ACME EQUIPMENT HIRE LTD
Opportunity 76/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (60/100, director aged 73). 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: high (82/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover 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 | £88.0k | £167.7k |
| Current assets | £18.9k | £66.6k |
| Net assets | £68.8k | £64.8k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
Corporate timeline (11 events)Click to expand
- 2025-05-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-03-26📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-05-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-01-17📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2024-01-16📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2023-05-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-20📄second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-dateconfirmation-statement · RP04CS01
- 2022-07-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-26🏢Company incorporatedAs ACME EQUIPMENT HIRE LTD
- 2020-10-26➕BARNES, Paul Martin appointeddirector
- 2020-10-26📄incorporation-companyincorporation · NEWINC
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 73 — succession pressure is live.
- +No director turnover: Company is 6 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 73 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
Red flags
cleanShareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Paul Martin Barnes Individual · British · DOB 09/1953 · age 73 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 26/10/2020 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
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8 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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (1 active · 0 resigned)
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