A - Z ENGINEERING LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
03860114 · ltd · incorporated 1999-10-15
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
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Machining
Sector: Manufacturing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 25990SIC 25990
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 66-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 77/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 66). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 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 26.2y

15/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 26.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (77/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (1 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
79 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Dec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Average employees18001900

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal 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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (33 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-10-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-01-06
    📄
    gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
    gazette · DISS40
  4. 2024-01-03
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  5. 2024-01-02
    📄
    gazette-notice-compulsory
    gazette · GAZ1
  6. 2023-12-22
    ➖
    KNOWLES, Paul Gregory resigned
    director
  7. 2023-10-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2023-04-20
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  9. 2023-04-20
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  10. 2022-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2021-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2020-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2019-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2018-09-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-09-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  16. 2016-06-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2016-03-31
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  18. 2016-03-31
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Positive Cashflow Finance Limited
  19. 2016-03-16
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  20. 2013-08-19
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  21. 2011-08-23
    ➕
    KNOWLES, Paul Gregory appointed
    director
  22. 2009-10-01
    ➖
    JONES, Amanda resigned
    secretary
  23. 2009-10-01
    ➖
    JONES, Amanda resigned
    director
  24. 2000-06-26
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  25. 2000-03-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: A-Z Engineering Limited
  26. 1999-10-18
    ➕
    JONES, Roger William appointed
    director
  27. 1999-10-18
    ➕
    JONES, Amanda appointed
    secretary
  28. 1999-10-18
    ➖
    TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  29. 1999-10-18
    ➕
    JONES, Amanda appointed
    director
  30. 1999-10-18
    ➖
    COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  31. 1999-10-15
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As A - Z ENGINEERING LIMITED
  32. 1999-10-15
    ➕
    TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  33. 1999-10-15
    ➕
    COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 27 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 66. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • 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

1 med ·
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Roger William Jones
Individual · British · DOB 11/1960 · age 66
75–100%
75–100%75-100% shares · 75-100% voting15/10/2016

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 →
🔒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
Incorporated1999-10-15
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25620 — Machining

Registered office

Unit I Cargotec Industrial Park
Elson Road
Ellesmere
Shropshire
SY12 9JW

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-29
Last: 2025-10-15

Officers (1 active · 5 resigned)

JONES, Roger William→
director · ~66y · appointed 1999-10-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
JONES, Amanda→
secretary · appointed 1999-10-18 · resigned 2009-10-01
Resigned
TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1999-10-15 · resigned 1999-10-18
Resigned
JONES, Amanda→
director · ~59y · appointed 1999-10-18 · resigned 2009-10-01
Resigned
KNOWLES, Paul Gregory→
director · ~65y · appointed 2011-08-23 · resigned 2023-12-22
Resigned
COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1999-10-15 · resigned 1999-10-18
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

3
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Positive Cashflow Finance
Positive Cashflow Finance Limited
A registered charge2 properties31/03/201620/04/2023
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Mortgage debenture1 property26/06/200016/03/2016
satisfied
A-Z Engineering / Richard William Smithson
A-Z Engineering Limited / Richard William Smithson
Debenture2 properties30/03/200019/08/2013

Recent filings (79 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-10-01
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-30
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2024-01-06
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-01-03
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-03
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2024-01-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-13
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-04-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-22