MCKENZIE RICE LTD

🌳Matureactive
NI047304 · ltd · incorporated 2003-07-24
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 17.5y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Aug 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Dispensing chemist in specialised stores
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 72-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 72). 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 (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 17.5y

65/100
clean up first

Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.

  • · Oldest live charge is 17.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

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, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (3 active, 9 linked, 7 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
81 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.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Aug 2024Aug 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-08-312024-08-31
Average employees364000

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-02-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-05-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-09-19
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  5. 2023-05-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-03-14
    ➖
    RICE, Stephen Gerard resigned
    director
  7. 2023-03-14
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  8. 2022-08-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2022-02-23
    📄
    capital-cancellation-shares
    capital · SH06
  10. 2022-02-23
    📄
    capital-return-purchase-own-shares
    capital · SH03
  11. 2022-01-27
    ➖
    MARTIN, Nicola resigned
    director
  12. 2022-01-27
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  13. 2022-01-27
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  14. 2021-08-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2020-07-20
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  16. 2020-07-20
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  17. 2020-07-01
    ➖
    RICE, Barbara Mary resigned
    director
  18. 2020-07-01
    ➕
    RICE, Stephen Gerard appointed
    director
  19. 2020-05-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  20. 2019-09-10
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  21. 2019-05-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  22. 2019-04-16
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  23. 2019-04-15
    ➕
    RICE, Peter appointed
    secretary
  24. 2019-04-15
    ➖
    RICE, Adrian Gerard resigned
    secretary
  25. 2008-11-03
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland
  26. 2008-09-01
    ➕
    RICE, Peter appointed
    director
  27. 2008-09-01
    ➕
    MARTIN, Nicola appointed
    director
  28. 2003-08-19
    ➕
    RICE, Adrian Gerard appointed
    director
  29. 2003-08-19
    ➖
    HARRISON, Malcolm Joseph resigned
    director
  30. 2003-08-19
    ➖
    KANE, Dorothy May resigned
    director
  31. 2003-08-19
    ➕
    RICE, Barbara Mary appointed
    director
  32. 2003-07-24
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As MCKENZIE RICE LTD
  33. 2003-07-24
    ➕
    RICE, Adrian Gerard appointed
    secretary
  34. 2003-07-24
    ➕
    HARRISON, Malcolm Joseph appointed
    director
  35. 2003-07-24
    ➕
    KANE, Dorothy May appointed
    director

Owner dependency

100/100
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
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "RICE" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 72 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

96/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 72 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 23 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

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Adrian Gerard Rice
Individual · Irish · DOB 05/1954 · age 72
25–50%
—25-50% shares06/04/2016
Mrs Barbara Mary Rice
Individual · Irish · DOB 10/1954 · age 72
25–50%
—25-50% shares06/04/2016

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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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
Incorporated2003-07-24
Jurisdictionnorthern-ireland
Primary SIC47730 — Dispensing chemist in specialised stores

Registered office

479 Falls Road
Belfast
BT12 6DE
Northern Ireland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-05-31
Last made up to: 2025-08-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-07
Last: 2025-07-24

Officers (3 active · 6 resigned)

RICE, Peter→
secretary · appointed 2019-04-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
RICE, Adrian Gerard→
director · ~72y · appointed 2003-08-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
RICE, Peter→
director · ~46y · appointed 2008-09-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
RICE, Adrian Gerard→
secretary · appointed 2003-07-24 · resigned 2019-04-15
Resigned
HARRISON, Malcolm Joseph→
director · ~52y · appointed 2003-07-24 · resigned 2003-08-19
Resigned
KANE, Dorothy May→
director · ~90y · appointed 2003-07-24 · resigned 2003-08-19
Resigned
MARTIN, Nicola→
director · ~52y · appointed 2008-09-01 · resigned 2022-01-27
Resigned
RICE, Barbara Mary→
director · ~72y · appointed 2003-08-19 · resigned 2020-07-01
Resigned
RICE, Stephen Gerard→
director · ~43y · appointed 2020-07-01 · resigned 2023-03-14
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland
Debenture1 property03/11/2008—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (81 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-05-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-02-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-05-16
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-09-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-05-17
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-03-14
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-08-31
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2022-02-23
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2022-02-23
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2022-01-27
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-01-27