B.R. DISTRIBUTION LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04330513 · ltd · incorporated 2001-11-28
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
£521.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
🔔
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: Wholesale of musical instruments
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle with a 71-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 71). 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 (76/100)

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
5 officers (1 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
74 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.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102
Positive net assets
Net assets £521,806
Net assets shrinking
Down £9,343 YoY
Cash YoY
-7%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£194k
↓ 6.8% YoY
Net Worth
£522k
↓ 1.8% YoY
Current Assets
£556k
↓ 4.0% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£116k£232k£348k£463k£579kMar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Total assets£535.5k£544.0k
Current assets£555.9k£579.2k
Cash£193.8k£208.0k
Debtors£62.4k£94.0k
Net assets£521.8k£531.1k

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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (25 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-07-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-12-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-12-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-12-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2021-12-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2020-11-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2019-11-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2019-07-31
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  9. 2019-07-30
    📄
    capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
    capital · SH10
  10. 2019-07-30
    📄
    capital-name-of-class-of-shares
    capital · SH08
  11. 2018-07-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2017-07-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2016-12-06
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  14. 2016-11-16
    📄
    statement-of-companys-objects
    change-of-constitution · CC04
  15. 2016-11-16
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  16. 2014-04-05
    ➖
    RACE, Christine resigned
    secretary
  17. 2014-04-05
    ➖
    RACE, Christine resigned
    director
  18. 2002-04-01
    ➕
    RACE, Christine appointed
    director
  19. 2001-11-28
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As B.R. DISTRIBUTION LIMITED
  20. 2001-11-28
    ➕
    RACE, Barry appointed
    director
  21. 2001-11-28
    ➕
    RACE, Christine appointed
    secretary
  22. 2001-11-28
    ➕
    JL NOMINEES TWO LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  23. 2001-11-28
    ➖
    JL NOMINEES TWO LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  24. 2001-11-28
    ➕
    JL NOMINEES ONE LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  25. 2001-11-28
    ➖
    JL NOMINEES ONE LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
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.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 71 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 71 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • 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.
  • 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

clean
No 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 · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Barry Race
Individual · British · DOB 11/1955 · age 71
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

Similar companies

Active · Wholesale & distribution · DH postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
CAFFE GABRIELE LTD→
05872781 · est 2006 · no financials extracted
————19y——
CANDOWE LTD→
15031448 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
CARBUSONIC LIMITED→
09116910 · est 2014 · no financials extracted
————11y——
CH HOLDINGS (NE) LIMITED→
13535071 · est 2021 · no financials extracted
————4y——
CHAM3OUN LTD→
16178967 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
————1y——
CHARLES GREY MENSWEAR LIMITED→
15104943 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
COAL 4 ENERGY LIMITED→
05705910 · est 2006 · no financials extracted
————20y——
COYLESS LIMITED→
16967427 · est 2026 · no financials extracted
———————
CRAIG'S TIMBER SUPPLIES(NORTH EAST) LTD→
14197584 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
CRISPIN ENTERPRISES LIMITED→
11361462 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————7y——
DCJ BUILDING SUPPLIES LTD→
15998619 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
DEMETER GROUP SERVICES LTD→
16139821 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
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
Incorporated2001-11-28
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46491 — Wholesale of musical instruments

Registered office

Unit 3 Tanfield Lea South
Industrial Estate Tanfield Lea
Stanley
County Durham
DH9 9XA

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-20
Last: 2025-11-06

Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)

RACE, Barry→
director · ~71y · appointed 2001-11-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
RACE, Christine→
secretary · appointed 2001-11-28 · resigned 2014-04-05
Resigned
JL NOMINEES TWO LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2001-11-28 · resigned 2001-11-28
Resigned
RACE, Christine→
director · ~70y · appointed 2002-04-01 · resigned 2014-04-05
Resigned
JL NOMINEES ONE LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2001-11-28 · resigned 2001-11-28
Resigned

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

Recent filings (74 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-07-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-11-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-11-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-11-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-11-06
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2019-07-31