CAVE DIRECT NORTH LTD.
🌳Matureactive
09337592 · ltd · incorporated 2014-12-02
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46170
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 69-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 69). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 10.5y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 10.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: high (82/100)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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
3 officers (2 active, 3 linked, 3 with DOB)
90
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
7 connected companies via shared directors
66
Filing history
35 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
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 | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 0 | 0 |
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 (29 events)Click to expand
- 2025-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-27📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-03-27📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-03-27🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2024-03-27🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2024-02-29📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2024-02-29🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Cynergy Business Finance Limited
- 2023-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-15📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-02-28➖EVANS, William Derek John resigneddirector
- 2019-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-03📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2019-08-28📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2019-08-28🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Aib Group (UK) PLC T/a Allied Irish Bank (GB)
- 2019-08-28🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2019-08-12📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2019-08-12🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Aib Group (UK) P.L.C.
- 2018-12-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-10-30📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2018-09-27📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2016-02-01🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Abn Amro Commercial Finance PLC
- 2014-12-02🏢Company incorporatedAs CAVE DIRECT NORTH LTD.
- 2014-12-02➕GILHESPY, Colin appointeddirector
- 2014-12-02➕SMALE, Louise appointeddirector
- 2014-12-02➕EVANS, William Derek John appointeddirector
Owner dependency
73/100
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.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 69 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
61/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 69. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Colin Gilhespy Individual · British · DOB 05/1961 · age 65 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 01/07/2016 |
Ms Louise Smale Individual · British · DOB 02/1957 · age 69 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 01/07/2016 |
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 · Wholesale & distribution · ME postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLANC TEXTILES AGENCY LTD→ 15777300 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BOSWELL WHOLESALE LIMITED→ 16173222 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BOUNDARY FENCING & TIMBER SUPPLIES UK LIMITED→ 12866087 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BRINVENT COMPANY LTD→ 11331323 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| BURNHAM-LEEDS TRADERS LTD→ 16436276 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BUSAD ENTERPRISES LTD→ 15389620 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BUSINESS UTILITY OVERHAUL LTD→ 15495911 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BUTLERS (CATERHAM) KENT LTD→ 15586442 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| CARPET GIANT LONDON LIMITED→ 05722421 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| CARPETS 4 ALL LIMITED→ 05033343 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| CATER CAPER LTD→ 16453848 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CAVIAR COUNTER LTD→ 15259989 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2014-12-02
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46170 — SIC 46170
Registered office
Unit B10 Larkfield Trading Estate New Hythe Lane
Larkfield
Aylesford
Kent
ME20 6SW
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-16
Last: 2025-12-02
Officers (2 active · 1 resigned)
GILHESPY, Colin→
Activedirector · ~65y · appointed 2014-12-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SMALE, Louise→
Activedirector · ~69y · appointed 2014-12-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
EVANS, William Derek John→
Resigneddirector · ~47y · appointed 2014-12-02 · resigned 2020-02-28
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Cynergy Business Finance Cynergy Business Finance Limited | A registered charge | 6 properties | 29/02/2024 | — | |
| satisfied | Aib Group (UK) T/a Allied Irish Bank (GB) Aib Group (UK) PLC T/a Allied Irish Bank (GB) | A registered charge | — | 28/08/2019 | 27/03/2024 | |
| satisfied | Aib Group (UK) P.L.C. | A registered charge | — | 12/08/2019 | 27/03/2024 | |
| satisfied | Abn Amro Commercial Finance Abn Amro Commercial Finance PLC | A registered charge | — | 01/02/2016 | 28/08/2019 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (35 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-audited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-09-30
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-03-27
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-03-27
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-02-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-audited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-09-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-audited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-04-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-audited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2020-12-29