ADVANTAGE COVER FABRICATIONS LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
04880509 · ltd · incorporated 2003-08-28
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 Oct 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Other manufacturing n.e.c.
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 67-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 67). 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 20.5y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 20.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · 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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 2 with DOB)
77
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
63 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 accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-10-31 | 2023-10-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 700 | 700 |
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 (30 events)Click to expand
- 2025-07-10📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-07-10🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2025-06-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-02-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-07📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2020-10-07📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2020-07-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-05-03📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2020-04-25🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Hsbc UK Bank PLC
- 2019-09-30📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2019-09-30📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2019-07-18📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-02-24➕MILTON, Jane Fiona appointedsecretary
- 2019-02-24➖MILTON, Ian Edward resignedsecretary
- 2019-02-24➖MILTON, Ian Edward resigneddirector
- 2018-12-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-02-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-03-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2005-11-04🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2004-07-31➕MILTON, Ian Edward appointedsecretary
- 2004-07-31➕MILTON, Ian Edward appointeddirector
- 2004-02-23➖WRF INTERNATIONAL LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2003-12-04➕MILTON, Jane Fiona appointeddirector
- 2003-12-04➖WHITE ROSE FORMATIONS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-08-28🏢Company incorporatedAs ADVANTAGE COVER FABRICATIONS LIMITED
- 2003-08-28➕WHITE ROSE FORMATIONS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-08-28➕WRF INTERNATIONAL LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
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 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
95/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 67. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Jane Fiona Milton Individual · British · DOB 12/1959 · age 67 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Ian Edward Miltonceased 16/01/2020· 25-50% shares
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 · NN postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12906787 LTD→ 12906787 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| 21ST CENTURY PRINT LIMITED→ 10321122 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| A & J SECTIONAL BUILDINGS LIMITED→ 01817863 · est 1984 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 41y | — | — |
| A AND M PLANTERS LIMITED→ 14163255 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| A J FABRICATIONS (NORTHAMPTON) LIMITED→ 05631797 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| A J GANDHAM LTD→ 12557155 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ABB FABS LTD→ 12387570 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ACCUMA PLASTICS LIMITED→ 01365374 · est 1978 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 47y | — | — |
| ACRYLIC FABRICATIONS LIMITED→ 05719142 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| ADVANCED ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SOLUTIONS LTD→ 06222469 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| ADVANCED FABRICATION (WELLINGBOROUGH) LIMITED→ 14359467 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ADVENT PLASTICS LIMITED→ 00638467 · est 1959 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 66y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2003-08-28
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC32990 — Other manufacturing n.e.c.
Registered office
Wishingwell Cottage
Aldwincle Road
Thorpe Waterville
Northamptonshire
NN14 3ED
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-07-31
Last made up to: 2024-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-09
Last: 2025-09-25
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
MILTON, Jane Fiona→
Activesecretary · appointed 2019-02-24
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MILTON, Jane Fiona→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 2003-12-04
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MILTON, Ian Edward→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2004-07-31 · resigned 2019-02-24
WHITE ROSE FORMATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-08-28 · resigned 2003-12-04
MILTON, Ian Edward→
Resigneddirector · ~72y · appointed 2004-07-31 · resigned 2019-02-24
WRF INTERNATIONAL LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-08-28 · resigned 2004-02-23
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc UK Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 25/04/2020 | — | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 04/11/2005 | 10/07/2025 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (63 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-25
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-07-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-06-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-06-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-02-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-01-06
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-08
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2020-10-07
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2020-10-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-07-29