AGENCY EXPRESS LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
03636473 · ltd · incorporated 1998-09-23
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
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 17.8y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Sept 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 75-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 75). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 17.8y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 17.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (3 active, 8 linked, 5 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
92 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
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 | 2025-09-30 | 2024-09-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 15 | 1300 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
5
filings
- • 2 officers
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2025-12-20📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-12-20📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-12-18📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-12-18📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-01-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2025-01-10📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2025-01-09📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2025-01-07📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2024-01-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-27📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2022-06-20📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2022-01-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-20📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-03-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2020-01-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2019-02-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-07-25➕WATSON, Carole Lynne appointeddirector
- 2014-10-01➕BROOKES, Benjamin John appointeddirector
- 2012-03-14➖ELIEL, Frank Eric resignedsecretary
- 2012-03-14➖ELIEL, Frank Eric resigneddirector
- 2010-10-05🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2010-09-30🔒Charge registered #2Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2008-08-20🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2006-08-24➖CORBETT, David John resigneddirector
- 1998-09-24➕WATSON, John Stephen appointeddirector
- 1998-09-24➕ELIEL, Frank Eric appointedsecretary
- 1998-09-24➖SAME-DAY COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1998-09-24➕CORBETT, David John appointeddirector
- 1998-09-24➕ELIEL, Frank Eric appointeddirector
- 1998-09-24➖WILDMAN & BATTELL LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1998-09-23🏢Company incorporatedAs AGENCY EXPRESS LIMITED
- 1998-09-23➕SAME-DAY COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1998-09-23➕WILDMAN & BATTELL LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
83/100
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
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 28 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 75 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
90/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 75 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr John Stephen Watson Individual · British · DOB 09/1959 · age 67 | 50–75% | 50–75% | board control50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control | 23/09/2016 |
Mrs Carole Lynne Watson Individual · British · DOB 11/1951 · age 75 | 25–50% | 25–50% | board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control | 24/09/2021 |
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 · Trade services · NR postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2TMI LTD→ 14136320 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| 7C NORTHBROOK ROAD LIMITED→ 11218720 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| A BROWN SERVICES LIMITED→ 12177491 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ADAMS CLEANING CONTRACTORS UK LTD→ 12464362 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ADAPTAR AXIOM LTD→ 10414088 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ADMIRAL BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION LIMITED→ 06682198 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| ADRIAN ROWE LIMITED→ 03927555 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| AESTHETICS BY RICCI JADE LTD→ 16506663 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AG NORWICH LTD→ 16099660 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AGILE BOX LTD→ 07974056 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| AGP WINDOW CLEANING LIMITED→ 13537946 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AGW PROPERTIES LIMITED→ 11035249 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1998-09-23
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC82990 — Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Registered office
UNIT & 1 & 2
The Business Centre Rectory Road East Carleton
Norwich
Norfolk
NR14 8HT
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-06-30
Last made up to: 2025-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-07
Last: 2025-09-23
Officers (3 active · 5 resigned)
BROOKES, Benjamin John→
Activedirector · ~43y · appointed 2014-10-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WATSON, Carole Lynne→
Activedirector · ~75y · appointed 2016-07-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WATSON, John Stephen→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 1998-09-24
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ELIEL, Frank Eric→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1998-09-24 · resigned 2012-03-14
SAME-DAY COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1998-09-23 · resigned 1998-09-24
CORBETT, David John→
Resigneddirector · ~79y · appointed 1998-09-24 · resigned 2006-08-24
ELIEL, Frank Eric→
Resigneddirector · ~80y · appointed 1998-09-24 · resigned 2012-03-14
WILDMAN & BATTELL LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1998-09-23 · resigned 1998-09-24
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 30/09/2010 | — | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 20/08/2008 | 05/10/2010 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (92 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2026-03-10
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-12-20
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-12-20
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-12-18
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-12-18
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2025-01-13
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2025-01-10
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-01-09
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2025-01-07
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2024-01-04
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2023-03-14
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-28