ANCROFT TRACTORS LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
01427667 · ltd · incorporated 1979-06-11
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
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46140
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 75-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 75). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 5 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
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Refinance opportunity
7 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 45.3y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 45.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 35/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (57/100)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
7 charges (7/7 with lender, 7/7 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (3 active, 8 linked, 5 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
122 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
3
filings
- • 2 mortgage
- • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
3
filings
- • 2 mortgage
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
6
filings
- • 3 accounts
- • 2 mortgage
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (38 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-21📄change-account-reference-date-company-current-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2026-03-26📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-03-26📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-03-26🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2026-03-26🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2025-12-19📄change-account-reference-date-company-current-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2025-11-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-12📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-06-12📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-03-17📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2025-03-17📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-09-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-29📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-03-18➖BROWN, Thomas Muir Gardiner resigneddirector
- 2021-09-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2018-08-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2015-04-30➖THOMPSON, Walter resigneddirector
- 2014-02-03🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2014-01-07🔒Charge registered #7Lender: The Scottish Borders Council
- 2014-01-07🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2013-11-25🔒Charge registered #5Lender: The Scottish Borders Council
- 2000-07-15➕THOMPSON, Walter appointeddirector
- 2000-05-11➕MARTIN, Yvonne Shona appointedsecretary
- 2000-05-11➕BROWN, Thomas Charles appointeddirector
- 2000-05-11➖REAY, Peter resignedsecretary
- 1997-01-30🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Sedgefield Holdings Limited
- 1996-12-23🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1996-01-01➕ASTOR, William Waldorf, Viscount appointeddirector
- 1996-01-01➖ASTOR, Annabel Lucy Veronica, The Viscountess Astor resignedsecretary
- 1996-01-01➕REAY, Peter appointedsecretary
- 1996-01-01➖ASTOR, Annabel Lucy Veronica, The Viscountess Astor resigneddirector
- 1989-10-05🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1980-12-18🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Governor & Company of Bank of Scotland.
- 1979-06-11🏢Company incorporatedAs ANCROFT TRACTORS LIMITED
Owner dependency
83/100
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
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 30 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 75 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
96/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 75 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 30 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 47 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.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rt. Hon. Viscount William Waldorf Astor Individual · British · DOB 12/1951 · age 75 | 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 · Wholesale & distribution · TD postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. W. FORD & SON LIMITED→ SC572224 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| JOHN MANNERS LIMITED→ 05460464 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| LILIDOREI LICENSING LIMITED→ 16284459 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| MY7 WHOLESALE LIMITED→ SC671671 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| NORTHERN INDUSTRIAL ELASTOMERS LIMITED→ 02728982 · est 1992 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 33y | — | — |
| NORTHUMBRIAN DISTRIBUTION LIMITED→ 12269913 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| PEONY AND SAGE LTD→ 10621709 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| R CURLE & SONS (LIVESTOCK) LIMITED→ 02529546 · est 1990 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 35y | — | — |
| RGR TRADING LTD→ SC772074 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| SCOTWAY LTD→ SC517707 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| SOURCINGTRENDS LTD→ SC878299 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SPANISH HANDS LIMITED→ SC616315 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
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
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1979-06-11
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46140 — SIC 46140
Registered office
Windmill Way West
Ramparts Business Park
Berwick Upon Tweed
TD15 1TB
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-24
Last: 2025-11-10
Officers (3 active · 5 resigned)
MARTIN, Yvonne Shona→
Activesecretary · appointed 2000-05-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ASTOR, William Waldorf, Viscount→
Activedirector · ~75y · appointed 1996-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BROWN, Thomas Charles→
Activedirector · ~59y · appointed 2000-05-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ASTOR, Annabel Lucy Veronica, The Viscountess Astor→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1996-01-01
REAY, Peter→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1996-01-01 · resigned 2000-05-11
ASTOR, Annabel Lucy Veronica, The Viscountess Astor→
Resigneddirector · ~78y · resigned 1996-01-01
BROWN, Thomas Muir Gardiner→
Resigneddirector · ~88y · resigned 2022-03-18
THOMPSON, Walter→
Resigneddirector · ~83y · appointed 2000-07-15 · resigned 2015-04-30
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
7
Total charges
4
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:7 of 7 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | The Scottish Borders Council | A registered charge | 1 property | 07/01/2014 | 26/03/2026 | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 07/01/2014 | — | |
| satisfied | The Scottish Borders Council | A registered charge | 1 property | 25/11/2013 | 03/02/2014 | |
| satisfied | Sedgefield Holdings Sedgefield Holdings Limited | Legal charge | 2 properties | 30/01/1997 | 26/03/2026 | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Legal charge | 1 property | 23/12/1996 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Standard security | 1 property | 05/10/1989 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor & Company of Bank of Scotland. | Debenture | 1 property | 18/12/1980 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (122 total)
change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
accounts · AA01
2026-04-21
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-03-26
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-03-26
change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
accounts · AA01
2025-12-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-10
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-06-12
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-06-12
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2025-03-17
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-03-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-08-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-29