ABBEY DROPFORGINGS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
03465341 · ltd · incorporated 1997-11-13
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 99999
Sector: Extraterritorial bodies
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (58/100)

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
17 officers (2 active, 17 linked, 9 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
92 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

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 (48 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-03-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  2. 2023-12-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-07-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-06-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  5. 2021-06-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  6. 2020-04-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  7. 2020-01-07
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  8. 2020-01-07
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  9. 2020-01-01
    ➕
    GEORGE, David Matthew appointed
    secretary
  10. 2019-12-31
    ➖
    DALLMAN, John Maurice resigned
    secretary
  11. 2019-06-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  12. 2018-06-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  13. 2017-06-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  14. 2016-06-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  15. 2015-12-08
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  16. 2015-06-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  17. 2015-04-09
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  18. 2015-03-31
    ➕
    SHONE, Alaina appointed
    director
  19. 2015-03-31
    ➖
    DYSON, Patrick John resigned
    director
  20. 2012-12-20
    ➖
    LIM, Henry Woon-Hoe resigned
    director
  21. 2010-06-30
    ➖
    BEAZER, Brian Cyril resigned
    director
  22. 2010-06-30
    ➕
    LIM, Henry Woon-Hoe appointed
    director
  23. 2009-05-01
    ➕
    DALLMAN, John Maurice appointed
    secretary
  24. 2009-05-01
    ➕
    BEAZER, Brian Cyril appointed
    director
  25. 2009-04-30
    ➖
    FLETCHER, William resigned
    secretary
  26. 2009-04-30
    ➖
    FLETCHER, William resigned
    director
  27. 2004-04-29
    ➖
    S AND J ACQUISITION CORP resigned
    corporate-director
  28. 2004-04-20
    ➖
    CROWLEY, Dennis resigned
    director
  29. 2004-04-20
    ➕
    DYSON, Patrick John appointed
    director
  30. 2002-11-11
    ➕
    CROWLEY, Dennis appointed
    director
  31. 2002-11-11
    ➖
    MACLEAN, George Hobart resigned
    director
  32. 2002-11-11
    ➖
    WOLSTENHOLME, David John resigned
    director
  33. 2002-11-11
    ➕
    S AND J ACQUISITION CORP appointed
    corporate-director
  34. 2002-04-30
    ➕
    FLETCHER, William appointed
    secretary
  35. 2002-04-30
    ➖
    WOLSTENHOLME, David John resigned
    secretary
  36. 1998-06-17
    ➖
    REILLY, Frank resigned
    director
  37. 1998-03-23
    ➖
    LEVANT, William Anthony resigned
    secretary
  38. 1998-03-23
    ➕
    WOLSTENHOLME, David John appointed
    secretary
  39. 1998-02-23
    ➕
    FLETCHER, William appointed
    director
  40. 1998-02-23
    ➕
    WOLSTENHOLME, David John appointed
    director
  41. 1997-11-21
    ➕
    LEVANT, William Anthony appointed
    secretary
  42. 1997-11-21
    ➖
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  43. 1997-11-21
    ➕
    MACLEAN, George Hobart appointed
    director
  44. 1997-11-21
    ➕
    REILLY, Frank appointed
    director
  45. 1997-11-21
    ➖
    INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  46. 1997-11-13
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ABBEY DROPFORGINGS LIMITED
  47. 1997-11-13
    ➕
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  48. 1997-11-13
    ➕
    INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

83/100
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.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

80/100
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 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • 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

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

Group structure

Spear & Jackson Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Spear & Jackson Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
⬇
ABBEY DROPFORGINGS LIMITED
This company · 03465341

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
Spear & Jackson Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016

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

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
Incorporated1997-11-13
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC99999 — SIC 99999

Registered office

James Neill Holdings Limited
Atlas Way Atlas North
Sheffield
South Yorkshire
S4 7QQ

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-19
Last: 2025-11-05

Officers (2 active · 15 resigned)

GEORGE, David Matthew→
secretary · appointed 2020-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SHONE, Alaina→
director · ~64y · appointed 2015-03-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DALLMAN, John Maurice→
secretary · appointed 2009-05-01 · resigned 2019-12-31
Resigned
FLETCHER, William→
secretary · appointed 2002-04-30 · resigned 2009-04-30
Resigned
LEVANT, William Anthony→
secretary · appointed 1997-11-21 · resigned 1998-03-23
Resigned
WOLSTENHOLME, David John→
secretary · appointed 1998-03-23 · resigned 2002-04-30
Resigned
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1997-11-13 · resigned 1997-11-21
Resigned
BEAZER, Brian Cyril→
director · ~91y · appointed 2009-05-01 · resigned 2010-06-30
Resigned
CROWLEY, Dennis→
director · ~65y · appointed 2002-11-11 · resigned 2004-04-20
Resigned
DYSON, Patrick John→
director · ~70y · appointed 2004-04-20 · resigned 2015-03-31
Resigned
FLETCHER, William→
director · ~80y · appointed 1998-02-23 · resigned 2009-04-30
Resigned
LIM, Henry Woon-Hoe→
director · ~75y · appointed 2010-06-30 · resigned 2012-12-20
Resigned
MACLEAN, George Hobart→
director · ~91y · appointed 1997-11-21 · resigned 2002-11-11
Resigned
REILLY, Frank→
director · ~70y · appointed 1997-11-21 · resigned 1998-06-17
Resigned
WOLSTENHOLME, David John→
director · ~73y · appointed 1998-02-23 · resigned 2002-11-11
Resigned
INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1997-11-13 · resigned 1997-11-21
Resigned
S AND J ACQUISITION CORP→
corporate-director · appointed 2002-11-11 · resigned 2004-04-29
Resigned

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

Recent filings (92 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-03-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-12-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-07-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2022-06-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-06-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-11-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2020-04-28
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2020-01-07
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2020-01-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-11-15