AWOL RECRUITMENT LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
04475119 · ltd · incorporated 2002-07-02
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 Jul 2025
Net worth
£108.4k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Other activities of employment placement agencies
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 61-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (80/100, director aged 61). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 20.2y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 20.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (3 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 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
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 · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £108,380
Net assets shrinking
Down £7,349 YoY
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£108k
↓ 6.4% YoY
Current Assets
£212k
↓ 9.6% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-07-31 | 2024-07-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £108.6k | £116.0k |
| Current assets | £212.1k | £234.6k |
| Net assets | £108.4k | £115.7k |
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 (34 events)Click to expand
- 2025-09-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-07-29📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-07-29📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-07-29📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-07-29📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-07-29📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2025-07-29📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-02-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-14📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2021-07-14📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-07-14📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2021-07-14📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-01-15📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2021-01-15📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2021-01-15📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2021-01-15🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2021-01-15🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2021-01-05🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Liquid Link Limited
- 2020-09-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-03-23🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Aldermore Bank PLC
- 2010-10-09🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2008-05-08🔒Charge registered #2Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2006-03-31🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
- 2002-07-02🏢Company incorporatedAs AWOL RECRUITMENT LIMITED
- 2002-07-02➕MARTIN-BROWN, Kim appointedsecretary
- 2002-07-02➕BROWN, James Nicholas appointeddirector
- 2002-07-02➕MARTIN-BROWN, Kim appointeddirector
- 2002-07-02➕YORK PLACE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-07-02➖YORK PLACE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-07-02➕YORK PLACE COMPANY NOMINEES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2002-07-02➖YORK PLACE COMPANY NOMINEES LIMITED resignedcorporate-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 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 61 — 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 61. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 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| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Kim Martin-Brown Individual · British · DOB 10/1965 · age 61 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
Mr James Nicholas Brown Individual · English · DOB 04/1965 · age 61 | 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 · Professional services · LA postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALLIED AXIOM LTD→ 10431210 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ALPHA OMEGA LEGAL LIMITED→ 07887898 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| APEX DIMENSIONAL METROLOGY LTD→ 17106029 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| APS PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANCY LTD→ 09895108 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| ARCHWAY VETERINARY PRACTICE (S.CUMBRIA) LIMITED→ 07114071 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| ASCEND CFO LTD→ 16272097 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ASKAM PLANT LIMITED→ 09588824 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| AURUMGOLD LIMITED→ 10681848 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| BAILRIGG DIAGNOSTICS LIMITED→ 07938920 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| BALLOON LIGHT UK LTD→ 13852865 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| BANNISDALE CONSULTING LIMITED→ 16424188 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BARE UP LIMITED→ 16202797 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2002-07-02
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC78109 — Other activities of employment placement agencies
Registered office
Dalton House
9 Dalton Square
Lancaster
Lancashire
LA1 1WD
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-04-30
Last made up to: 2025-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-28
Last: 2025-07-14
Officers (3 active · 2 resigned)
Active
BROWN, James Nicholas→
Activedirector · ~61y · appointed 2002-07-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MARTIN-BROWN, Kim→
Activedirector · ~61y · appointed 2002-07-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
YORK PLACE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-07-02 · resigned 2002-07-02
YORK PLACE COMPANY NOMINEES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2002-07-02 · resigned 2002-07-02
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Liquid Link Liquid Link Limited | A registered charge | — | 05/01/2021 | — | |
| satisfied | Aldermore Aldermore Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 23/03/2018 | 15/01/2021 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 08/05/2008 | 09/10/2010 | |
| satisfied | NatWest Group Rbs Invoice Finance Limited | Fixed and floating charge | 1 property | 31/03/2006 | 15/01/2021 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (92 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-09-03
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-07-29
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-07-29
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-07-29
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-07-29
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2025-07-29
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-07-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-02-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-08-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-08-31
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-09-29