APEL (PACKAGING DIVISION) LTD
💤Zombieactive
02594267 · ltd · incorporated 1991-03-22
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 Mar 2026
Net worth
£3.7k
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Non-specialised wholesale trade
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 82-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 82). 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
4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 32.3y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 32.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · 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
75
Lenders & charges
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
96 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
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
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £3,705
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£4k
↑ 246% YoY
Current Assets
£12k
↓ 22% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2026-03-31 | 2025-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £3.7k | £1.1k |
| Current assets | £11.9k | £15.2k |
| Net assets | £3.7k | £1.1k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
2
filings
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 90 days
3
filings
- • 2 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
3
filings
- • 2 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (29 events)Click to expand
- 2026-06-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2026-03-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2016-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-01-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2015-10-23📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-11-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2014-10-15📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2012-01-22➖HALL, Alan Michael resigneddirector
- 2012-01-20➕BRINE, Peter David appointeddirector
- 1997-12-19🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1997-08-26➖DIXON, Stuart Malcolm resigneddirector
- 1997-07-02➕BRINE, Peter David appointedsecretary
- 1997-07-02➖HALL, Alan Michael resignedsecretary
- 1995-07-28🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 1995-06-30🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1994-03-02🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Yorkshire Bank PLC
- 1994-03-02🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Yorkshire Bank PLC
- 1993-03-25➖DIXON, Nigel Dennis resignedsecretary
- 1993-03-25➕HALL, Alan Michael appointedsecretary
- 1993-03-25➕HALL, Alan Michael appointeddirector
- 1991-03-22🏢Company incorporatedAs APEL (PACKAGING DIVISION) LTD
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 82 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
98/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 82 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 14 years.
- 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
cleanNo 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 Peter David Brine Individual · British · DOB 06/1944 · age 82 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 07/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Wholesale & distribution · BA postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3T INNOVA LTD→ 12925506 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| A & A PACKAGING COMPANY UNLIMITED→ 05235711 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| A P TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED→ 04348203 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 24y | — | — |
| ABPAC LIMITED→ 01651229 · est 1982 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 43y | — | — |
| ACACIA ENERGY GROUP LTD.→ 10767397 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| AFEARD LTD→ 15956993 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ALL DOGS HAVE DREAMS LTD→ 16425104 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALLUM LIMITED→ 02617922 · est 1991 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 34y | — | — |
| AMINOH PEPTIDES LTD→ 17020404 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ANGLO MOROCCAN GATEWAY LIMITED→ 16651415 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ANTI-VIBRATION METHODS (RUBBER) CO. LIMITED→ 02277135 · est 1988 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 37y | — | — |
| AQUA POWER GROUP LTD→ 12154095 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
9 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
Incorporated1991-03-22
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46900 — Non-specialised wholesale trade
Registered office
Cleve 62 Compton Road
Compton Road
Shepton Mallet
Somerset
BA4 5QT
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-12-31
Last made up to: 2026-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-29
Last: 2025-10-15
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
BRINE, Peter David→
Activesecretary · appointed 1997-07-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BRINE, Peter David→
Activedirector · ~82y · appointed 2012-01-20
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DIXON, Nigel Dennis→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1993-03-25
HALL, Alan Michael→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1993-03-25 · resigned 1997-07-02
DIXON, Stuart Malcolm→
Resigneddirector · ~73y · resigned 1997-08-26
HALL, Alan Michael→
Resigneddirector · ~78y · appointed 1993-03-25 · resigned 2012-01-22
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
3
Outstanding
3
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Debenture deed | 1 property | 19/12/1997 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 30/06/1995 | — | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Yorkshire Bank PLC | Deed of charge | 1 property | 02/03/1994 | 28/07/1995 | |
| outstanding | Virgin Money Yorkshire Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 02/03/1994 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (96 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-06-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-06-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-03-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-12-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-12-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-12-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-12-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-01-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2019-12-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-11-01