BRADBURY MOTORS LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC045969 · ltd · incorporated 1968-09-24
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
  • · Oldest live charge 38.8y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Oct 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 45112
Sector: Wholesale & retail
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 45200SIC 45200
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

3 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 38.8y

50/100
clean up first

Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.

  • · Oldest live charge is 38.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (79/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
13 officers (3 active, 13 linked, 5 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
136 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
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£0Oct 2024Oct 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-10-312024-10-31
Average employees900900

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

3 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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (42 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-03-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-05-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-08-01
    ➕
    DUFF, Steven appointed
    director
  4. 2024-08-01
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  5. 2024-07-24
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  6. 2024-07-24
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  7. 2024-07-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2023-07-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2022-07-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2021-07-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2020-07-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2019-07-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2018-07-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2017-07-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-03-12
    📄
    mortgage-charge-whole-release-with-charge-number
    mortgage · MR05
  16. 2017-03-12
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  17. 2017-03-12
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  18. 2016-07-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  19. 2009-10-31
    ➕
    DUFF, Stuart appointed
    secretary
  20. 2009-10-31
    ➖
    ASHLEY ACCOUNTING SERVICES resigned
    corporate-secretary
  21. 2009-01-01
    ➕
    ASHLEY ACCOUNTING SERVICES appointed
    corporate-secretary
  22. 2009-01-01
    ➖
    BENSON & COMPANY resigned
    corporate-secretary
  23. 2006-12-21
    ➖
    PORTEOUS, Mark Andrew resigned
    secretary
  24. 2006-12-21
    ➕
    BENSON & COMPANY appointed
    corporate-secretary
  25. 2006-04-12
    ➕
    PORTEOUS, Mark Andrew appointed
    secretary
  26. 2006-04-12
    ➖
    LEDINGHAM CHALMERS LLP resigned
    corporate-secretary
  27. 2005-03-30
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  28. 2005-03-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland Commercial Services Limited
  29. 2003-04-15
    ➕
    LEDINGHAM CHALMERS LLP appointed
    corporate-secretary
  30. 2003-04-15
    ➖
    M & M COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  31. 2002-01-01
    ➕
    M & M COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  32. 2001-12-31
    ➖
    MACLACHLAN & MACKENZIE resigned
    corporate-secretary
  33. 1999-12-23
    ➖
    PATRICK, Robert James Neil resigned
    secretary
  34. 1999-12-23
    ➕
    MACLACHLAN & MACKENZIE appointed
    corporate-secretary
  35. 1999-01-18
    ➖
    WILSON, Andrew resigned
    director
  36. 1995-07-12
    ➕
    DUFF, Stuart Michael appointed
    director
  37. 1995-07-03
    ➖
    MCCARTHY, John resigned
    director
  38. 1994-07-01
    ➖
    SHIELDS, William Derek resigned
    director
  39. 1992-06-01
    ➕
    MCCARTHY, John appointed
    director
  40. 1987-07-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  41. 1987-07-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  42. 1968-09-24
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BRADBURY MOTORS LIMITED

Owner dependency

84/100
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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 31 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

36/100
Weak signal

Limited succession signal. Not a near-term off-market candidate.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — DUFF, Steven (same surname) appointed 2024-08-01. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 31 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

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Stuart Michael Duff
Individual · British · DOB 07/1962 · age 64
75–100%
75–100%75-100% shares · 75-100% voting06/04/2016

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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——£599.8k—23y8364y
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——£7.49M—18y8383y
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————43y8386y
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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
Incorporated1968-09-24
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC45112 — SIC 45112

Registered office

Unit 23 Whin Park Industrial
Estate, Port Seton
East Lothian
East Lothian
EH32 9SF

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-06-11
Last: 2025-05-28

Officers (3 active · 10 resigned)

DUFF, Stuart→
secretary · appointed 2009-10-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DUFF, Steven→
director · ~36y · appointed 2024-08-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DUFF, Stuart Michael→
director · ~64y · appointed 1995-07-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
PATRICK, Robert James Neil→
secretary · resigned 1999-12-23
Resigned
PORTEOUS, Mark Andrew→
secretary · appointed 2006-04-12 · resigned 2006-12-21
Resigned
ASHLEY ACCOUNTING SERVICES→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2009-01-01 · resigned 2009-10-31
Resigned
BENSON & COMPANY→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2006-12-21 · resigned 2009-01-01
Resigned
LEDINGHAM CHALMERS LLP→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2003-04-15 · resigned 2006-04-12
Resigned
M & M COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2002-01-01 · resigned 2003-04-15
Resigned
MACLACHLAN & MACKENZIE→
corporate-secretary · appointed 1999-12-23 · resigned 2001-12-31
Resigned
MCCARTHY, John→
director · ~69y · appointed 1992-06-01 · resigned 1995-07-03
Resigned
SHIELDS, William Derek→
director · ~89y · resigned 1994-07-01
Resigned
WILSON, Andrew→
director · ~95y · resigned 1999-01-18
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

3
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland Commercial Services Limited
Floating charge1 property18/03/200512/03/2017
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Letter of offset1 property15/07/1987—
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Bond & floating charge1 property15/07/198730/03/2005
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (136 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-03-19
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-05-28
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2024-08-01
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2024-07-24
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-07-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-07-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-07-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-07-31