ABLE ENGINEERING (MIDLANDS) LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04165570 · ltd · incorporated 2001-02-22
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
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£297.5k
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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 (58/100).

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, 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
8 officers (2 active, 8 linked, 2 with DOB)
75
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
92 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
74/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
82
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Positive net assets
Net assets £297,458
Net assets shrinking
Down £19,099 YoY

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£297k
↓ 6.0% YoY
Current Assets
£181k
↓ 22% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£63k£127k£190k£253k£317kMar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Total assets£297.5k£322.5k
Current assets£180.8k£230.8k
Net assets£297.5k£316.6k

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 (35 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-11-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-10-28
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  3. 2025-01-07
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  4. 2025-01-07
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  5. 2025-01-07
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  6. 2024-08-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2024-08-01
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  8. 2024-08-01
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  9. 2024-08-01
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  10. 2024-07-15
    ➕
    HOWDLE, Gail Elizebeth appointed
    secretary
  11. 2024-07-15
    ➖
    HOWDLE, Martin John resigned
    secretary
  12. 2023-08-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2022-12-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  14. 2022-10-21
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  15. 2022-10-21
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  16. 2022-10-21
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  17. 2022-07-05
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  18. 2022-07-05
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  19. 2021-11-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  20. 2021-09-22
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  21. 2021-09-22
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  22. 2021-05-10
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  23. 2019-04-12
    ➖
    PARKER, Nigel resigned
    director
  24. 2003-09-11
    ➖
    DEAVILLE, Richard Mervyn Wordsworth resigned
    secretary
  25. 2003-09-11
    ➕
    HOWDLE, Martin John appointed
    secretary
  26. 2001-02-22
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ABLE ENGINEERING (MIDLANDS) LIMITED
  27. 2001-02-22
    ➕
    HOWDLE, Martin John appointed
    director
  28. 2001-02-22
    ➕
    DEAVILLE, Richard Mervyn Wordsworth appointed
    secretary
  29. 2001-02-22
    ➕
    COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  30. 2001-02-22
    ➖
    COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  31. 2001-02-22
    ➕
    PARKER, Nigel appointed
    director
  32. 2001-02-22
    ➕
    COMBINED NOMINEES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  33. 2001-02-22
    ➖
    COMBINED NOMINEES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  34. 2001-02-22
    ➕
    COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  35. 2001-02-22
    ➖
    COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

85/100
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 25 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

65/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 25 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

1 low
Multiple registered office changes
low

Multiple address changes in a short period can indicate operational instability or admin disorder.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Martin John Howdle
Individual · British · DOB 06/1972 · age 54
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mrs Gail Elizebeth Howdleceased 15/07/2024· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
  • Mr Nigel Parkerceased 12/04/2019· 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.

🔒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 · LE postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
10ZIG TECHNOLOGY LIMITED→
05601056 · est 2005 · no financials extracted
————20y——
A C SOLUTIONS LEICESTER LTD→
06926202 · est 2009 · no financials extracted
————16y——
A.A. BROWN ENGINEERING LTD→
00709880 · est 1961 · no financials extracted
————64y——
AA PRINT LTD→
15492148 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————2y——
AARON PRECISION TURNED PARTS LIMITED→
01761153 · est 1983 · no financials extracted
————42y——
AAYAN (LEIC) LTD→
16466127 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
ABC BUILDING AND JOINERY LTD→
12675554 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————5y——
ABINGDON KING DICK LIMITED→
05235500 · est 2004 · no financials extracted
————21y——
ABMM LIMITED→
08439448 · est 2013 · no financials extracted
————13y——
ABSTRACT AVR LIMITED→
03161746 · est 1996 · no financials extracted
————30y——
ABSTRACT ENGINEERING LIMITED→
15911297 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
ABSTRAKT SERVICES LIMITED→
02232001 · est 1988 · no financials extracted
————38y——
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
Incorporated2001-02-22
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25110 — Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures

Registered office

Unit 101 Rempstone Road
Normanton On Soar
Loughborough
LE12 5EH
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-08
Last: 2026-02-22

Officers (2 active · 6 resigned)

HOWDLE, Gail Elizebeth→
secretary · appointed 2024-07-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HOWDLE, Martin John→
director · ~54y · appointed 2001-02-22
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DEAVILLE, Richard Mervyn Wordsworth→
secretary · appointed 2001-02-22 · resigned 2003-09-11
Resigned
HOWDLE, Martin John→
secretary · appointed 2003-09-11 · resigned 2024-07-15
Resigned
COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2001-02-22 · resigned 2001-02-22
Resigned
PARKER, Nigel→
director · ~66y · appointed 2001-02-22 · resigned 2019-04-12
Resigned
COMBINED NOMINEES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2001-02-22 · resigned 2001-02-22
Resigned
COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2001-02-22 · resigned 2001-02-22
Resigned

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

Recent filings (92 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-11-05
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-10-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-18
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-01-07
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-01-07
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-01-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-08-09
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-08-01
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2024-08-01
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2024-08-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-08-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-12-08