BATES OFFICE SERVICES LTD

📉Decliningactive

03352929 · ltd · incorporated 1997-04-15

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.

Why now

Window steady · low confidence

Stable recent picture — watch for any upcoming trigger event.

Opportunity decay

drifting distress · 6-months

Drifting toward distress — expect more negotiability in 3–6 months, but also more friction.

· Lifecycle stage drifting downward
· Currently "declining"

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

£39.82M

year to Apr 2025

Net worth

—

book net assets

Opportunity

79/100

Strong

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch

What this business does

Primary activity: Non-specialised wholesale trade

Sector: Wholesale & retail

Investor take

Pursue

Strong opportunity: leverage-led grower with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Asset purchase likely safer than share purchase given structural signals. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 7 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (57/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

16 live charges · 7 lenders · oldest 29.1y

25/100

too messy

Structure is too messy for a clean refinance right now — clean up first or expect bespoke terms.

· Oldest live charge is 29.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
· 7 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
· Legal-friction score 55/100 (high).

Data confidence

Overall: high (81/100)

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

Lenders & charges

16 charges (16/16 with lender, 16/16 with type)

Directors & officers

18 officers (9 active, 18 linked, 15 with DOB)

Ownership & PSC

1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared

Director network

6 connected companies via shared directors

Filing history

139 filings on record

Gazette notices

No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)

🔒Estimated company valuation

Sector-multiple EBITDA, turnover, and NAV-proxy valuation range with confidence tier — derived from extracted iXBRL financials.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Opportunity Score

79/100Strong

PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality

Adequate — check latest filings for context.

Acquirability

Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.

Risk profile

Few red flags.

Signal strength

100

Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102

Profitable

Profit before tax £1,731,312

Turnover YoY

+3%

Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts

Cash

—

Net Worth

—

Current Assets

—

Current Liabilities

—

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102

Metric	2025-04-30	2024-04-30
Turnover	£39.82M	£38.61M
Gross profit	£11.78M	£11.72M
Operating profit	£2.00M	£2.78M
Profit before tax	£1.73M	£2.43M
Average employees	15200	14900

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

3 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

filings

Last 90 days

filings

Last 180 days

filings

• 1 officers
• 1 accounts

Counts from Companies House filing history.

Corporate timeline (65 events)Click to expand

2026-02-02
📄
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2026-01-30
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-14
➕
LAMBERT, Michael appointed
director
2025-02-26
➕
SAMUELS, Jennifer Victoria appointed
director
2025-02-26
➖
BARRETT, Craig resigned
director
2025-02-26
📄
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-02-26
📄
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-02-12
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-10-01
📄
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-09-25
📄
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2024-06-22
📄
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2024-06-03
📄
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2024-06-03
📄
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2024-02-26
📄
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-01-22
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-11-24
📄
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2023-11-21
🔒
Charge registered #16
Lender: Hsbc UK Bank PLC
2022-10-13
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2022-03-14
📄
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-03-10
➖
HENSBY, Ben resigned
director
2022-01-25
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-21
📄
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2021-06-30
➕
HENSMAN, Rebecca appointed
director
2021-06-28
📄
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2021-06-24
➕
BARRETT, Craig appointed
director
2021-06-10
📄
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2021-06-10
📄
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2020-11-27
🔒
Charge registered #15
Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
2020-07-27
🔒
Charge registered #14
Lender: Hsbc UK Bank PLC
2020-04-30
🔒
Charge registered #13
Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
2020-04-30
🔒
Charge registered #12
Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
2020-04-30
🔒
Charge registered #11
Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
2018-03-08
➕
TAYLOR, David Simon appointed
director
2018-02-19
➖
EDMONDS, Peter Alan resigned
director
2018-02-05
➖
TAYLOR, David Simon resigned
director
2017-12-08
🔒
Charge registered #10
Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
2016-03-11
➕
HENSBY, Ben appointed
director
2016-01-30
🔓
Charge satisfied #8
2014-07-31
➖
DOVEY, Carl resigned
director
2014-06-01
➕
DOVEY, Carl appointed
director
2014-04-20
➖
DOVEY, Carl resigned
director
2014-04-01
🔒
Charge registered #9
Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
2014-02-25
🔒
Charge registered #8
Lender: Vow Europe Limited
2013-08-01
➕
GARSIDE, Mark appointed
director
2013-03-30
➖
MOODY, Paul Aaron resigned
director
2012-10-01
➕
TAYLOR, David Simon appointed
director
2011-08-01
➕
DOVEY, Carl appointed
director
2011-08-01
➕
MOODY, Paul Aaron appointed
director
2010-06-03
🔒
Charge registered #7
Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
2009-12-11
🔒
Charge registered #6
Lender: Hsbc Invoice Finance (UK) LTD (the Security Holder)

Showing most recent 50 of 65 events

Owner dependency

66/100

High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS

-8 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
+Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
+Senior director age: Director aged approximately 61 — approaching natural succession window.
+Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

60/100

Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS

secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 61. Early succession window.
primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 29 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

1 low

15 live charges

low

Heavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.

Group structure

Bosl (Holdings) Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️

Bosl (Holdings) Limited

Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control

ultimate parent

⬇

BATES OFFICE SERVICES LTD

This company · 03352929

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
Bosl (Holdings) Limited Corporate entity	75–100%	75–100%	board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control	07/05/2024

1 historic (ceased) PSC

Mr Michael Edmondsceased 07/05/2024· 50-75% shares

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 · ME postcode area

Company	Est. value	Turnover	Net worth	Staff	Age	Opp	Director
ACTIONPOINT ONLINE LTD→ 12516460 · est 2020 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	6y	—	—
B & S BUILDING SUPPLIES LTD→ 16118848 · est 2024 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	1y	—	—
BLANC TEXTILES AGENCY LTD→ 15777300 · est 2024 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	1y	—	—
BNR GLOBAL SUPPLY GROUP LTD→ 12931994 · est 2020 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	5y	—	—
BONNY & CO. (FRUIT IMPORTERS) LIMITED→ 00485852 · est 1950 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	75y	—	—
BOSWELL WHOLESALE LIMITED→ 16173222 · est 2025 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	1y	—	—
BOUNDARY FENCING & TIMBER SUPPLIES UK LIMITED→ 12866087 · est 2020 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	5y	—	—
BOWLEY SUPPLIES LTD→ 16212028 · est 2025 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	1y	—	—
BRINVENT COMPANY LTD→ 11331323 · est 2018 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	7y	—	—
BRN ARCHITECTURAL LTD→ 16988721 · est 2026 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
BROOKERPAKS LIMITED→ 04466553 · est 2002 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	23y	—	—
BUDGET BLANKS LTD→ 16442476 · est 2025 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

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

Incorporated1997-04-15

Jurisdictionengland-wales

Primary SIC46900 — Non-specialised wholesale trade

Registered office

Units A1 - A4 Knights Park Industrial Estate

Knight Road

Rochester

Kent

ME2 2LS

Filing status

Accounts

Next due: 2027-01-31

Last made up to: 2025-04-30

Confirmation statement

Next due: 2026-11-10

Last: 2025-10-27