00198709 LIMITED
Company number 00198709 · Monitor this company
This analysis was written by an AI from the company's public filings. It may contain errors or omissions and is not financial or professional advice.
Industry Analysis: 00198709 LIMITED (formerly JAMES BOARDMAN LIMITED)
1. Industry Classification
Sector Identification Challenges: Without filed SIC codes in the available data, definitive sector classification is problematic. However, several contextual indicators suggest this entity operated in one of the traditional Lancashire industries—most likely textiles, manufacturing, or wholesale distribution—given:
- The company's incorporation in 1924, placing its origins firmly in Lancashire's industrial heyday
- The Preston/Bamber Bridge location, historically associated with cotton milling, manufacturing, and distribution
- The Boardman family name being long-associated with textile and manufacturing businesses in the North West
The company falls within the Total Exemption Small reporting category, indicating it met at least two of: turnover ≤ £10.2M, balance sheet ≤ £5.1M, ≤ 50 employees in its last reporting period.
2. Relative Performance
Catastrophic by any industry standard. The financial and compliance position is dire:
| Metric | Position | Industry Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Last filed accounts | March 2009 (15+ years overdue) | Current year -1 maximum |
| Accounts status | Overdue | Filed within 9 months of year-end |
| Confirmation statements | Overdue (due 2017) | Annual filing required |
| Share capital | £1,500 | Typically £1,000-£100,000 for small entities |
| Company status | Active - Proposal to Strike Off | Active & compliant |
| Liquidation | In liquidation | Not applicable for healthy entities |
The £1,500 share capital represents an extraordinarily thin capital base, even by small company standards. For context, the median share capital for small UK trading companies typically ranges from £1,000 to £10,000. This suggests either: - Minimal capitalisation throughout the company's century-long existence - Capital distributions or reductions prior to cessation of trading - The company operated as a quasi-dormant shell for many years
No meaningful financial performance comparison is possible given the 15-year gap in filings. The last accounts predate significant accounting framework changes (FRS 102 implementation, Making Tax Digital, etc.).
3. Sector Trends Impact
Legacy business failure patterns: This company's trajectory reflects a common pattern among century-old Lancashire businesses:
- Deindustrialisation of the North West: Businesses established in the 1920s-40s in traditional manufacturing sectors faced existential pressures from the 1970s onward through overseas competition, EU enlargement effects, and domestic supply chain restructuring
- Succession challenges: The officer register reveals a transition from the Boardman family to the Mason family, suggesting intergenerational transfer—or potentially acquisition by a connected party. Multiple Mason family members hold directorships and secretarial positions, which is characteristic of small family enterprises but creates governance concentration risks
- Regulatory compliance burden: Small companies in traditional sectors have struggled with escalating compliance requirements. The failure to file accounts since 2009 and confirmation statements since 2017 indicates either complete cessation of operations or deliberate non-compliance
- Strike-off as exit mechanism: The "Proposal to Strike Off" status combined with liquidation suggests the directors or a creditor initiated formal closure—a common end-of-life pathway for small legacy businesses with no viable going concern
4. Competitive Positioning
Position: Non-competitive / Terminal decline
The company holds no competitive position in any current market:
- Strengths: Historical brand heritage (100+ year trading history under the Boardman name) and established Lancashire business networks—though these are now effectively valueless given the company's status
- Weaknesses:
- Complete regulatory non-compliance spanning over a decade
- Inability or unwillingness to maintain basic filing obligations
- Minimal capital base insufficient for any trading activity
- Name change from JAMES BOARDMAN LIMITED (October 2025) while in liquidation is highly unusual and suggests either administrative reorganisation or an attempt to dissociate the historic trading name from the liquidation process
- Multiple overlapping officer appointments (Christopher William Mason appears three times) suggest administrative disarray
Comparison to sector norms: In any traditional industry, a company that has failed to file accounts for 15 years, has overdue confirmation statements for 8+ years, is in liquidation, and faces strike-off would be considered defunct. The typical small UK company in manufacturing or distribution maintains current filings, retains working capital above £50,000, and demonstrates trading activity through regular accounts.