CONTAIN-A-LOT LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
02886840 · ltd · incorporated 1994-01-12
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 Aug 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 52103
Sector: Transportation & storage
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 60-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (80/100, 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

3 live charges · oldest 32.3y

45/100
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.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

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
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (2 active, 7 linked, 5 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
138 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
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
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
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Aug 2024Aug 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-08-312024-08-31
Average employees2200

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal 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
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (39 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-02-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-10-09
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  3. 2025-09-24
    ➖
    KESTEVEN, Peter resigned
    director
  4. 2025-09-02
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  5. 2025-09-02
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  6. 2025-07-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2024-08-02
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  8. 2024-08-02
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  9. 2024-08-02
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  10. 2024-08-02
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  11. 2024-08-02
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  12. 2024-08-02
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  13. 2024-05-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2024-01-16
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  15. 2024-01-16
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  16. 2023-04-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  17. 2022-08-31
    ➖
    PEAR, Audrey resigned
    director
  18. 2022-08-31
    ➖
    PEAR, Graham resigned
    director
  19. 2022-02-23
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  20. 2022-02-23
    📄
    statement-of-companys-objects
    change-of-constitution · CC04
  21. 2022-02-23
    📄
    memorandum-articles
    incorporation · MA
  22. 2022-02-23
    📄
    capital-cancellation-shares
    capital · SH06
  23. 2022-02-23
    📄
    capital-return-purchase-own-shares
    capital · SH03
  24. 2022-02-22
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  25. 2022-02-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  26. 2022-01-25
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  27. 2016-12-02
    ➕
    KESTEVEN, Peter appointed
    director
  28. 2005-01-01
    ➕
    PEAR, Audrey appointed
    director
  29. 2003-01-29
    ➖
    PEAR, Andrew Mark resigned
    director
  30. 1999-06-23
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  31. 1998-11-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  32. 1994-03-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  33. 1994-01-12
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CONTAIN-A-LOT LIMITED
  34. 1994-01-12
    ➕
    KESTEVEN, Gillian Michelle appointed
    secretary
  35. 1994-01-12
    ➕
    KESTEVEN, Gillian Michelle appointed
    director
  36. 1994-01-12
    ➕
    CHETTLEBURGH INTERNATIONAL LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  37. 1994-01-12
    ➖
    CHETTLEBURGH INTERNATIONAL LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  38. 1994-01-12
    ➕
    PEAR, Andrew Mark appointed
    director
  39. 1994-01-12
    ➕
    PEAR, Graham appointed
    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 33 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 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

1 med ·
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mrs Gillian Michelle Kesteven
Individual · British · DOB 04/1966 · age 60
50–75%
50–75%board control50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control05/04/2021
Mr Peter Kesteven
Individual · British · DOB 03/1966 · age 60
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting31/08/2024
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mr Graham Pearceased 05/04/2021· 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control
  • Mrs Audrey Pearceased 05/04/2021· 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 →

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————25y——
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————2y——
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————2y——
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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
Incorporated1994-01-12
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC52103 — SIC 52103

Registered office

6 Smallwood Forge
Smallwood
Cheshire
CW11 2UF
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-05-31
Last made up to: 2025-08-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-17
Last: 2025-09-03

Officers (2 active · 5 resigned)

KESTEVEN, Gillian Michelle→
secretary · appointed 1994-01-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
KESTEVEN, Gillian Michelle→
director · ~60y · appointed 1994-01-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CHETTLEBURGH INTERNATIONAL LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1994-01-12 · resigned 1994-01-12
Resigned
KESTEVEN, Peter→
director · ~60y · appointed 2016-12-02 · resigned 2025-09-24
Resigned
PEAR, Andrew Mark→
director · ~63y · appointed 1994-01-12 · resigned 2003-01-29
Resigned
PEAR, Audrey→
director · ~85y · appointed 2005-01-01 · resigned 2022-08-31
Resigned
PEAR, Graham→
director · ~86y · appointed 1994-01-12 · resigned 2022-08-31
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

3
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Legal charge1 property23/06/199902/08/2024
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Legal charge1 property30/11/199802/08/2024
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Debenture1 property28/03/199402/08/2024

Recent filings (138 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-02-05
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-10-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-06
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-09-02
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2025-09-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-07-23
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-05
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-08-02
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-08-02
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-08-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-05-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-17
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-01-16
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-01-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-04-18