ARMSTRONG ENGINEERING (NE) LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
04881448 · ltd · incorporated 2003-08-29
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
70/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 45200
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 70/100 (strong), bankability 55/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 81). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: File overdue accounts. Clears statutory overdue flag — immediate bankability uplift for refinance conversations. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (53/100).
Data confidence
Overall: low (53/100)Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
50 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
70/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
55
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
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 (22 events)Click to expand
- 2025-05-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-05-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-05-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-05-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-05-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-07-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-05-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-05-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-05-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-06-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-09-10📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-05-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2014-09-09📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-05-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2013-09-10📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2003-08-29🏢Company incorporatedAs ARMSTRONG ENGINEERING (NE) LIMITED
- 2003-08-29➕ARMSTRONG, Kevin appointedsecretary
- 2003-08-29➕ARMSTRONG, Jack appointeddirector
- 2003-08-29➕JL NOMINEES TWO LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-08-29➖JL NOMINEES TWO LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-08-29➕JL NOMINEES ONE LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2003-08-29➖JL NOMINEES ONE LIMITED resignedcorporate-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.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "ARMSTRONG" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 81 — 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 81 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.
Red flags
1 high ·Accounts overdue
highStatutory accounts have not been filed by their due date. Can indicate admin breakdown, cash preservation, or deliberate delay.
Evidence: Next due: 2026-05-31
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Jack Armstrong Individual · British · DOB 05/1945 · age 81 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 01/08/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Automotive · NE postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABRA MOT CENTRE LIMITED→ 05800471 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| ALYN BREWIS LIMITED→ 14690140 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| APEXX MOTORS LTD→ 16365184 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ASTON WORKSHOP RESTORATIONS LIMITED→ 15825185 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AUTO SOLUTIONS & MOT LTD→ 16571121 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AUTOCARE (NORTH EAST) LIMITED→ 05862096 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| AUTOCARE SERVICES (NS) LIMITED→ 06541444 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| AUTOFIX (NORTH EAST) LIMITED→ 06135405 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| AUTOKLASS (SOUTH SHIELDS) LIMITED→ 00668260 · est 1960 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 65y | — | — |
| AUTOLINK GARAGE LIMITED→ 14490348 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AUTOMINSTER LIMITED→ 01855568 · est 1984 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 41y | — | — |
| AUTOMOTIVE EVOLUTION LIMITED→ 07177143 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
10 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
Incorporated2003-08-29
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC45200 — SIC 45200
Registered office
176 Westgate Road
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Tyne & Wear
NE4 6AL
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-05-31OVERDUE
Last made up to: 2024-08-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-12
Last: 2025-08-29
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
Active
ARMSTRONG, Jack→
Activedirector · ~81y · appointed 2003-08-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
JL NOMINEES TWO LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-08-29 · resigned 2003-08-29
JL NOMINEES ONE LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-08-29 · resigned 2003-08-29
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (50 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-05-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-05-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-05-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-05-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-05-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-09-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2020-07-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-09-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2019-05-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2018-09-10