ARCANIA APOTHECARY LTD
💤Zombieactive
04070168 · ltd · incorporated 2000-09-12
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
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 20420
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 63-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 63). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 7 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
7 live charges · 7 lenders · oldest 23.3y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 23.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 7 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
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
7 charges (7/7 with lender, 7/7 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
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.
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 (34 events)Click to expand
- 2025-10-23📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AAMD
- 2025-10-23📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AAMD
- 2025-10-23📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AAMD
- 2025-09-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-25📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2024-06-24🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Close Brothers Limited (The “Security Trustee”)
- 2023-12-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-01📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2023-10-31➖BOND, Nigel resignedsecretary
- 2022-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-28📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2021-07-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-06-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-09-14📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2017-06-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-12-03🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Limited
- 2015-11-25🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Reliance Bank Limited
- 2015-11-16🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2015-11-16🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2015-11-16🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2013-12-10🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 2013-01-31🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
- 2012-12-12➕BOND, Nigel appointedsecretary
- 2012-12-11➖HOWARD, Marcella resignedsecretary
- 2011-09-30🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
- 2003-03-14🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2000-09-12🏢Company incorporatedAs ARCANIA APOTHECARY LTD
- 2000-09-12➕HOWARD, Richard Geoffrey appointeddirector
- 2000-09-12➕HOWARD, Marcella appointedsecretary
- 2000-09-12➕SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-09-12➖SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
Owner dependency
93/100
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.
- +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
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Richard Geoffrey Howard Individual · British · DOB 03/1963 · age 63 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 12/09/2016 |
Mr Richard Geoffrey Howard Individual · British · DOB 03/1963 · age 63 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 12/09/2017 |
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 · Manufacturing · BA postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 324 BOUTIQUE LIMITED→ 16757033 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A V OPTICS LIMITED→ 05654119 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| A WELD (BRISTOL) LIMITED→ 07083442 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| ANTHONY BEST DYNAMICS LIMITED→ 01658222 · est 1982 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 43y | — | — |
| ANTIQUE STAINED GLASS LTD→ 13182761 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| APOTHEKE PERFUME LTD→ 12712421 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| APT INTERIORS LIMITED→ 10675410 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ARABIAN NUBIAN MINING LIMITED→ 13135712 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ARBORETUM LTD→ 15191011 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ARBORTECH PLANTING PRODUCTS LIMITED→ 12477898 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ARC MAILING LIMITED→ 06505627 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| ARCHITECTURAL MOULD SERVICES LIMITED→ 03922464 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2000-09-12
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC20420 — SIC 20420
Registered office
The Fragrance House Second Floor
Haydon
Wells
Somerset
BA5 3FF
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-26
Last: 2025-09-12
Officers (1 active · 3 resigned)
HOWARD, Richard Geoffrey→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2000-09-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BOND, Nigel→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2012-12-12 · resigned 2023-10-31
HOWARD, Marcella→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-09-12 · resigned 2012-12-11
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2000-09-12 · resigned 2000-09-12
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
7
Total charges
4
Outstanding
3
Active lenders
Status:Lender:7 of 7 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Close Brothers Close Brothers Limited (The “Security Trustee”) | A registered charge | — | 24/06/2024 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Limited | A registered charge | — | 03/12/2015 | — | |
| outstanding | Reliance Bank Reliance Bank Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 25/11/2015 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 10/12/2013 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited | All assets debenture | 1 property | 31/01/2013 | 16/11/2015 | |
| satisfied | NatWest Group Rbs Invoice Finance Limited | All assets debenture | 1 property | 30/09/2011 | 16/11/2015 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 14/03/2003 | 16/11/2015 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (79 total)
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AAMD
2025-10-23
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AAMD
2025-10-23
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AAMD
2025-10-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-30
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-06-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-11
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2023-11-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-14
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extended
accounts · AA01
2022-06-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-13