ACCESS XL LIMITED
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 66). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 10.9y
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 10.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: high (83/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredKey financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £-1.67M | £-1.01M |
| Current assets | £918.1k | £912.0k |
| Cash | £1.0k | £51.1k |
| Debtors | £572.0k | £515.8k |
| Net assets | £-1.86M | £-1.28M |
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
- • 1 accounts
Corporate timeline (25 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-03-30📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2022-03-29🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Igf Business Credit Limited (Company Number 10078965)
- 2022-03-21📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2022-03-11🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Igf Business Credit Limited
- 2022-02-03📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2022-02-03🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2021-07-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-05-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-04-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-05-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-05-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-01-21📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2017-01-21🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2016-12-21📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2016-12-16🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2016-05-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-05-27🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Bibby Factors Scotland Limited
- 2012-10-12🏢Company incorporatedAs ACCESS XL LIMITED
- 2012-10-12➕LAIRD, Colin appointeddirector
- 2012-10-12➕COWIE, Simon Henry Dyer appointeddirector
- 2012-10-12➖COWIE, Simon Henry Dyer resigneddirector
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 66. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 14 years.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 med ·Multiple 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Colin Laird Individual · British · DOB 11/1960 · age 66 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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 · Manufacturing · AB postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJA WELDING SERVICES LTD→ SC751535 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AK5LECTRICAL LTD→ SC746674 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ALBA GASKETS LIMITED→ SC324543 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| ALCELI LIMITED→ SC535051 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ALFRED CHEYNE ENGINEERING LIMITED→ SC168176 · est 1996 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 29y | — | — |
| ALTA SERVICES LTD→ SC655593 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ALTRAD INTEGRITY SERVICES LIMITED→ SC161193 · est 1995 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 30y | — | — |
| ALTUS INTERVENTION (ME) LIMITED→ SC483831 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| AMPLUS ENERGY SERVICES LIMITED→ SC344539 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| AMSP LIMITED→ SC818194 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AMT TECHNICAL SERVICES LTD→ SC773660 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AMTEQ E & I SERVICES LIMITED→ SC294077 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
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 →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 (1 active · 1 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Igf Business Credit (Company Number 10078965) Igf Business Credit Limited (Company Number 10078965) | A registered charge | 4 properties | 29/03/2022 | — | |
| outstanding | Igf Business Credit Igf Business Credit Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 11/03/2022 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | A registered charge | — | 16/12/2016 | 03/02/2022 | |
| satisfied | Bibby Financial Services Bibby Factors Scotland Limited | A registered charge | — | 27/05/2015 | 21/01/2017 |