A J HAULAGE LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
04824052 · ltd · incorporated 2003-07-07
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 Jul 2024
Net worth
£25.3k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Freight transport by road
Sector: Transportation & storage
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 73-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 73). 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
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 22.7y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 22.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
3 officers (1 active, 3 linked, 2 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
60 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 · FRS 102Positive net assets
Net assets £25,288
Cash YoY
+24%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£38k
↑ 24% YoY
Net Worth
£25k
↑ 7.3% YoY
Current Assets
£75k
↓ 11% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-07-31 | 2023-07-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £27.8k | £34.7k |
| Current assets | £74.6k | £84.0k |
| Cash | £38.2k | £30.7k |
| Debtors | £36.4k | £53.3k |
| Net assets | £25.3k | £23.6k |
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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (26 events)Click to expand
- 2025-10-01📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2025-09-23📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2025-07-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-05-29📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-05-29🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2024-08-29📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-08-29📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-08-25📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-08-25📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2024-07-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-05-10➖BALL, Andrew Norman resignedsecretary
- 2024-05-10➖BALL, Andrew Norman resigneddirector
- 2023-07-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-07-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-07-20📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2019-04-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-04-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-08-22🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2016-08-09🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Bibby Financial Services LTD (As Security Trustee)
- 2003-08-07🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2003-07-07🏢Company incorporatedAs A J HAULAGE LIMITED
- 2003-07-07➕HALL, John Stephen appointeddirector
- 2003-07-07➕BALL, Andrew Norman appointedsecretary
- 2003-07-07➕BALL, Andrew Norman appointeddirector
Owner dependency
100/100
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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 73 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
100/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 73 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
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 John Stephen Hall Individual · British · DOB 07/1953 · age 73 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 07/07/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Andrew Norman Ballceased 10/05/2024· 25-50% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:11 COURIERS LTD→ 15259031 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 247 CARGOLINK AND CARE SOLUTION LIMITED→ 16886921 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 43 DEVELOPMENT LIMITED→ 09267025 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| A & D CLOWES LIMITED→ 11869936 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| A 2 U TRANSPORT LTD→ 11043474 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| A CLOWES ENTERPRISES LIMITED→ 13607494 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| A J NADEN HAULAGE LTD→ 06905127 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| A&B CHAUFFEUR SERVICE LTD→ 14152857 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| A2B VEHICLE TRANSPORTATION LTD→ 16776858 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AA TAXI SERVICES KNUTSFORD LIMITED→ 09183031 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| AAA MILES SOLUTION LTD→ 14212451 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AAI FREIGHT SERVICES LTD→ 12335300 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2003-07-07
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC49410 — Freight transport by road
Registered office
Plot 10 Pennine Way
Bredbury Industrial Estate
Bredbury, Stockport
SK6 2TF
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-07-31
Last made up to: 2024-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-21
Last: 2025-07-07
Officers (1 active · 2 resigned)
HALL, John Stephen→
Activedirector · ~73y · appointed 2003-07-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BALL, Andrew Norman→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-07-07 · resigned 2024-05-10
BALL, Andrew Norman→
Resigneddirector · ~65y · appointed 2003-07-07 · resigned 2024-05-10
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Bibby Financial Services Bibby Financial Services LTD (As Security Trustee) | A registered charge | 1 property | 09/08/2016 | 29/05/2025 | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 07/08/2003 | 22/08/2016 |
Recent filings (60 total)
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2025-10-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-30
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2025-09-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-07-30
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-05-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-29
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-08-29
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-08-29
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-08-25
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2024-08-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-07-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-31