SOLA FURNITURE LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
02680592 · ltd · incorporated 1992-01-23
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Non-trading company
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
PursueDormant / non-trading with a 75-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 75). 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 33.8y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 33.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (59/100)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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
11 officers (1 active, 11 linked, 5 with DOB)
79
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
109 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
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 (38 events)Click to expand
- 2025-03-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-12-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-30📍change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD02
- 2019-01-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2018-01-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2017-01-09📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2016-11-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2016-05-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2016-01-26📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-04-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2012-12-21➖HANSON, John resignedsecretary
- 2002-07-16➕HANSON, John appointedsecretary
- 2002-07-16➖HEAD, Peter Douglas resignedsecretary
- 2002-07-16➖HEAD, Douglas Henry resigneddirector
- 1993-05-13🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1993-04-29➕HEAD, Peter Douglas appointeddirector
- 1993-04-29➖CRESSWELL, David Leslie resignedsecretary
- 1993-04-29➕HEAD, Peter Douglas appointedsecretary
- 1993-04-29➖COOMBS, Christopher John resigneddirector
- 1993-04-29➖CRESSWELL, David Leslie resigneddirector
- 1993-04-29➕HEAD, Douglas Henry appointeddirector
- 1993-04-29➖NOTT, Mark Rodney resigneddirector
- 1992-07-27🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Mark Rodney Nott
- 1992-02-28➕CRESSWELL, David Leslie appointedsecretary
- 1992-02-28➖NOTT, Christine Ann resignedsecretary
- 1992-02-28➕COOMBS, Christopher John appointeddirector
- 1992-02-28➕CRESSWELL, David Leslie appointeddirector
- 1992-01-29➕NOTT, Christine Ann appointedsecretary
- 1992-01-29➖MBC SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1992-01-29➕NOTT, Mark Rodney appointeddirector
- 1992-01-29➖MBC NOMINEES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1992-01-23🏢Company incorporatedAs SOLA FURNITURE LIMITED
- 1992-01-23➕MBC SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1992-01-23➕MBC NOMINEES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
100/100
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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 33 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 75 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
100/100
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 75 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 33 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 34 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.)
Group structure
Howlands (Furniture) Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Howlands (Furniture) Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
SOLA FURNITURE LIMITED
This company · 02680592
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Howlands (Furniture) 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
Active · Holding company · HP postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 HIGH STREET PRESTWOOD MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED→ 15774315 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 25, 35-37 ONSLOW GARDENS LIMITED→ 05350973 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| 26 - 28 BICESTER RD RTM COMPANY LTD→ 13878026 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| 26 ARGYLE ROAD LIMITED→ 09923628 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| 26 BELGRAVE ROAD FREEHOLD LIMITED→ 06991373 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| 27/29 SLOANE GARDENS LIMITED→ 04934793 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| 271 VALLEY ROAD RTM COMPANY LTD→ 10758763 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| 29 ENNISMORE GARDENS LIMITED→ 04182209 · est 2001 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 25y | — | — |
| 291/305 CHURCH ROAD RESIDENTS MANAGEMENT LIMITED→ 00923169 · est 1967 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 58y | — | — |
| 2YC HOLDINGS LIMITED→ 13004575 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| 3 6 & 7 WESTCOMBE PARK (HEYBRIDGE) MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED→ 15845486 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 3 JOSEPHINE AVENUE MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED→ 09194676 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1992-01-23
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC74990 — Non-trading company
Registered office
36 Dashwood Avenue
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP12 3DX
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-05
Last: 2026-01-22
Officers (1 active · 10 resigned)
HEAD, Peter Douglas→
Activedirector · ~75y · appointed 1993-04-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CRESSWELL, David Leslie→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1992-02-28 · resigned 1993-04-29
HANSON, John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-07-16 · resigned 2012-12-21
HEAD, Peter Douglas→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1993-04-29 · resigned 2002-07-16
NOTT, Christine Ann→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1992-01-29 · resigned 1992-02-28
MBC SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1992-01-23 · resigned 1992-01-29
COOMBS, Christopher John→
Resigneddirector · ~86y · appointed 1992-02-28 · resigned 1993-04-29
CRESSWELL, David Leslie→
Resigneddirector · ~85y · appointed 1992-02-28 · resigned 1993-04-29
HEAD, Douglas Henry→
Resigneddirector · ~106y · appointed 1993-04-29 · resigned 2002-07-16
NOTT, Mark Rodney→
Resigneddirector · ~71y · appointed 1992-01-29 · resigned 1993-04-29
MBC NOMINEES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1992-01-23 · resigned 1992-01-29
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Mark Rodney Nott | Debenture | 1 property | 27/07/1992 | 13/05/1993 |
Recent filings (109 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-03-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-03-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-07-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2022-07-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-06-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-02-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-02-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2019-12-17
change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-address
address · AD02
2019-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-01-28