Private briefing

Acquisition search · built 03 August 2026

Profitable businesses
with no way out.

→ The first 20 approach letters are drafted and ready to send

Every active company within 40 miles of Hatton whose controlling owner is 65 or over, who has no younger co-owner to sell to, and whose filed accounts show a business that is genuinely making money. Screened from the full Companies House register — 20,702 candidates down to 1,120.

1,120Qualified targets
353In your transport wheelhouse
68Median owner age
£171.02mCombined retained profit

What this actually is — and what it is not

The numbers below are real, filed, public data. But one thing has to be said plainly before you act on any of it.

Small UK companies do not file a profit and loss account. Micro-entity and small-company filings show a balance sheet only. So "profit" here is inferred — it is the year-on-year movement in net assets, which is retained profit after everything the owner already took out in salary and dividends. That makes it a floor, not an estimate: real trading profit is almost always higher, sometimes several times higher. It also means a business that pays out everything it earns will look flat here even though it is highly profitable. Treat these as ranked leads to investigate, not valuations.
Owner age comes from the PSC register — the people with significant control, i.e. those who actually own the shares and can sign a sale. Companies House publishes month and year of birth, so ages are accurate to within a year. This is a better signal than directorships, which often include younger family members with no equity.
5,695,465Companies on the UK register
→
560,617Inside the 40-mile radius
→
83,993Incorporated pre-2010
→
20,702In a target sector
→
4,431Owner 65+, no younger owner
→
1,120Profitable on filed accounts

The top of the list

Ranked on three separate tests — is it a good business, is the owner genuinely stuck, and can you credibly run and fund it. A target has to pass all three, not average them out.

#1

Keith Gibson Cars Limited

Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles · Albrighton, Wolverhampton · 29.8 miles · company 01597512

OwnerMr Malcolm Keith Gibson, age 79 — sole owner
Net assets£853k
Retained profit (last yr)£137k
Cash£133k
Employees16
Trading since1981
  • Sits squarely in your 30 years — you can walk in as a credible operator, not a financial buyer.
  • Single owner with no co-shareholder to buy them out — the classic no-exit position.
  • Owner is 79 — well past the point where a slow trade sale is realistic.
  • Retained profit implies the business could fund its own purchase in roughly 6.2 years.
  • No outstanding charges — assets are unencumbered and available as lending security.
  • Trading since 1981 — decades of embedded customer relationships.
#2

Agricultural Requisites And Mechanizations Limited

Sewerage · Staffordshire · 12.5 miles · company 00444085

OwnerMr David John Cooper, age 85 — sole owner
Net assets£1.53m
Retained profit (last yr)£213k
Cash£1.08m
Employees31
Trading since1947
  • Single owner with no co-shareholder to buy them out — the classic no-exit position.
  • Owner is 85 — well past the point where a slow trade sale is realistic.
  • Cash-heavy balance sheet — a large part of the price can come back out of the business.
  • Retained profit implies the business could fund its own purchase in roughly 7.2 years.
  • Trading since 1947 — decades of embedded customer relationships.
#3

Rayden Engineering Limited

Other specialised construction activities · Ilkeston · 16.5 miles · company 03190046

OwnerMr Richard Hayden, age 75 — sole owner
Net assets£369k
Retained profit (last yr)£199k
Cash£1.75m
Employees33
Trading since1996
  • Single owner with no co-shareholder to buy them out — the classic no-exit position.
  • Owner is 75 — well past the point where a slow trade sale is realistic.
  • Cash-heavy balance sheet — a large part of the price can come back out of the business.
  • Retained profit implies the business could fund its own purchase in roughly 1.9 years.
  • No outstanding charges — assets are unencumbered and available as lending security.
#4

Haulmaster'S Limited

Freight transport by road · Middleton, Tamworth · 18.2 miles · company 02215258

OwnerMr Paul Andrew Archer, age 80 — sole owner
Net assets£2.97m
Retained profit (last yr)£228k
Cash£244k
Employees18
Trading since1988
  • Sits squarely in your 30 years — you can walk in as a credible operator, not a financial buyer.
  • Single owner with no co-shareholder to buy them out — the classic no-exit position.
  • Owner is 80 — well past the point where a slow trade sale is realistic.
  • No outstanding charges — assets are unencumbered and available as lending security.
  • Trading since 1988 — decades of embedded customer relationships.
#5

A.S. Taylor Transport Limited

Freight transport by road · Burton On Trent · 4.3 miles · company 03570139

OwnerAlan Stewart Taylor, age 74 +1 other owner
Net assets£793k
Retained profit (last yr)£204k
Cash£58k
Employees29
Trading since1998
  • Sits squarely in your 30 years — you can walk in as a credible operator, not a financial buyer.
  • Every owner is at or past retirement age — the whole ownership is retiring at once.
  • Owner is 74 — well past the point where a slow trade sale is realistic.
  • Retained profit implies the business could fund its own purchase in roughly 3.9 years.
#6

Stoke Plant Hire Limited

Renting and leasing of construction/civil engineering machinery · Earlsdon Coventry · 32.0 miles · company 02248781

OwnerMr James Joseph Doherty, age 82 +1 other owner
Net assets£2.17m
Retained profit (last yr)£671k
Cash£399k
Employees20
Trading since1988
  • Sits squarely in your 30 years — you can walk in as a credible operator, not a financial buyer.
  • Every owner is at or past retirement age — the whole ownership is retiring at once.
  • Owner is 82 — well past the point where a slow trade sale is realistic.
  • Retained profit implies the business could fund its own purchase in roughly 3.2 years.
  • Trading since 1988 — decades of embedded customer relationships.
#7

Solid Swivel Company Limited(The)

Manufacture of lifting and handling equipment · West Midlands · 31.9 miles · company 00487248

OwnerMr William Graham Perry, age 74 — sole owner
Net assets£1.94m
Retained profit (last yr)£194k
Cash£900k
Employees25
Trading since1950
  • Sits squarely in your 30 years — you can walk in as a credible operator, not a financial buyer.
  • Single owner with no co-shareholder to buy them out — the classic no-exit position.
  • Owner is 74 — well past the point where a slow trade sale is realistic.
  • Trading since 1950 — decades of embedded customer relationships.
#8

E Mackinnon & Co.Limited

Manufacture of other fabricated metal products · Birmingham · 27.2 miles · company 00298001

OwnerMr Kelvin Peter Clarke, age 72 — sole owner
Net assets£2.49m
Retained profit (last yr)£730k
Cash£2.67m
Employees21
Trading since1935
  • Single owner with no co-shareholder to buy them out — the classic no-exit position.
  • Owner is 72 — well past the point where a slow trade sale is realistic.
  • Cash-heavy balance sheet — a large part of the price can come back out of the business.
  • Retained profit implies the business could fund its own purchase in roughly 3.4 years.
  • No outstanding charges — assets are unencumbered and available as lending security.
  • Trading since 1935 — decades of embedded customer relationships.
#9

Highway Recovery Limited

Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles · Rotherham · 39.8 miles · company 01588928

OwnerTerrence John Carnevale, age 69 — sole owner
Net assets£2.14m
Retained profit (last yr)£307k
Cash£664k
Employees28
Trading since1981
  • Sits squarely in your 30 years — you can walk in as a credible operator, not a financial buyer.
  • Single owner with no co-shareholder to buy them out — the classic no-exit position.
  • Retained profit implies the business could fund its own purchase in roughly 7.0 years.
  • Trading since 1981 — decades of embedded customer relationships.
#10

Delstron Systems Limited

Manufacture of other fabricated metal products · Burton-On-Trent · 4.7 miles · company 02666003

OwnerMr Stephen John Cardwell, age 72 — sole owner
Net assets£1.24m
Retained profit (last yr)£211k
Cash£730k
Employees12
Trading since1991
  • Single owner with no co-shareholder to buy them out — the classic no-exit position.
  • Owner is 72 — well past the point where a slow trade sale is realistic.
  • Cash-heavy balance sheet — a large part of the price can come back out of the business.
  • Retained profit implies the business could fund its own purchase in roughly 5.9 years.
  • No outstanding charges — assets are unencumbered and available as lending security.
  • Trading since 1991 — decades of embedded customer relationships.
#11

Eurolynx Taxis Limited

Taxi operation · Cheshire · 39.5 miles · company 03198541

OwnerMrs Marie Shakeri, age 72 +1 other owner
Net assets£2.54m
Retained profit (last yr)£473k
Cash£1.54m
Employees30
Trading since1996
  • Sits squarely in your 30 years — you can walk in as a credible operator, not a financial buyer.
  • Every owner is at or past retirement age — the whole ownership is retiring at once.
  • Owner is 72 — well past the point where a slow trade sale is realistic.
  • Cash-heavy balance sheet — a large part of the price can come back out of the business.
  • Retained profit implies the business could fund its own purchase in roughly 5.4 years.
  • No outstanding charges — assets are unencumbered and available as lending security.
#12

Bolshaw Industrial Powders Limited

Freight transport by road · Nr. Macclesfield · 33.8 miles · company 01168402

OwnerMrs Jennifer Bolshaw, age 84 — sole owner
Net assets£1.31m
Retained profit (last yr)£224k
Cash£56k
Employees19
Trading since1974
  • Sits squarely in your 30 years — you can walk in as a credible operator, not a financial buyer.
  • Single owner with no co-shareholder to buy them out — the classic no-exit position.
  • Owner is 84 — well past the point where a slow trade sale is realistic.
  • Retained profit implies the business could fund its own purchase in roughly 5.9 years.
  • Trading since 1974 — decades of embedded customer relationships.

The full ranked list

Top 150 of 1,120. Every name links straight to its Companies House record. Retained profit is the inferred floor described above.

CompanyLocationOwner ageNet assetsRetained profitCashStaffScore
1 Keith Gibson Cars Limited Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles Albrighton, Wolverhampton29.8 mi 79 £853k £137k £133k 16 274
2 Agricultural Requisites And Mechanizations Limited Sewerage Staffordshire12.5 mi 85 £1.53m £213k £1.08m 31 273
3 Rayden Engineering Limited Other specialised construction activities Ilkeston16.5 mi 75 £369k £199k £1.75m 33 268
4 Haulmaster'S Limited Freight transport by road Middleton, Tamworth18.2 mi 80 £2.97m £228k £244k 18 267
5 A.S. Taylor Transport Limited Freight transport by road Burton On Trent4.3 mi 74 £793k £204k £58k 29 266
6 Stoke Plant Hire Limited Renting and leasing of construction/civil engineering machinery Earlsdon Coventry32.0 mi 82 £2.17m £671k £399k 20 265
7 Solid Swivel Company Limited(The) Manufacture of lifting and handling equipment West Midlands31.9 mi 74 £1.94m £194k £900k 25 263
8 E Mackinnon & Co.Limited Manufacture of other fabricated metal products Birmingham27.2 mi 72 £2.49m £730k £2.67m 21 263
9 Highway Recovery Limited Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles Rotherham39.8 mi 69 £2.14m £307k £664k 28 263
10 Delstron Systems Limited Manufacture of other fabricated metal products Burton-On-Trent4.7 mi 72 £1.24m £211k £730k 12 262
11 Eurolynx Taxis Limited Taxi operation Cheshire39.5 mi 72 £2.54m £473k £1.54m 30 262
12 Bolshaw Industrial Powders Limited Freight transport by road Nr. Macclesfield33.8 mi 84 £1.31m £224k £56k 19 261
13 Richards Customer Care Limited Security systems service activities Wednesbury25.7 mi 77 £1.23m £325k £666k 21 261
14 Davy Engineering Limited Retail trade of motor vehicle parts Solihull33.1 mi 73 £3.03m £271k £1.23m 17 261
15 Systems Technology Consultants Limited Technical testing and analysis (MOT/inspection) Stoke-On-Trent22.8 mi 88 £1.28m £503k £847k 1 260
16 K. P. Parnell Transport Limited Freight transport by road Stoke On Trent22.8 mi 82 £4.79m £76k £1.27m 10 260
17 Service Systems Limited Electrical installation Stoke-On-Trent14.4 mi 79 £632k £85k £531k 7 260
18 Quality Glass (Stoke-On-Trent) Limited Other specialised construction activities Stoke On Trent24.9 mi 80 £1.75m £351k £641k 24 259
19 Bearing Transmission & Pneumatics Limited Non-specialised wholesale trade Derby9.2 mi 79 £3.89m £192k £1.25m 28 259
20 Kean Building & Fire Protection Services Limited Construction of commercial buildings Willenhall25.2 mi 74 £1.73m £542k £1.24m 26 258
21 John Quinn And Sons Car Transport Limited Freight transport by road Sheffield37.0 mi 73 £6.27m £904k £4.22m 59 258
22 Harpur'S Coaches Limited Other passenger land transport (coach/bus) Derby9.6 mi 71 £3.44m £301k £1.31m 19 258
23 S.Winfield Limited Freight transport by road Cannock18.9 mi 67 £757k £130k £524k 21 258
24 Damage Control (Uk) Limited Other specialised construction activities Derby11.3 mi 93 £1.42m £287k £1.12m 5 257
25 Durolas (Contractors) Limited Construction of other civil engineering projects Birmingham32.6 mi 80 £1.53m £166k £1.08m 30 257
26 Steelpro Limited Manufacture of other fabricated metal products Nuneaton24.8 mi 72 £1.58m £270k £1.28m 7 257
27 Gem Green (Haulage) Limited Freight transport by road Market Drayton33.0 mi 69 £501k £80k £415k 14 257
28 Esg (Nottingam) Limited Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles West Hallam16.5 mi 90 £400k £134k £501k 5 256
29 J H Performance Limited Sale/repair of motorcycles 30.9 mi 77 £463k £184k £883k 14 255
30 Ampteam Limited Manufacture of other plastic products Dudley30.1 mi 81 £1.33m £117k £1.11m 11 254
31 F.W. Wallace Limited Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles Sheffield36.3 mi 69 £970k £104k £878k 7 254
32 Scotts Heavy Haulage (Ireland) Limited Freight transport by road Alfreton20.6 mi 68 £927k £180k £515k 12 254
33 J R Maintenance & Civil Engineers Ltd Construction of other civil engineering projects Loughborough20.5 mi 81 £1.06m £237k £798k 11 253
34 T. Wainwright (Haulage) Limited Freight transport by road Ashby-De-La-Zouch12.1 mi 88 £789k £78k £216k 11 252
35 Bridge Garage (Swadlincote) Limited Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles Derbyshire8.4 mi 81 £540k £32k £575k 19 252
36 Dtec Fabrications Limited Manufacture of other fabricated metal products Stoke-On-Trent22.8 mi 75 £734k £121k £583k 8 252
37 Burke Bros Wolverhampton Limited Storage and warehousing 26.7 mi 68 £725k £89k £705k 39 252
38 G-Force Express Parcels Limited Freight transport by road Telford35.9 mi 62 £1.72m £556k £1.03m 35 252
39 Motorgreen Group Ltd Retail trade of motor vehicle parts Nottingham16.6 mi 60 £1.69m £334k £699k 26 252
40 R.W.Wilcox Limited Freight transport by road Coventry32.9 mi 84 £3.33m £306k £1.23m 22 251
41 Isoma Limited Manufacture of lifting and handling equipment Derbyshire8.4 mi 64 £909k £272k £609k 54 251
42 Bdl (Staffs) Limited Freight transport by road Stoke-On-Trent22.8 mi 81 £610k £513k £3k 37 250
43 Todays Tools Limited Wholesale of hardware, plumbing and heating equipment Newcastle Under Lyme25.4 mi 80 £1.95m £564k £113k 18 250
44 Regal Furnishing Limited Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles Ilkeston, Derby16.5 mi 78 £1.34m £58k £870k 19 250
45 Peter Byard Plant Hire Limited Renting and leasing of construction/civil engineering machinery Alfreton20.6 mi 72 £3.79m £333k £1.88m 25 250
46 Propbrook Engineering Limited Machining Birmingham27.2 mi 69 £1.99m £256k £1.38m 17 250
47 Pmb Pallet Express Limited Freight transport by road Ilkeston16.5 mi 67 £2.00m £313k £608k 51 250
48 Atherstone Accident Repair Centre Limited Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles Wolverhampton28.3 mi 76 £1.90m £30k £846k 34 249
49 Cromartie Hobbycraft Limited Non-specialised wholesale trade Stoke-On-Trent20.0 mi 74 £2.52m £348k £2.11m 30 249
50 Motorcycle And Scooter Centre Limited Sale/repair of motorcycles Nottingham18.8 mi 72 £538k £98k £67k 10 249
51 J. Taberner Plant Hire Limited Renting and leasing of construction/civil engineering machinery Staffordshire4.3 mi 65 £4.05m £202k £3.04m 12 249
52 Bradbury International U.K. Limited Manufacture of other general-purpose machinery Kingswinford32.7 mi 80 £765k £164k £863k 9 248
53 D & S Engineering (Coventry) Ltd Manufacture of other fabricated metal products Coventry29.5 mi 74 £2.75m £482k £194k 36 248
54 Fracht Uk Limited Freight transport by road Birmingham24.9 mi 71 £4.11m £653k £4.45m 37 248
55 Nova Installations (East Midlands) Limited Manufacture of other plastic products Mansfield Woodhouse28.4 mi 82 £827k £273k £225k 45 247
56 T And E Engineering Limited Other engineering activities Birmingham24.0 mi 78 £1.83m £223k £926k 10 247
57 Pipework Engineering Services Limited Manufacture of other fabricated metal products Brierley Hill32.7 mi 78 £2.24m £202k £1.38m 42 247
58 Auto-Sparks Limited Manufacture of other parts for motor vehicles 22.9 mi 72 £2.13m £123k £1.20m 42 247
59 G.H. Watts Coaches Limited Other passenger land transport (coach/bus) Leicester26.7 mi 84 £1.04m £33k £283k 10 246
60 Hall Green Excavations Limited Freight transport by road Solihull33.1 mi 82 £1.10m £134k £788k 0 246
61 Confidence Bus & Coach Ltd. Other passenger land transport (coach/bus) Leicester29.7 mi 81 £156k £33k £109k 35 246
62 Trent Electronics Ltd. Manufacture of other electrical equipment Lichfield13.4 mi 80 £2.09m £484k £608k 27 246
63 D. & C. Mobile Welding Engineers Limited Manufacture of other special-purpose machinery Lichfield Road15.1 mi 80 £1.51m £99k £2.85m 42 246
64 Britannia Services (Uk) Limited Plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation Lichfield15.3 mi 79 £511k £187k £226k 9 246
65 Interclean Estate Management Services Limited Window cleaning services Cannock18.9 mi 78 £747k £232k £521k 46 246
66 Nottingham Tutorial College Limited Other education Nottingham24.0 mi 76 £500k £266k £858k 22 246
67 K-Tech Suspension Limited Manufacture of other parts for motor vehicles Moira11.4 mi 67 £3.81m £475k £1.16m 33 246
68 Martin Hart Shopfitting Limited Joinery installation Lichfield15.3 mi 65 £1.10m £399k £1.12m 14 246
69 J & J Reason & Sons Limited Freight transport by road Coventry34.1 mi 65 £2.15m £482k £2.45m 39 246
70 R.D. Hunt Limited Other specialised construction activities Stafford17.1 mi 82 £2.48m £160k £1.13m 5 245
71 Laidler Steels Limited Non-specialised wholesale trade West Midlands32.7 mi 78 £11.64m £326k £8.16m 22 245
72 Technicar (Derby) Limited Sale of used cars and light motor vehicles Street Derby8.7 mi 63 £403k £94k £288k 4 245
73 W.H.Ratcliffe(Haulage)Limited Freight transport by road Ashbourne8.5 mi 79 £870k £15k £184k 27 244
74 R.D. Jukes & Co. Limited Electrical installation Walsall23.6 mi 67 £1.27m £146k £840k 26 244
75 Orbitec Ltd Manufacture of other special-purpose machinery Derby9.6 mi 66 £1.94m £294k £1.39m 7 244
76 Bill Lomas (Motor Cycles) Limited Sale/repair of motorcycles Chesterfield23.2 mi 66 £736k £535k £101k 3 244
77 Oakdale Fencing Limited Other specialised construction activities Coventry29.5 mi 79 £1.79m £44k £1.56m 14 243
78 Manor Freight Services Limited Other transportation support activities Sutton Coldfield20.8 mi 71 £3.03m £558k £599k 12 243
79 Tom Hartley Limited Sale of used cars and light motor vehicles Swadlincote11.4 mi 65 £1.73m £261k £412k 0 243
80 Bmd Plant And Transport Limited Freight transport by road Nottingham18.8 mi 60 £2.02m £123k £1.02m 20 243
81 Dennis Freight Limited Freight transport by road Stoke-On-Trent24.9 mi 98 £597k £29k £202k 19 242
82 Damper Technology Limited Manufacture of other fabricated metal products Nottingham19.4 mi 82 £3.48m £234k £1.53m 39 242
83 Deanestor Limited Manufacture of other furniture Mansfield28.4 mi 77 £3.49m £479k £396k 127 242
84 Midland Roofing Services (Derby) Limited Roofing activities Derby6.3 mi 72 £715k £190k £508k 43 242
85 5 Axis Ltd Manufacture of tools High Peak37.0 mi 67 £839k £240k £550k 35 242
86 Barleymans Limited Sewerage Ashbourne8.5 mi 90 £2.53m £260k £342k 7 241
87 G.A.Lomas & Sons(Haulage)Limited Freight transport by road Nr Buxton27.2 mi 88 £465k £45k £173k 9 241
88 Kebrell Nuts And Bolts Limited Non-specialised wholesale trade Wednesbury25.7 mi 87 £7.21m £906k £4.75m 38 241
89 H L Boulton & Sons Limited Freight transport by road Staffordshire18.4 mi 70 £2.01m £25k £1.61m 14 241
90 N.D. Brown Limited Renting and leasing of trucks Slade Heath25.1 mi 66 £22.50m £3.18m £1.27m 79 241
91 Selecta Systems Limited Non-specialised wholesale trade Sutton Coldfield22.9 mi 62 £3.55m £486k £2.66m 123 241
92 Ftr Limited Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles Uttoxeter8.3 mi 61 £240k £110k £148k 4 241
93 Polar Air Ltd Other construction installation 22.9 mi 60 £531k £93k £531k 11 241
94 Doves Garages Limited Sale of used cars and light motor vehicles Derby10.2 mi 87 £318k £31k £317k 7 240
95 H. & L. Electrical Limited Electrical installation Buxton27.2 mi 77 £417k £95k £133k 7 240
96 Protek Electronics Limited Manufacture of other electrical equipment Cannock18.9 mi 75 £2.42m £214k £1.21m 25 240
97 Ppr Electrical Limited Electrical installation 22.9 mi 75 £756k £161k £596k 14 240
98 Two Wheel Centre (Mansfield) Limited Sale/repair of motorcycles Mansfield Woodhouse28.4 mi 73 £1.23m £106k £754k 17 240
99 Gaslow International Limited Non-specialised wholesale trade Nottingham19.4 mi 71 £545k £108k £104k 11 240
100 Midland Medical Services Limited Other specialised construction activities Tipton28.1 mi 71 £2.68m £526k £679k 28 240
101 Olmec Advanced Materials Limited Other engineering activities Sheffield34.9 mi 69 £1.91m £537k £670k 7 240
102 Macs Electrical Limited Electrical installation Leicester26.7 mi 68 £2.69m £334k £1.74m 10 240
103 P J Bird Limited Plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation Staffordshire13.4 mi 67 £1.73m £384k £1.71m 6 240
104 Fastaway Services (U.K.) Limited Remediation activities Derby8.7 mi 66 £941k £300k £526k 14 240
105 Dewatering Services Limited Other specialised construction activities Elworth Sandbach34.3 mi 66 £2.16m £815k £1.22m 16 240
106 Top Tread Tyres Ltd Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles Sheffield37.9 mi 65 £826k £160k £132k 21 240
107 Aston Engineering Limited Sale of used cars and light motor vehicles Derby8.7 mi 77 £1.56m £7k £702k 14 239
108 Drywite Limited Non-specialised wholesale trade Halesowen33.2 mi 72 £2.07m £204k £602k 30 239
109 Arc Alloys Limited Machining Brierley Hill32.7 mi 66 £792k £180k £726k 17 239
110 Lifeplan Products Limited Non-specialised wholesale trade Lutterworth34.9 mi 66 £954k £795k £607k 57 239
111 Select... Health Care (Uk) Limited Non-specialised wholesale trade Nottingham23.1 mi 63 £1.36m £350k £897k 7 239
112 Pab Logistics Limited Freight transport by road Newcastle Under Lyme25.4 mi 63 £1.14m £269k £417k 9 239
113 D.B. Brooks (Electrical Engineers) Limited Electrical installation Derbyshire16.8 mi 86 £1.37m £389k £1.37m 12 238
114 Professional Polishing Services Limited Treatment and coating of metals Warley28.6 mi 84 £782k £111k £55k 21 238
115 Access Panels Direct Limited Manufacture of other fabricated metal products Walsall20.5 mi 81 £1.15m £271k £725k 4 238
116 Leicester Machine Movers Limited Storage and warehousing Leicester17.0 mi 78 £1.31m £137k £589k 18 238
117 Oceanic Saunas Limited Wholesale of hardware, plumbing and heating equipment Wolverhampton27.5 mi 78 £1.94m £178k £2.94m 22 238
118 Eagle Security Systems Limited Security systems service activities Ilkeston16.5 mi 76 £204k £34k £100k 11 238
119 Forge Products Limited Treatment and coating of metals Tamworth17.3 mi 73 £3.26m £112k £1.06m 41 238
120 Baked Earth Bakery Limited Manufacture of bread and fresh pastry Nottingham22.0 mi 73 £2.23m £360k £106k 144 238
121 A.D.P. (Aluminium Systems) Limited Manufacture of doors and windows of metal Rugeley12.5 mi 71 £1.75m £45k £981k 15 238
122 Fullcroft Limited Taxi operation Leicester29.7 mi 69 £909k £110k £840k 4 238
123 Midhire Self Drive Rentals Limited Renting and leasing of cars and light vehicles Solihull33.1 mi 69 £10.64m £742k £4.22m 10 238
124 Cawarden Co. Limited Site preparation Lichfield13.4 mi 65 £2.10m £226k £1.08m 79 238
125 Peter Stott Plant & Haulage Limited Freight transport by road Staffordshire8.3 mi 64 £970k £142k £384k 6 238
126 Merton Group (Uk) Limited Non-specialised wholesale trade Leicester26.7 mi 86 £3.75m £730k £20k 40 237
127 Alphamation Limited Manufacture of lifting and handling equipment Stourbridge34.6 mi 85 £1.28m £21k £930k 18 237
128 F, F, & P. Walker Limited Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles Derby13.5 mi 74 £498k £26k £273k 12 237
129 Diamond Anchor Company Limited Manufacture of other fabricated metal products Sheepbridge28.1 mi 74 £824k £346k £1k 12 237
130 Brookside Welding Supplies Limited Wholesale of other machinery and equipment Macclesfield32.4 mi 72 £718k £257k £276k 7 237
131 Mill Street Motors (2000) Limited Sale of used cars and light motor vehicles Leicester26.4 mi 66 £1.44m £92k £1.06m 14 237
132 Harris Repair Consultancy Service Limited Machining Exhall Coventry29.5 mi 66 £2.54m £490k £431k 34 237
133 Anker Service Centre Limited Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles Coventry32.0 mi 62 £1.30m £255k £1.51m 8 237
134 Endon Services Limited Sale of used cars and light motor vehicles Stoke-On-Trent21.5 mi 78 £113k £19k £149k 6 236
135 Allways Forktruck Services Limited Repair and maintenance of machinery Derby9.6 mi 74 £4.13m £360k £2.03m 21 236
136 Healy Bearings International Limited Manufacture of other fabricated metal products Leicester27.2 mi 74 £915k £182k £685k 0 236
137 Weld-A-Rail Limited Repair of electronic and optical equipment Nottingham23.1 mi 72 £1.85m £247k £234k 52 236
138 Swadlincote Container Storage Limited Storage and warehousing Swadlincote8.4 mi 69 £735k £96k £284k 2 236
139 Keytracker Limited Manufacture of other fabricated metal products Rowley Regis30.7 mi 67 £1.24m £315k £130k 25 236
140 Nu-Star Material Handling Limited Manufacture of lifting and handling equipment Ednaston8.5 mi 61 £1.03m £75k £572k 10 236
141 Kaylee Transfers Limited Printing (other) Nottingham16.6 mi 60 £2.91m £194k £1.94m 21 236
142 G. And M. Hartshorne Ltd Freight transport by road Matlock18.4 mi 60 £4.81m £334k £1.82m 35 236
143 Leec Limited Manufacture of other fabricated metal products Nottingham25.6 mi 77 £4.91m £538k £4.86m 90 235
144 Plus-Display Limited Printing (other) Stoke-On-Trent23.3 mi 75 £1.06m £217k £342k 41 235
145 Cordtape Environmental Services Limited Other specialised construction activities Sheffield36.4 mi 73 £2.90m £171k £2.19m 17 235
146 K.R.P. Supplies Limited Retail trade of motor vehicle parts Stourbridge35.4 mi 68 £2.92m £738k £2.45m 9 235
147 Vendaid Limited Non-specialised wholesale trade West Midlands25.7 mi 88 £1.05m £147k £364k 0 234
148 B.N. Kaushal Limited Construction of domestic buildings Birmingham29.5 mi 88 £3.69m £106k £305k 15 234
149 C.R. Walter (Coventry) Limited Non-specialised wholesale trade Coventry32.9 mi 82 £1.92m £58k £1.60m 19 234
150 Boactive Limited Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles Wolverhampton24.3 mi 80 £290k £30k £293k 7 234

How you actually buy one of these

You have no capital and a small deposit at best. That is not a disqualifier here — it is precisely why the search was built around owners with no other buyer.

1

Lead with succession, never with "I want to buy your business"

These owners have usually had approaches from brokers and been disappointed. The opening is a letter that says you are local, you run operations, and you are looking for a business to take on and keep going — not strip. Ask for a conversation, not a price.

2

Deferred consideration is the whole deal

Standard shape: a small deposit if you have one, then the balance paid out of the company's own profits over three to five years, secured against the shares. The owner gets more in total than a trade buyer would pay in cash, spread over time, often at a lower tax rate. For a business with no other bidder, that is a better outcome than closing the doors.

3

Keep the seller on a consultancy for 12 months

It de-risks the handover, keeps the customers, and gives the owner a reason to say yes — a soft landing rather than a cliff edge. It also costs you nothing up front.

4

Check the things the accounts do not show

Customer concentration, whether the owner IS the business, lease and premises position, personal guarantees, pension deficits, and whether the staff will stay. A business that dies without its 74-year-old owner is not an asset. This is where most of these will fail — and finding that out early is the point.

5

Volume, not romance

Expect a low single-digit reply rate and for most conversations to go nowhere. Twenty well-targeted letters a month is the engine. This list gives you enough names to run that for a year without repeating yourself.

This is a research screen, not advice on a specific transaction. Before committing to anything, get a corporate solicitor and an accountant across the numbers — filed accounts are historic, abbreviated, and say nothing about the quality of the earnings underneath them.