BILLINGHAY FORGE LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
04698552 · ltd · incorporated 2003-03-14
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 23.1y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
£70.5k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 25990
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 60-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 60). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 23.1y
85/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 23.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (3 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
61 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
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 £70,529
Net assets shrinking
Down £13,552 YoY
Cash YoY
-14%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£78k
↓ 14% YoY
Net Worth
£71k
↓ 16% YoY
Current Assets
£138k
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £80.5k | — |
| Current assets | £137.9k | — |
| Cash | £77.7k | £90.2k |
| Debtors | £48.5k | — |
| Net assets | £70.5k | £84.1k |
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
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (25 events)Click to expand
- 2025-07-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2025-03-17📍change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD02
- 2025-01-29📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-01-29🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2024-04-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-09📍move-registers-to-sail-company-with-new-addressaddress · AD03
- 2022-04-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-03-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-03-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-03-14📍move-registers-to-sail-company-with-new-addressaddress · AD03
- 2019-03-14📍change-sail-address-company-with-new-addressaddress · AD02
- 2018-04-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-03-01📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2018-03-01📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2003-05-08🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2003-03-19➕CAUDWELL, Joanne appointedsecretary
- 2003-03-19➕CAUDWELL, Ian appointeddirector
- 2003-03-19➕CAUDWELL, Joanne appointeddirector
- 2003-03-19➖FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-03-19➖FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2003-03-14🏢Company incorporatedAs BILLINGHAY FORGE LIMITED
- 2003-03-14➕FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-03-14➕FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
84/100
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
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
76/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 60. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 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.)
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Ian Caudwell Individual · British · DOB 01/1966 · age 60 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
Mrs Joanne Caudwell Individual · British · DOB 05/1966 · age 60 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Manufacturing · LN postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACTIVE GROW LTD→ 12558711 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| AT SOURCE QX LIMITED→ 03865820 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| AUTRIX LIMITED→ 14921937 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AYUS AYURVEDA LIFECARE LTD→ 13653592 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| B KNIGHT & SON LIMITED→ 04998401 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| BALCAN ENGINEERING LIMITED→ 01037378 · est 1972 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 54y | — | — |
| BARDNEY INVESTMENTS LTD→ 06991296 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| BASS ELECTRICAL LIMITED→ 06391908 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| BEST DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED→ 06630983 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| BEYOND LINCS ENGINEERING LTD→ 14051662 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| BIOCHEF SPARES UK LTD→ 17092829 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BIRDBROOK ROSETTES LIMITED→ 07802432 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2003-03-14
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25990 — SIC 25990
Registered office
The Forge,, Church Street
Billinghay
Lincoln
Lincolnshire
LN4 4HN
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-28
Last: 2026-03-14
Officers (3 active · 2 resigned)
Active
CAUDWELL, Ian→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2003-03-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CAUDWELL, Joanne→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2003-03-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-03-14 · resigned 2003-03-19
FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-03-14 · resigned 2003-03-19
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 08/05/2003 | 29/01/2025 |
Recent filings (61 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-07-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-17
change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-address
address · AD02
2025-03-17
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-01-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-04-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-03-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-15
move-registers-to-sail-company-with-new-address
address · AD03
2023-03-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-03-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-03-24