ALFA TAIL LIFTS LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
04268864 · ltd · incorporated 2001-08-10
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Oct 2024
Net worth
£2.33M
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 33170
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with exceptional profile and acceptable with review structure.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 58). 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
9 live charges · 7 lenders · oldest 21.3y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 21.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 7 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Cashflow trend is negative — lender view likely cautious.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)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
9 charges (9/9 with lender, 9/9 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
92 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
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Positive net assets
Net assets £2,333,028
Net assets shrinking
Down £7,489 YoY
Cash YoY
-29%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£489k
↓ 29% YoY
Net Worth
£2.3m
~ YoY
Current Assets
£4.4m
↑ 3.3% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-10-31 | 2023-10-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £3.03M | £3.23M |
| Current assets | £4.37M | £4.24M |
| Cash | £489.1k | £691.6k |
| Debtors | £2.56M | £2.27M |
| Net assets | £2.33M | £2.34M |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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 (43 events)Click to expand
- 2025-07-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-08📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2024-01-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-01➖GIBBS, Lisa Suzanne resignedsecretary
- 2023-08-02📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-07-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-27📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-06-27🔓Charge satisfied #9
- 2023-03-02📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2023-03-01🔒Charge registered #10Lender: Rbs Invoice Finance LTD
- 2022-07-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-15📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2021-10-15📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2021-10-15🔓Charge satisfied #8
- 2021-10-15🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2021-06-16📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2021-05-26🔒Charge registered #9Lender: National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company
- 2021-04-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-06-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2019-04-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2018-01-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2017-08-17📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2017-07-31➖WHITMORE, Sarah-Jane resigneddirector
- 2015-12-24🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2015-12-23🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2015-07-29🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Aldermore Bank PLC
- 2015-07-01➕SOUTHGATE, Gavin appointeddirector
- 2015-07-01➕WHITMORE, Sarah-Jane appointeddirector
- 2009-11-06🔒Charge registered #7Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2009-05-15🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2009-05-08🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2009-01-19🔒Charge registered #5Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2009-01-05🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
- 2006-03-30🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2005-05-06🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2005-04-14🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Hsbc Invoice Finance (UK) LTD (Security Holder)
- 2001-09-28➕GIBBS, Philip Buchannan appointeddirector
- 2001-09-28➕GIBBS, Lisa Suzanne appointedsecretary
- 2001-09-28➖QA REGISTRARS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2001-09-28➖QA NOMINEES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2001-08-10🏢Company incorporatedAs ALFA TAIL LIFTS LIMITED
- 2001-08-10➕QA REGISTRARS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2001-08-10➕QA NOMINEES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
76/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
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 25 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 58 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
76/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 58. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 25 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 25 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
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Philip Buchannan Gibbs Individual · British · DOB 01/1968 · age 58 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 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.
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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
6 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
Incorporated2001-08-10
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC33170 — SIC 33170
Registered office
Unit 25 South Cambridge Bus Park
Babraham Road
Sawston
Cambridge
CB22 3JH
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-07-31
Last made up to: 2024-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-18
Last: 2025-10-04
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
GIBBS, Philip Buchannan→
Activedirector · ~58y · appointed 2001-09-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SOUTHGATE, Gavin→
Activedirector · ~49y · appointed 2015-07-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
GIBBS, Lisa Suzanne→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2001-09-28 · resigned 2023-11-01
QA REGISTRARS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2001-08-10 · resigned 2001-09-28
WHITMORE, Sarah-Jane→
Resigneddirector · ~56y · appointed 2015-07-01 · resigned 2017-07-31
QA NOMINEES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2001-08-10 · resigned 2001-09-28
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
9
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:9 of 9 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | NatWest Group Rbs Invoice Finance LTD | A registered charge | — | 01/03/2023 | — | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank Public Company National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company | A registered charge | — | 26/05/2021 | 27/06/2023 | |
| satisfied | Aldermore Aldermore Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 29/07/2015 | 15/10/2021 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 06/11/2009 | 23/12/2015 | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 19/01/2009 | — | |
| satisfied | NatWest Group Rbs Invoice Finance Limited | Debenture | 1 property | 05/01/2009 | 15/10/2021 | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 30/03/2006 | 24/12/2015 | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 06/05/2005 | 08/05/2009 | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Invoice Finance (UK) LTD (Security Holder) | Fixed charge on purchased debts which fail to vest | 1 property | 14/04/2005 | 15/05/2009 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (92 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-07-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-08
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2024-11-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-01-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-04
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-08-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-07-27
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-06-27
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2023-03-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-07-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-11
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2021-10-15
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2021-10-15