A.F. NORMAN CHEMISTS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04521141 · ltd · incorporated 2002-08-29
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 Sept 2024
Net worth
£26.0k
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

What this business does
Primary activity: Dispensing chemist in specialised stores
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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 (58/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 6.9y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 6.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (1 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
76 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
74/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
55
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
82
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £26,001
Net assets shrinking
Down £13,150 YoY
Cash YoY
-27%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£92k
↓ 27% YoY
Net Worth
£26k
↓ 34% YoY
Current Assets
£291k
↓ 15% YoY
Current Liabilities
£0£69k£138k£207k£276k£345kSept 2023Sept 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2024-09-302023-09-30
Total assets£94.8k£136.0k
Current assets£291.4k£344.5k
Cash£92.5k£127.0k
Debtors£173.9k£162.5k
Net assets£26.0k£39.2k

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

2 signals 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
  1. 2025-08-22
    📍
    change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-address
    address · AD02
  2. 2025-08-20
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  3. 2025-06-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2024-11-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2024-11-05
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  6. 2024-11-05
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  7. 2024-09-07
    📄
    gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
    gazette · DISS40
  8. 2024-09-03
    📄
    gazette-notice-compulsory
    gazette · GAZ1
  9. 2024-07-02
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  10. 2023-09-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2022-07-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2021-06-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2020-09-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2020-08-24
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  15. 2020-08-24
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  16. 2019-09-10
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  17. 2019-08-23
    📍
    move-registers-to-sail-company-with-new-address
    address · AD03
  18. 2019-08-23
    📍
    change-sail-address-company-with-new-address
    address · AD02
  19. 2019-06-17
    LENNON, Christopher John appointed
    director
  20. 2019-06-17
    NORMAN, Janet resigned
    secretary
  21. 2019-06-17
    NORMAN, Arthur Frederick resigned
    director
  22. 2019-06-17
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Wesleyan Bank Limited
  23. 2002-09-09
    NORMAN, Janet appointed
    secretary
  24. 2002-09-09
    NORMAN, Arthur Frederick appointed
    director
  25. 2002-09-02
    FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  26. 2002-09-02
    FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  27. 2002-08-29
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As A.F. NORMAN CHEMISTS LIMITED
  28. 2002-08-29
    FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  29. 2002-08-29
    FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

75/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

55/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 low
Multiple registered office changes
low

Multiple address changes in a short period can indicate operational instability or admin disorder.

Group structure

The Pharmshop Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
The Pharmshop Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
A.F. NORMAN CHEMISTS LIMITED
This company · 04521141

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
The Pharmshop Limited
Corporate entity
75100%
75–100%75-100% shares · 75-100% voting17/06/2019
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mr Arthur Frederick Normanceased 17/06/2019· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
  • Mrs Janet Normanceased 17/06/2019· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting

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 · Retail · CA postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
4 YOUR HOME 2 YOUR HOME LTD.
11365909 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
7y
789 NATION LIMITED
14615621 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
3y
A M CARAVANS CARLISLE LIMITED
15820714 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
1y
AA CARPETS LIMITED
03919215 · est 2000 · no financials extracted
26y
ABRAAJ ENTERPRISES LTD
16987467 · est 2026 · no financials extracted
ABSOLUTE SPORTS AND NUTRITION LTD
14295683 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
3y
ACANTHA CRYSTALS LIMITED
14301444 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
3y
ACUMEN INTERIORS LIMITED
11644522 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
7y
AGE UK NORTH CUMBRIA
06785041 · est 2009 · no financials extracted
17y
AGENZIA LIMITED
08568378 · est 2013 · no financials extracted
12y
AH EQUIPMENT LTD
15919898 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
1y
AIME SORIANO LTD
16545588 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
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
Incorporated2002-08-29
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC47730 — Dispensing chemist in specialised stores

Registered office

2 Europe Way
Cockermouth
CA13 0RJ
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-05
Last: 2025-08-22

Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)

LENNON, Christopher John
director · ~42y · appointed 2019-06-17
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
NORMAN, Janet
secretary · appointed 2002-09-09 · resigned 2019-06-17
Resigned
FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-08-29 · resigned 2002-09-02
Resigned
NORMAN, Arthur Frederick
director · ~76y · appointed 2002-09-09 · resigned 2019-06-17
Resigned
FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2002-08-29 · resigned 2002-09-02
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Wesleyan Bank
Wesleyan Bank Limited
A registered charge17/06/2019
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (76 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-09
change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-address
address · AD02
2025-08-22
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2025-08-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-11-11
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2024-11-05
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-11-05
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2024-09-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-05
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2024-09-03
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2024-07-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-29