DUNCAN MCKERCHAR & CO. LIMITED
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 79). 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
4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 43.6y
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 43.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 35/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: high (80/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-09-30 | 2023-09-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 0 | 0 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
- • 2 officers
- • 1 persons-with-significant-control
Corporate timeline (23 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-02📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2026-02-02📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2026-02-02📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2026-01-02➖PRESTON, Gordon James resignedsecretary
- 2026-01-02➖PRESTON, Gordon James resigneddirector
- 2025-06-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-06-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-07-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-07-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-08-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-07-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2015-06-19📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 1983-10-04🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Guardian Assurance PLC
- 1983-01-18🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1983-01-14🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Halifax Building Society
- 1983-01-04🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 1982-09-30🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Halifax Building Society
- 1966-08-16🏢Company incorporatedAs DUNCAN MCKERCHAR & CO. LIMITED
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 79 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 79 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- 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 med ·Multiple recent departures can indicate governance disagreement, succession event, or preparation for sale/stress.
Evidence: PRESTON, Gordon James resigned 2026-01-02; PRESTON, Gordon James resigned 2026-01-02
Group structure
Mcintosh Asset Management Ltd holds majority control (50-75%). Likely parent but not wholly-owned.
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mcintosh Asset Management Ltd Corporate entity | 50–75% | — | 50-75% shares | 01/07/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Gordon James Prestonceased 02/01/2026· 25-50% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Guardian Assurance Guardian Assurance PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 04/10/1983 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Standard security | 1 property | 18/01/1983 | 04/01/1983 | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Halifax Building Society | Standard security | 1 property | 14/01/1983 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Halifax Building Society | Standard security | 1 property | 30/09/1982 | — |