WILLS & CO INSURANCE SERVICES LIMITED
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: high (80/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 0 | 600 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
- • 3 change-of-name
- • 3 change-of-name
- • 3 change-of-name
Corporate timeline (26 events)Click to expand
- 2026-07-27✏️certificate-change-of-name-companychange-of-name · CERTNM
- 2026-07-27✏️change-of-name-request-commentschange-of-name · NM06
- 2026-07-27✏️change-of-name-noticechange-of-name · CONNOT
- 2025-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-09-02📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2025-07-31➕WILLS, Callum appointeddirector
- 2024-11-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-24📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-10-22📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-12-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-29📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-10-19📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-10-19📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-06-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2017-06-15➖NEEDHAM, Michael resigneddirector
- 2009-07-22➖GREAVES, Robert resignedsecretary
- 2003-10-07🏢Company incorporatedAs WILLS & CO INSURANCE SERVICES LIMITED
- 2003-10-07➕WILLS, Darren Robert appointeddirector
- 2003-10-07➕GREAVES, Robert appointedsecretary
- 2003-10-07➕INCORPORATE SECRETARIAT LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-10-07➖INCORPORATE SECRETARIAT LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-10-07➕NEEDHAM, Michael appointeddirector
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "WILLS" — 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.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 58 — approaching natural succession window.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
Limited succession signal. Not a near-term off-market candidate.
- primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — WILLS, Callum (same surname) appointed 2025-07-31. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 58. 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.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 med ·Name changes can be benign (rebrand) but can also precede distress, phoenix activity, or buyer concealment.
Evidence: 2026-07-27: certificate-change-of-name-company; 2026-07-27: change-of-name-request-comments
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Darren Robert Wills Individual · British · DOB 02/1968 · age 58 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Crk Commercial Insurance Services Limitedceased 12/08/2022· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control · firm interest
- Mr Michael Needhamceased 15/06/2017· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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 · Financial services · LE postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLU NOVA TRADING LTD→ 16570519 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CAUSON BUSINESS FINANCE LIMITED→ 15888072 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| COX COMMERCIAL INVESTMENTS LTD→ 09813413 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| CRK COMMERCIAL INSURANCE SERVICES LIMITED→ 04639065 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| CROSSROADS FINANCE LIMITED→ 11739393 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| D & V CAPITAL LIMITED→ 10804486 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| DA21 CONSULTANCY LTD→ 13970832 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| DAH INVESTMENTS LIMITED→ 15227405 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| DEBTCO ONE LIMITED→ 04489946 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| DESAI INVESTMENTS LTD→ 15001989 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| DESIGNER MORTGAGES LIMITED→ 04925366 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| DEVHAM INVESTMENTS→ 16856789 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.