APEX SECURITY ENGINEERING LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
02727620 · ltd · incorporated 1992-07-01
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 Dec 2025
Net worth
£774.1k
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 25990
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 70-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 70). 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 (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
5 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 29.1y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 29.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Cashflow trend is negative — lender view likely cautious.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)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
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
12 officers (4 active, 12 linked, 7 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
109 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
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
82
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Positive net assets
Net assets £774,056
Net assets shrinking
Down £121,631 YoY
Cash YoY
-33%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£87k
↓ 33% YoY
Net Worth
£774k
↓ 14% YoY
Current Assets
£1.2m
↓ 32% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-12-30 | 2024-12-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £1.10M | £1.11M |
| Current assets | £1.18M | £1.72M |
| Cash | £87.1k | £130.9k |
| Debtors | £753.5k | £990.1k |
| Net assets | £774.1k | £895.7k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 address
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (43 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2026-03-17📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-08-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-08-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-11📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2022-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-08-09📍change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD02
- 2021-06-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-14📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2019-11-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-27📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2019-07-29📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-07-26➖BURNS, Samuel resigneddirector
- 2018-09-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-04-13📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2018-04-13📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2018-04-01➕HILDER, Daniel James appointeddirector
- 2018-04-01➕PRENDERGAST, Robert Anthony appointeddirector
- 2018-04-01➕WELLS, Tony Graham appointeddirector
- 2010-11-15➖BUTTERFIELD, Bernard Henry resignedsecretary
- 2010-11-15➖BUTTERFIELD, Bernard Henry resigneddirector
- 2008-07-02➕BURNS, Samuel appointeddirector
- 2003-04-30🔒Charge registered #5Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2002-11-04🔒Charge registered #4Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland Invoice Discounting Limited
- 2000-01-31🔒Charge registered #3Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1998-12-18🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Lombard Natwest Discounting Limited
- 1997-05-23🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1995-12-13➕BUTTERFIELD, Bernard Henry appointedsecretary
- 1995-12-13➖COVENTRY, Stephen John resignedsecretary
- 1995-12-13➖COVENTRY, Stephen John resigneddirector
- 1992-12-18➕WOODS, Kevin appointeddirector
- 1992-12-18➖BUTTERFIELD, Joyce Violet resignedsecretary
- 1992-12-18➕COVENTRY, Stephen John appointedsecretary
- 1992-12-18➕COVENTRY, Stephen John appointeddirector
- 1992-07-11➖ELK (NOMINEES) LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1992-07-01🏢Company incorporatedAs APEX SECURITY ENGINEERING LIMITED
- 1992-07-01➕BUTTERFIELD, Joyce Violet appointedsecretary
- 1992-07-01➕ELK COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1992-07-01➖ELK COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1992-07-01➕BUTTERFIELD, Bernard Henry appointeddirector
- 1992-07-01➕ELK (NOMINEES) LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
65/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- -4 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 34 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 70 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
90/100
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 70 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 34 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
1 low5 live charges
lowHeavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Kevin Woods Individual · British · DOB 02/1956 · age 70 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Samuel Burnsceased 01/09/2023· 50-75% shares
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 · Manufacturing · SG postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A V THERMOFORMING LIMITED→ 08907666 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| AEGIS 4 SECURITY LTD→ 04287662 · est 2001 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 24y | — | — |
| ALUMINIUM PRESSINGS LTD→ 13307376 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ANTHONY LLOYD FURNITURE LIMITED→ 14482700 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| APPETISE LTD→ 13023000 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ARTAVIA LIMITED→ 10480958 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ASAHI GLASSPLANT UK LTD→ 11818911 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ASAP INNOVATIONS UK LIMITED→ 12686342 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ASTON GARDEN MACHINERY & REPAIRS LIMITED→ 16011003 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ATLAS HANDLING LIMITED→ 03316302 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 29y | — | — |
| ATRONE TECH LTD→ 16872080 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AUCKLAND MANUFACTURING LTD→ 08624688 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1992-07-01
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25990 — SIC 25990
Registered office
Units 9-10 Eldon Way
Biggleswade
Bedfordshire
SG18 8NH
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-09-30
Last made up to: 2025-12-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-15
Last: 2025-07-01
Officers (4 active · 8 resigned)
HILDER, Daniel James→
Activedirector · ~45y · appointed 2018-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PRENDERGAST, Robert Anthony→
Activedirector · ~42y · appointed 2018-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WELLS, Tony Graham→
Activedirector · ~70y · appointed 2018-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WOODS, Kevin→
Activedirector · ~70y · appointed 1992-12-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BUTTERFIELD, Bernard Henry→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1995-12-13 · resigned 2010-11-15
BUTTERFIELD, Joyce Violet→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1992-07-01 · resigned 1992-12-18
COVENTRY, Stephen John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1992-12-18 · resigned 1995-12-13
ELK COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1992-07-01 · resigned 1992-07-01
BURNS, Samuel→
Resigneddirector · ~78y · appointed 2008-07-02 · resigned 2019-07-26
BUTTERFIELD, Bernard Henry→
Resigneddirector · ~97y · appointed 1992-07-01 · resigned 2010-11-15
COVENTRY, Stephen John→
Resigneddirector · ~74y · appointed 1992-12-18 · resigned 1995-12-13
ELK (NOMINEES) LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1992-07-01 · resigned 1992-07-11
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
5
Total charges
5
Outstanding
3
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 30/04/2003 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland Invoice Discounting Limited | Fixed and floating charge | 1 property | 04/11/2002 | — | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 31/01/2000 | — | |
| outstanding | NatWest Group Lombard Natwest Discounting Limited | Fixed and floating charge | 1 property | 18/12/1998 | — | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 23/05/1997 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (109 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2026-04-30
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2026-03-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-08-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-08-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-09-12
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-09-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-09-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-05
change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-address
address · AD02
2021-08-09
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-06-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-12-09