ASHCROFT TRANSMISSIONS LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
03762138 · ltd · incorporated 1999-04-26
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 18.5y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 45200
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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: strategic trade sale (63/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 18.5y
65/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 18.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (56/100)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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (3 active, 8 linked, 3 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 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
77/100Strong
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
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-01-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-01-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2022-03-07📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2022-02-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-27📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-02-24📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2021-02-24📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2021-02-22➕ASHCROFT, Joanne Christine appointeddirector
- 2021-02-22➖ASHCROFT, Richard Ian resigneddirector
- 2021-02-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-02-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-01-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-01-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-05-09📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2007-12-12🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2007-09-21➕ASHCROFT, David John Richard appointedsecretary
- 2007-09-21➖ASHCROFT, Richard Ian resignedsecretary
- 1999-04-26🏢Company incorporatedAs ASHCROFT TRANSMISSIONS LIMITED
- 1999-04-26➕ASHCROFT, David John Richard appointeddirector
- 1999-04-26➕ASHCROFT, Richard Ian appointedsecretary
- 1999-04-26➕COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1999-04-26➖COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1999-04-26➕ASHCROFT, Richard Ian appointeddirector
- 1999-04-26➕COMBINED NOMINEES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1999-04-26➖COMBINED NOMINEES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1999-04-26➕COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1999-04-26➖COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
91/100
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
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "ASHCROFT" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 27 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
66/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 27 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 27 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
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr David John Richard Ashcroft Individual · British · DOB 08/1970 · age 56 | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Richard Ian Ashcroftceased 22/02/2021· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
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 · Automotive · SG postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4TUNE PERFORMANCE LTD→ 11482231 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| A & M MOTORCYCLES LTD→ 04970983 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| A A GARAGE LTD→ 14196547 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| A1 BN UK LIMITED→ 04980353 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| ANDREW JACKSON UK LIMITED→ 06864413 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| AUTO FANATICS LTD→ 14101932 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AUTO PERFORMANCE SERVICES LTD→ 14681789 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AUTOFIX (BUNTINGFORD) LIMITED→ 05759552 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| AUTOGRAPH VEHICLE SOLUTIONS LTD→ 07164272 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| AUTOKLASS LTD→ 14627747 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AUTOTRACE LIMITED→ 02194544 · est 1987 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 38y | — | — |
| AUTOWELT LTD→ 15637075 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
6 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
Incorporated1999-04-26
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC45200 — SIC 45200
Registered office
C/O Hw Associates
Portmill House, Portmill Lane
Hitchin
Hertfordshire
SG5 1DJ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-21
Last: 2026-03-07
Officers (3 active · 5 resigned)
ASHCROFT, David John Richard→
Activesecretary · appointed 2007-09-21
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ASHCROFT, David John Richard→
Activedirector · ~56y · appointed 1999-04-26
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ASHCROFT, Joanne Christine→
Activedirector · ~56y · appointed 2021-02-22
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ASHCROFT, Richard Ian→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1999-04-26 · resigned 2007-09-21
COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1999-04-26 · resigned 1999-04-26
ASHCROFT, Richard Ian→
Resigneddirector · ~84y · appointed 1999-04-26 · resigned 2021-02-22
COMBINED NOMINEES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1999-04-26 · resigned 1999-04-26
COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1999-04-26 · resigned 1999-04-26
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 12/12/2007 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (80 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-11-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-01-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-01-26
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-03-07
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-02-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-27
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2021-04-27
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2021-02-24
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2021-02-24