
152 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-09-30 | 2023-09-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 2700 | 2600 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (49 events)Click to expand
- 2025-05-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-04-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-03📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-03-03📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-03-03📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-03-03📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2023-02-08📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2023-02-07📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2023-02-07📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2023-02-07📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-02-07📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-02-03➕DE VRIES, Evert Pieter appointeddirector
- 2023-02-03➖TRIVETT, Roger William resignedsecretary
- 2023-02-03➖CONABEER, Steve resigneddirector
- 2023-02-03➖MACKAY, Scott resigneddirector
- 2023-02-03➖SYDENHAM, Philip Don resigneddirector
- 2023-02-03➖TIERNEY, Mark James resigneddirector
- 2023-02-03➖TRIVETT, Roger William resigneddirector
- 2023-02-03🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Paragon Business Finance PLC
- 2022-12-30📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2022-12-30📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2022-12-30🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 2022-12-30🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2022-10-21📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2022-10-21📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2022-10-21📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2022-10-21🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2022-10-21🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2022-10-21🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2022-06-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-01-11📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2020-09-15🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2018-04-01➕CONABEER, Steve appointeddirector
- 2018-04-01➕MACKAY, Scott appointeddirector
- 2006-09-07🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2005-11-24🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2005-11-03➖INGLIS, David resigneddirector
- 2005-11-03🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2005-11-03🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2005-11-03🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
- 2003-04-16➕SYDENHAM, Philip Don appointeddirector
- 2002-04-26➖EDMONDSON, Clive Barry resignedsecretary
- 2002-04-26➕TRIVETT, Roger William appointedsecretary
- 2002-04-26➖EDMONDSON, Clive Barry resigneddirector
- 2002-04-26➕TIERNEY, Mark James appointeddirector
- 2002-04-26➕TRIVETT, Roger William appointeddirector
- 2002-04-25🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 1990-01-11🏢Company incorporatedAs ACANTHUS PRESS LIMITED
Owner dependency
90/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 36 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
Acanthus Holdings Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Acanthus Holdings Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
ACANTHUS PRESS LIMITED
This company · 02458792
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Acanthus Holdings Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1440 COLLECTIVE LTD→ 15450279 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 37 ROUND LIMITED→ 14637794 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| 3D TOOLING TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED→ 06948845 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| 4 G STEEL STOCKHOLDER LTD→ 07272221 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| A AND J LILLEY LIMITED→ 04768785 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| A.D. LIFTS WM LTD→ 13371066 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| A.D.P. (ALUMINIUM SYSTEMS) LIMITED→ 02096774 · est 1987 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 39y | — | — |
| AB3D DESIGNS LTD→ 13838016 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ABBEYGATE MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED→ 12623021 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ABBOT SERVICES LTD→ 04857186 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| ACCESS COVERS LIMITED→ 07625093 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| ACCESS PANELS DIRECT LIMITED→ 06926137 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
8 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1990-01-11
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC18129 — SIC 18129
Registered office
1st Floor, Falcon Point Park Plaza
Heath Hayes
Cannock
WS12 2DE
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-25
Last: 2026-01-11
Officers (1 active · 9 resigned)
DE VRIES, Evert Pieter→
Activedirector · ~65y · appointed 2023-02-03
View their other companies + combined net worth →
EDMONDSON, Clive Barry→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2002-04-26
TRIVETT, Roger William→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-04-26 · resigned 2023-02-03
CONABEER, Steve→
Resigneddirector · ~60y · appointed 2018-04-01 · resigned 2023-02-03
EDMONDSON, Clive Barry→
Resigneddirector · ~71y · resigned 2002-04-26
INGLIS, David→
Resigneddirector · ~78y · resigned 2005-11-03
MACKAY, Scott→
Resigneddirector · ~55y · appointed 2018-04-01 · resigned 2023-02-03
SYDENHAM, Philip Don→
Resigneddirector · ~56y · appointed 2003-04-16 · resigned 2023-02-03
TIERNEY, Mark James→
Resigneddirector · ~60y · appointed 2002-04-26 · resigned 2023-02-03
TRIVETT, Roger William→
Resigneddirector · ~66y · appointed 2002-04-26 · resigned 2023-02-03
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
7
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:7 of 7 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Paragon Paragon Business Finance PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 03/02/2023 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | An omnibus guarantee and set-off agreement | 1 property | 07/09/2006 | 30/12/2022 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Chattels mortgage | 1 property | 24/11/2005 | 21/10/2022 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 03/11/2005 | 21/10/2022 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 03/11/2005 | 21/10/2022 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited | All assets debenture | 1 property | 03/11/2005 | 15/09/2020 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Debenture deed | 1 property | 25/04/2002 | 30/12/2022 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (152 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-05-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-03-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-21
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-03-03
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-03-03
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-03-03
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2023-03-03
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2023-02-08
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-02-07
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2023-02-07
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-02-07
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-02-07