A.J. JOHNSON LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
04693127 · ltd · incorporated 2003-03-11
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and stalled — no momentum either way. Needs an approach trigger.
What changed my view
Last 30 days
No material changes in the last 30 days.
Last 90 days
No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.
Last 180 days
No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 25990
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.
Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 23.2y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 23.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · 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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (1 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
75 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
50
Some acquirability indicators.
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 · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 800 | 1200 |
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
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 address
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (34 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-03📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-03-03📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-12-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-11-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-07-01📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2020-06-26🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Hsbc UK Bank PLC
- 2019-09-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-05-29📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2019-05-29🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2019-04-23📄mortgage-create-with-deedmortgage · MR01
- 2019-04-23📄mortgage-create-with-deedmortgage · MR01
- 2019-04-10📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2019-04-10📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2019-04-08🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Anthony John Johnson
- 2019-04-03🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Anthony John Johnson
- 2018-09-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-08-14📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2015-02-02➖JOHNSON, Christine Louise resignedsecretary
- 2015-02-02➖JOHNSON, Anthony John resigneddirector
- 2015-02-02➖JOHNSON, Christine Louise resigneddirector
- 2014-06-19➕JOHNSON, Michael Andrew appointeddirector
- 2003-04-25🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2003-03-11🏢Company incorporatedAs A.J. JOHNSON LIMITED
- 2003-03-11➕JOHNSON, Christine Louise appointedsecretary
- 2003-03-11➕HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-03-11➖HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-03-11➕JOHNSON, Anthony John appointeddirector
- 2003-03-11➕JOHNSON, Christine Louise appointeddirector
- 2003-03-11➕HANOVER DIRECTORS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2003-03-11➖HANOVER DIRECTORS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
90/100
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.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "JOHNSON" — strong identity link between founder and business.
Succession & seller-readiness
68/100
Strong succession signalMultiple 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.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 12 years.
- 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.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Michael Andrew Johnson Individual · British · DOB 05/1972 · age 54 | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 11/03/2017 |
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 · Manufacturing · CA postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CW PLANT SERVICES LIMITED→ 10811789 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| DAVID MARRS LIMITED→ 11663773 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| DILECTA COSMETICS LIMITED→ 08446790 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| DKS CARAVAN CENTRE LIMITED→ 12227866 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| DOUGLAS HARDWARE LTD→ 16218132 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| DOWSON BLADES LIMITED→ 01994721 · est 1986 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 40y | — | — |
| DRMC WELDING AND PIPE FITTING SERVICE LTD→ 17118028 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| EDEN RENEWABLE INNOVATIONS LIMITED→ 05852839 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| EDEN STAINED GLASS LTD→ 16948083 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| EDEN VALLEY POWDER COATING LTD→ 16143076 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| EDGE JOINERY (CUMBRIA) LIMITED→ 15901039 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| EDGE TIMBER FRAME LIMITED→ 13282967 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2003-03-11
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25990 — SIC 25990
Registered office
Unit 9 Peart Road
Derwent Howe Industrial Estate
Workington
CA14 3YT
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-25
Last: 2026-03-11
Officers (1 active · 5 resigned)
JOHNSON, Michael Andrew→
Activedirector · ~54y · appointed 2014-06-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
JOHNSON, Christine Louise→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-03-11 · resigned 2015-02-02
HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-03-11 · resigned 2003-03-11
JOHNSON, Anthony John→
Resigneddirector · ~77y · appointed 2003-03-11 · resigned 2015-02-02
JOHNSON, Christine Louise→
Resigneddirector · ~66y · appointed 2003-03-11 · resigned 2015-02-02
HANOVER DIRECTORS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-03-11 · resigned 2003-03-11
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
3
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc UK Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 26/06/2020 | — | |
| outstanding | Anthony John Johnson / Christine Louise Johnson | A registered charge | 1 property | 08/04/2019 | — | |
| outstanding | Anthony John Johnson / Christine Louise Johnson | A registered charge | 1 property | 03/04/2019 | — | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 25/04/2003 | 29/05/2019 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (75 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-12
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-03-03
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2026-03-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-08-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-10-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-11-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-03-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-11-03
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2020-07-01