A.P. SERVICES (LOUTH) LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04711984 · ltd · incorporated 2003-03-26
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 May 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation
Sector: Construction
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 72-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 72). 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).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 20.9y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 20.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

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 (2 active, 5 linked, 1 with DOB)
74
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
70 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.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0May 2024May 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-05-312024-05-31
Average employees400400

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 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (26 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-11-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-01-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-11-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-01-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  5. 2021-11-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-04-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2019-12-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2019-01-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2018-07-20
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  10. 2018-07-20
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  11. 2018-01-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  12. 2017-01-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  13. 2016-05-31
    📍
    move-registers-to-sail-company-with-new-address
    address · AD03
  14. 2016-04-06
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  15. 2016-01-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2016-01-07
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  17. 2015-12-15
    ➕
    MILLINGTON, Alison Elaine appointed
    secretary
  18. 2012-03-26
    ➖
    BRIGGS, Lynne Carol, Mrs. resigned
    secretary
  19. 2005-07-29
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  20. 2003-04-02
    ➕
    HUTSON, Adrian Alan appointed
    director
  21. 2003-04-02
    ➕
    BRIGGS, Lynne Carol, Mrs. appointed
    secretary
  22. 2003-04-02
    ➖
    YORK PLACE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  23. 2003-04-02
    ➖
    YORK PLACE COMPANY NOMINEES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  24. 2003-03-26
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As A.P. SERVICES (LOUTH) LIMITED
  25. 2003-03-26
    ➕
    YORK PLACE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  26. 2003-03-26
    ➕
    YORK PLACE COMPANY NOMINEES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 72 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
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 72 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • 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

clean
No 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%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Adrian Alan Hutson
Individual · British · DOB 10/1954 · age 72
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016

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 →

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A M BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION LIMITED→
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06723056 · est 2008 · no financials extracted
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13298858 · est 2021 · no financials extracted
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14448758 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
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14643610 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
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————6y——
ALBERELLIS FLOORING LIMITED→
14132488 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
ALLEN ROOFING LTD→
05546660 · est 2005 · no financials extracted
————20y——
ALLENBY CONSTRUCTION LTD→
17080650 · est 2026 · no financials extracted
———————
ALLPRO FLOORING PROJECTS LTD→
16619345 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
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
Incorporated2003-03-26
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC43220 — Plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation

Registered office

Yondar
Legbourne Road
Louth
Lincolnshire
LN11 8LQ

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-02-28
Last made up to: 2025-05-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-09
Last: 2026-03-26

Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)

MILLINGTON, Alison Elaine→
secretary · appointed 2015-12-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HUTSON, Adrian Alan→
director · ~72y · appointed 2003-04-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BRIGGS, Lynne Carol, Mrs.→
secretary · appointed 2003-04-02 · resigned 2012-03-26
Resigned
YORK PLACE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-03-26 · resigned 2003-04-02
Resigned
YORK PLACE COMPANY NOMINEES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-03-26 · resigned 2003-04-02
Resigned

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
TypeProperties
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Legal charge1 property29/07/200520/07/2018

Recent filings (70 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-11-19
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-01-06
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-11-16
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-01-04
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-04-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-11-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-04-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-14
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-03-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2019-12-12
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-04-08