DESIGN AND SECURITY SERVICES LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
05025344 · ltd · incorporated 2004-01-26
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 14.1y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
83/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Machining
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 60-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 83/100 (exceptional), 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).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 14.1y
70/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 14.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)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
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (3 active, 8 linked, 4 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
3 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
75 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
83/100Exceptional
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
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 | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 2800 | 2600 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
3 signals 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
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (32 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-07-07📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2025-07-04📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2025-04-28📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2024-12-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-11📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-12-10➖TENNANT, Alastair resigneddirector
- 2024-10-28📄capital-alter-shares-subdivisioncapital · SH02
- 2023-10-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-07-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-01-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-10-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2013-02-27🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limtied
- 2012-09-05🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2012-06-06🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2011-07-12➕TENNANT, Alastair appointeddirector
- 2006-03-31➕KELLY, Mark David appointedsecretary
- 2006-03-31➕KELLY, Mark David appointeddirector
- 2006-03-31➖DONALDSON, Susan resignedsecretary
- 2006-03-31➖DONALDSON, Peter resigneddirector
- 2004-05-21➕GASKINS, Andrew appointeddirector
- 2004-04-01➕DONALDSON, Susan appointedsecretary
- 2004-04-01➕DONALDSON, Peter appointeddirector
- 2004-03-22➖HIGHSTONE SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2004-03-22➖HIGHSTONE DIRECTORS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2004-01-26🏢Company incorporatedAs DESIGN AND SECURITY SERVICES LIMITED
- 2004-01-26➕HIGHSTONE SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2004-01-26➕HIGHSTONE DIRECTORS LIMITED appointedcorporate-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 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
76/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
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.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 22 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
3 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Mark David Kelly Individual · British · DOB 12/1966 · age 60 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
Mr Alastair Tennant Individual · British · DOB 07/1972 · age 54 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
Mr Andrew Gaskins Individual · British · DOB 02/1972 · age 54 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 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 · Manufacturing · SR postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALEXANDER TECHNOLOGIES EUROPE LIMITED→ 01816700 · est 1984 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 41y | — | — |
| B DODD LTD→ 17013670 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CR WIND SERVICES LTD→ 16174977 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| CRYOLEC TECHNOLOGIES LTD→ 13964984 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| CRYSTAL MARINE INTERIORS LIMITED→ 13156269 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| CT AUTOMOTIVE GROUP PLC→ 10451211 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| CURRENT LTD→ 12819280 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| DANIEL CARR ROPE ACCESS LTD→ 14955067 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| DLE INSPECTION LTD→ 15982454 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| DLI SEALS LIMITED→ 12148730 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| DURHAM BLINDS LIMITED→ 08741548 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| DURHAM COUNTY ENGINEERING SERVICES LIMITED→ 07854275 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
7 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
Incorporated2004-01-26
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25620 — Machining
Registered office
Unit 1, Hunter Road
South West Industrial Estate
Peterlee
SR8 2LX
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-09
Last: 2026-01-26
Officers (3 active · 5 resigned)
Active
GASKINS, Andrew→
Activedirector · ~54y · appointed 2004-05-21
View their other companies + combined net worth →
KELLY, Mark David→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2006-03-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DONALDSON, Susan→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2004-04-01 · resigned 2006-03-31
HIGHSTONE SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2004-01-26 · resigned 2004-03-22
DONALDSON, Peter→
Resigneddirector · ~69y · appointed 2004-04-01 · resigned 2006-03-31
TENNANT, Alastair→
Resigneddirector · ~54y · appointed 2011-07-12 · resigned 2024-12-10
HIGHSTONE DIRECTORS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2004-01-26 · resigned 2004-03-22
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limtied | All assets debenture | 1 property | 27/02/2013 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Mortgage deed | 1 property | 05/09/2012 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Debenture deed | 1 property | 06/06/2012 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (75 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-15
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2025-07-07
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-07-04
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2025-04-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-19
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-12-11
capital-alter-shares-subdivision
capital · SH02
2024-10-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-10-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-11-29