ABBA PLANT HIRE LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
03482697 · ltd · incorporated 1997-12-09
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and stalled — no momentum either way. Needs an approach trigger.
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
—
year to Apr 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Renting and leasing of construction and civil engineering machinery and equipment
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 45). 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 (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 14.9y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 14.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: high (80/100)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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (2 active, 7 linked, 3 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
5 connected companies via shared directors
60
Filing history
81 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
74/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
77
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 · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-04-30 | 2024-04-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 4400 | 3200 |
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
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 persons-with-significant-control
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-05📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-09-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2025-07-29📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2025-07-29📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-07-15➖MARTIN-HOYES, John resigneddirector
- 2025-03-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2024-01-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2023-01-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2022-01-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2020-07-13📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2020-07-13🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2020-03-06📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2020-03-06🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2020-01-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2019-01-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2017-01-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2012-06-21🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2012-06-19🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2012-06-01🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2012-06-01🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2011-09-02🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2006-12-21➕BOURNE, Tracy appointedsecretary
- 2006-12-21➖ROTHON, Jennifer resignedsecretary
- 2006-03-30➕BOURNE, Tracy appointeddirector
- 1998-12-01➖MARTIN HOYES, Tracy resigneddirector
- 1997-12-09🏢Company incorporatedAs ABBA PLANT HIRE LIMITED
- 1997-12-09➕ROTHON, Jennifer appointedsecretary
- 1997-12-09➕TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1997-12-09➖TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1997-12-09➕MARTIN HOYES, Tracy appointeddirector
- 1997-12-09➕MARTIN-HOYES, John appointeddirector
- 1997-12-09➕COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1997-12-09➖COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
85/100
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
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 20 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 20 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
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Tracy Bourne Individual · British · DOB 02/1981 · age 45 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 15/07/2025 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr John Martin-Hoyesceased 15/07/2025· 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 · Professional services · LN postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALL FERTILITY CHECK LTD→ 12718737 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ANDREW ASTON LTD→ 11920267 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ANNA O'MARA LTD→ 16216132 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AURUM INSIGHTS LTD→ 15477015 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AUSTENHEMPSTEAD.COM LTD→ 09564079 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| AUTONARY AI LTD→ 16292254 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AVONDALE BUSINESS CONSULTANCY LTD→ 09235560 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| AWARENESS ON MESSAGE LIMITED→ 09559163 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| AYMS CONSULTANCY LIMITED→ 10883800 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| B A BUSH (HOLDINGS) LIMITED→ 08169212 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| B AND C HOLDINGS LINCOLN LTD→ 15808901 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| B-HIVE INNOVATIONS LIMITED→ 10695004 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1997-12-09
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC77320 — Renting and leasing of construction and civil engineering machinery and equipment
Registered office
Martin House
Exchange Road
Doddington Road Lincoln
Lincolnshire
LN6 3JZ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-06
Last: 2025-10-23
Officers (2 active · 5 resigned)
Active
BOURNE, Tracy→
Activedirector · ~45y · appointed 2006-03-30
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ROTHON, Jennifer→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1997-12-09 · resigned 2006-12-21
TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1997-12-09 · resigned 1997-12-09
MARTIN HOYES, Tracy→
Resigneddirector · ~45y · appointed 1997-12-09 · resigned 1998-12-01
MARTIN-HOYES, John→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · appointed 1997-12-09 · resigned 2025-07-15
COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1997-12-09 · resigned 1997-12-09
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Chattels mortgage | 1 property | 19/06/2012 | 06/03/2020 | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | An omnibus guarantee and set-off agreement | 1 property | 01/06/2012 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Debenture deed | 1 property | 01/06/2012 | 13/07/2020 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 02/09/2011 | 21/06/2012 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (81 total)
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2026-03-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2025-09-26
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2025-07-29
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-07-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2025-03-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2024-01-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2023-01-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2022-01-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-02-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2021-01-25