DS SMITH FULFILMENT LIMITED
⚰️Wound downdissolved
00550766 · ltd · incorporated 1955-06-16
Investment thesis
Company dissolved — not a live target.
Why interesting: Historical record only; useful for precedent research.
Why risky: Not transactable.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
58/100
Worth a look
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 7499
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed unclear — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 58/100 (worth a look), bankability 70/100. Strong seller-intent signal (65/100, director aged 62). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Company dissolved. Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
Data confidence
Overall: low (51/100)Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
13 officers (3 active, 13 linked, 9 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
No PSCs filed (unusual — worth investigating)
35
Director network
12 connected companies via shared directors
81
Filing history
113 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
58/100Worth a look
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Mixed signal. Worth opening the full target workup before deciding to pursue.
Business quality
30
Concerning — overdue filings or status flags present.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
49
Multiple red flags — proceed with caution.
Signal strength
90
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 (46 events)Click to expand
- 2011-08-30📄gazette-dissolved-voluntarygazette · GAZ2(A)
- 2011-08-30🏁Company dissolved
- 2011-06-30➖CATTERMOLE, Carolyn Tracy resigneddirector
- 2011-06-30📄termination-director-company-with-nameofficers · TM01
- 2011-05-24📄dissolution-voluntary-strike-off-suspendeddissolution · SOAS(A)
- 2011-05-17📄gazette-notice-voluntarygazette · GAZ1(A)
- 2011-05-10📄legacycapital · SH20
- 2011-05-10📄capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figurecapital · SH19
- 2011-05-10⚠️legacyinsolvency · CAP-SS
- 2011-05-10📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2011-05-10📄statement-of-companys-objectschange-of-constitution · CC04
- 2011-05-10📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2011-05-10📄dissolution-application-strike-off-companydissolution · DS01
- 2010-09-21📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2010-08-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2010-05-05📄termination-director-company-with-nameofficers · TM01
- 2010-05-04➕ROBERTS, Miles William appointeddirector
- 2010-05-04➖THORNE, Anthony David resigneddirector
- 2010-05-04📄appoint-person-director-company-with-nameofficers · AP01
- 2009-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2009-10-10📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2009-10-08📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2009-10-08📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2009-10-07📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2009-09-17📄legacyannual-return · 363a
- 2009-08-14📍legacyaddress · 287
- 2009-01-09📄accounts-with-made-up-dateaccounts · AA
- 2008-10-10📄legacyannual-return · 363a
- 2008-10-09📄legacyofficers · 288c
- 2008-04-01➕DRYDEN, Stephen William appointeddirector
- 2008-04-01➖MORRIS, Gavin Mathew resigneddirector
- 2003-01-01➖BUTTFIELD, David Frank resigneddirector
- 2003-01-01➕MORRIS, Gavin Mathew appointeddirector
- 2002-01-01➖WILLIAMS, John Peter resigneddirector
- 2001-07-09➕STEELE, Anne appointedsecretary
- 2001-07-09➖CATTERMOLE, Carolyn Tracy resignedsecretary
- 2001-01-01➕CATTERMOLE, Carolyn Tracy appointeddirector
- 2001-01-01➕THORNE, Anthony David appointeddirector
- 2000-12-31➖RUSSELL, John Stuart resigneddirector
- 2000-11-30➕CATTERMOLE, Carolyn Tracy appointedsecretary
- 2000-11-30➖RICHARDSON, Alan John resignedsecretary
- 1995-07-17➕BUTTFIELD, David Frank appointeddirector
- 1995-04-29➕RICHARDSON, Alan John appointedsecretary
- 1995-04-29➖RUSSELL, John Stuart resignedsecretary
- 1995-01-31➖RICHARDSON, Victor Frank resigneddirector
- 1955-06-16🏢Company incorporatedAs DS SMITH FULFILMENT LIMITED
Owner dependency
76/100
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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 18 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
69/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 62. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 18 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 71 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
2 high ·Company dissolved
highCompany has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only.
Evidence: Dissolved on 2011-08-30
1 insolvency-related filing on record
highFilings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding.
Evidence: 2011-05-10: legacy
🔒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 · Professional services · SL postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1LINEHIRE LTD→ 16596532 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 314 ADVISORY LTD→ 15523125 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 610 CONSULTANTS LTD→ 13288850 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| A & A LEGAL PARTNERS LIMITED→ 16348300 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| A C F GARE & CO LTD→ 11395114 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AAR RECRUITMENT LIMITED→ 15341057 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ABBOTSMOUNT LIMITED→ 11683628 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ABNEY COURT LIMITED→ 15794325 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ACCESS CONSULTING LIMITED→ 15493584 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ACCOUNTANCY ASSIST (UK) LIMITED→ 08811980 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| ACCOUNTANCY CHAMBER LTD→ 17013704 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ACCOUNTANCY CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED→ 08089439 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
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 →🔒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
Statusdissolved
Typeltd
Incorporated1955-06-16
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC7499 — SIC 7499
Registered office
Beech House Whitebrook Park
68 Lower Cookham Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 8XY
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: —
Last made up to: 2010-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: —
Last: —
Officers (0 active · 10 resigned)
Active
DRYDEN, Stephen William→
Activedirector · ~58y · appointed 2008-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ROBERTS, Miles William→
Activedirector · ~62y · appointed 2010-05-04
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CATTERMOLE, Carolyn Tracy→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-11-30 · resigned 2001-07-09
RICHARDSON, Alan John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1995-04-29 · resigned 2000-11-30
RUSSELL, John Stuart→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1995-04-29
BUTTFIELD, David Frank→
Resigneddirector · ~80y · appointed 1995-07-17 · resigned 2003-01-01
CATTERMOLE, Carolyn Tracy→
Resigneddirector · ~66y · appointed 2001-01-01 · resigned 2011-06-30
MORRIS, Gavin Mathew→
Resigneddirector · ~73y · appointed 2003-01-01 · resigned 2008-04-01
RICHARDSON, Victor Frank→
Resigneddirector · ~105y · resigned 1995-01-31
RUSSELL, John Stuart→
Resigneddirector · ~79y · resigned 2000-12-31
THORNE, Anthony David→
Resigneddirector · ~76y · appointed 2001-01-01 · resigned 2010-05-04
WILLIAMS, John Peter→
Resigneddirector · ~84y · resigned 2002-01-01
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (113 total)
gazette-dissolved-voluntary
gazette · GAZ2(A)
2011-08-30
termination-director-company-with-name
officers · TM01
2011-06-30
dissolution-voluntary-strike-off-suspended
dissolution · SOAS(A)
2011-05-24
gazette-notice-voluntary
gazette · GAZ1(A)
2011-05-17
legacy
capital · SH20
2011-05-10
capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figure
capital · SH19
2011-05-10
legacy
insolvency · CAP-SS
2011-05-10
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2011-05-10
statement-of-companys-objects
change-of-constitution · CC04
2011-05-10
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2011-05-10
dissolution-application-strike-off-company
dissolution · DS01
2011-05-10
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2010-09-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2010-08-09
termination-director-company-with-name
officers · TM01
2010-05-05
appoint-person-director-company-with-name
officers · AP01
2010-05-04