AIRDUCTS DESIGN LIMITED
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 77/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 73). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 28.1y
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 28.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-01-31 | 2024-01-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 500 | 500 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
Corporate timeline (32 events)Click to expand
- 2025-06-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-22📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2022-09-22📄withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC09
- 2022-08-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-01-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-10-29📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2019-01-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-10-30📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2017-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-10-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-01-21📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2013-05-08🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2013-05-07🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2013-05-07🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2001-04-05🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited(Trading as Alex. Lawrie Factors)
- 2001-02-09➕DAVIES, Sharon Tracey appointedsecretary
- 2001-02-09➖SHUCK, Colin George resignedsecretary
- 2001-02-09➖SHUCK, Colin George resigneddirector
- 1998-09-23🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1998-04-30🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Ceramaspeed Limited
- 1998-01-07🏢Company incorporatedAs AIRDUCTS DESIGN LIMITED
- 1998-01-07➕DAVIES, Keith Gordon appointeddirector
- 1998-01-07➕BREWER, Suzanne appointednominee-secretary
- 1998-01-07➖BREWER, Suzanne resignednominee-secretary
- 1998-01-07➕SHUCK, Colin George appointedsecretary
- 1998-01-07➕BREWER, Kevin, Dr appointednominee-director
- 1998-01-07➖BREWER, Kevin, Dr resignednominee-director
- 1998-01-07➕SHUCK, Colin George appointeddirector
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 28 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 73 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 73 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 28 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 28 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 ·Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
Airducts Holdings Ltd is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
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%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Airducts Holdings Ltd Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board controlsig. influence75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · significant influence · firm interest | 01/02/2022 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
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8 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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited(Trading as Alex. Lawrie Factors) | Fixed and floating charge | 2 properties | 05/04/2001 | 07/05/2013 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 23/09/1998 | 07/05/2013 | |
| satisfied | Ceramaspeed Ceramaspeed Limited | Rent deposit deed | 1 property | 30/04/1998 | 08/05/2013 |