AQUALUTION SYSTEMS LTD
🌳Matureactive
04100816 · ltd · incorporated 2000-11-02
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 13.5y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Aug 2024
Net worth
£-664.9k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 28990
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 70). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 13.5y
70/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 13.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
Data confidence
Overall: high (80/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
10 officers (2 active, 10 linked, 5 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
3 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
7 connected companies via shared directors
66
Filing history
99 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.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredNegative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £664,927
Cash YoY
+392%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£102k
↑ 392% YoY
Net Worth
-£665k
↓ 15% YoY
Current Assets
£393k
↓ 29% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-08-31 | 2023-08-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £208.3k | £419.3k |
| Current assets | £392.5k | £551.2k |
| Cash | £102.4k | £20.8k |
| Debtors | £178.4k | £431.1k |
| Net assets | £-664.9k | £-577.0k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
2 signals 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 (37 events)Click to expand
- 2025-03-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-05-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-04-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-05-10📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-02-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-05-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-04-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-05-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-05-13📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2019-05-08🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Scottish Enterprise
- 2019-03-07📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2018-07-06📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2018-06-30➖HILL, Arnold Joseph resigneddirector
- 2018-05-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-02-22📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2018-01-31➖DIVERSUS STRATEGIC LTD resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2017-08-04📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2017-08-04🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2017-05-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2013-03-24➕DIVERSUS STRATEGIC LTD appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2013-03-24➖FOX FLEMING LTD resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2013-02-06🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Jabil Circuit UK Limited
- 2012-06-01➖GODBER, Stephen Alison resigneddirector
- 2012-06-01➖GOSTLING, Louise Mary resigneddirector
- 2012-01-31➖GODBER, Stephen Alison resignedsecretary
- 2012-01-31➕FOX FLEMING LTD appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2009-09-10➕MEAKIN, Nicholas St John appointeddirector
- 2009-09-10➕HILL, Arnold Joseph appointeddirector
- 2009-02-02➕JOYCE, Richard William appointeddirector
- 2000-11-06➕GODBER, Stephen Alison appointedsecretary
- 2000-11-06➕GODBER, Stephen Alison appointeddirector
- 2000-11-06➕GOSTLING, Louise Mary appointeddirector
- 2000-11-02🏢Company incorporatedAs AQUALUTION SYSTEMS LTD
- 2000-11-02➕NOMINEE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-11-02➖NOMINEE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-11-02➕NOMINEE COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2000-11-02➖NOMINEE COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
83/100
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
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 17 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 70 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
89/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 70 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 17 years.
- 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
3 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Richard William Joyce Individual · British · DOB 01/1956 · age 70 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
Mr Arnold Joseph Hill Individual · South African · DOB 08/1953 · age 73 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
Mr Nicholas St John Meakin Individual · British · DOB 08/1959 · age 67 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
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 · NE postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJS TRADE INTERIORS LTD→ 16432416 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ANGELMOON ENTERPRISES LIMITED→ 05328234 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| ARLES LTD→ 16381910 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ARM FABRICATIONS LTD→ 16808535 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ARM-SKI ENGINEERING LTD→ 16481142 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ATHENAEUM PRESS LIMITED→ 02026987 · est 1986 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 39y | — | — |
| AURA AEROSPACE LTD→ 16817398 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AURAPANE LTD→ 16293349 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AURUM IMPERIUM GOLD SUPPLY LIMITED→ 15949914 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AUSTIN LIFTS LIMITED→ 03537103 · est 1998 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 28y | — | — |
| AUTO & MARINE COMPOSITES LTD→ 07544793 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| AUTO ITEMS LIMITED→ 07634666 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2000-11-02
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC28990 — SIC 28990
Registered office
8 Linnet Court
Cawledge Business Park
Alnwick
Northumberland
NE66 2GD
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-08-31
Last made up to: 2024-08-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-16
Last: 2025-11-02
Officers (2 active · 8 resigned)
JOYCE, Richard William→
Activedirector · ~70y · appointed 2009-02-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MEAKIN, Nicholas St John→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 2009-09-10
View their other companies + combined net worth →
GODBER, Stephen Alison→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-11-06 · resigned 2012-01-31
DIVERSUS STRATEGIC LTD→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2013-03-24 · resigned 2018-01-31
FOX FLEMING LTD→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2012-01-31 · resigned 2013-03-24
NOMINEE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2000-11-02 · resigned 2000-11-02
GODBER, Stephen Alison→
Resigneddirector · ~76y · appointed 2000-11-06 · resigned 2012-06-01
GOSTLING, Louise Mary→
Resigneddirector · ~65y · appointed 2000-11-06 · resigned 2012-06-01
HILL, Arnold Joseph→
Resigneddirector · ~73y · appointed 2009-09-10 · resigned 2018-06-30
NOMINEE COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2000-11-02 · resigned 2000-11-02
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Scottish Enterprise | A registered charge | — | 08/05/2019 | — | |
| satisfied | Jabil Circuit UK Jabil Circuit UK Limited | Debenture | 1 property | 06/02/2013 | 04/08/2017 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (99 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-04
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-05-21
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-21
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-04
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-05-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-02-02
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-05-31
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-11-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-04-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-11-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-05-15