ACS MEDIA LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
02868672 · ltd · incorporated 1993-11-03
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
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 28.8y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
£180.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Retail sale of audio and video equipment in specialised stores
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 77/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 54). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 28.8y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 28.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — 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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (2 active, 7 linked, 4 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 6 total, 6 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
110 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
65
Some acquirability indicators.
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 £180,817
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£181k
Current Assets
£190k
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £180.8k | — |
| Current assets | £190.3k | — |
| Net assets | £180.8k | — |
| Average employees | — | 200 |
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 address
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 address
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-25📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-10-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-08📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2023-09-07📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2023-09-07📄withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC09
- 2022-11-09📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-10📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2021-07-23➖CRAIK, Philip Mcleod resigneddirector
- 2020-11-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-01-10📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2020-01-09📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2019-12-12📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-12-12📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2019-11-18➖CRAIK, Susan Jane resignedsecretary
- 2019-11-18➖CRAIK, Susan Jane resigneddirector
- 2019-09-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-04-26📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2011-03-11🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2011-03-11🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2006-11-01➕CRAIK, Philip John appointeddirector
- 1999-01-06🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Michael Levi Weinstein(Trading as Mawpart Investments)
- 1997-07-31🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1996-02-01➕CRAIK, Philip Mcleod appointeddirector
- 1993-11-03🏢Company incorporatedAs ACS MEDIA LIMITED
- 1993-11-03➕CRAIK, James Mcleod appointeddirector
- 1993-11-03➕CRAIK, Susan Jane appointedsecretary
- 1993-11-03➕SAME-DAY COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1993-11-03➖SAME-DAY COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1993-11-03➕CRAIK, Susan Jane appointeddirector
- 1993-11-03➕WILDMAN & BATTELL LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1993-11-03➖WILDMAN & BATTELL LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
76/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 33 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
66/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 33 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 33 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
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Philip John Craik Individual · British · DOB 12/1972 · age 54 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 23/08/2023 |
Mr James Mcleod Craik Individual · British · DOB 08/1975 · age 51 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 23/08/2023 |
4 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr James Mcleod Craikceased 06/04/2016· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
- Mr Philip Mcleod Craikceased 06/04/2016· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
- Mr Philip John Craikceased 06/04/2016· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
- Mrs Susan Jane Craikceased 06/04/2016· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
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 · Retail · RG postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A FENTON & CO LTD→ 15627514 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| A.E.G. GARAGES LIMITED→ 00651459 · est 1960 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 66y | — | — |
| A&B FOOD & WINE LTD→ 13523238 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| A2B BAKING LTD→ 13125556 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ABINGTON ANTIQUES LIMITED→ 15366199 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ACADEMICALLY GIFTED LTD→ 11887754 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ACCELLERATE LIMITED→ 09551682 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| ACE PET PLANNER LIMITED→ 16813127 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ACOMMERCE LTD→ 13946242 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ACTION TROPHIES LIMITED→ 04744599 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| ACTIVE EDGE (NUTRITION) LIMITED→ 05585268 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| ACTIVE LIFE MOBILITY LTD→ 16484973 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
6 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
Incorporated1993-11-03
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC47430 — Retail sale of audio and video equipment in specialised stores
Registered office
Unit 3 Waterside Court
Bone Lane
Newbury
RG14 5SH
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-21
Last: 2025-09-07
Officers (2 active · 5 resigned)
CRAIK, James Mcleod→
Activedirector · ~51y · appointed 1993-11-03
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CRAIK, Philip John→
Activedirector · ~54y · appointed 2006-11-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CRAIK, Susan Jane→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1993-11-03 · resigned 2019-11-18
SAME-DAY COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1993-11-03 · resigned 1993-11-03
CRAIK, Philip Mcleod→
Resigneddirector · ~76y · appointed 1996-02-01 · resigned 2021-07-23
CRAIK, Susan Jane→
Resigneddirector · ~70y · appointed 1993-11-03 · resigned 2019-11-18
WILDMAN & BATTELL LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1993-11-03 · resigned 1993-11-03
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Michael Levi Weinstein(Trading as Mawpart Investments) / Leah Newman / Philip David Weinstein | Rent deposit deed | 1 property | 06/01/1999 | 11/03/2011 | |
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 31/07/1997 | 11/03/2011 |
Recent filings (110 total)
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2026-03-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-10-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-12
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2023-09-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-07
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2023-09-07
withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statement
persons-with-significant-control · PSC09
2023-09-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-23
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-11-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-30