DEVINE CHEMICALS LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
02887222 · ltd · incorporated 1994-01-13
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Feb 2025
Net worth
£2.83M
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46750
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 80-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 80). 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 (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 31.4y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 31.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 35/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (72/100)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
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (3 active, 6 linked, 4 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
4 active PSC(s) of 7 total, 7 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
131 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.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £2,830,409
Key financials
1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£45k
Net Worth
£2.8m
Current Assets
£4.9m
Current Liabilities
—
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-02-28 |
|---|---|
| Total assets | £2.88M |
| Current assets | £4.92M |
| Cash | £44.8k |
| Debtors | £2.57M |
| Net assets | £2.83M |
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
9
filings
- • 5 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 incorporation
- • 1 capital
Last 180 days
21
filings
- • 12 persons-with-significant-control
- • 3 officers
- • 2 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (36 events)Click to expand
- 2026-05-02📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2026-05-02📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2026-05-02📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2026-04-17📄replacement-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-dateconfirmation-statement · RP01CS01
- 2026-04-01📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-03-30📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2026-03-30📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2026-03-30📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-03-30📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-01-29📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-01-28📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2026-01-28📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2026-01-28📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2026-01-26📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-control-without-name-datepersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-01-26📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-01-26📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2026-01-26📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2026-01-26📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-01-26📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2026-01-26📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-12-04📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-11-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-01-21📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-02-19➖DEVINE, Eileen resignedsecretary
- 2023-02-19➖DEVINE, Eileen resigneddirector
- 2019-11-01➕HARVEY, Emma Louise appointeddirector
- 2015-05-13➕DEVINE, Daniel James appointeddirector
- 2009-06-29🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
- 1995-03-10🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC,
- 1995-01-23🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1994-01-13🏢Company incorporatedAs DEVINE CHEMICALS LIMITED
- 1994-01-13➕DEVINE, James appointeddirector
- 1994-01-13➕DEVINE, Eileen appointedsecretary
- 1994-01-13➕SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1994-01-13➖SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1994-01-13➕DEVINE, Eileen appointeddirector
Owner dependency
98/100
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
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "DEVINE" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 32 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 80 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
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 80 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 32 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 32 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
4 active beneficial owners · dominant holder ≥75% · fragmented| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sarah Anne Devine Individual · British · DOB 05/1978 · age 48 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares · trust interest | 30/03/2026 |
Mr Daniel James Devine Individual · British · DOB 03/1981 · age 45 | 75–100% | 25–50% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · trust interest | 19/02/2023 |
Mrs Emma Louise Harvey Individual · British · DOB 06/1976 · age 50 | 75–100% | 25–50% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · trust interest | 19/02/2023 |
Mr James Devine Individual · British · DOB 11/1946 · age 80 | — | 25–50% | 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
3 historic (ceased) PSCs
- The Estate Of Raymond Dalyceased 30/03/2026· 75-100% shares
- Mr Raymond Dalyceased 31/10/2025· 75-100% shares
- Mrs Eileen Devineceased 19/02/2023· 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 · Wholesale & distribution · DH postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAFFE GABRIELE LTD→ 05872781 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| CARBUSONIC LIMITED→ 09116910 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| CHAM3OUN LTD→ 16178967 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| CHARLES GREY MENSWEAR LIMITED→ 15104943 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| COAL 4 ENERGY LIMITED→ 05705910 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| COYLESS LIMITED→ 16967427 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CRAIG'S TIMBER SUPPLIES(NORTH EAST) LTD→ 14197584 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| CRISPIN ENTERPRISES LIMITED→ 11361462 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| DEMETER GROUP SERVICES LTD→ 16139821 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| DENBY BULLZ LIMITED→ 16602244 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DH1 BRANDS LTD→ 14497819 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| DHM SUPPLIES LTD→ 14393895 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1994-01-13
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46750 — SIC 46750
Registered office
Unit 45 Number 1 Industrial Estate
Consett
DH8 6TW
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-27
Last: 2026-01-13
Officers (3 active · 3 resigned)
DEVINE, Daniel James→
Activedirector · ~45y · appointed 2015-05-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DEVINE, James→
Activedirector · ~80y · appointed 1994-01-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HARVEY, Emma Louise→
Activedirector · ~50y · appointed 2019-11-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DEVINE, Eileen→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1994-01-13 · resigned 2023-02-19
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1994-01-13 · resigned 1994-01-13
DEVINE, Eileen→
Resigneddirector · ~79y · appointed 1994-01-13 · resigned 2023-02-19
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited | All assets debenture | 1 property | 29/06/2009 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC, | Single debenture | 1 property | 10/03/1995 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Deposit agreement | 1 property | 23/01/1995 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (131 total)
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2026-05-02
capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
capital · SH10
2026-05-02
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2026-05-02
replacement-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP01CS01
2026-04-17
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-04-01
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2026-03-30
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2026-03-30
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-03-30
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-03-30
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-01-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-28
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2026-01-28
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2026-01-28
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2026-01-28
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control-without-name-date
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-01-26