AUTO BITS SCRAP METAL LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
06587253 · ltd · incorporated 2008-05-08
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 38210
Sector: Water supply & waste
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 38310SIC 38310
- 38320SIC 38320
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · oldest 17.3y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 17.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (56/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 3 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 2 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
53 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
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 (24 events)Click to expand
- 2025-05-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-26📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-07-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-05-12📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-02-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2019-12-31📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2019-12-31📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2019-11-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-02-12📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2018-02-08🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2017-11-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2016-11-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2014-07-14➖HARRIS, Graham John resigneddirector
- 2009-01-27🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2008-05-08🏢Company incorporatedAs AUTO BITS SCRAP METAL LIMITED
- 2008-05-08➕HARRIS, Darren appointedsecretary
- 2008-05-08➕HARRIS, Darren appointeddirector
- 2008-05-08➕HARRIS, Graham John appointeddirector
- 2008-05-08➕FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD appointedcorporate-director
- 2008-05-08➖FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD resignedcorporate-director
Owner dependency
85/100
Critical — business is the founderThe 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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 18 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
68/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 18 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Darren Harris Individual · British · DOB 08/1974 · age 52 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · firm interest | 27/06/2016 |
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 · Energy & utilities · WV postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 247 SALVAGE LTD→ 13160815 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ADRIANS ELECTRICAL SERVICES LIMITED→ 09811958 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| AQUA FORCE SPECIAL WASTE LIMITED→ 03384938 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 28y | — | — |
| AQUA REGIA LTD→ 14528994 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ARCO SERVICES LIMITED→ 03645541 · est 1998 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
| B A SHORTHOUSE LIMITED→ 01370519 · est 1978 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 47y | — | — |
| BJ HUGHES METALS (COSELEY) LIMITED→ 06494005 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| BLACK COUNTRY SKIP HIRE LIMITED→ 04782195 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| BRIDGEND POWER LIMITED→ 13938794 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| BRIDGNORTH SEPTIC TANKS (SHROPSHIRE) LTD→ 14897808 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BROMSGROVE POWER LIMITED→ 14293470 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| BUSHBURY SKIP HIRE LTD→ 13827401 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2008-05-08
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC38210 — SIC 38210
Registered office
Autobits Scrap Metal Ltd Clarkes Lane
Willenhall
Willenhall
West Midlands
WV13 1HY
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-12
Last: 2025-12-29
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
Active
HARRIS, Darren→
Activedirector · ~52y · appointed 2008-05-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HARRIS, Graham John→
Resigneddirector · ~77y · appointed 2008-05-08 · resigned 2014-07-14
FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD→
Resignedcorporate-director · appointed 2008-05-08 · resigned 2008-05-08
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 08/02/2018 | — | |
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 27/01/2009 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (53 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-05-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-29
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-09-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-05
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2024-05-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-02-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-12-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-12-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2020-11-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-11-11
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2019-12-31