ARGENT EUROPE LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
03270572 · ltd · incorporated 1996-10-29
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and tidy — no seller pressure yet. Approach only if an angle opens.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
What changed my view
Last 30 days
No material changes in the last 30 days.
Last 90 days
No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.
Last 180 days
No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 99999
Sector: Extraterritorial bodies
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 67-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 67). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 6 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
12 live charges · 6 lenders · oldest 28.8y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 28.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 6 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (61/100)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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
12 charges (12/12 with lender, 12/12 with type)
90
Directors & officers
11 officers (2 active, 11 linked, 7 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
18 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
151 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.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
2
filings
- • 1 officers
- • 1 address
Last 180 days
3
filings
- • 1 officers
- • 1 address
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (62 events)Click to expand
- 2026-05-15📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2026-05-14📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-09-03📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2025-04-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2024-05-08📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2024-04-30🔒Charge registered #12Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2023-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-06📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2023-05-31📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-05-31📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-10-04📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-09-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2021-08-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-01📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2021-07-01📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2021-06-14➕FALLOWFIELD-SMITH, James appointeddirector
- 2021-06-14➖OLDCORN, John resigneddirector
- 2021-04-02📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2020-07-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-07-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-03-04➕OLDCORN, John appointeddirector
- 2019-01-16➖BARNES, Andrew John resigneddirector
- 2018-06-20➕OLDCORN, John appointeddirector
- 2018-06-20➖OLDCORN, John resigneddirector
- 2017-11-14🔓Charge satisfied #9
- 2017-11-14🔓Charge satisfied #8
- 2017-11-14🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2017-11-14🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 2017-11-14🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2017-11-14🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2017-11-10🔓Charge satisfied #11
- 2017-11-10🔓Charge satisfied #10
- 2014-09-24🔒Charge registered #11Lender: Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Limited as Security Trustee for the Secured Parties (Security Agent)
- 2014-09-24🔒Charge registered #10Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC as Security Trustee for the Secured Parties (Security Agent)
- 2010-03-05🔒Charge registered #9Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2010-02-26➖HUNTER, Andrew Pennington Havard resigneddirector
- 2008-05-20➖BARNES, Andrew John resignedsecretary
- 2008-02-20🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2007-11-09🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2007-09-17🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2007-03-28🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2006-07-28🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2006-07-28🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2006-04-18🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2004-10-22🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2003-02-24🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2002-10-31🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2002-06-14➕BARNES, Andrew John appointedsecretary
- 2002-06-14➖MORGAN, Peter Frederick resignedsecretary
Showing most recent 50 of 62 events
Owner dependency
83/100
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
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
86/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 67. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 29 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- 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
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
Argent Holdings Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Argent Holdings Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
ARGENT EUROPE LIMITED
This company · 03270572
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Argent Holdings Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 01/06/2016 |
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 →Similar companies
Active · Other · CO postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARAVAN WORLD LIMITED→ 14508853 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| CLOUDFM AIR & RAIL LIMITED→ 08597017 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| COMBAT FIRE SOLUTIONS LTD→ 15400861 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| CONTEMPORARY SPACES ONLINE LIMITED→ 09998789 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| CW FENCING LTD→ 03866881 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| DAVID WALTERS FABRICS LIMITED→ 02062060 · est 1986 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 39y | — | — |
| DELTA MARINE TECHNOLOGIES LTD→ 13119315 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| DIGITAL INDENTITY LIMITED→ 12862532 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| DMW WINDOW CLEANING SERVICES LIMITED→ 07126503 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| DON & CO. PROPERTY LIMITED→ 12275848 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| DOWN TO THE WIRE LTD→ 16696374 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DSR COMMERCIALS LTD→ 13046241 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1996-10-29
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC99999 — SIC 99999
Registered office
C/O Orchardworld
790 The Crescent
Colchester
CO4 9YQ
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-18
Last: 2026-02-04
Officers (2 active · 9 resigned)
FALLOWFIELD-SMITH, James→
Activedirector · ~39y · appointed 2021-06-14
View their other companies + combined net worth →
GRAY, David John→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 1997-07-30
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BARNES, Andrew John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-06-14 · resigned 2008-05-20
MORGAN, Peter Frederick→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1997-07-30 · resigned 2002-06-14
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1996-10-29 · resigned 1997-07-30
BARNES, Andrew John→
Resigneddirector · ~62y · appointed 2001-10-31 · resigned 2019-01-16
HUNTER, Andrew Pennington Havard→
Resigneddirector · ~63y · appointed 1997-07-30 · resigned 2010-02-26
MUSK, Michael John→
Resigneddirector · ~72y · appointed 1998-04-28 · resigned 2001-10-31
OLDCORN, John→
Resigneddirector · ~56y · appointed 2019-03-04 · resigned 2021-06-14
OLDCORN, John→
Resigneddirector · ~56y · appointed 2018-06-20 · resigned 2018-06-20
INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1996-10-29 · resigned 1997-07-30
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
12
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:12 of 12 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 30/04/2024 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Limited as Security Trustee for the Secured Parties (Security Agent) | A registered charge | — | 24/09/2014 | 10/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC as Security Trustee for the Secured Parties (Security Agent) | A registered charge | — | 24/09/2014 | 10/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Deed of admission | 1 property | 05/03/2010 | 14/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Deed of admission to an omnibus guarantee and set-off agreement dated 28 march 2007 and | 1 property | 20/02/2008 | 14/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | A deed of admission | 1 property | 09/11/2007 | 14/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | A deed of admission to an omnibus guarantee and set-off agreement dated 28TH march 2007 and | 1 property | 17/09/2007 | 14/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | An omnibus guarantee and set-off agreement | 1 property | 28/03/2007 | 14/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 18/04/2006 | 14/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Deed of pledge of shares | 1 property | 24/02/2003 | 28/07/2006 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Debenture | 1 property | 31/10/2002 | 28/07/2006 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Composite guarantee and debenture | 1 property | 30/09/1997 | 22/10/2004 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (151 total)
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-05-15
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2026-05-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-04
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2025-09-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-04-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-07-17
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-05-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-09-29
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-09-06
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-05-31
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-05-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-16
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-10-04