ALAN WRIGLEY ASSOCIATES LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
03817049 · ltd · incorporated 1999-07-30
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c.
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 74-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 74). 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).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 23.4y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 23.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: low (54/100)

Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.

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
7 officers (2 active, 7 linked, 3 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
74 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.

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 (30 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-10-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-10-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-04-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-11-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2021-11-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-05-28
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  7. 2021-05-28
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  8. 2020-11-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2020-07-20
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  10. 2020-07-20
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  11. 2019-11-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2019-01-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2017-12-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2017-03-07
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  15. 2017-02-03
    ➖
    FARNELL, Wendy resigned
    director
  16. 2017-01-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2016-08-24
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  18. 2012-11-19
    ➕
    FARNELL, Wendy appointed
    director
  19. 2011-09-25
    ➕
    WRIGLEY, Alan appointed
    secretary
  20. 2011-09-25
    ➖
    WISEMAN, Elizabeth Anne resigned
    secretary
  21. 2007-04-14
    ➖
    FARNELL, Wendy resigned
    secretary
  22. 2007-04-14
    ➕
    WISEMAN, Elizabeth Anne appointed
    secretary
  23. 2007-04-14
    ➖
    FARNELL, Wendy resigned
    director
  24. 2003-02-21
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  25. 1999-07-30
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ALAN WRIGLEY ASSOCIATES LIMITED
  26. 1999-07-30
    ➕
    WRIGLEY, Alan appointed
    director
  27. 1999-07-30
    ➕
    FARNELL, Wendy appointed
    secretary
  28. 1999-07-30
    ➕
    RWL REGISTRARS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  29. 1999-07-30
    ➖
    RWL REGISTRARS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  30. 1999-07-30
    ➕
    FARNELL, Wendy appointed
    director

Owner dependency

100/100
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.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "WRIGLEY" — 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.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 74 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 74 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 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

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
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Alan Wrigley
Individual · British · DOB 02/1952 · age 74
25–50%
25–50%board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control06/04/2016
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Wendy Farnellceased 03/02/2017· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control
  • Mr Roy Wrigleyceased 01/07/2016· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · trust interest

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

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 →
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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.

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Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1999-07-30
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC74909 — Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c.

Registered office

Ash Cottage Bradley Lane
Rufforth
York
North Yorkshire
YO23 3QL
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-04-30
Last made up to: 2025-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-10
Last: 2025-07-27

Officers (2 active · 5 resigned)

WRIGLEY, Alan→
secretary · appointed 2011-09-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WRIGLEY, Alan→
director · ~74y · appointed 1999-07-30
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
FARNELL, Wendy→
secretary · appointed 1999-07-30 · resigned 2007-04-14
Resigned
WISEMAN, Elizabeth Anne→
secretary · appointed 2007-04-14 · resigned 2011-09-25
Resigned
RWL REGISTRARS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1999-07-30 · resigned 1999-07-30
Resigned
FARNELL, Wendy→
director · ~67y · appointed 2012-11-19 · resigned 2017-02-03
Resigned
FARNELL, Wendy→
director · ~67y · appointed 1999-07-30 · resigned 2007-04-14
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property21/02/200328/05/2021

Recent filings (74 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-10-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-10-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-04-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-11-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-07-30
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2021-05-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-11-20
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-07-20
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2020-07-20