D.W.FERGUSON LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
00386193 · ltd · incorporated 1944-03-15
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 May 2025
Net worth
£8.24M
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 01410SIC 01410
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 63-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (80/100, director aged 63). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

3 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 36.0y

15/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 36.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (79/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

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
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (2 active, 7 linked, 3 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
106 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £8,237,766
Net assets shrinking
Down £330,152 YoY
Cash YoY
-24%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£3.7m
↓ 24% YoY
Net Worth
£8.2m
↓ 3.9% YoY
Current Assets
£4.4m
↓ 19% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£1.7m£3.4m£5.1m£6.9m£8.6mMay 2024May 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-05-312024-05-31
Total assets£8.38M£8.68M
Current assets£4.44M£5.48M
Cash£3.69M£4.88M
Debtors£60.1k£68.4k
Net assets£8.24M£8.57M

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 (30 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-12-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-12-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-10-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-01-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-01-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-06-17
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  7. 2020-10-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2020-10-01
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  9. 2020-10-01
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  10. 2020-01-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2018-11-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2017-11-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2017-01-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2016-01-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2016-01-18
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  16. 2015-06-09
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  17. 2015-06-01
    ➕
    TESTER, Patricia appointed
    secretary
  18. 2015-06-01
    ➖
    ROGERS, Wendy resigned
    secretary
  19. 2010-02-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Secretary of State for Defence
  20. 2007-02-08
    ➖
    FERGUSON, Lillian Daisy resigned
    secretary
  21. 2007-02-08
    ➕
    ROGERS, Wendy appointed
    secretary
  22. 2002-01-16
    ➖
    FERGUSON, William Robert resigned
    director
  23. 2000-09-07
    ➕
    ROGERS, Robert David appointed
    director
  24. 2000-09-07
    ➕
    FERGUSON, Lillian Daisy appointed
    secretary
  25. 2000-08-25
    ➖
    FERGUSON, David Wilfred resigned
    secretary
  26. 2000-08-25
    ➖
    FERGUSON, David Wilfred resigned
    director
  27. 1994-12-23
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  28. 1990-10-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Mutanderis (94) Limited
  29. 1990-07-17
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Carlinian Limited
  30. 1944-03-15
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As D.W.FERGUSON LIMITED

Owner dependency

93/100
Critical — business is the founder

The 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 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 63. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 26 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 82 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

1 med ·
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

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
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Robert David Rogers
Individual · British · DOB 12/1963 · age 63
50–75%
50–75%board control50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control06/04/2016

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 →

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BAXTER FARMS LIMITED→
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16858915 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
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11488055 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
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13835714 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
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12778557 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
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DYAS FARMS (1988) LIMITED→
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E. T. BUTCHER LIMITED→
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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
Incorporated1944-03-15
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds

Registered office

Bere Farm House
Deal Road Swingate
Dover
Kent
CT15 5DW

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-02-28
Last made up to: 2025-05-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-16
Last: 2026-01-02

Officers (2 active · 5 resigned)

TESTER, Patricia→
secretary · appointed 2015-06-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ROGERS, Robert David→
director · ~63y · appointed 2000-09-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
FERGUSON, David Wilfred→
secretary · resigned 2000-08-25
Resigned
FERGUSON, Lillian Daisy→
secretary · appointed 2000-09-07 · resigned 2007-02-08
Resigned
ROGERS, Wendy→
secretary · appointed 2007-02-08 · resigned 2015-06-01
Resigned
FERGUSON, David Wilfred→
director · ~108y · resigned 2000-08-25
Resigned
FERGUSON, William Robert→
director · ~111y · resigned 2002-01-16
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

3
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Secretary of State for Defence
Legal charge1 property10/02/2010—
satisfied
Mutanderis (94)
Mutanderis (94) Limited
Legal charge1 property15/10/199001/10/2020
satisfied
Carlinian
Carlinian Limited
Legal charge1 property17/07/199023/12/1994
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (106 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-01-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-01-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-11
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2021-06-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-10-30
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2020-10-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-01-23