1ST SERVICES DEVON LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04662226 · ltd · incorporated 2003-02-11
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 Feb 2025
Net worth
£211.2k
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
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.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Other specialised construction activities n.e.c.
Sector: Construction
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle with a 78-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 78). 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 (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (76/100)

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
7 officers (2 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
77 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
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102
Positive net assets
Net assets £211,202
Cash YoY
+290%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£199k
↑ 290% YoY
Net Worth
£211k
↑ 4.5% YoY
Current Assets
£193k
↑ 37% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£42k£84k£127k£169k£211kFeb 2024Feb 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-02-282024-02-29
Total assets£240.5k£236.8k
Current assets£192.5k£140.8k
Cash£199.2k£51.1k
Debtors£-6.7k£89.6k
Net assets£211.2k£202.0k

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (27 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-11-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-02-11
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  3. 2024-10-31
    📄
    accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AAMD
  4. 2024-10-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-11-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2022-08-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-07-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2022-02-24
    📄
    gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
    gazette · DISS40
  9. 2022-02-01
    📄
    gazette-notice-compulsory
    gazette · GAZ1
  10. 2021-11-09
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  11. 2021-01-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  12. 2019-12-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  13. 2019-11-29
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  14. 2018-11-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  15. 2018-04-01
    ➕
    COONICK, Charlotte appointed
    secretary
  16. 2018-04-01
    ➖
    BRUNET, Stephen James resigned
    secretary
  17. 2017-12-15
    ➕
    COONICK, Alwyn John appointed
    director
  18. 2017-01-04
    ➖
    COONICK, Charlotte Emma resigned
    director
  19. 2006-02-27
    ➖
    THOMAS, David Paul resigned
    director
  20. 2006-02-17
    ➕
    COONICK, Charlotte Emma appointed
    director
  21. 2006-02-12
    ➕
    BRUNET, Stephen James appointed
    secretary
  22. 2006-02-12
    ➖
    COONICK, Alwyn John resigned
    secretary
  23. 2006-02-07
    ➖
    COONICK, Alwyn John resigned
    director
  24. 2003-02-11
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As 1ST SERVICES DEVON LIMITED
  25. 2003-02-11
    ➕
    COONICK, Alwyn John appointed
    secretary
  26. 2003-02-11
    ➕
    COONICK, Alwyn John appointed
    director
  27. 2003-02-11
    ➕
    THOMAS, David Paul appointed
    director

Owner dependency

90/100
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
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 78 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 78 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 23 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

clean
No 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 · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Alwyn John Coonick
Individual · British · DOB 01/1948 · age 78
75–100%
—75-100% shares15/12/2017
Miss Charlotte Coonick
Individual · British · DOB 04/1974 · age 52
75–100%
—75-100% shares19/08/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

Similar companies

Active · Construction · EX postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
1ST IMPRESSIONS (SW) LTD→
14823295 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
A D ROOFING SPECIALISTS LTD→
05132894 · est 2004 · no financials extracted
————21y——
A D T DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED→
10364151 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
————9y——
AB PLUMBING & HEATING SW LTD→
16299777 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
————1y——
AB SPECIAL PROJECTS LIMITED→
05233483 · est 2004 · no financials extracted
————21y——
ABC CLADDING SOUTH WEST LIMITED→
15808925 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
ABLE ROOFING SERVICES BUDE LIMITED→
06656300 · est 2008 · no financials extracted
————17y——
ABOVE THE REST (SW) LTD→
16311812 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
————1y——
AC PROPERTY MAINTENANCE (SOUTH WEST) LTD→
09443624 · est 2015 · no financials extracted
————11y——
ACCESS 28 LIMITED→
15746721 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
ACCESS AN AREA LIMITED→
10034219 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
————10y——
ACCESS SCAFFOLDING (SOUTH WEST) LIMITED→
06001196 · est 2006 · no financials extracted
————19y——
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 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
Incorporated2003-02-11
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC43999 — Other specialised construction activities n.e.c.

Registered office

14 & 15 Southernhay West
Exeter
EX1 1PL
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-29
Last: 2025-11-15

Officers (2 active · 5 resigned)

COONICK, Charlotte→
secretary · appointed 2018-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
COONICK, Alwyn John→
director · ~78y · appointed 2017-12-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BRUNET, Stephen James→
secretary · appointed 2006-02-12 · resigned 2018-04-01
Resigned
COONICK, Alwyn John→
secretary · appointed 2003-02-11 · resigned 2006-02-12
Resigned
COONICK, Alwyn John→
director · ~78y · appointed 2003-02-11 · resigned 2006-02-07
Resigned
COONICK, Charlotte Emma→
director · ~52y · appointed 2006-02-17 · resigned 2017-01-04
Resigned
THOMAS, David Paul→
director · ~78y · appointed 2003-02-11 · resigned 2006-02-27
Resigned

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

Recent filings (77 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-07
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-02-11
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AAMD
2024-10-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-10-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-11-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-08-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-03
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2022-02-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-23