AUDIO DESIGN SERVICES LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
02469617 · ltd · incorporated 1990-02-13
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to May 2025
Net worth
£377.3k
book net assets
Opportunity
75/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 27900
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 72-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 75/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 72). Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 6 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

8 live charges · 6 lenders · oldest 35.9y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 35.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 6 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 35/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: high (80/100)

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
8 charges (8/8 with lender, 8/8 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (4 active, 8 linked, 7 with DOB)
88
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
141 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
75/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
74
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £377,271
Cash YoY
+102%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£112k
↑ 102% YoY
Net Worth
£377k
↑ 29% YoY
Current Assets
£497k
↑ 11% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£99k£199k£298k£398k£497kMay 2024May 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-05-312024-05-31
Total assets£377.3k£302.6k
Current assets£497.2k£447.9k
Cash£112.0k£55.5k
Debtors£169.2k£143.0k
Net assets£377.3k£292.6k

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
3
filings
  • • 2 officers
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 90 days
3
filings
  • • 2 officers
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
3
filings
  • • 2 officers
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (36 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-06-23
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  2. 2026-06-17
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  3. 2025-11-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2024-12-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2024-11-27
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  6. 2024-09-30
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  7. 2024-09-30
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  8. 2024-09-30
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  9. 2024-04-18
    ➖
    TELFORD, David Alan resigned
    director
  10. 2023-12-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2023-01-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2022-01-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2021-01-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2020-02-06
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  15. 2020-02-06
    📄
    statement-of-companys-objects
    change-of-constitution · CC04
  16. 2020-01-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2019-02-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2009-08-25
    ➕
    HOULDCROFT, John Alphonso appointed
    director
  19. 2009-08-25
    ➕
    TELFORD, David Alan appointed
    director
  20. 2009-08-15
    ➖
    HOPKINS, Anthony David resigned
    director
  21. 2007-06-29
    ➖
    KEENAN, Neville Frank resigned
    director
  22. 2003-01-31
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  23. 2002-10-01
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  24. 2001-12-27
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  25. 2001-10-01
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland Commercial Services Limited
  26. 2001-09-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  27. 2001-08-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Nmb-Heller Limited and/or Any Receiver
  28. 2000-06-27
    ➕
    KEENAN, Neville Frank appointed
    director
  29. 2000-04-13
    ➖
    MACKIE, William resigned
    director
  30. 1997-06-01
    ➕
    MACKIE, William appointed
    director
  31. 1994-11-14
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Trade Indemnity-Heller Commercial Finance LTD
  32. 1993-07-15
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  33. 1993-05-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Teresa Mary Hopkins
  34. 1993-04-23
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  35. 1990-08-29
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  36. 1990-02-13
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As AUDIO DESIGN SERVICES LIMITED

Owner dependency

83/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 17 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 72 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

83/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 72 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 17 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 36 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

1 med · 1 low
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

5 live charges
low

Heavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr David Alan Telford
Individual · English · DOB 01/1969 · age 57
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting30/09/2024
Mr John Alphonso Houldcroft
Individual · British · DOB 04/1954 · age 72
25–50%
—25-50% shares01/01/2017
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mr David Alan Telfordceased 18/04/2024· 25-50% shares
  • Mrs Teresa Mary Hopkinsceased 12/07/2024· 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control · significant influence · firm interest

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 →

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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
Incorporated1990-02-13
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC27900 — SIC 27900

Registered office

St Davids House
Adcroft Street
Higher Hillgate
Stockport Cheshire
SK1 3HW

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-02-28
Last made up to: 2025-05-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-29
Last: 2026-05-15

Officers (4 active · 4 resigned)

HOPKINS, Stephen Martyn→
secretary
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HOPKINS, Michael Anthony→
director · ~65y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HOPKINS, Stephen Martyn→
director · ~66y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HOULDCROFT, John Alphonso→
director · ~72y · appointed 2009-08-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HOPKINS, Anthony David→
director · ~90y · resigned 2009-08-15
Resigned
KEENAN, Neville Frank→
director · ~78y · appointed 2000-06-27 · resigned 2007-06-29
Resigned
MACKIE, William→
director · ~72y · appointed 1997-06-01 · resigned 2000-04-13
Resigned
TELFORD, David Alan→
director · ~57y · appointed 2009-08-25 · resigned 2024-04-18
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

8
Total charges
5
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:8 of 8 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Charge of deposit1 property01/10/2002—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland Commercial Services Limited
Fixed and floating charge1 property01/10/2001—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Charge of deposit1 property15/09/2001—
satisfied
Nmb-Heller and/or Any Receiver
Nmb-Heller Limited and/or Any Receiver
Fixed and floating charge over all assets1 property06/08/200131/01/2003
satisfied
Trade Indemnity-Heller Commercial Finance
Trade Indemnity-Heller Commercial Finance LTD
Fixed charge over bookdebts1 property14/11/199427/12/2001
outstanding
Teresa Mary Hopkins
Debenture1 property30/05/1993—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Debenture1 property23/04/1993—
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Mortgage debenture1 property29/08/199015/07/1993
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (141 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-07-01
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-06-23
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-06-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-12
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-11-27
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-09-30
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-09-30
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-01-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-16