ADDCOLOUR TRADING LTD
💤Zombieactive
02009599 · ltd · incorporated 1986-04-14
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£203.3k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46750
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 23.0y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 23.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)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
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (1 active, 7 linked, 5 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
118 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £203,320
Net assets shrinking
Down £11,039 YoY
Cash YoY
-10%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£47k
↓ 10% YoY
Net Worth
£203k
↓ 5.1% YoY
Current Assets
£210k
↓ 18% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £203.3k | £222.3k |
| Current assets | £210.1k | £257.6k |
| Cash | £46.8k | £52.0k |
| Debtors | £163.4k | £205.5k |
| Net assets | £203.3k | £214.4k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
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
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (28 events)Click to expand
- 2025-04-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-04-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-09📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-05-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-05-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-19📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2020-10-08📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2020-10-08📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2020-04-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2019-04-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2018-04-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-05-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-04-20📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2017-04-06➖BRADSHAW, Donald resignedsecretary
- 2017-04-06➖BRADSHAW, Donald resigneddirector
- 2017-04-06📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2016-10-20📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2015-08-04➖PARKINSON, David resigneddirector
- 2003-10-31➕BRADSHAW, Donald appointedsecretary
- 2003-10-31➖PARKINSON, David resignedsecretary
- 2003-04-28🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Hsbc Invoice Finance (UK) LTD
- 2003-04-01➕MATTHEWS, Darrell appointeddirector
- 2001-06-01➖SHARPLES, Marc resigneddirector
- 2001-06-01➖WHITNEY, Mark Sumpter resigneddirector
- 1999-01-04➕WHITNEY, Mark Sumpter appointeddirector
- 1997-07-01➕SHARPLES, Marc appointeddirector
- 1986-04-14🏢Company incorporatedAs ADDCOLOUR TRADING LTD
Owner dependency
85/100
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
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 40 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Darrell Matthews Individual · British · DOB 11/1978 · age 48 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 22/05/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Donald Bradshawceased 06/04/2017· 25-50% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Wholesale & distribution · WN postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2155 LIMITED→ 14871373 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 2LOVEMY LTD→ 15530948 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 365 FILLER LTD→ 13787280 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ACAI FOODS UK LIMITED→ 11351492 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ACCOH LTD→ 10834213 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| AD79 DRINKS LIMITED→ 16894602 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ADA FASHION LTD→ 15271507 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADOREMEFIT LABEL LIMITED→ 15039948 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADVANCED PERSONAL PROTECTION LIMITED→ 16332184 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AEL GLAZING LTD→ 07318644 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| AESTHIDIRECT LIMITED→ 16737059 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AESTHIMEDICAL LTD→ 16768907 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
7 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
Incorporated1986-04-14
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46750 — SIC 46750
Registered office
Hewitt Business Park
Winstanley Road
Orrell Wigan
Lancashire
WN5 7XA
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-06-04
Last: 2025-05-21
Officers (1 active · 6 resigned)
MATTHEWS, Darrell→
Activedirector · ~48y · appointed 2003-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BRADSHAW, Donald→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-10-31 · resigned 2017-04-06
PARKINSON, David→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2003-10-31
BRADSHAW, Donald→
Resigneddirector · ~77y · resigned 2017-04-06
PARKINSON, David→
Resigneddirector · ~75y · resigned 2015-08-04
SHARPLES, Marc→
Resigneddirector · ~60y · appointed 1997-07-01 · resigned 2001-06-01
WHITNEY, Mark Sumpter→
Resigneddirector · ~61y · appointed 1999-01-04 · resigned 2001-06-01
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc Invoice Finance (UK) LTD | Fixed charge on purchased debts which fail to vest | 1 property | 28/04/2003 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (118 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-04-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-04-23
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-08-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-05-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-04-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-05-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-05-24
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2020-10-19
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2020-10-08
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2020-10-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-05-27