JOHN MACLACHLAN LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC016031 · ltd · incorporated 1930-06-16
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and stalled — no momentum either way. Needs an approach trigger.
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
—
year to Jun 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
75/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other manufacturing n.e.c.
Sector: Manufacturing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 43120Site preparation
  • 49410Freight transport by road
  • 52219SIC 52219
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 67-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 75/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 67). 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

6 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 36.2y

15/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 36.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: high (80/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

Company profile
address, 4 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 2 with DOB)
77
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
6 connected companies via shared directors
63
Filing history
98 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
75/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
82
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£0Jun 2024Jun 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-06-302024-06-30
Average employees100100

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

2 signals 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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (29 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-03-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-03-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-03-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-03-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-06-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2022-03-17
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  7. 2021-06-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2020-05-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2019-03-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2018-03-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2017-04-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  12. 2016-04-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  13. 2016-01-28
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  14. 2015-03-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2008-01-15
    ➖
    MACLACHLAN, John resigned
    secretary
  16. 2006-08-02
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  17. 2006-07-09
    ➖
    MACLACHLAN, Colin Buchanan resigned
    director
  18. 1999-11-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  19. 1996-07-12
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  20. 1996-07-03
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  21. 1996-07-01
    ➕
    MACLACHLAN, Susan Helen appointed
    secretary
  22. 1990-08-07
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  23. 1990-04-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Highland and Island Development Board
  24. 1990-04-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Highlands and Islands Development Board
  25. 1989-12-04
    ➕
    MACLACHLAN, John appointed
    secretary
  26. 1989-12-04
    ➖
    MACLACHLAN, Mary Agnes White resigned
    secretary
  27. 1989-01-01
    ➖
    MACLACHLAN, John resigned
    secretary
  28. 1989-01-01
    ➕
    MACLACHLAN, Mary Agnes White appointed
    secretary
  29. 1930-06-16
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As JOHN MACLACHLAN LIMITED

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
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "MACLACHLAN" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

75/100
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 67. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 96 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 low
5 live charges
low

Heavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr John Maclachlan
Individual · British · DOB 12/1959 · age 67
——sig. influencesignificant influence06/04/2016

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

9 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
Incorporated1930-06-16
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC32990 — Other manufacturing n.e.c.

Registered office

Torran Gorm Industrial Estate
Oban
PA34 4PL

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last: 2026-03-17

Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)

MACLACHLAN, Susan Helen→
secretary · appointed 1996-07-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MACLACHLAN, John→
director · ~67y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MACLACHLAN, John→
secretary · appointed 1989-12-04 · resigned 2008-01-15
Resigned
MACLACHLAN, John→
secretary · resigned 1989-01-01
Resigned
MACLACHLAN, Mary Agnes White→
secretary · appointed 1989-01-01 · resigned 1989-12-04
Resigned
MACLACHLAN, Colin Buchanan→
director · ~101y · resigned 2006-07-09
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

6
Total charges
5
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Standard security1 property02/08/2006—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Bond & floating charge1 property19/11/1999—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Standard security1 property12/07/1996—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Standard security1 property03/07/1996—
outstanding
Highland and Island Development Board
Standard security1 property30/04/1990—
satisfied
Highlands and Islands Development Board
Standard security1 property10/04/199007/08/1990
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (98 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-03-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-03-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-03-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-06-17
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-17
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2022-03-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-06-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-05-15