FIRTH BUILDINGS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC062378 · ltd · incorporated 1977-05-18
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
69/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 22290
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 69/100 (strong), bankability 65/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 68). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Confirmation statement overdue. Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: low (54/100)

Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
5 officers (1 active, 5 linked, 4 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
93 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
69/100Strong
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
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-04-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-04-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-02-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-01-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-01-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-02-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2020-01-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2019-01-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2018-01-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2017-12-29
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  11. 2017-12-29
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  12. 2017-12-29
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  13. 2017-04-10
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  14. 2017-04-10
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  15. 2017-04-10
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  16. 2017-04-10
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  17. 2017-03-31
    ➕
    JOHNSTON, John Crichton appointed
    director
  18. 2017-03-31
    ➖
    JOHNSTON, Helen resigned
    secretary
  19. 2017-03-31
    ➖
    JOHNSTON, Helen resigned
    director
  20. 2017-03-31
    ➖
    JOHNSTON, Ronald Crichton resigned
    director
  21. 2017-03-30
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  22. 2013-01-16
    ➕
    JOHNSTON, Helen appointed
    director
  23. 2003-11-28
    ➖
    JOHNSTON, Helen resigned
    director
  24. 1977-05-18
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As FIRTH BUILDINGS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED

Owner dependency

90/100
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 age: Director aged approximately 68 — 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 68. 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 49 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 high ·
Confirmation statement overdue
high

Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.

Evidence: Next due: 2026-01-05

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr John Crichton Johnston
Individual · British · DOB 12/1958 · age 68
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · firm interest31/03/2017
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mr Ronald Crichton Johnstonceased 31/03/2017· 25-50% shares
  • Mrs Helen Johnstonceased 31/03/2017· 25-50% shares

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

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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.

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Available from the Pro tier upwards.

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Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1977-05-18
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC22290 — SIC 22290

Registered office

125 Auchterderran Road
Lochgelly
Fife
KY5 9BR

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-01-05OVERDUE
Last: 2024-12-22

Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)

JOHNSTON, John Crichton→
director · ~68y · appointed 2017-03-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
JOHNSTON, Helen→
secretary · resigned 2017-03-31
Resigned
JOHNSTON, Helen→
director · ~100y · appointed 2013-01-16 · resigned 2017-03-31
Resigned
JOHNSTON, Helen→
director · ~100y · resigned 2003-11-28
Resigned
JOHNSTON, Ronald Crichton→
director · ~101y · resigned 2017-03-31
Resigned

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

Recent filings (93 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-04-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-02-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-01-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-01-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-02-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-01-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-12-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-01-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2018-12-28