454 (BEARSDEN) LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC043407 · ltd · incorporated 1966-04-21
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
not disclosed
Net worth
book net assets
Opportunity
64/100
Worth a look
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 99999
Sector: Extraterritorial bodies
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 64/100 (worth a look), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: 1 insolvency-related filing on record. Filings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (59/100)

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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
11 officers (2 active, 11 linked, 8 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
127 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
64/100Worth a look
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Mixed signal. Worth opening the full target workup before deciding to pursue.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
55
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
51
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • 1 dissolution
Last 180 days
3
filings
  • 2 dissolution
  • 1 gazette
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (39 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-03-26
    📄
    dissolution-voluntary-strike-off-suspended
    dissolution · SOAS(A)
  2. 2026-01-06
    📄
    gazette-notice-voluntary
    gazette · GAZ1(A)
  3. 2025-12-30
    📄
    dissolution-application-strike-off-company
    dissolution · DS01
  4. 2025-11-26
    CLARK, John Arnold resigned
    director
  5. 2025-11-26
    HAWTHORNE, Edward resigned
    director
  6. 2025-11-26
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  7. 2025-11-26
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  8. 2025-11-05
    📄
    legacy
    capital · SH20
  9. 2025-11-05
    📄
    capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figure
    capital · SH19
  10. 2025-11-05
    ⚠️
    legacy
    insolvency · CAP-SS
  11. 2025-11-05
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  12. 2025-09-29
    ✏️
    certificate-change-of-name-company
    change-of-name · CERTNM
  13. 2025-07-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  14. 2024-09-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  15. 2024-02-28
    GALL, Walter Glen Paterson resigned
    director
  16. 2024-02-28
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  17. 2023-09-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  18. 2022-09-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  19. 2021-12-02
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  20. 2021-12-02
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  21. 2021-12-02
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  22. 2021-12-02
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  23. 2021-12-02
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  24. 2021-12-01
    GRAHAM, James Turner appointed
    director
  25. 2021-12-01
    CLARK, John Arnold appointed
    director
  26. 2021-12-01
    MCLEAN, Kenneth John resigned
    director
  27. 2021-09-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  28. 2021-06-07
    HARVEY, Mark William Harold resigned
    director
  29. 2020-08-24
    HARVEY, Mark William Harold appointed
    director
  30. 2017-04-10
    CLARK, John Arnold resigned
    director
  31. 2013-11-19
    THORPE, Stuart Kenneth appointed
    secretary
  32. 2013-11-19
    MCLEAN, Kenneth John resigned
    secretary
  33. 2011-05-27
    KERR, Dugald Ferguson resigned
    secretary
  34. 2011-05-27
    MCLEAN, Kenneth John appointed
    secretary
  35. 2011-05-27
    KERR, Dugald Ferguson resigned
    director
  36. 2006-02-27
    HAWTHORNE, Edward appointed
    director
  37. 2006-02-27
    KERR, Dugald Ferguson appointed
    director
  38. 2006-02-27
    MCLEAN, Kenneth John appointed
    director
  39. 1966-04-21
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As 454 (BEARSDEN) LIMITED

Owner dependency

75/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

55/100
Strong succession signal

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

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 60 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 high · 2 med ·
1 insolvency-related filing on record
high

Filings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding.

Evidence: 2025-11-05: legacy

2 director resignations in last 12 months
medium

Multiple recent departures can indicate governance disagreement, succession event, or preparation for sale/stress.

Evidence: CLARK, John Arnold resigned 2025-11-26; HAWTHORNE, Edward resigned 2025-11-26

Name changed recently
medium

Name changes can be benign (rebrand) but can also precede distress, phoenix activity, or buyer concealment.

Evidence: 2025-09-29: certificate-change-of-name-company

Group structure

Arnold Clark Automobiles Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Arnold Clark Automobiles Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
454 (BEARSDEN) LIMITED
This company · SC043407

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Arnold Clark Automobiles Limited
Corporate entity
75100%
75-100% shares01/12/2021
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Lady Philomena Butler Clarkceased 01/12/2021· significant influence
  • Sir John Arnold Clarkceased 10/04/2017· significant influence

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

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
Typeltd
Incorporated1966-04-21
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC99999 — SIC 99999

Registered office

454 Hillington Road
Glasgow
G52 4FH
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-27
Last: 2025-08-13

Officers (2 active · 9 resigned)

THORPE, Stuart Kenneth
secretary · appointed 2013-11-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GRAHAM, James Turner
director · ~44y · appointed 2021-12-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
KERR, Dugald Ferguson
secretary · resigned 2011-05-27
Resigned
MCLEAN, Kenneth John
secretary · appointed 2011-05-27 · resigned 2013-11-19
Resigned
CLARK, John Arnold
director · ~53y · appointed 2021-12-01 · resigned 2025-11-26
Resigned
CLARK, John Arnold
director · ~99y · resigned 2017-04-10
Resigned
GALL, Walter Glen Paterson
director · ~92y · resigned 2024-02-28
Resigned
HARVEY, Mark William Harold
director · ~53y · appointed 2020-08-24 · resigned 2021-06-07
Resigned
HAWTHORNE, Edward
director · ~60y · appointed 2006-02-27 · resigned 2025-11-26
Resigned
KERR, Dugald Ferguson
director · ~75y · appointed 2006-02-27 · resigned 2011-05-27
Resigned
MCLEAN, Kenneth John
director · ~60y · appointed 2006-02-27 · resigned 2021-12-01
Resigned

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

Recent filings (127 total)

dissolution-voluntary-strike-off-suspended
dissolution · SOAS(A)
2026-03-26
gazette-notice-voluntary
gazette · GAZ1(A)
2026-01-06
dissolution-application-strike-off-company
dissolution · DS01
2025-12-30
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-11-26
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-11-26
legacy
capital · SH20
2025-11-05
capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figure
capital · SH19
2025-11-05
legacy
insolvency · CAP-SS
2025-11-05
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-11-05
certificate-change-of-name-company
change-of-name · CERTNM
2025-09-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-07-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-09-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-15
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-02-28