SAMUEL WHITE & COMPANY LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC035310 · ltd · incorporated 1960-05-27
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
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to May 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 01500
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.

Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 48). 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 (58/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

6 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 57.2y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 57.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

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
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
10 officers (2 active, 10 linked, 8 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
131 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
74/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
77
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£0May 2024May 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-05-282024-05-28
Average employees2200

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (44 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-01-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-01-09
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  3. 2024-12-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Bowshiel Solar LTD
  4. 2024-11-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  5. 2024-11-08
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  6. 2024-08-23
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  7. 2024-08-23
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  8. 2024-08-14
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  9. 2024-01-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2023-01-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2022-10-25
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  12. 2022-10-25
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  13. 2022-03-02
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  14. 2022-03-02
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  15. 2022-02-21
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  16. 2022-02-21
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  17. 2022-02-21
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  18. 2022-01-20
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  19. 2022-01-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  20. 2022-01-11
    ➕
    WHITE, Lucy Josephine appointed
    director
  21. 2021-04-15
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  22. 2021-04-15
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  23. 2020-09-21
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  24. 2020-08-24
    ➖
    DRUMMOND, Mairi Frances resigned
    director
  25. 2020-08-24
    ➖
    WHITE, Peter Mathieson resigned
    director
  26. 2020-05-01
    ➕
    DRUMMOND, Mairi Frances appointed
    director
  27. 2020-03-06
    ➖
    WHITE, Charles Johnston resigned
    director
  28. 2020-03-06
    ➖
    WHITE, Samuel resigned
    director
  29. 2020-03-04
    ➖
    WHITE, Andrew resigned
    director
  30. 2020-03-04
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  31. 2020-01-07
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  32. 2020-01-07
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  33. 2018-03-07
    ➖
    CULLEN, James resigned
    secretary
  34. 2017-02-04
    ➕
    WHITE, Samuel appointed
    director
  35. 2010-03-24
    ➕
    WHITE, John Samuel appointed
    director
  36. 1995-04-03
    ➖
    WHITE, Samuel resigned
    director
  37. 1994-03-09
    ➕
    CULLEN, James appointed
    secretary
  38. 1994-03-09
    ➖
    NAPIER, Adam Raeburn resigned
    secretary
  39. 1993-12-03
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  40. 1993-01-13
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  41. 1992-12-11
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  42. 1984-04-02
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  43. 1969-02-27
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Caledonian Insurance Company
  44. 1960-05-27
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As SAMUEL WHITE & COMPANY LIMITED

Owner dependency

91/100
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 "WHITE" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 16 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

59/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 16 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 66 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 · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr John Samuel White
Individual · British · DOB 04/1979 · age 47
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016
3 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mrs Lucy Josephine Whiteceased 14/09/2022· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
  • Mr Peter Mathieson Whiteceased 24/08/2020· 25-50% shares
  • Mr Charles Johnston Whiteceased 06/03/2020· 25-50% shares

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

Similar companies

Active · Agriculture · EH postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
CRAIGENGILLAN ESTATES (NO 1) COMPANY LIMITED→
SC124520 · est 1990
£3.87M
£2.98M–£4.77M
——036y8363y
APF INTERNATIONAL FOREST MACHINERY EXHIBITION LTD.→
SC228249 · est 2002
£278.2k
£214.0k–£342.4k
——50024y9579y
ALDERSTON DAIRIES LIMITED→
SC241138 · est 2002
——£114.4k—23y8374y
CAITHNESS POTATO BREEDERS LIMITED→
SC082730 · est 1983
——£1.36M—43y8368y
CARCANT ESTATES LIMITED→
SC030457 · est 1954
——£269.0k—71y8369y
DENHOLM POTATO GROWERS LIMITED→
SC089295 · est 1984
——£453.8k—41y8361y
DODS OF HADDINGTON LIMITED→
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——£2.26M—51y8372y
DOUGLAS ORR & COMPANY LIMITED→
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———127y8370y
EAST COAST ORGANICS LTD→
SC297585 · est 2006
——£1.21M—20y8363y
S & M GRUHAM LTD→
SC585555 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————8y——
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————5y——
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————16y——
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

6 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
Incorporated1960-05-27
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC01500 — SIC 01500

Registered office

8 St Ann's Place
Haddington
East Lothian
Scotland
EH41 4BS
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-02-28
Last made up to: 2025-05-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-08
Last: 2025-10-25

Officers (2 active · 8 resigned)

WHITE, John Samuel→
director · ~47y · appointed 2010-03-24
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WHITE, Lucy Josephine→
director · ~48y · appointed 2022-01-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CULLEN, James→
secretary · appointed 1994-03-09 · resigned 2018-03-07
Resigned
NAPIER, Adam Raeburn→
secretary · resigned 1994-03-09
Resigned
DRUMMOND, Mairi Frances→
director · ~46y · appointed 2020-05-01 · resigned 2020-08-24
Resigned
WHITE, Andrew→
director · ~91y · resigned 2020-03-04
Resigned
WHITE, Charles Johnston→
director · ~88y · resigned 2020-03-06
Resigned
WHITE, Peter Mathieson→
director · ~87y · resigned 2020-08-24
Resigned
WHITE, Samuel→
director · ~84y · appointed 2017-02-04 · resigned 2020-03-06
Resigned
WHITE, Samuel→
director · ~84y · resigned 1995-04-03
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

6
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Bowshiel Solar
Bowshiel Solar LTD
A registered charge1 property30/12/2024—
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge—21/09/202023/08/2024
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Floating charge1 property03/12/199307/01/2020
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property11/12/199207/01/2020
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property02/04/198404/03/2020
satisfied
Caledonian Insurance Company
Disposition see col (1) of doc 191 property27/02/196913/01/1993
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (131 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-01-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-30
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-01-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-11-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-08
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2024-11-08
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-08-23
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2024-08-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-01-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-01-10
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-25
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-10-25
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-10-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-03