ALAN MCGOWAN ARCHITECTS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
05248130 · ltd · incorporated 2004-10-01
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 Oct 2025
Net worth
£100.2k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Architectural activities
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle with a 64-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. 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).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (77/100)

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
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 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
80/100Exceptional
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
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £100,182

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£100k
↑ 12% YoY
Current Assets
£108k
↑ 10.0% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£22k£43k£65k£86k£108kOct 2024Oct 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-10-312024-10-31
Total assets—£89.7k
Current assets£107.7k£97.9k
Net assets£100.2k£89.7k

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-04-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-06-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-07-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-05-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-06-17
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  7. 2021-04-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2021-01-16
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  9. 2021-01-16
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  10. 2021-01-16
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  11. 2021-01-16
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  12. 2020-07-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2019-06-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  14. 2018-07-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-11-28
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  16. 2017-11-27
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  17. 2017-11-27
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  18. 2004-10-01
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ALAN MCGOWAN ARCHITECTS LIMITED
  19. 2004-10-01
    ➕
    MCGOWAN, Ruth appointed
    secretary
  20. 2004-10-01
    ➕
    MCGOWAN, Alan John appointed
    director
  21. 2004-10-01
    ➕
    ARGUS NOMINEE SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  22. 2004-10-01
    ➖
    ARGUS NOMINEE SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  23. 2004-10-01
    ➕
    ARGUS NOMINEE DIRECTORS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  24. 2004-10-01
    ➖
    ARGUS NOMINEE DIRECTORS 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 "MCGOWAN" — 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

2 active beneficial owners · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mrs Ruth Mcgowan
Individual · British · DOB 06/1958 · age 68
25–50%
—25-50% shares05/04/2017
Mr Alan Mcgowan
Individual · British · DOB 10/1962 · age 64
25–50%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Alan John Mcgowanceased 01/10/2017· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control

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 · Professional services · NG postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
AIM PROPERTY CONSULTANCY LTD→
14283491 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
AIM SURVEYING LIMITED→
13283505 · est 2021
——£80.9k—5y——
AIRCOOLED HUT UK LIMITED→
11579950 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————7y——
AJS COMPLIANCE LIMITED→
10524655 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
————9y——
AJS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LIMITED→
16882913 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
AK ESTATE PLANNING LIMITED→
09292668 · est 2014 · no financials extracted
————11y——
AK LAWYERS LTD→
12248940 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————6y——
AKROTERIA LIMITED→
14399963 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
ALCOCKS PROPERTY LAWYERS LIMITED→
07007792 · est 2009 · no financials extracted
————16y——
ALDRIDGE VENTURES LIMITED→
17129286 · est 2026 · no financials extracted
———————
ALETHRA LTD→
17019662 · est 2026 · no financials extracted
———————
ALEX MCINTYRE ARCHITECTS LIMITED→
05001215 · est 2003 · no financials extracted
————22y——
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
Incorporated2004-10-01
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC71111 — Architectural activities

Registered office

Bridge House Cranmer Street
Long Eaton
Nottingham
NG10 1NL
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-15
Last: 2025-10-01

Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)

MCGOWAN, Ruth→
secretary · appointed 2004-10-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MCGOWAN, Alan John→
director · ~64y · appointed 2004-10-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ARGUS NOMINEE SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2004-10-01 · resigned 2004-10-01
Resigned
ARGUS NOMINEE DIRECTORS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2004-10-01 · resigned 2004-10-01
Resigned

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

Recent filings (64 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-05-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-04-01
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-06-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-07-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-05-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-06
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2021-06-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-04-30
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2021-01-16
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2021-01-16
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2021-01-16