521 AUTOMATION ENGINEERING SERVICES LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
03218334 · ltd · incorporated 1996-06-28
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 Oct 2024
Net worth
£396.4k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Machining
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with exceptional profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 58). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 28.1y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 28.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (2 active, 9 linked, 3 with DOB)
77
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
88 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 declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £396,421
Cash YoY
+13%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£351k
↑ 13% YoY
Net Worth
£396k
↑ 6.2% YoY
Current Assets
£442k
↑ 2.1% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£88k£177k£265k£354k£442kOct 2023Oct 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2024-10-312023-10-31
Total assets£399.3k£377.2k
Current assets£442.3k£433.1k
Cash£350.7k£311.6k
Debtors£70.0k£106.0k
Net assets£396.4k£373.1k

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

2 signals 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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (34 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-08-05
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  2. 2025-08-04
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  3. 2025-08-04
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  4. 2025-08-04
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  5. 2025-07-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2024-05-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2023-07-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2022-07-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2021-06-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2020-08-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2019-06-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2018-07-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2017-07-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  14. 2017-07-25
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  15. 2016-07-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2016-06-30
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  17. 2009-11-01
    ➕
    COUPE, Carol appointed
    secretary
  18. 2009-11-01
    ➕
    COUPE, Anthony appointed
    director
  19. 2009-11-01
    ➖
    CROSSMAN, Susan Debbie resigned
    secretary
  20. 2009-11-01
    ➖
    CROSSMAN, Michael Anthony resigned
    director
  21. 2001-04-17
    ➖
    ANDERSON, Karen Anne resigned
    secretary
  22. 2001-04-17
    ➕
    CROSSMAN, Susan Debbie appointed
    secretary
  23. 1999-12-13
    ➖
    HARDY, Mark Charles resigned
    director
  24. 1999-03-09
    ➕
    ANDERSON, Karen Anne appointed
    secretary
  25. 1999-03-09
    ➖
    CROSSMAN, Susannah Debbie resigned
    secretary
  26. 1998-04-14
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  27. 1997-12-01
    ➕
    HARDY, Mark Charles appointed
    director
  28. 1996-06-28
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As 521 AUTOMATION ENGINEERING SERVICES LIMITED
  29. 1996-06-28
    ➕
    CROSSMAN, Susannah Debbie appointed
    secretary
  30. 1996-06-28
    ➕
    TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  31. 1996-06-28
    ➖
    TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  32. 1996-06-28
    ➕
    CROSSMAN, Michael Anthony appointed
    director
  33. 1996-06-28
    ➕
    COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  34. 1996-06-28
    ➖
    COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-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 17 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 58 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

78/100
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 58. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 17 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 30 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

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Anthony Coupe
Individual · British · DOB 11/1968 · age 58
75–100%
75–100%75-100% shares · 75-100% voting30/06/2016

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 →

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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
Incorporated1996-06-28
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25620 — Machining

Registered office

Coupe Lodge Lead Road
Greenside
Gateshead
Tyne & Wear
NE40 4SL
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-07-31
Last made up to: 2024-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-12
Last: 2025-06-28

Officers (2 active · 7 resigned)

COUPE, Carol→
secretary · appointed 2009-11-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
COUPE, Anthony→
director · ~58y · appointed 2009-11-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ANDERSON, Karen Anne→
secretary · appointed 1999-03-09 · resigned 2001-04-17
Resigned
CROSSMAN, Susan Debbie→
secretary · appointed 2001-04-17 · resigned 2009-11-01
Resigned
CROSSMAN, Susannah Debbie→
secretary · appointed 1996-06-28 · resigned 1999-03-09
Resigned
TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1996-06-28 · resigned 1996-06-28
Resigned
CROSSMAN, Michael Anthony→
director · ~78y · appointed 1996-06-28 · resigned 2009-11-01
Resigned
HARDY, Mark Charles→
director · ~57y · appointed 1997-12-01 · resigned 1999-12-13
Resigned
COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1996-06-28 · resigned 1996-06-28
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Debenture1 property14/04/1998—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (88 total)

change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-08-05
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-08-04
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2025-08-04
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-08-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-07-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-05-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-07-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-07-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-06-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-08-10