A.K.F. TOOLING AND MOULDS LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
03372360 · ltd · incorporated 1997-05-16
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.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 25.1y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to May 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 25730
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 67-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 67). 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 (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 25.1y
65/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 25.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
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
75
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (4 active, 7 linked, 4 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
3 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
7 connected companies via shared directors
66
Filing history
80 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 accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · IFRS| Metric | 2025-05-31 | 2024-05-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 200 | 300 |
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
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (28 events)Click to expand
- 2025-11-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-02-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-05-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-05-25📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2023-05-02📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2022-02-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-02📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-03-02📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-03-02📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-03-02📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2021-01-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-03-09📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-03-02➖BROWN, Anthony William resigneddirector
- 2019-08-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-07-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-07-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2001-06-18🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 1997-08-15➕WATKINS, Howard John appointeddirector
- 1997-08-15➕BROWN, Anthony William appointeddirector
- 1997-05-29➕WATKINS, Steven Phillip appointedsecretary
- 1997-05-29➕WATKINS, David Charles appointeddirector
- 1997-05-29➕WATKINS, Steven Phillip appointeddirector
- 1997-05-29➖SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1997-05-29➖INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1997-05-16🏢Company incorporatedAs A.K.F. TOOLING AND MOULDS LIMITED
- 1997-05-16➕SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1997-05-16➕INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
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
- +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.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
80/100
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.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 29 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 29 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
3 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Steven Phillip Watkins Individual · British · DOB 10/1969 · age 57 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 16/05/2017 |
Mr David Charles Watkins Individual · British · DOB 09/1960 · age 66 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 16/05/2017 |
Mr Howard John Watkins Individual · British · DOB 06/1959 · age 67 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 16/05/2017 |
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 · Manufacturing · CV postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A JHUTTI LTD→ 12232349 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| A.K OFFICE INSTALLATION LTD→ 10582041 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ACTIVE VIRTUE LTD→ 15129555 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADRENALINE ERT LIMITED→ 10588855 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| AED CARPENTRY & JOINERY LTD→ 17017855 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AEROS MAINTENANCE LIMITED→ 03320874 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 29y | — | — |
| AGRI FARM SERVICES LIMITED→ 06668983 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| AHSFLS AUDIO LIMITED→ 16885591 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AIMIDI LTD→ 14941415 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AIMO AUTO TECHNOLOGY LTD→ 14337276 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AIRBOT CO., LTD→ 16583626 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AIRCRAFT IN MINIATURE LIMITED→ 02420620 · est 1989 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 36y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1997-05-16
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25730 — SIC 25730
Registered office
17-18 Lifford Way
Binley Industrial Estate
Coventry
West Midlands
CV3 2RN
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-02-28
Last made up to: 2025-05-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-30
Last: 2026-05-16
Officers (4 active · 3 resigned)
WATKINS, Steven Phillip→
Activesecretary · appointed 1997-05-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WATKINS, David Charles→
Activedirector · ~66y · appointed 1997-05-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WATKINS, Howard John→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 1997-08-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WATKINS, Steven Phillip→
Activedirector · ~57y · appointed 1997-05-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1997-05-16 · resigned 1997-05-29
BROWN, Anthony William→
Resigneddirector · ~67y · appointed 1997-08-15 · resigned 2020-03-02
INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1997-05-16 · resigned 1997-05-29
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
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 18/06/2001 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (80 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-05-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-11-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-02-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-03-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-05-25
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2023-05-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-24
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2023-05-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-02-21
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-05-17
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2021-03-02
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2021-03-02