BLACK COUNTRY SADDLES LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
04513414 · ltd · incorporated 2002-08-16
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
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 4.4y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 15120
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 70-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 70). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · oldest 4.4y
75/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Charge age ~4.4 years — mid-life; refi window approaching.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (3 active, 7 linked, 4 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
69 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 27 | 2800 |
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 (29 events)Click to expand
- 2025-10-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-16📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-12-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-05-09📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2022-05-05🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Barclays Security Trustee Limited
- 2022-02-22📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2022-02-21🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Security Trustee Limited
- 2021-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-21📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2021-11-26➖BRYAN, Mark resigneddirector
- 2021-03-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-12-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-12-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-12-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2012-02-01➕BRYAN, Mark appointeddirector
- 2008-04-01➕CULLEN, Robert appointedsecretary
- 2008-04-01➖ALLSOPP, Judith resignedsecretary
- 2002-08-16🏢Company incorporatedAs BLACK COUNTRY SADDLES LIMITED
- 2002-08-16➕CULLEN, Robert appointeddirector
- 2002-08-16➕HARTLEY, John appointeddirector
- 2002-08-16➕ALLSOPP, Judith appointedsecretary
- 2002-08-16➕BREWER, Suzanne appointednominee-secretary
- 2002-08-16➖BREWER, Suzanne resignednominee-secretary
- 2002-08-16➕BREWER, Kevin, Dr appointednominee-director
- 2002-08-16➖BREWER, Kevin, Dr resignednominee-director
Owner dependency
83/100
Critical — business is the founderThe 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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 70 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
96/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 70 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr John Hartley Individual · British · DOB 03/1956 · age 70 | 25–50% | 25–50% | sig. influence25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · significant influence | 06/04/2016 |
Mr Robert Cullen Individual · British · DOB 08/1956 · age 70 | 25–50% | 25–50% | sig. influence25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · significant influence | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Manufacturing · WS postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARKRITE FENCING MANUFACTURERS LIMITED→ 01145068 · est 1973 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 52y | — | — |
| B & R (2005) LIMITED→ 00260132 · est 1931 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 94y | — | — |
| BARNFATHER WIRE (MIDLANDS) LIMITED→ 06437348 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| BARNFATHER WIRE LIMITED→ 07030126 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| BEACON DESIGN & ENGINEERING LIMITED→ 03550810 · est 1998 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
| BENHILL PRESS LIMITED(THE)→ 00491918 · est 1951 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 75y | — | — |
| BLACK COUNTRY ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES LTD→ 13572157 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| BLACK COUNTRY GLASS LTD→ 11100646 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| BLACK COUNTRY WINDOWS LIMITED→ 02607284 · est 1991 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 34y | — | — |
| BLACK LAKE KITCHENS LIMITED→ 08970762 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| BLINDS LOCAL LIMITED→ 11159253 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| BLINFORD GRAPHICS LIMITED→ 01938926 · est 1985 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 40y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2002-08-16
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC15120 — SIC 15120
Registered office
Saddlers House Church Street
Bridgtown
Cannock
Staffordshire
WS11 0DB
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-30
Last: 2025-08-16
Officers (3 active · 4 resigned)
Active
CULLEN, Robert→
Activedirector · ~70y · appointed 2002-08-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HARTLEY, John→
Activedirector · ~70y · appointed 2002-08-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ALLSOPP, Judith→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-08-16 · resigned 2008-04-01
BREWER, Suzanne→
Resignednominee-secretary · appointed 2002-08-16 · resigned 2002-08-16
BREWER, Kevin, Dr→
Resignednominee-director · ~74y · appointed 2002-08-16 · resigned 2002-08-16
BRYAN, Mark→
Resigneddirector · ~68y · appointed 2012-02-01 · resigned 2021-11-26
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Security Trustee Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 05/05/2022 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Security Trustee Limited | A registered charge | — | 21/02/2022 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (69 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-10-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-15
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-16
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-08-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-26
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2022-05-09
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2022-02-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-22
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2021-12-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-03-08