APEX SIGNS & ENGRAVING LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
03290441 · ltd · incorporated 1996-12-11
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 Jun 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other manufacturing n.e.c.
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 69-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 69). 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

2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 28.3y

30/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 28.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · 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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
10 officers (1 active, 10 linked, 5 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
6 connected companies via shared directors
63
Filing history
124 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.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Jun 2024Jun 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-06-302024-06-30
Average employees400400

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
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (40 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-10-07
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  2. 2025-10-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2025-09-16
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  4. 2025-09-15
    ➖
    BROWN, Justin resigned
    director
  5. 2025-04-09
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  6. 2025-04-09
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  7. 2024-08-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2023-09-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2023-03-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2022-02-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2021-03-18
    ➖
    WEBSTER, Jonathan Paul resigned
    secretary
  12. 2021-03-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2021-03-18
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  14. 2021-03-18
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  15. 2020-03-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  16. 2019-03-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  17. 2018-03-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  18. 2017-03-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  19. 2008-05-03
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  20. 2006-08-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  21. 2001-12-28
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  22. 2001-12-24
    ➖
    BROWN, Justin resigned
    secretary
  23. 2001-12-24
    ➕
    WEBSTER, Jonathan Paul appointed
    secretary
  24. 2001-12-24
    ➕
    BROWN, Justin appointed
    director
  25. 2001-12-24
    ➖
    CHUDASAMA, Nitinkumar Maganlal resigned
    director
  26. 2001-01-01
    ➕
    CHUDASAMA, Nitinkumar Maganlal appointed
    director
  27. 2001-01-01
    ➖
    CHUDASAMA, Pragna Nitin resigned
    director
  28. 2000-08-03
    ➕
    CHUDASAMA, Pragna Nitin appointed
    director
  29. 1998-08-17
    ➕
    BROWN, Justin appointed
    secretary
  30. 1998-08-17
    ➖
    CHUDASAMA, Nitinkumar Maganlal resigned
    secretary
  31. 1998-07-17
    ➖
    GRAINGER, Frederick Thomas Fleetwood resigned
    director
  32. 1998-03-12
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Midland Bank PLC
  33. 1996-12-11
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As APEX SIGNS & ENGRAVING LIMITED
  34. 1996-12-11
    ➕
    CHUDASAMA, Nitinkumar Maganlal appointed
    director
  35. 1996-12-11
    ➕
    CHUDASAMA, Nitinkumar Maganlal appointed
    secretary
  36. 1996-12-11
    ➕
    SCF SECRETARIES LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  37. 1996-12-11
    ➖
    SCF SECRETARIES LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  38. 1996-12-11
    ➕
    GRAINGER, Frederick Thomas Fleetwood appointed
    director
  39. 1996-12-11
    ➕
    S C F (UK) LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  40. 1996-12-11
    ➖
    S C F (UK) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
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 30 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 69 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 69. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 30 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

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

Group structure

614chu Ltd is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
614chu Ltd
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
⬇
APEX SIGNS & ENGRAVING LIMITED
This company · 03290441

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%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
614chu Ltd
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control25/03/2025
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Nitinkumar Maganlal Chudasamaceased 25/03/2025· 75-100% shares · 75-100% 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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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
Incorporated1996-12-11
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC32990 — Other manufacturing n.e.c.

Registered office

Apex House Unit A2
Rhombus Business Park, Diamond Road
Norwich
Norfolk
NR6 6NN
United Kingdom

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-21
Last: 2025-10-07

Officers (1 active · 9 resigned)

CHUDASAMA, Nitinkumar Maganlal→
director · ~69y · appointed 1996-12-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BROWN, Justin→
secretary · appointed 1998-08-17 · resigned 2001-12-24
Resigned
CHUDASAMA, Nitinkumar Maganlal→
secretary · appointed 1996-12-11 · resigned 1998-08-17
Resigned
WEBSTER, Jonathan Paul→
secretary · appointed 2001-12-24 · resigned 2021-03-18
Resigned
SCF SECRETARIES LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1996-12-11 · resigned 1996-12-11
Resigned
BROWN, Justin→
director · ~61y · appointed 2001-12-24 · resigned 2025-09-15
Resigned
CHUDASAMA, Nitinkumar Maganlal→
director · ~69y · appointed 2001-01-01 · resigned 2001-12-24
Resigned
CHUDASAMA, Pragna Nitin→
director · ~62y · appointed 2000-08-03 · resigned 2001-01-01
Resigned
GRAINGER, Frederick Thomas Fleetwood→
director · ~71y · appointed 1996-12-11 · resigned 1998-07-17
Resigned
S C F (UK) LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1996-12-11 · resigned 1996-12-11
Resigned

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
TypeProperties
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property28/08/200603/05/2008
satisfied
Midland Bank
Midland Bank PLC
Debenture1 property12/03/199828/12/2001

Recent filings (124 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-07
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2025-10-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-10-06
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-09-16
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2025-04-09
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2025-04-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-08-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-09-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-03-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-02-11
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-03-18