PROBAT LIMITED
Opportunity 75/100 (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. 7 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (77/100).
Refinance opportunity
15 live charges · 7 lenders · oldest 46.4y
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 46.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 7 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
- · Profitable and stable/growing — lender coverage supportable.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Sector-multiple EBITDA, turnover, and NAV-proxy valuation range with confidence tier — derived from extracted iXBRL financials.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Profit before tax | £982.1k | — |
| Average employees | 54 | 5200 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
2 signals 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
- • 2 officers
- • 1 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 change-of-name
Corporate timeline (61 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-27📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2026-01-22✏️certificate-change-of-name-companychange-of-name · CERTNM
- 2026-01-22📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2026-01-20➕THIMM, Christian appointeddirector
- 2026-01-20➖HARDT, Armin resigneddirector
- 2026-01-20📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2025-09-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-07📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AAMD
- 2022-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-01-10📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2021-12-31➖SIMON, Ernst Guenter resigneddirector
- 2021-12-21➕COUTTIE, Marc appointedsecretary
- 2021-12-21➖IRELAND, Robert resignedsecretary
- 2021-12-21➕HARDT, Armin appointeddirector
- 2021-12-21📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2021-12-21📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2021-12-21📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2021-07-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-05📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2019-06-01➕GORMAN, Joseph John appointeddirector
- 2019-04-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2019-01-31📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-01-14➖PFÖRSICH, Wolfgang Fridemann resigneddirector
- 2017-05-24🔒Charge registered #15Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2017-05-22🔓Charge satisfied #14
- 2017-05-22🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2017-05-19🔒Charge registered #16Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2016-08-01➕PFÖRSICH, Wolfgang Fridemann appointeddirector
- 2016-05-20🔒Charge registered #14Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC (Trading as Both Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank) (Company Number SC001111)
- 2014-11-27➖ANDERSON, Stuart Simpson resigneddirector
- 2013-07-17➖ROBERTON, Iain Russell resigneddirector
- 2013-07-17➕SIMON, Ernst Guenter appointeddirector
- 2013-05-30🔓Charge satisfied #9
- 2004-06-03🔓Charge satisfied #13
- 2004-01-21🔓Charge satisfied #12
- 2004-01-21🔓Charge satisfied #11
- 2004-01-21🔓Charge satisfied #10
- 2004-01-21🔓Charge satisfied #8
- 2001-01-08🔒Charge registered #13Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2000-11-30🔒Charge registered #12Lender: Low & Duff Self Administered Pension Scheme
- 1999-02-18🔒Charge registered #11Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 1999-01-29➖ANDERSON, Patricia Helen resignedsecretary
- 1999-01-29➕IRELAND, Robert appointedsecretary
- 1997-06-11🔒Charge registered #10Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 1990-02-05🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 1990-02-05🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 1989-07-17🔓Charge satisfied #6
Owner dependency
Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 58 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
Some succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 58. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
Red flags
2 med ·Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Name changes can be benign (rebrand) but can also precede distress, phoenix activity, or buyer concealment.
Evidence: 2026-01-22: certificate-change-of-name-company
Group structure
Hamburg Dresdner Maschinenfabriken Verwaltungsgesellschaft Mbh is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Hamburg Dresdner Maschinenfabriken Verwaltungsgesellschaft Mbh 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.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LT'S FABRICATION & MAINTENANCE LTD→ SC863999 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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| PDR PRECISION ENGINEERING LTD→ SC623023 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| PHOENIX EQUIPMENT LTD→ SC616009 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| PURE ENERGY (REGEN) LIMITED→ SC597784 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| QUANTIC DESIGNS LTD.→ SC262524 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| R ASSENTI MACHINERY LIMITED→ SC763823 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| R.BOYTER ELECTRICAL SERVICES LTD→ SC710075 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| RAMSAY FABRICATION LTD→ SC324300 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| RAVENDALE COMPLETIONS LTD→ SC407446 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| RAVENSBY GLASS COMPANY LIMITED→ SC100482 · est 1986 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 39y | — | — |
| RB OFFSHORE LIMITED→ SC572425 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
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 →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 (3 active · 7 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 24/05/2017 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 19/05/2017 | — | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC (Trading as Both Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank) (Company Number SC001111) | A registered charge | — | 20/05/2016 | 22/05/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 08/01/2001 | 03/06/2004 | |
| satisfied | Low & Duff Self Administered Pension Scheme | Standard security | 1 property | 30/11/2000 | 21/01/2004 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Standard security | 1 property | 18/02/1999 | 21/01/2004 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Standard security | 1 property | 11/06/1997 | 21/01/2004 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Standard security | 1 property | 03/07/1989 | 30/05/2013 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Standard security | 1 property | 03/07/1989 | 21/01/2004 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Floating charge | 1 property | 26/06/1989 | 22/05/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 18/12/1986 | 17/07/1989 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 02/03/1981 | 17/07/1989 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 27/01/1981 | 05/02/1990 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 22/12/1980 | 05/02/1990 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 20/12/1979 | 08/01/1981 |