MACFARLANE GROUP PLC
🌳Matureactive
SC004221 · plc · incorporated 1899-04-15
Investment thesis
Looks cheap but ownership + security both unclear — probable value trap.
Why interesting: Headline metrics may be attractive.
Why risky: No PSC visibility combined with multiple live charges; transacting likely slow and expensive.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Stable recent picture — watch for any upcoming trigger event.
What changed my view
Last 30 days
No material changes in the last 30 days.
Last 90 days
No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.
Last 180 days
No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
83/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Activities of head offices
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with exceptional profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 83/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · oldest 1.5y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Newest facility, 1.5 years old — likely still in initial term.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 20/100 — clean.
Data confidence
Overall: low (53/100)Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
41 officers (7 active, 41 linked, 33 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
No PSCs filed (unusual — worth investigating)
35
Director network
14 connected companies via shared directors
87
Filing history
394 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
83/100Exceptional
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
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
4
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 capital
Last 90 days
25
filings
- • 22 capital
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
25
filings
- • 22 capital
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (92 events)Click to expand
- 2026-05-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2026-05-21📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-05-20📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2026-05-06📄capital-cancellation-shares-by-plccapital · SH07
- 2026-05-06📄capital-cancellation-shares-by-plccapital · SH07
- 2026-05-06📄capital-cancellation-shares-by-plccapital · SH07
- 2026-05-06📄capital-cancellation-shares-by-plccapital · SH07
- 2026-05-06📄capital-cancellation-shares-by-plccapital · SH07
- 2026-05-06📄capital-cancellation-shares-by-plccapital · SH07
- 2026-05-06📄capital-cancellation-shares-by-plccapital · SH07
- 2026-05-06📄capital-cancellation-shares-by-plccapital · SH07
- 2026-05-06📄capital-cancellation-shares-by-plccapital · SH07
- 2026-04-21📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-04-21📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-04-21📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-04-21📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-04-21📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-03-16📄capital-cancellation-shares-by-plccapital · SH07
- 2026-03-16📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-03-16📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-03-16📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-03-16📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-03-12📄capital-cancellation-shares-by-plccapital · SH07
- 2026-03-12📄capital-cancellation-shares-by-plccapital · SH07
- 2025-01-01➕STIRLING, David Burns appointeddirector
- 2024-11-28🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC (As Security Agent)
- 2024-11-28🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC (As Security Agent)
- 2023-12-31➖MCLELLAN, Robert resigneddirector
- 2022-10-01➕WHYTE, Diane Laura appointeddirector
- 2022-10-01➖PATERSON, Stuart Randall resigneddirector
- 2021-10-01➕GULVANESSIAN, Aleen Seza appointeddirector
- 2021-09-30➖DUNSTAN, Andrea Margaret resigneddirector
- 2021-03-31➖LOVE, John resigneddirector
- 2021-01-01➕MACDONALD, James appointedsecretary
- 2021-01-01➖GRAY, Ivor resignedsecretary
- 2020-11-19➕GRAY, Ivor appointeddirector
- 2020-05-15➕GRAY, Ivor appointedsecretary
- 2020-05-15➖QUIRK, Derek Linton Howat resignedsecretary
- 2018-09-01➕DUNSTAN, Andrea Margaret appointeddirector
- 2018-08-31➖ARROWSMITH, Michael Richard resigneddirector
- 2018-01-08➕BAIRD, James Walter Forrester appointeddirector
- 2017-09-29➖BISSETT, Graeme resigneddirector
- 2016-03-01➖LOVE, John resignedsecretary
- 2016-03-01➕QUIRK, Derek Linton Howat appointedsecretary
- 2015-05-08➖COTTON, Andrew resignedsecretary
- 2015-05-08➕LOVE, John appointedsecretary
- 2013-05-07➖MELLOR, Kevin Donald resigneddirector
- 2013-03-05➕MCLELLAN, Robert appointeddirector
- 2013-01-01➕PATERSON, Stuart Randall appointeddirector
- 2012-09-26➕ARROWSMITH, Michael Richard appointeddirector
Showing most recent 50 of 92 events
Owner dependency
65/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- -6 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 70 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
80/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 70 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
🔒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 →Similar companies
Active · Professional services · G postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOULSDALE INVESTMENTS LIMITED→ SC491741 · est 2014 | £117.51M £86.58M–£148.43M | — | — | 118100 | 11y | 83 | 72y |
| MCGHEE GROUP LIMITED→ SC362390 · est 2009 | £20.62M £15.19M–£26.04M | — | — | — | 16y | 87 | 67y |
| I3WORKS LTD→ SC477423 · est 2014 | £16.71M £12.31M–£21.11M | £38.15M | — | 14200 | 12y | 92 | 61y |
| 24/26 HOLDINGS LTD→ SC470528 · est 2014 | £4.81M £3.54M–£6.07M | — | — | 26 | 12y | 85 | 67y |
| INTERLOCK INVESTMENTS LIMITED→ SC057982 · est 1975 | £3.26M £2.40M–£4.11M | — | — | 20 | 50y | 85 | 72y |
| SKYVISION INTERNATIONAL LIMITED→ SC153156 · est 1994 | £837.2k £616.9k–£1.06M | £680.4k | — | 100 | 31y | 88 | 65y |
| ACCU-TECH SYSTEMS LIMITED→ SC223891 · est 2001 | £22.3k £16.4k–£28.2k | £413.2k | — | 300 | 24y | 85 | 58y |
| 'A' FLIGHT AVIATION LIMITED→ SC157855 · est 1995 | — | — | £6.9k | — | 31y | 83 | 72y |
| AKELA PLANT HIRE LTD→ SC313584 · est 2006 | — | — | £1.74M | — | 19y | 83 | 58y |
| ANDERSON KNIGHT LIMITED→ SC214850 · est 2001 | — | — | — | 2300 | 25y | 83 | 63y |
| ASSISTING SUCCESS LIMITED→ SC294900 · est 2005 | — | — | £29.2k | — | 20y | 83 | 62y |
| BIO-IMAGES DRUG DELIVERY LTD→ SC383233 · est 2010 | — | — | — | 0 | 15y | 83 | 82y |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
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 →🔒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
Typeplc
Incorporated1899-04-15
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC70100 — Activities of head offices
Registered office
3 Park Gardens
Glasgow
G3 7YE
Scotland
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-06-30
Last made up to: 2025-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-06-07
Last: 2026-05-24
Officers (7 active · 34 resigned)
Active
ATKINSON, Peter Duncan→
Activedirector · ~70y · appointed 2003-10-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BAIRD, James Walter Forrester→
Activedirector · ~62y · appointed 2018-01-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GULVANESSIAN, Aleen Seza→
Activedirector · ~68y · appointed 2021-10-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
STIRLING, David Burns→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2025-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WHYTE, Diane Laura→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 2022-10-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
COTTON, Andrew→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2001-08-02 · resigned 2015-05-08
FRAME, Moira Howatson→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1994-03-22
GRAY, Ivor→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2020-05-15 · resigned 2021-01-01
LOVE, John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2015-05-08 · resigned 2016-03-01
LOVE, John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1996-05-28 · resigned 2001-08-02
QUIRK, Derek Linton Howat→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2016-03-01 · resigned 2020-05-15
RITCHIE, Archibald→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1994-03-22 · resigned 1996-05-28
ARROWSMITH, Michael Richard→
Resigneddirector · ~73y · appointed 2012-09-26 · resigned 2018-08-31
BARCLAY, Norman Veitch Lothian→
Resigneddirector · ~101y · resigned 1995-05-23
BARCLAY, Rupert George Maxwell Lothian→
Resigneddirector · ~69y · appointed 1995-05-23 · resigned 1998-01-26
BISSETT, Graeme→
Resigneddirector · ~68y · appointed 2004-05-11 · resigned 2017-09-29
CASEY, Graham Hendry→
Resigneddirector · ~67y · appointed 2001-06-01 · resigned 2009-03-24
CLARK, Michael→
Resigneddirector · ~77y · appointed 2003-09-01 · resigned 2004-05-11
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC (As Security Agent) | A registered charge | — | 28/11/2024 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC (As Security Agent) | A registered charge | — | 28/11/2024 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (394 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-06-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2026-05-26
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2026-05-21
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2026-05-20
capital-cancellation-shares-by-plc
capital · SH07
2026-05-06
capital-cancellation-shares-by-plc
capital · SH07
2026-05-06
capital-cancellation-shares-by-plc
capital · SH07
2026-05-06
capital-cancellation-shares-by-plc
capital · SH07
2026-05-06
capital-cancellation-shares-by-plc
capital · SH07
2026-05-06
capital-cancellation-shares-by-plc
capital · SH07
2026-05-06
capital-cancellation-shares-by-plc
capital · SH07
2026-05-06
capital-cancellation-shares-by-plc
capital · SH07
2026-05-06
capital-cancellation-shares-by-plc
capital · SH07
2026-05-06
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2026-04-21
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2026-04-21