APEX DESIGNS & PRODUCTS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
03469965 · ltd · incorporated 1997-11-24
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 Nov 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 25990
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with exceptional profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 59). 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 (78/100)

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
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
10 officers (2 active, 10 linked, 5 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
80 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
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
90
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£0Nov 2023Nov 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · IFRS
Metric2024-11-302023-11-30
Average employees600700

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
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (33 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-04-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-03-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-03-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-04-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2021-03-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2020-03-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2019-06-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2018-03-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  9. 2017-03-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2016-04-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  11. 2015-11-30
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  12. 2015-02-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  13. 2014-12-22
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  14. 2014-01-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2010-06-01
    ➖
    MCBRIEN, Geraldine Rose resigned
    director
  16. 2002-12-20
    ➕
    MCBRIEN, Geraldine Rose appointed
    director
  17. 2002-11-30
    ➖
    GIBBONS, Robert resigned
    director
  18. 2001-08-09
    ➕
    ROBINSON, Desmond Alec appointed
    secretary
  19. 2001-07-31
    ➖
    RILEY, Kevin Russ resigned
    secretary
  20. 2000-11-30
    ➖
    FRAIN, Robert John resigned
    director
  21. 2000-11-30
    ➖
    HUTCHINS, Stuart James resigned
    director
  22. 1997-12-18
    ➕
    ROBINSON, Desmond Alec appointed
    director
  23. 1997-12-18
    ➕
    RILEY, Kevin Russ appointed
    secretary
  24. 1997-12-18
    ➖
    COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  25. 1997-12-18
    ➕
    FRAIN, Robert John appointed
    director
  26. 1997-12-18
    ➕
    GIBBONS, Robert appointed
    director
  27. 1997-12-18
    ➖
    COMBINED NOMINEES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  28. 1997-12-13
    ➕
    HUTCHINS, Stuart James appointed
    director
  29. 1997-12-07
    ➖
    COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  30. 1997-11-24
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As APEX DESIGNS & PRODUCTS LIMITED
  31. 1997-11-24
    ➕
    COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  32. 1997-11-24
    ➕
    COMBINED NOMINEES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  33. 1997-11-24
    ➕
    COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

93/100
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 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 59 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 59. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • 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

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

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Desmond Alec Robinson
Individual · British · DOB 04/1967 · age 59
75–100%
—75-100% shares01/11/2016

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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A P SMALLMAN MAINTENANCE SERVICES LTD→
16511314 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
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00363827 · est 1940 · no financials extracted
————85y——
A.POOLE & SON LIMITED→
00481558 · est 1950 · no financials extracted
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08532527 · est 2013 · no financials extracted
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ANSRSA LTD→
15714978 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
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ANVIL STEELS (SANDWELL) LIMITED→
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ANY TYPE SCREWS & FIXINGS LTD→
15166542 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
AP GLAZING (OLDBURY) LTD.→
07811556 · est 2011 · no financials extracted
————14y——
APCO TECHNOLOGIES SERVICES LTD→
13665588 · est 2021 · no financials extracted
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APEX DIAMOND PRODUCTS LIMITED→
00739794 · est 1962 · no financials extracted
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————21y——
APEX MACHINING SERVICES LIMITED→
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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
Incorporated1997-11-24
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25990 — SIC 25990

Registered office

483 Birmingham Road
Marlbrook
Bromsgrove
Worcestershire
B61 0HZ

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-08-31
Last made up to: 2024-11-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-15
Last: 2025-12-01

Officers (2 active · 8 resigned)

ROBINSON, Desmond Alec→
secretary · appointed 2001-08-09
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ROBINSON, Desmond Alec→
director · ~59y · appointed 1997-12-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
RILEY, Kevin Russ→
secretary · appointed 1997-12-18 · resigned 2001-07-31
Resigned
COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1997-11-24 · resigned 1997-12-18
Resigned
FRAIN, Robert John→
director · ~63y · appointed 1997-12-18 · resigned 2000-11-30
Resigned
GIBBONS, Robert→
director · ~62y · appointed 1997-12-18 · resigned 2002-11-30
Resigned
HUTCHINS, Stuart James→
director · ~63y · appointed 1997-12-13 · resigned 2000-11-30
Resigned
MCBRIEN, Geraldine Rose→
director · ~59y · appointed 2002-12-20 · resigned 2010-06-01
Resigned
COMBINED NOMINEES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1997-11-24 · resigned 1997-12-18
Resigned
COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1997-11-24 · resigned 1997-12-07
Resigned

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

Recent filings (80 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-03-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-03-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-03-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-03-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-12-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-06-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2018-12-12