AUTOMATIC CHOICE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
04992319 · ltd · incorporated 2003-12-11
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 Dec 2025
Net worth
£538.0k
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46620
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle with a 60-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 60). 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, 1 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
9 officers (3 active, 9 linked, 6 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
71 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102
Positive net assets
Net assets £537,969
Cash YoY
+17%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£59k
↑ 17% YoY
Net Worth
£538k
↑ 19% YoY
Current Assets
£59k
↑ 17% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£108k£215k£323k£430k£538kDec 2024Dec 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-12-312024-12-31
Total assets£538.0k£453.8k
Current assets£58.9k£50.3k
Cash£58.9k£50.3k
Net assets£538.0k£453.8k

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (31 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-07-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-12-08
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  3. 2025-12-02
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  4. 2025-12-02
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  5. 2025-12-02
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  6. 2025-11-25
    ➕
    VAN ESSEN, Pieter Henrik appointed
    secretary
  7. 2025-11-25
    ➖
    WITHEY, Robert John resigned
    secretary
  8. 2025-11-25
    ➖
    WITHEY, Robert John resigned
    director
  9. 2025-06-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2024-07-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2023-09-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2023-04-17
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  13. 2022-07-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2021-05-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2020-05-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2019-04-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2018-05-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2017-05-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  19. 2015-07-09
    ➕
    VAN ESSEN, Pieter Henrik appointed
    director
  20. 2015-07-09
    ➖
    DE GROOT, Pieter Johannes resigned
    director
  21. 2015-07-09
    ➖
    VENDRIG, Ferdinand Bernardus Wilhelmus resigned
    director
  22. 2009-05-05
    ➕
    HANCORN, Warren appointed
    director
  23. 2006-10-31
    ➖
    PRICE, Peter Frank resigned
    director
  24. 2004-03-10
    ➕
    DE GROOT, Pieter Johannes appointed
    director
  25. 2004-03-10
    ➕
    VENDRIG, Ferdinand Bernardus Wilhelmus appointed
    director
  26. 2003-12-11
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As AUTOMATIC CHOICE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
  27. 2003-12-11
    ➕
    WITHEY, Robert John appointed
    secretary
  28. 2003-12-11
    ➕
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  29. 2003-12-11
    ➖
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  30. 2003-12-11
    ➕
    PRICE, Peter Frank appointed
    director
  31. 2003-12-11
    ➕
    WITHEY, Robert John appointed
    director

Owner dependency

76/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material 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 17 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

59/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 60. Early succession window.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 17 years.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

1 med ·
2 director resignations in last 12 months
medium

Multiple recent departures can indicate governance disagreement, succession event, or preparation for sale/stress.

Evidence: WITHEY, Robert John resigned 2025-11-25; WITHEY, Robert John resigned 2025-11-25

Group structure

2 corporate shareholders identified. Group structure is distributed.

🏛️
Pieterduin N.V.
Corporate parent · holds 25-50% shares
significant stake
🏛️
Automatic Choice Limited
Corporate parent · holds 25-50% shares
significant stake
⬇
AUTOMATIC CHOICE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
This company · 04992319

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Pieterduin N.V.
Corporate entity
25–50%
—25-50% shares06/04/2016
Automatic Choice Limited
Corporate entity
25–50%
—25-50% shares06/04/2016

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 →

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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
Incorporated2003-12-11
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46620 — SIC 46620

Registered office

Herston Cross House
230 High Street
Swanage
Dorset
BH19 2PQ
United Kingdom

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-09-30
Last made up to: 2025-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-01
Last: 2026-04-17

Officers (3 active · 6 resigned)

VAN ESSEN, Pieter Henrik→
secretary · appointed 2025-11-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HANCORN, Warren→
director · ~60y · appointed 2009-05-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
VAN ESSEN, Pieter Henrik→
director · ~47y · appointed 2015-07-09
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WITHEY, Robert John→
secretary · appointed 2003-12-11 · resigned 2025-11-25
Resigned
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-12-11 · resigned 2003-12-11
Resigned
DE GROOT, Pieter Johannes→
director · ~76y · appointed 2004-03-10 · resigned 2015-07-09
Resigned
PRICE, Peter Frank→
director · ~71y · appointed 2003-12-11 · resigned 2006-10-31
Resigned
VENDRIG, Ferdinand Bernardus Wilhelmus→
director · ~74y · appointed 2004-03-10 · resigned 2015-07-09
Resigned
WITHEY, Robert John→
director · ~62y · appointed 2003-12-11 · resigned 2025-11-25
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Recent filings (71 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-07-06
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-20
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-12-08
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-12-02
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2025-12-02
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2025-12-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-03
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-20
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-17
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-04-17
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-07