ABUS CRANE SYSTEMS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive

02591463 · ltd · incorporated 1991-03-14

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 Dec 2025

Net worth

—

book net assets

Opportunity

82/100

Exceptional

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What this business does

Primary activity: SIC 28220

Sector: Manufacturing

Investor take

Pursue

Active trading company with a 60-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 60). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 32.2y

45/100

under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

· Oldest live charge is 32.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
· Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
· Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (77/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile

address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date

100

Financials

2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed

Lenders & charges

1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)

Directors & officers

11 officers (2 active, 11 linked, 6 with DOB)

Ownership & PSC

1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared

Director network

Network not yet resolved

Filing history

119 filings on record

Gazette notices

No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)

Opportunity Score

82/100Exceptional

PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality

Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.

Acquirability

Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.

Risk profile

Few red flags.

Signal strength

100

Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts

Cash

—

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	2025-12-31	2024-12-31
Average employees	33	3300

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

2 signals 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

filings

Last 90 days

filing

• 1 accounts

Last 180 days

filings

• 1 accounts
• 1 confirmation-statement

Counts from Companies House filing history.

Corporate timeline (38 events)Click to expand

2026-04-08
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2025-05-21
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2024-05-31
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2023-09-20
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2022-06-07
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2021-08-03
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2020-05-26
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2019-05-16
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2018-05-23
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2018-03-27
📄
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2018-03-27
📄
withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statement
persons-with-significant-control · PSC09
2017-06-06
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2016-05-09
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2016-01-26
📄
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2015-09-09
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2009-12-17
➖
VOM STEIN, Karl Rudolf resigned
director
2004-02-24
➕
STILL, Alison Judith appointed
secretary
2004-02-24
➖
KAUFERSTEIN, Klaus Peter resigned
secretary
2002-07-01
➖
WILLIAMS, Brent Leonard resigned
secretary
2002-07-01
➖
WILLIAMS, Brent Leonard resigned
director
2002-05-08
➕
KAUFERSTEIN, Klaus Peter appointed
secretary
1999-10-31
➖
BEBERMEIER, Michael resigned
director
1999-06-25
🔓
Charge satisfied #1
1996-08-01
➕
KAUFERSTEIN, Klaus Peter appointed
director
1994-03-29
➕
BEBERMEIER, Michael appointed
director
1994-03-29
➖
MANSSON, Stig resigned
director
1994-03-29
➕
VOM STEIN, Karl Rudolf appointed
director
1994-03-25
🔒
Charge registered #1
Lender: T.A.Fisher (Holdings) Limited
1991-07-01
➖
SVENSSOHN, Jan Sture Christer, Managing Director resigned
director
1991-04-02
➕
WILLIAMS, Brent Leonard appointed
secretary
1991-04-02
➖
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resigned
corporate-nominee-secretary
1991-04-02
➕
MANSSON, Stig appointed
director
1991-04-02
➕
SVENSSOHN, Jan Sture Christer, Managing Director appointed
director
1991-04-02
➕
WILLIAMS, Brent Leonard appointed
director
1991-04-02
➖
INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED resigned
corporate-nominee-director
1991-03-14
🏢
Company incorporated
As ABUS CRANE SYSTEMS LIMITED
1991-03-14
➕
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointed
corporate-nominee-secretary
1991-03-14
➕
INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED appointed
corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

93/100

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

+Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
+Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 30 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
+Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100

Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS

secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 60. Early succession window.
primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 30 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 35 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

clean

No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%

Name	Shares	Voting rights	Nature of control	Notified
Mr Lothar Bühne Individual · German · DOB 08/1954 · age 72	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.

Similar companies

Active · Manufacturing · GU postcode area

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AESTHETIC INNOVATION LIMITED→ 14761181 · est 2023 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	3y	—	—
AFRICA POWER OPERATIONS LIMITED→ 08738746 · est 2013 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	12y	—	—
AGENDA (UK) LIMITED→ 05972527 · est 2006 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	19y	—	—
AGG GARAGE DOORS LTD→ 09526016 · est 2015 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	11y	—	—
AGILE STRUCTURES LIMITED→ 08146829 · est 2012 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	13y	—	—
AGROPHARM HOLDINGS LIMITED→ 06660274 · est 2008 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	17y	—	—
AIREYE LTD→ 08948036 · est 2014 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	12y	—	—
ALAN HOCKING ASSOCIATES LTD→ 15591595 · est 2024 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	2y	—	—
ALAVA LIMITED→ 11293408 · est 2018 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	8y	—	—
ALCON LABORATORIES (U.K.) LIMITED→ 00968373 · est 1969 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	56y	—	—
ALEXA LILY LIMITED→ 15805986 · est 2024 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	1y	—	—
ALEXIR PACKAGING LIMITED→ 02381060 · est 1989 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	36y	—	—

Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →

🔒Tailored diligence questions

7 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

Incorporated1991-03-14

Jurisdictionengland-wales

Primary SIC28220 — SIC 28220

Registered office

Unit 1 Business Village

Blackbushe Business Park

Yateley

Hampshire

GU46 6GA

Filing status

Accounts

Next due: 2027-09-30

Last made up to: 2025-12-31

Confirmation statement

Next due: 2027-02-09

Last: 2026-01-26

Officers (2 active · 9 resigned)

STILL, Alison Judith→

secretary · appointed 2004-02-24

View their other companies + combined net worth →

Active

KAUFERSTEIN, Klaus Peter→

director · ~60y · appointed 1996-08-01

View their other companies + combined net worth →

Active

KAUFERSTEIN, Klaus Peter→

secretary · appointed 2002-05-08 · resigned 2004-02-24

Resigned

WILLIAMS, Brent Leonard→

secretary · appointed 1991-04-02 · resigned 2002-07-01

Resigned

SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→

corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1991-03-14 · resigned 1991-04-02

Resigned

BEBERMEIER, Michael→

director · ~63y · appointed 1994-03-29 · resigned 1999-10-31

Resigned

MANSSON, Stig→

director · ~92y · appointed 1991-04-02 · resigned 1994-03-29

Resigned

SVENSSOHN, Jan Sture Christer, Managing Director→

director · ~82y · appointed 1991-04-02 · resigned 1991-07-01

Resigned

VOM STEIN, Karl Rudolf→

director · ~78y · appointed 1994-03-29 · resigned 2009-12-17

Resigned

WILLIAMS, Brent Leonard→

director · ~81y · appointed 1991-04-02 · resigned 2002-07-01

Resigned

INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED→

corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1991-03-14 · resigned 1991-04-02

Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

Total charges

Outstanding

Active lenders

Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown

			Type	Properties
	satisfied	T.A.Fisher (Holdings) T.A.Fisher (Holdings) Limited	Rent deposit deed	1 property	25/03/1994	25/06/1999