AGRI-BUSINESS SERVICES (UK) LTD
🌳Matureactive
04943263 · ltd · incorporated 2003-10-24
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Oct 2024
Net worth
£60.4k
book net assets
Opportunity
81/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Support activities for crop production
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 82990Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 63-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 81/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 63). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
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, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
5 officers (3 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
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
64 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
81/100Exceptional
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
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)Positive net assets
Net assets £60,393
Net assets shrinking
Down £686 YoY
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£60k
↓ 1.1% YoY
Current Assets
£65k
↑ 8.0% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)| Metric | 2024-10-31 | 2023-10-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £60.4k | £61.1k |
| Current assets | £65.5k | £60.6k |
| Net assets | £60.4k | £61.1k |
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 (24 events)Click to expand
- 2025-02-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-04-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-22📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-09-22📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-09-21📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-09-21📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-09-21📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-09-21📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-09-21📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2023-05-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-05-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-07-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-09-26📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2018-07-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2009-04-01➕BROOKSBANK, Emma Louise appointeddirector
- 2003-10-24🏢Company incorporatedAs AGRI-BUSINESS SERVICES (UK) LTD
- 2003-10-24➕COWLRICK, Peter Francis appointedsecretary
- 2003-10-24➕COWLRICK, Sarah Jane Handbury appointeddirector
- 2003-10-24➕SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-10-24➖SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-10-24➕INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2003-10-24➖INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
76/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
86/100
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 63. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- 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.
- 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 Sarah Jane Handbury Cowlrick Individual · British · DOB 07/1963 · age 63 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
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 →Similar companies
Active · Agriculture · SO postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 360 WILDLIFECONTROL LTD→ 14231350 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| A. BURNFIELD & SONS LIMITED→ 00572866 · est 1956 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 69y | — | — |
| A.F.MONK(ROOKLEY)LIMITED→ 00653857 · est 1960 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 66y | — | — |
| A.J.P. OAKWORKS LIMITED→ 05630923 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| ABI FLYNN EQUESTRIAN SERVICES LTD→ 15245665 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ACCESS AGRICULTURE LIMITED→ 12400163 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ACE DORSET DOWNS LIMITED→ 15229319 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ACORN & GROWAN LTD→ 15508498 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ACTIPAWS LIMITED→ 15733351 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AGRICULTURAL MATERIAL SUPPLIES LTD→ 15908566 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AGRUMI LIMITED→ 05764087 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| AGRUMI TIPTOE LIMITED→ 04214185 · est 2001 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 24y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
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 →🔒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
Incorporated2003-10-24
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01610 — Support activities for crop production
Registered office
25 St Thomas Street
Winchester
Hampshire
SO23 9HJ
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-07-31
Last made up to: 2024-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-07
Last: 2025-10-24
Officers (3 active · 2 resigned)
COWLRICK, Peter Francis→
Activesecretary · appointed 2003-10-24
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BROOKSBANK, Emma Louise→
Activedirector · ~37y · appointed 2009-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
COWLRICK, Sarah Jane Handbury→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2003-10-24
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-10-24 · resigned 2003-10-24
INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-10-24 · resigned 2003-10-24
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (64 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-02-19
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-04-18
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-25
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-09-22
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-09-22
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-09-21
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-09-21
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-09-21
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-09-21
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2023-09-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-05-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-07-20