HOWDEN UK LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
R0000173 · ltd · incorporated 1898-04-20
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Other manufacturing n.e.c.
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 72/100. 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. 6 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
5 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 55.0y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 55.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 30/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (58/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
21 officers (2 active, 21 linked, 19 with DOB)
88
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
388 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.
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 (67 events)Click to expand
- 2025-11-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-01-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-09📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2023-03-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-02-28📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2022-11-14📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2022-10-26📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2021-10-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-17📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-12-16➖KRISTENSEN, Allan resigneddirector
- 2020-12-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-02-27📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2020-02-26📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-02-12➕HEARLE, Frederick James appointeddirector
- 2020-02-12➖LEHMAN, Mark Paul resigneddirector
- 2019-11-15📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-11-15📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-11-15📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-09-30➖BRANDER, Ian Halliday resigneddirector
- 2019-09-30➖FLEXON, William (Bill) resigneddirector
- 2019-09-30➖PRYOR, Daniel Alexis resigneddirector
- 2019-08-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-03-08📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-02-12➖PUCKETT, Anne Lynne resigneddirector
- 2016-09-01➖BRANNAN, Charles Scott resigneddirector
- 2016-02-29➖BROADFOOT, William John Cameron resigneddirector
- 2016-02-29➖THOMSON, William resigneddirector
- 2016-01-29➕MCPARLAND, James appointeddirector
- 2016-01-29➕KRISTENSEN, Allan appointeddirector
- 2016-01-29➖MCMINN, David resigneddirector
- 2016-01-28➖MCDONALD, Nuala Maria resignedsecretary
- 2015-06-15🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2015-06-15🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2012-05-16🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2012-05-16🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2012-04-30🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Deutsche Bank Ag New York Branch
- 2012-04-30🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Deutsche Bank Ag New York Branch
- 2012-04-25➕BRANNAN, Charles Scott appointeddirector
- 2012-04-25➕FLEXON, William (Bill) appointeddirector
- 2012-04-25➕LEHMAN, Mark Paul appointeddirector
- 2012-04-25➕PRYOR, Daniel Alexis appointeddirector
- 2012-04-25➕PUCKETT, Anne Lynne appointeddirector
- 2012-02-21➖MULHOLLAND, Ronald George resigneddirector
- 2011-12-15➖BRENNAN, Robert Alexander resigneddirector
- 2011-12-15➕BROADFOOT, William John Cameron appointeddirector
- 2011-03-31➖MOORE, Gary resigneddirector
- 2011-03-21➕BRENNAN, Robert Alexander appointeddirector
- 2010-05-14➖BRENNAN, Robert Alexander resigneddirector
- 2010-05-14➕MOORE, Gary appointeddirector
Showing most recent 50 of 67 events
Owner dependency
66/100
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.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
61/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 60. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 128 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
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.
Group structure
Howden Engineering Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Howden Engineering Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
HOWDEN UK LIMITED
This company · R0000173
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Howden Engineering Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
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 · Manufacturing · BT postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSH CAPITAL LIMITED→ NI731573 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| GORTREAGH PRINTING LIMITED→ NI651951 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| GRAFIQUE LIMITED→ NI720303 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| HUTCHINSON GROUP HOLDINGS (NI) LTD→ NI624624 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| HYDROGEN GREEN POWER LTD→ NI647471 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| IAN NEWELL BOAT BUILDING & REPAIR LIMITED→ NI049149 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| IMRIE ENGINEERING LTD→ NI046464 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| INNOVATION TECHNOLOGIES (IRELAND) LTD→ NI033526 · est 1998 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 28y | — | — |
| INNOVATIVE CONTAINER SOLUTIONS LTD→ NI725346 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| INOV8 SYSTEMS LIMITED→ NI638705 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| INSPIRE FLAVOURS LTD→ NI641649 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| INSPIRED FURNITURE LTD→ NI610742 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
6 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
Incorporated1898-04-20
Jurisdictionnorthern-ireland
Primary SIC32990 — Other manufacturing n.e.c.
Registered office
1 Lanyon Place
Belfast
BT1 3LP
Northern Ireland
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-14
Last: 2025-10-31
Officers (2 active · 19 resigned)
HEARLE, Frederick James→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2020-02-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MCPARLAND, James→
Activedirector · ~53y · appointed 2016-01-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BRENNAN, Robert Alexander→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1898-04-20 · resigned 2008-11-01
MCDONALD, Nuala Maria→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2008-11-01 · resigned 2016-01-28
BRANDER, Ian Halliday→
Resigneddirector · ~65y · appointed 2008-11-01 · resigned 2019-09-30
BRANNAN, Charles Scott→
Resigneddirector · ~68y · appointed 2012-04-25 · resigned 2016-09-01
BRENNAN, Robert Alexander→
Resigneddirector · ~70y · appointed 2011-03-21 · resigned 2011-12-15
BRENNAN, Robert Alexander→
Resigneddirector · ~70y · appointed 2001-01-19 · resigned 2010-05-14
BROADFOOT, William John Cameron→
Resigneddirector · ~72y · appointed 2011-12-15 · resigned 2016-02-29
FLEXON, William (Bill)→
Resigneddirector · ~63y · appointed 2012-04-25 · resigned 2019-09-30
KRISTENSEN, Allan→
Resigneddirector · ~61y · appointed 2016-01-29 · resigned 2020-12-16
LEHMAN, Mark Paul→
Resigneddirector · ~59y · appointed 2012-04-25 · resigned 2020-02-12
MCMINN, David→
Resigneddirector · ~75y · resigned 2016-01-29
MILLAR, Gordon→
Resigneddirector · ~76y · appointed 1898-04-20 · resigned 2008-11-01
MOORE, Gary→
Resigneddirector · ~62y · appointed 2010-05-14 · resigned 2011-03-31
MULHOLLAND, Ronald George→
Resigneddirector · ~77y · resigned 2012-02-21
PRYOR, Daniel Alexis→
Resigneddirector · ~58y · appointed 2012-04-25 · resigned 2019-09-30
PUCKETT, Anne Lynne→
Resigneddirector · ~64y · appointed 2012-04-25 · resigned 2019-02-12
STAFFORD, William R→
Resigneddirector · ~89y · appointed 1898-04-20 · resigned 1999-12-31
STRAHAN, Samuel→
Resigneddirector · ~72y · appointed 2000-03-29 · resigned 2010-05-14
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
5
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Deutsche Bank Ag New York Branch | Bank account assignment | 1 property | 30/04/2012 | 15/06/2015 | |
| satisfied | Deutsche Bank Ag New York Branch | Debenture | 1 property | 30/04/2012 | 15/06/2015 | |
| satisfied | The Ministry of Commerce for Northern Ireland | Floating charge | 1 property | 22/12/1971 | 16/05/2012 | |
| satisfied | Kleinwort, Benson / The Bank of Nova Scotia / Northern Bank Kleinwort, Benson Limited / The Bank of Nova Scotia / Northern Bank Limited | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 10/08/1971 | 10/07/1973 | |
| satisfied | Ministry of Commerce for Northern Ireland | Floating charge | 1 property | 12/05/1971 | 16/05/2012 |
Recent filings (388 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2025-01-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-27
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2023-03-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-03-08
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2023-02-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-14
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2022-11-14
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2022-10-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2021-10-07
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2020-12-17