ACE FURNISHING LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
04570095 · ltd · incorporated 2002-10-23
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
£106.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Other retail sale in non-specialised stores
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 77/100 (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: Cash flow review and working-capital discipline. Cash down -46% YoY — forensic review of receivables, stock turns, and creditor days. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 13.2y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 13.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
6 connected companies via shared directors
63
Filing history
70 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
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 £106,816
Cash draining
Cash down 46% YoY
Cash YoY
-46%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£15k
↓ 46% YoY
Net Worth
£107k
↑ 11% YoY
Current Assets
£76k
↓ 4.0% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £106.8k | £96.5k |
| Current assets | £76.0k | £79.2k |
| Cash | £15.3k | £28.3k |
| Debtors | £44.2k | £43.8k |
| Net assets | £106.8k | £96.5k |
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
3
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 address
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-19📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2026-03-19📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2026-02-26📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-12-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-04📄change-account-reference-date-company-current-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2020-06-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-04-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-05-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-02-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-09-01📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2016-09-01📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2013-04-19🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2010-12-31➖MALZARD, Julie Ann resignedsecretary
- 2002-10-30➕LEWIS, Max appointeddirector
- 2002-10-30➕MALZARD, Julie Ann appointedsecretary
- 2002-10-28➖APEX COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-10-28➖APEX NOMINEES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2002-10-23🏢Company incorporatedAs ACE FURNISHING LIMITED
- 2002-10-23➕APEX COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-10-23➕APEX NOMINEES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
85/100
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
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- 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
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Max Lewis Individual · British · DOB 07/1970 · age 56 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 01/03/2026 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Richard Clive Malzardceased 01/03/2026· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
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
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 142 A.H.K LTD→ 16727625 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1ST SOUTHSEA MINI MARKET LTD→ 17055852 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A DARK FANTASY LTD→ 15661168 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| A GOOD YARN LIMITED→ 16396856 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A.G. RUTTER LIMITED→ 02644078 · est 1991 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 34y | — | — |
| ABBA BLUE LIMITED→ 16803831 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ACORN ENTERPRISE GROUP LTD→ 13284044 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ACTCHAMP UK LTD→ 16292816 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ACTIVE ACADEMY LTD→ 08758422 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| ACTIVE BIKE CO LTD→ 12585979 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ACTIVESTYLES LTD→ 16979426 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ACTON SPECSAVERS LIMITED→ 10329730 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2002-10-23
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC47190 — Other retail sale in non-specialised stores
Registered office
C/O Evans Weir The Victoria
25 St Pancras
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 7LT
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-22
Last: 2025-11-08
Officers (1 active · 3 resigned)
Active
MALZARD, Julie Ann→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-10-30 · resigned 2010-12-31
APEX COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-10-23 · resigned 2002-10-28
APEX NOMINEES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2002-10-23 · resigned 2002-10-28
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
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 19/04/2013 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (70 total)
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2026-03-19
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2026-03-19
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2026-02-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-02
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-18
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-09
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-14
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-10-27
change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
accounts · AA01
2020-12-04
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-11-10