PROFESSIONAL COURIER SYSTEMS LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
03953594 · ltd · incorporated 2000-03-22
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
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Unlicenced Carrier
Sector: Transportation & storage
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 67-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 67). 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 (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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
7 officers (2 active, 7 linked, 5 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
81 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.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
- 2025-05-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-04-16📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-07-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-14📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2023-03-14📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2023-03-09📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-03-06📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2023-03-06📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-03-01➖DEAS, Fiona Lindsay resigneddirector
- 2022-11-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-05-21📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2021-03-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-10-21📄change-account-reference-date-company-current-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2019-07-05📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-06-21➖STEWART, Jerry Brown resigneddirector
- 2019-05-15📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2019-02-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-08-29➖BARNES, Peter Richard resigneddirector
- 2018-08-29➕DEAS, Fiona Lindsay appointeddirector
- 2018-08-29➕STEWART, Jerry Brown appointeddirector
- 2000-03-22🏢Company incorporatedAs PROFESSIONAL COURIER SYSTEMS LIMITED
- 2000-03-22➕JACOBS, Christopher David appointedsecretary
- 2000-03-22➕JACOBS, Christopher David appointeddirector
- 2000-03-22➕GRAEME, Dorothy May appointednominee-secretary
- 2000-03-22➖GRAEME, Dorothy May resignednominee-secretary
- 2000-03-22➕BARNES, Peter Richard appointeddirector
- 2000-03-22➕GRAEME, Lesley Joyce appointednominee-director
- 2000-03-22➖GRAEME, Lesley Joyce resignednominee-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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.
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 67. 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| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Christopher David Jacobs Individual · British · DOB 08/1959 · age 67 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Eagle Couriers (Holdings) Ltdceased 01/03/2023· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control
- Mr Peter Richard Barnesceased 29/08/2018· 25-50% shares
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 · Transport & logistics · GU postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1START LOGISTICS LTD→ 12660559 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| A.M. TRANSPORT HAULAGE LTD→ 13607289 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AAMIRS LTD→ 15349956 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ACROPOLIS AVIATION LIMITED→ 06762686 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| ACTON STORAGE SOLUTIONS LTD→ 10516558 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ACTUATE FULFILLMENT LIMITED→ 13525238 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AFFINITY AVIATION GROUP LTD→ 09300323 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| AFROSHIFT INTERNATIONAL LIMITED→ 16386195 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AHF PROSPER LTD→ 12769246 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| AIM REMOVALS AND STORAGE LIMITED→ 11723473 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AIRLANKA CARGO LIMITED→ 14072224 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AIRPORT CRUISE PICKUPS LIMITED→ 15415637 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2000-03-22
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC53202 — Unlicenced Carrier
Registered office
Clockhouse
Dogflud Way
Farnham
GU9 7UD
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-12
Last: 2026-02-26
Officers (2 active · 5 resigned)
JACOBS, Christopher David→
Activesecretary · appointed 2000-03-22
View their other companies + combined net worth →
JACOBS, Christopher David→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 2000-03-22
View their other companies + combined net worth →
GRAEME, Dorothy May→
Resignednominee-secretary · appointed 2000-03-22 · resigned 2000-03-22
BARNES, Peter Richard→
Resigneddirector · ~62y · appointed 2000-03-22 · resigned 2018-08-29
DEAS, Fiona Lindsay→
Resigneddirector · ~61y · appointed 2018-08-29 · resigned 2023-03-01
GRAEME, Lesley Joyce→
Resignednominee-director · ~73y · appointed 2000-03-22 · resigned 2000-03-22
STEWART, Jerry Brown→
Resigneddirector · ~74y · appointed 2018-08-29 · resigned 2019-06-21
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (81 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-05-02
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-04-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-11-16
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-25
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2023-03-14
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2023-03-14
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-03-09
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2023-03-06
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-03-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-04-28