THOMAS BROWN & SONS (FUNERAL DIRECTORS) LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC082759 · ltd · incorporated 1983-04-20
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and tidy — no seller pressure yet. Approach only if an angle opens.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
What changed my view
Last 30 days
No material changes in the last 30 days.
Last 90 days
No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.
Last 180 days
No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
73/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Funeral and related activities
Sector: Other service activities
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 76). 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 (65/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (60/100)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
17 officers (3 active, 17 linked, 12 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
13 connected companies via shared directors
84
Filing history
124 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
73/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
75
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 confirmation-statement
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (48 events)Click to expand
- 2025-11-27📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2025-11-27📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2025-11-21📄capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figurecapital · SH19
- 2025-11-21📄legacycapital · SH20
- 2025-11-21⚠️legacyinsolvency · CAP-SS
- 2025-11-21📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2025-05-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-14📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2024-11-14📄withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC09
- 2024-05-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2024-05-03📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-05-03📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2024-05-02➕ROSS, Michael Edward appointeddirector
- 2024-05-01➖WATSON, James resigneddirector
- 2023-07-03📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2023-06-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-26➕YUILLE, Alan David appointedsecretary
- 2023-05-25📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2023-05-12➖DALLEY, John Chapman resignedsecretary
- 2023-05-11📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2023-05-11📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-04-27➕THORN, Edward George appointeddirector
- 2023-04-26➖CAIRNEY, Henry Patrick Fleming resigneddirector
- 2022-07-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2014-02-28➖SMALLMAN, Hollis resigneddirector
- 2013-10-24➕WATSON, James appointeddirector
- 2009-03-19➕CAIRNEY, Henry Patrick Fleming appointeddirector
- 2009-01-16➖MOON, David resigneddirector
- 2005-06-09➖BRODIE, John Ross resignedsecretary
- 2005-06-09➕DALLEY, John Chapman appointedsecretary
- 2005-05-10➖CRONAN, John Philip resigneddirector
- 2005-05-10➖DUFFY, James resigneddirector
- 2005-05-10➕MOON, David appointeddirector
- 2005-05-10➕SMALLMAN, Hollis appointeddirector
- 2003-08-07➖BIRD, Colin Smith resignedsecretary
- 2003-08-07➕BRODIE, John Ross appointedsecretary
- 2002-05-23➕DUFFY, James appointeddirector
- 2002-05-23➖MOON, David resigneddirector
- 2001-03-22➖HILL, Gerard Andrew resigneddirector
- 2001-03-22➕MOON, David appointeddirector
- 1999-08-12➕BIRD, Colin Smith appointedsecretary
- 1999-08-12➖BROWN, Alison Elizabeth resignedsecretary
- 1999-08-12➖BROWN, Alison Elizabeth resigneddirector
- 1999-08-12➖BROWN, John Gillespie resigneddirector
- 1999-08-12➕CRONAN, John Philip appointeddirector
- 1999-08-12➕HILL, Gerard Andrew appointeddirector
- 1983-04-20🏢Company incorporatedAs THOMAS BROWN & SONS (FUNERAL DIRECTORS) LIMITED
Owner dependency
73/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 76 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
66/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 76 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
Red flags
1 high ·1 insolvency-related filing on record
highFilings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding.
Evidence: 2025-11-21: legacy
Group structure
Scottish Midland Co-Operative Society Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Scottish Midland Co-Operative Society Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
⬇
THOMAS BROWN & SONS (FUNERAL DIRECTORS) LIMITED
This company · SC082759
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%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Scottish Midland Co-Operative Society Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 14/11/2024 |
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 →Similar companies
Active · Trade services · EH postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELGIN INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED→ SC366432 · est 2009 | £50.96M £38.22M–£63.70M | — | — | 0 | 16y | 94 | 64y |
| STIRLING GATEWAY LIMITED→ SC291034 · est 2005 | £5.98M £4.49M–£7.48M | — | — | 0 | 20y | 88 | 70y |
| UNITED CAPITAL GROUP LTD→ SC550711 · est 2016 | £5.96M £4.47M–£7.45M | — | — | 297 | 9y | 84 | 83y |
| ELGIN EDUCATION (ABERDEENSHIRE 2) LIMITED→ SC259895 · est 2003 | £5.44M £4.08M–£6.80M | — | — | 0 | 22y | 84 | 64y |
| PPP SERVICES (NORTH AYRSHIRE) LIMITED→ SC294870 · est 2005 | £5.04M £3.78M–£6.30M | — | — | 0 | 20y | 87 | 60y |
| DISCOVERY EDUCATION PLC→ SC313681 · est 2006 | £4.97M £3.73M–£6.22M | — | — | 0 | 19y | 85 | 49y |
| ABC SCHOOLS LIMITED→ SC281989 · est 2005 | £4.71M £3.53M–£5.89M | — | — | 0 | 21y | 84 | 71y |
| PPP SERVICES (NORTH AYRSHIRE) HOLDINGS LIMITED→ SC294861 · est 2005 | £4.61M £3.46M–£5.76M | — | — | 0 | 20y | 87 | 60y |
| GLASGOW HEALTHCARE FACILITIES (HOLDINGS) LIMITED→ SC290718 · est 2005 | £4.00M £3.00M–£5.00M | — | — | 0 | 20y | 84 | 63y |
| DSF HOLDINGS LIMITED→ SC239681 · est 2002 | £3.91M £2.93M–£4.89M | — | — | 7 | 23y | 87 | 61y |
| LOCHGILPHEAD HEALTHCARE SERVICES LIMITED→ SC240996 · est 2002 | £3.83M £2.88M–£4.79M | — | — | 0 | 23y | 84 | 60y |
| FCC (EAST AYRSHIRE) LIMITED→ SC300469 · est 2006 | £3.70M £2.78M–£4.63M | — | — | 0 | 20y | 87 | 60y |
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
Incorporated1983-04-20
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC96030 — Funeral and related activities
Registered office
Hillwood House
2 Harvest Drive Newbridge
Edinburgh
EH28 8QJ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-10-31
Last made up to: 2025-01-25
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-06-15
Last: 2026-06-01
Officers (3 active · 14 resigned)
YUILLE, Alan David→
Activesecretary · appointed 2023-06-26
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ROSS, Michael Edward→
Activedirector · ~57y · appointed 2024-05-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
THORN, Edward George→
Activedirector · ~76y · appointed 2023-04-27
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BIRD, Colin Smith→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1999-08-12 · resigned 2003-08-07
BRODIE, John Ross→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-08-07 · resigned 2005-06-09
BROWN, Alison Elizabeth→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1999-08-12
DALLEY, John Chapman→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2005-06-09 · resigned 2023-05-12
BROWN, Alison Elizabeth→
Resigneddirector · ~73y · resigned 1999-08-12
BROWN, John Gillespie→
Resigneddirector · ~75y · resigned 1999-08-12
CAIRNEY, Henry Patrick Fleming→
Resigneddirector · ~74y · appointed 2009-03-19 · resigned 2023-04-26
CRONAN, John Philip→
Resigneddirector · ~91y · appointed 1999-08-12 · resigned 2005-05-10
DUFFY, James→
Resigneddirector · ~91y · appointed 2002-05-23 · resigned 2005-05-10
HILL, Gerard Andrew→
Resigneddirector · ~60y · appointed 1999-08-12 · resigned 2001-03-22
MOON, David→
Resigneddirector · ~69y · appointed 2005-05-10 · resigned 2009-01-16
MOON, David→
Resigneddirector · ~95y · appointed 2001-03-22 · resigned 2002-05-23
SMALLMAN, Hollis→
Resigneddirector · ~83y · appointed 2005-05-10 · resigned 2014-02-28
WATSON, James→
Resigneddirector · ~75y · appointed 2013-10-24 · resigned 2024-05-01
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (124 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-06-01
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2025-11-27
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-11-27
capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figure
capital · SH19
2025-11-21
legacy
capital · SH20
2025-11-21
legacy
insolvency · CAP-SS
2025-11-21
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-11-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-05-21
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2024-11-14
withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statement
persons-with-significant-control · PSC09
2024-11-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-06-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-05-13
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-05-03
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2024-05-03