ABLE SAFETY SOLUTIONS LTD
🌳Matureactive
07402234 · ltd · incorporated 2010-10-11
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
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 15.5y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Oct 2024
Net worth
£89.2k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Other retail sale not in stores, stalls or markets
Sector: Wholesale & retail
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 96090Other service activities n.e.c.
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 75-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 75). 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 (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 15.5y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 15.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: high (80/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 3 with DOB)
85
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
37 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Positive net assets
Net assets £89,182
Net assets shrinking
Down £18,456 YoY
Cash YoY
+44%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£24k
↑ 44% YoY
Net Worth
£89k
↓ 17% YoY
Current Assets
£194k
↓ 12% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-10-31 | 2023-10-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £128.3k | £167.1k |
| Current assets | £194.3k | £221.7k |
| Cash | £24.4k | £16.9k |
| Net assets | £89.2k | £107.6k |
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 (24 events)Click to expand
- 2025-07-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-08-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-07-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-07-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-08-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-10-18📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2017-07-31📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2017-07-27➕STUBBS, Nigel Roger Sproston appointeddirector
- 2017-07-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-07-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-11-17📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-07-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2014-11-20📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-02-25➖STUBBS, Nigel Roger Sproston resignedsecretary
- 2012-09-21🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Bibby Financial Services LTD (As Security Trustee)
- 2012-01-23➖STUBBS, Roger Michael Sproston resigneddirector
- 2010-11-11🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2010-10-11🏢Company incorporatedAs ABLE SAFETY SOLUTIONS LTD
- 2010-10-11➕BARCOE, Robert Leyland appointeddirector
- 2010-10-11➕STUBBS, Nigel Roger Sproston appointedsecretary
- 2010-10-11➕STUBBS, Roger Michael Sproston appointeddirector
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 16 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 75 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
89/100
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.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 16 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 16 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| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Robert Leyland Barcoe Individual · British · DOB 10/1951 · age 75 | 50–75% | — | 50-75% shares | 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 · Retail · CW postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 FOUR TRADING LTD→ 17065226 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 24 SEVEN MINI MARKET LIMITED→ 16054129 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 305GROUP LTD→ 11293180 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| 3SONCYCLES LTD→ 16299075 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 4U SUPERMARKET LIMITED→ 12348778 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| A AND T 1 LTD→ 16763767 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A D CONSULTANCY (CHESHIRE) LTD→ 07124482 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| A HANCOCK INT LTD→ 17058311 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A&A MARCANNO LTD→ 13298450 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| A1 STORES AND SUPPLIES LIMITED→ 15946713 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ABLEWORLD (UK) LIMITED→ 04048285 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 25y | — | — |
| ABLEWORLD FRANCHISE LIMITED→ 07210421 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2010-10-11
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC47990 — Other retail sale not in stores, stalls or markets
Registered office
Unit 2a Road Three
Winsford Industrial Estate
Winsford
Cheshire
CW7 3PD
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-07-31
Last made up to: 2024-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-29
Last: 2025-10-15
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
BARCOE, Robert Leyland→
Activedirector · ~75y · appointed 2010-10-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
STUBBS, Nigel Roger Sproston→
Activedirector · ~48y · appointed 2017-07-27
View their other companies + combined net worth →
STUBBS, Nigel Roger Sproston→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2010-10-11 · resigned 2014-02-25
STUBBS, Roger Michael Sproston→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · appointed 2010-10-11 · resigned 2012-01-23
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Bibby Financial Services Bibby Financial Services LTD (As Security Trustee) | Debenture | 1 property | 21/09/2012 | — | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 11/11/2010 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (37 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-07-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-07-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-08-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-07-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-10-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-07-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2018-10-15