A2B SIGNS & GRAPHICS LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
09564711 · ltd · incorporated 2015-04-28
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 Jul 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Buying and selling of own real estate
Sector: Real estate
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 68209Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate
- 74100Specialised design activities
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: property-backed borrower with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.
Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 3.2y
5/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Charge age ~3.2 years — mid-life; refi window approaching.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)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
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
1 officers (1 active, 1 linked, 1 with DOB)
90
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
31 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
74/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
50
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
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 | 2025-07-31 | 2024-07-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 1200 | 1200 |
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
1
filing
- • 1 mortgage
Last 90 days
2
filings
- • 1 mortgage
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
5
filings
- • 2 mortgage
- • 2 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (22 events)Click to expand
- 2026-05-07📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-05-07🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2026-03-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2026-02-02📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2026-01-30🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Barclays Security Trustee Limited
- 2025-04-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-02-20📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-02-19🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Co-Operative Bank P.L.C
- 2024-12-12📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2024-12-05🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Patricia Gee
- 2024-05-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-04-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-02📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2023-02-28🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Patricia Gee
- 2022-04-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-05-21📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2021-05-07📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2021-01-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-02-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-03-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2015-04-28🏢Company incorporatedAs A2B SIGNS & GRAPHICS LIMITED
- 2015-04-28➕MACHIN, James Robert Arthur appointeddirector
Owner dependency
80/100
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.
- +No director turnover: Company is 11 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
50/100
Moderate signalSome succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- 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 James Robert Arthur Machin Individual · British · DOB 05/1985 · age 41 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Property · ST postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10POTS LIMITED→ 14634771 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| 21ST CENTURY LETTINGS LIMITED→ 10957117 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| 3GEN PROPERTY LTD→ 15561037 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 6 TOWNS PROPERTIES LTD→ 14015365 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| 6SR LTD→ 13257141 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| 89 CHURCH ROAD LIMITED→ 11013714 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| A & A J LTD→ 11462435 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| A BOOTH INVESTMENTS LIMITED→ 15081291 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| A&A PROPERTIES ESTATES LTD→ 15914846 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| A&C LEISURE UK LTD→ 13636885 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AAM PROPERTY 1 LIMITED→ 15833971 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AAUS PROPERTIES LTD→ 15746469 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
9 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
Incorporated2015-04-28
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC68100 — Buying and selling of own real estate
Registered office
Unit 3 Kildare Street
Dresden
Stoke-On-Trent
Staffordshire
ST3 4ND
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-04-30
Last made up to: 2025-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-14
Last: 2026-01-31
Officers (1 active · 0 resigned)
MACHIN, James Robert Arthur→
Activedirector · ~41y · appointed 2015-04-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
3
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Security Trustee Limited | A registered charge | — | 30/01/2026 | — | |
| satisfied | Co-operative Bank The Co-Operative Bank P.L.C | A registered charge | 1 property | 19/02/2025 | 07/05/2026 | |
| outstanding | Patricia Gee | A registered charge | 1 property | 05/12/2024 | — | |
| outstanding | Patricia Gee | A registered charge | 1 property | 28/02/2023 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (31 total)
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-05-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-03-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-02
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2026-02-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-30
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-02-20
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-29
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-12-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-05-23
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-28
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2023-03-02
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-23