A E L SYSTEMS LTD
🌳Matureactive
04629289 · ltd · incorporated 2003-01-06
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 10.5y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Nov 2025
Net worth
£994.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Security systems service activities
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (63/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 10.5y
85/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 10.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
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
9 officers (3 active, 9 linked, 5 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
80 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
65
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 £994,794
Net assets shrinking
Down £26,913 YoY
Cash YoY
-5%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£158k
↓ 5.2% YoY
Net Worth
£995k
↓ 2.6% YoY
Current Assets
£929k
↑ 5.0% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-11-30 | 2024-11-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £1.26M | £1.24M |
| Current assets | £928.7k | £884.7k |
| Cash | £157.8k | £166.6k |
| Debtors | £687.1k | £708.5k |
| Net assets | £994.8k | £1.02M |
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
5
filings
- • 3 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 90 days
6
filings
- • 3 persons-with-significant-control
- • 2 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
6
filings
- • 3 persons-with-significant-control
- • 2 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (31 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2026-04-09📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2026-04-09📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2026-04-09📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2025-05-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-08-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-11-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2019-08-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2018-08-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2018-06-18📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2018-06-01➕VIPOND, Iain Michael appointeddirector
- 2017-08-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-11-05🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2014-12-31➖DUNN, Wayne resigneddirector
- 2010-07-13➕WILLIS, Lee Trevor appointedsecretary
- 2010-07-13➕DUNN, Wayne appointeddirector
- 2010-07-12➖CHAMBERS, Colin, Director resignedsecretary
- 2010-07-12➖CHAMBERS, Colin, Director resigneddirector
- 2008-12-18➖WARDHAUGH, Donald Grant resigneddirector
- 2005-10-10➖WARDHAUGH, Lorraine resignedsecretary
- 2005-09-01➕WILLIS, Lee Trevor appointeddirector
- 2005-09-01➕CHAMBERS, Colin, Director appointedsecretary
- 2005-09-01➕CHAMBERS, Colin, Director appointeddirector
- 2003-03-18➕WARDHAUGH, Lorraine appointedsecretary
- 2003-03-18➖NOMINEE SECRETARY LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-01-06🏢Company incorporatedAs A E L SYSTEMS LTD
- 2003-01-06➕NOMINEE SECRETARY LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-01-06➕WARDHAUGH, Donald Grant appointeddirector
Owner dependency
68/100
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 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
66/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 21 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 23 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.)
Group structure
Ael Group (Northern) Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Ael Group (Northern) Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
A E L SYSTEMS LTD
This company · 04629289
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%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ael Group (Northern) Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 31/03/2025 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr Lee Trevor Willisceased 31/03/2025· 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting
- Mrs Victoria Louise Willisceased 31/03/2025· 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 · Trade services · DL postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 123 DISPLAYS LIMITED→ 10454989 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| 2-1-3 (GLOBAL)INVESTIGATIONS AND CONSULTANCY LTD→ 13957860 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| 44 NORTH LIMITED→ 00029325 · est 1889 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 136y | — | — |
| 5 ACRES CANINE LTD→ 14594238 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| 5 STARS BARBER LTD→ 16914941 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 555INC LTD→ 16752211 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 999 FIRE AND SAFETY LTD→ 08787749 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| A & B INDUSTRIAL CLEANING LIMITED→ 05976687 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| A.E.T. LTD→ 03461518 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 28y | — | — |
| A1 BUILDING & MAINTENANCE LTD→ 12791314 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| A1 COMMUNITY WORKS LIMITED→ 04710728 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| A1 TANK SERVICES LIMITED→ 06267133 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2003-01-06
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC80200 — Security systems service activities
Registered office
Innovation House Leaside
Aycliffe Business Park
Newton Aycliffe
County Durham
DL5 6DE
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-08-31
Last made up to: 2025-11-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-23
Last: 2026-04-09
Officers (3 active · 6 resigned)
WILLIS, Lee Trevor→
Activesecretary · appointed 2010-07-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
VIPOND, Iain Michael→
Activedirector · ~45y · appointed 2018-06-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WILLIS, Lee Trevor→
Activedirector · ~53y · appointed 2005-09-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CHAMBERS, Colin, Director→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2005-09-01 · resigned 2010-07-12
WARDHAUGH, Lorraine→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-03-18 · resigned 2005-10-10
NOMINEE SECRETARY LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-01-06 · resigned 2003-03-18
CHAMBERS, Colin, Director→
Resigneddirector · ~68y · appointed 2005-09-01 · resigned 2010-07-12
DUNN, Wayne→
Resigneddirector · ~56y · appointed 2010-07-13 · resigned 2014-12-31
WARDHAUGH, Donald Grant→
Resigneddirector · ~59y · appointed 2003-01-06 · resigned 2008-12-18
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 | 05/11/2015 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (80 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-04-17
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2026-04-09
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2026-04-09
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2026-04-09
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-05-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-08-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-08-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-08-13