A E OSCROFT & SONS LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
04496910 · ltd · incorporated 2002-07-27
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 29201
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 65-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 65). 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 22.3y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 22.3 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 (59/100)

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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (3 active, 8 linked, 4 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
97 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (40 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-06-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-07-17
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  3. 2025-07-17
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  4. 2025-07-17
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  5. 2025-06-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  6. 2024-07-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  7. 2023-08-29
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  8. 2023-08-29
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  9. 2023-08-29
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  10. 2023-08-29
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  11. 2023-07-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2023-05-17
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  13. 2023-05-17
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  14. 2022-07-22
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  15. 2022-03-23
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  16. 2022-03-11
    ➖
    OSCROFT, Christopher Edgar Mervyn resigned
    director
  17. 2022-02-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2021-06-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2021-02-10
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  20. 2021-02-02
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC
  21. 2020-11-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  22. 2020-09-16
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
    accounts · AA01
  23. 2020-03-18
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  24. 2017-07-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
  25. 2011-05-07
    ➖
    OSCROFT, Guy Edgar resigned
    secretary
  26. 2011-05-07
    ➖
    OSCROFT, Guy Edgar resigned
    director
  27. 2011-04-07
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  28. 2011-01-17
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  29. 2004-04-08
    ➕
    OSCROFT, Christopher appointed
    secretary
  30. 2004-04-08
    ➕
    OSCROFT, Christopher appointed
    director
  31. 2004-04-08
    ➕
    OSCROFT, Timothy Ian appointed
    director
  32. 2004-04-08
    ➕
    OSCROFT, Guy Edgar appointed
    director
  33. 2004-02-16
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
  34. 2003-08-01
    ➕
    OSCROFT, Guy Edgar appointed
    secretary
  35. 2003-08-01
    ➖
    ASHBURTON REGISTRARS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  36. 2003-08-01
    ➕
    OSCROFT, Christopher Edgar Mervyn appointed
    director
  37. 2003-08-01
    ➖
    AR NOMINEES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  38. 2002-07-27
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As A E OSCROFT & SONS LIMITED
  39. 2002-07-27
    ➕
    ASHBURTON REGISTRARS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  40. 2002-07-27
    ➕
    AR NOMINEES LIMITED appointed
    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
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "OSCROFT" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

86/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 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
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Group structure

Oscroft & Sons Group Ltd is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Oscroft & Sons Group Ltd
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
⬇
A E OSCROFT & SONS LIMITED
This company · 04496910

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Oscroft & Sons Group Ltd
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016
3 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mr Christopher Edgar Mervyn Oscroftceased 11/03/2022· 25-50% shares
  • Mr Christopher Oscroftceased 06/04/2016· 25-50% shares
  • Mr Timothy Ian Oscroftceased 06/04/2016· 25-50% shares

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 →

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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
Incorporated2002-07-27
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC29201 — SIC 29201

Registered office

Unit 56 Heming Road
Washford Industrial Estate
Redditch
Worcestershire
B98 0EA

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-06-29
Last made up to: 2025-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-10
Last: 2025-07-27

Officers (3 active · 5 resigned)

OSCROFT, Christopher→
secretary · appointed 2004-04-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
OSCROFT, Christopher→
director · ~55y · appointed 2004-04-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
OSCROFT, Timothy Ian→
director · ~65y · appointed 2004-04-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
OSCROFT, Guy Edgar→
secretary · appointed 2003-08-01 · resigned 2011-05-07
Resigned
ASHBURTON REGISTRARS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-07-27 · resigned 2003-08-01
Resigned
OSCROFT, Christopher Edgar Mervyn→
director · ~88y · appointed 2003-08-01 · resigned 2022-03-11
Resigned
OSCROFT, Guy Edgar→
director · ~66y · appointed 2004-04-08 · resigned 2011-05-07
Resigned
AR NOMINEES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2002-07-27 · resigned 2003-08-01
Resigned

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
TypeProperties
outstanding
Hitachi Capital (UK)
Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC
A registered charge1 property02/02/2021—
satisfied
NatWest Group
Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
A registered charge—18/07/201717/05/2023
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Debenture1 property17/01/201118/03/2020
satisfied
HSBC
Hsbc Bank PLC
Debenture1 property16/02/200407/04/2011
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (97 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2026-06-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-29
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2025-07-17
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-07-17
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-07-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2025-06-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2024-07-10
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2023-08-29
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2023-08-29
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-08-29
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-08-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-07-08
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-05-17