AMS INSTRUMENTATION & CONTROL LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
06728490 · ltd · incorporated 2008-10-21
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 2024
Net worth
£229.2k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Management consultancy activities other than financial management
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 71129Other engineering activities
- 82990Other business support service activities n.e.c.
- 93110Operation of sports facilities
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. 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. 2 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 · 2 lenders · oldest 17.5y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 17.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
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, 4 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
2 officers (2 active, 2 linked, 1 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
54 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.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)Positive net assets
Net assets £229,197
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£229k
Current Assets
£420k
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)| Metric | 2024-10-31 | 2023-10-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £229.9k | — |
| Current assets | £420.3k | — |
| Net assets | £229.2k | — |
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 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (22 events)Click to expand
- 2025-06-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-04-21📄change-constitution-enactmentchange-of-constitution · CC05
- 2024-04-20📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2024-04-20📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2024-04-20📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2023-06-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-07📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-06-07📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2022-06-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-06-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-05-11📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2020-01-16📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2019-07-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-10-11📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2018-09-23📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2008-12-19🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2008-12-01🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Andrew Thomas Hooper and Jill Hooper
- 2008-10-21🏢Company incorporatedAs AMS INSTRUMENTATION & CONTROL LIMITED
- 2008-10-21➕SUTTON, Roger appointedsecretary
- 2008-10-21➕HARFORD, Matthew appointeddirector
Owner dependency
90/100
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.
- +No director turnover: Company is 18 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
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 Matthew James Harford Individual · British · DOB 08/1973 · age 53 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 01/11/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Matt Harfordceased 01/11/2016· 50-75% shares · 50-75% 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 →Similar companies
Active · Professional services · TR postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABBOTSWOOD TAXATION AND ACCOUNTANCY SERVICES LIMITED→ 08425589 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| ABSOLUTE CANVAS LIMITED→ 10605190 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ADM MABE SERVICES LIMITED→ 16203716 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ALEXANDER COURT (TRURO) MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED→ 05224033 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| ALLIANCE TOOL HIRE (SOUTH WEST) LTD→ 13662682 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ALPHA WHISKEY SURVEYORS LTD→ 10990782 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| ALS SURVEYORS LTD→ 12990331 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ALTARA INTEGRATED PERFORMANCE LTD→ 15771314 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AM TRADE VENTURES LTD→ 17056504 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AMANDA K LIMITED→ 08150026 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| AMICUS COMPLIANCE SOLUTIONS LTD→ 07875805 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| ANALOGY PUBLIC RELATIONS LTD→ 14796453 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2008-10-21
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC70229 — Management consultancy activities other than financial management
Registered office
Unit 8b A30 Business Park Lodge Way
Indian Queens
St. Columb
Cornwall
TR9 6FZ
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-07-31
Last made up to: 2024-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-05
Last: 2026-02-19
Officers (2 active · 0 resigned)
Active
HARFORD, Matthew→
Activedirector · ~53y · appointed 2008-10-21
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 19/12/2008 | — | |
| outstanding | Andrew Thomas Hooper and Jill Hooper | Rent deposit security deed | 1 property | 01/12/2008 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (54 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-06-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-06-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-24
change-constitution-enactment
change-of-constitution · CC05
2024-04-21
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2024-04-20
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2024-04-20
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2024-04-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-06-14
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-14
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-06-07
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2023-06-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-06-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-04