ASHTON SMITH ASSOCIATES LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
05154076 · ltd · incorporated 2004-06-15
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
—
year to Jun 2025
Net worth
£9.01M
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other engineering activities
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 64-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 64). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 12.4y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 12.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: high (81/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 2 with DOB)
77
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
68 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £9,010,737
Cash YoY
+4%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£7.2m
↑ 3.7% YoY
Net Worth
£9.0m
↑ 6.6% YoY
Current Assets
£10m
↑ 5.6% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£2.1m£4.1m£6.2m£8.3m£10mJun 2024Jun 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-06-302024-06-30
Total assets£9.01M£8.45M
Current assets£10.34M£9.79M
Cash£7.17M£6.92M
Debtors£3.12M£2.83M
Net assets£9.01M£8.45M

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 (27 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-09-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-08-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-08-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-11-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2021-09-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2020-09-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2020-01-06
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  8. 2020-01-06
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  9. 2019-08-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2019-05-22
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  11. 2019-03-15
    ➕
    WOOLLEY, Jane Elizabeth appointed
    secretary
  12. 2019-03-15
    ➖
    SMITH, Duncan Trevor Frederick resigned
    secretary
  13. 2019-03-15
    ➖
    SMITH, Duncan Trevor Frederick resigned
    director
  14. 2019-03-15
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  15. 2019-03-15
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  16. 2018-10-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2017-12-10
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  18. 2017-12-10
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  19. 2014-02-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  20. 2004-06-15
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ASHTON SMITH ASSOCIATES LIMITED
  21. 2004-06-15
    ➕
    ASHTON, Mark David appointed
    director
  22. 2004-06-15
    ➕
    SMITH, Duncan Trevor Frederick appointed
    secretary
  23. 2004-06-15
    ➕
    YORK PLACE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  24. 2004-06-15
    ➖
    YORK PLACE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  25. 2004-06-15
    ➕
    SMITH, Duncan Trevor Frederick appointed
    director
  26. 2004-06-15
    ➕
    YORK PLACE COMPANY NOMINEES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  27. 2004-06-15
    ➖
    YORK PLACE COMPANY NOMINEES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
Critical — business is the founder

The 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 "ASHTON" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • 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

clean
No 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%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Mark David Ashton
Individual · British · DOB 05/1962 · age 64
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Duncan Trevor Frederick Smithceased 15/03/2019· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting

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

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
Incorporated2004-06-15
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC71129 — Other engineering activities

Registered office

Belvedere House
2 Victoria Avenue
Harrogate
North Yorkshire
HG1 1EL

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-24
Last: 2025-11-10

Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)

WOOLLEY, Jane Elizabeth→
secretary · appointed 2019-03-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ASHTON, Mark David→
director · ~64y · appointed 2004-06-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SMITH, Duncan Trevor Frederick→
secretary · appointed 2004-06-15 · resigned 2019-03-15
Resigned
YORK PLACE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2004-06-15 · resigned 2004-06-15
Resigned
SMITH, Duncan Trevor Frederick→
director · ~72y · appointed 2004-06-15 · resigned 2019-03-15
Resigned
YORK PLACE COMPANY NOMINEES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2004-06-15 · resigned 2004-06-15
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property24/02/2014—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (68 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-08-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-08-16
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-09-04
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-01-06
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2020-01-06