ACOUSTIC GROUP LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
03413208 · ltd · incorporated 1997-08-01
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
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Oct 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other retail sale of new goods in specialised stores (other than commercial art galleries and opticians)
Sector: Wholesale & retail
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 70100Activities of head offices
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 5 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 · 5 lenders · oldest 26.3y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 26.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (72/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
12 charges (12/12 with lender, 12/12 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
106 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.

Key financials

1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-10-31
Average employees100

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
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (48 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-01-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-01-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-02-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-03-29
    📄
    capital-return-purchase-own-shares
    capital · SH03
  5. 2023-03-22
    📄
    capital-cancellation-shares
    capital · SH06
  6. 2023-02-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-08-15
    ➕
    HEADLAM-MORLEY, Daniel Peter appointed
    director
  8. 2022-08-15
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  9. 2022-04-27
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  10. 2022-04-27
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  11. 2022-04-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2021-10-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2020-03-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2019-02-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2018-07-11
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  16. 2018-01-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2016-05-11
    🔒
    Charge registered #12
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  18. 2016-05-11
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #10
  19. 2016-05-11
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #9
  20. 2016-05-09
    🔒
    Charge registered #11
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  21. 2016-04-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #7
  22. 2015-06-30
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #8
  23. 2015-06-30
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  24. 2015-06-30
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  25. 2015-06-29
    🔒
    Charge registered #10
    Lender: Resolve Invest Limited
  26. 2015-06-29
    🔒
    Charge registered #9
    Lender: Resolve Invest Limited
  27. 2011-07-04
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
  28. 2009-07-15
    ➖
    HEADLAM-MORLEY, Nicola Margaret resigned
    secretary
  29. 2007-01-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: Hsbc Asset Finance (UK) Limited & Hsbc Equipment Finance (UK) Limited
  30. 2007-01-12
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  31. 2007-01-12
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  32. 2005-12-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
  33. 2005-11-14
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
  34. 2003-06-14
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  35. 2003-06-14
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  36. 2003-06-09
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  37. 2003-04-23
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  38. 2001-07-31
    ➖
    BROWN, Robert Gary resigned
    director
  39. 2001-07-09
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
  40. 2000-02-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
  41. 1997-08-01
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ACOUSTIC GROUP LIMITED
  42. 1997-08-01
    ➕
    HEADLAM-MORLEY, Michael Crispin appointed
    director
  43. 1997-08-01
    ➕
    HEADLAM-MORLEY, Nicola Margaret appointed
    secretary
  44. 1997-08-01
    ➕
    WATERLOW SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  45. 1997-08-01
    ➖
    WATERLOW SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  46. 1997-08-01
    ➕
    BROWN, Robert Gary appointed
    director
  47. 1997-08-01
    ➕
    WATERLOW NOMINEES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  48. 1997-08-01
    ➖
    WATERLOW NOMINEES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

84/100
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
  • +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.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — approaching natural succession window.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

36/100
Weak signal

Limited succession signal. Not a near-term off-market candidate.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — HEADLAM-MORLEY, Daniel Peter (same surname) appointed 2022-08-15. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 62. Early succession window.
  • 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 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

1 med ·
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Michael Crispin Headlam-Morley
Individual · British · DOB 06/1964 · age 62
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016

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

6 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
Incorporated1997-08-01
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC47789 — Other retail sale of new goods in specialised stores (other than commercial art galleries and opticians)

Registered office

C/O Brebners 1st Floor
1 Suffolk Way
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN13 1YL

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-18
Last: 2026-04-04

Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)

HEADLAM-MORLEY, Daniel Peter→
director · ~33y · appointed 2022-08-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HEADLAM-MORLEY, Michael Crispin→
director · ~62y · appointed 1997-08-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HEADLAM-MORLEY, Nicola Margaret→
secretary · appointed 1997-08-01 · resigned 2009-07-15
Resigned
WATERLOW SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1997-08-01 · resigned 1997-08-01
Resigned
BROWN, Robert Gary→
director · ~75y · appointed 1997-08-01 · resigned 2001-07-31
Resigned
WATERLOW NOMINEES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1997-08-01 · resigned 1997-08-01
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

12
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:12 of 12 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property11/05/2016—
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
A registered charge—09/05/2016—
satisfied
Resolve Invest
Resolve Invest Limited
A registered charge1 property29/06/201511/05/2016
satisfied
Resolve Invest
Resolve Invest Limited
A registered charge1 property29/06/201511/05/2016
satisfied
HSBC
Hsbc Bank PLC
Debenture1 property04/07/201130/06/2015
satisfied
HSBC
Hsbc Asset Finance (UK) Limited & Hsbc Equipment Finance (UK) Limited
Debenture1 property19/01/200729/04/2016
satisfied
HSBC
Hsbc Bank PLC
Legal mortgage1 property28/12/200530/06/2015
satisfied
HSBC
Hsbc Bank PLC
Debenture1 property14/11/200530/06/2015
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Legal charge1 property09/06/200312/01/2007
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Debenture1 property23/04/200312/01/2007
satisfied
HSBC
Hsbc Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property09/07/200114/06/2003
satisfied
HSBC
Hsbc Bank PLC
Debenture1 property18/02/200014/06/2003
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (106 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-01-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-02-09
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-05
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2023-03-29
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2023-03-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-02-10
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2022-08-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-20
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-04-27
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-04-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-13