COMER PLATING LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
03925394 · ltd · incorporated 2000-02-14
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 Mar 2025
Net worth
£258.9k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Treatment and coating of metals
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 63-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 63). 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).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (75/100)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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
90 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
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
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £258,942
Cash YoY
+19%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£186k
↑ 19% YoY
Net Worth
£259k
↑ 3.4% YoY
Current Assets
£374k
↑ 8.3% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £269.1k | £260.9k |
| Current assets | £373.7k | £344.9k |
| Cash | £186.1k | £157.0k |
| Debtors | £155.0k | £156.6k |
| Net assets | £258.9k | £250.5k |
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
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (28 events)Click to expand
- 2025-11-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-04📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2023-02-17📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-02-16📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-11-24📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2022-11-24📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2022-07-15📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2022-07-15📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2022-06-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2022-03-25📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-03-25📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2022-03-25📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-03-15📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2022-03-15📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2021-12-24📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2021-12-24📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2021-10-27📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2021-10-26📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2021-05-13➖COMER, Susan Jayne resignedsecretary
- 2000-02-14🏢Company incorporatedAs COMER PLATING LIMITED
- 2000-02-14➕COMER, John David appointeddirector
- 2000-02-14➕COMER, Susan Jayne appointedsecretary
- 2000-02-14➕EXPRESS SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-02-14➖EXPRESS SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-02-14➕EXPRESS DIRECTORS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2000-02-14➖EXPRESS DIRECTORS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
100/100
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
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "COMER" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
95/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 63. 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 26 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 26 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 John David Comer Individual · British · DOB 07/1963 · age 63 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mrs Susan Jayne Comerceased 13/05/2021· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33DEGREECONSULTANCY LTD→ 15448192 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 3D PRINTING FORGE LTD→ 14277976 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| 44 BOXING LTD→ 15882193 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 4SEASONS BLINDS & AWNINGS LTD→ 06636225 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| A CLASS PROTOTYPE LTD→ 13638593 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AAM KITCHEN AND BEDROOM LIMITED→ 15741420 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ABBEY BLINDS AND CURTAINS LTD→ 16119218 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ABERDONIA INTERNATIONAL LTD→ 15584416 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ABSM LTD→ 05337230 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| ABWELLTRADE LIMITED→ 14194587 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ACCESS SOLUTIONS AND PRODUCTS LTD→ 12865851 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ACCESSORY INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD→ 15870187 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2000-02-14
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25610 — Treatment and coating of metals
Registered office
Unit 10 Alpha Business Park
Deedmore Road
Coventry
West Midlands
CV2 1EQ
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-28
Last: 2026-02-14
Officers (1 active · 3 resigned)
COMER, John David→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2000-02-14
View their other companies + combined net worth →
COMER, Susan Jayne→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-02-14 · resigned 2021-05-13
EXPRESS SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2000-02-14 · resigned 2000-02-14
EXPRESS DIRECTORS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2000-02-14 · resigned 2000-02-14
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (90 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-11-27
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-06-19
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-19
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-07-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-06-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-21
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-02-17
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-02-16
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2022-11-24
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2022-11-24
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2022-07-15
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2022-07-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-06-10