BEN LINE AGENCIES LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC100101 · ltd · incorporated 1986-07-17
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.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Non-trading company
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Dormant / non-trading with a 73-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 73). 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 (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 39.0y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 39.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
20 officers (3 active, 20 linked, 13 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
9 connected companies via shared directors
72
Filing history
151 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.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (54 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-11-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-10-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-01-04
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  4. 2024-01-04
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  5. 2023-09-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-01-18
    ➕
    TURCAN CONNELL COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  7. 2023-01-18
    ➖
    THE CITY PARTNERSHIP (UK) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  8. 2023-01-18
    📄
    appoint-corporate-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP04
  9. 2023-01-18
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  10. 2023-01-18
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  11. 2023-01-13
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  12. 2022-11-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  13. 2021-12-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2021-11-23
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  15. 2021-11-23
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  16. 2021-11-22
    ➕
    MCGREGOR, Michael Stewart appointed
    director
  17. 2021-11-22
    ➖
    THOMSON, William Ronald Erskine resigned
    director
  18. 2020-12-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2020-07-14
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  20. 2020-04-21
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  21. 2019-11-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  22. 2011-06-24
    ➖
    HARDIE, Roselyn Ann resigned
    secretary
  23. 2011-06-24
    ➕
    THE CITY PARTNERSHIP (UK) LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  24. 2007-10-02
    ➕
    YOUNG, Charles Whiteford appointed
    director
  25. 2007-10-02
    ➖
    GRAHAM, David Callum Robertson resigned
    secretary
  26. 2007-10-02
    ➕
    HARDIE, Roselyn Ann appointed
    secretary
  27. 2007-10-02
    ➖
    GRAHAM, David Callum Robertson resigned
    director
  28. 2003-10-01
    ➖
    WALKER, David William Brown resigned
    director
  29. 1994-11-08
    ➖
    FARGUS, David Nigel Alexander resigned
    director
  30. 1994-11-08
    ➖
    KEITH-WELSH, David resigned
    director
  31. 1994-11-08
    ➖
    TAYLOR, Dermot Malcolm resigned
    director
  32. 1994-11-08
    ➕
    WALKER, David William Brown appointed
    director
  33. 1993-04-16
    ➖
    TOLSON, Jonathan Huntriss resigned
    director
  34. 1992-09-30
    ➕
    GRAHAM, David Callum Robertson appointed
    secretary
  35. 1992-09-30
    ➖
    PRETTY, Michael John resigned
    secretary
  36. 1992-09-30
    ➖
    WALKER, David William Brown resigned
    director
  37. 1992-03-31
    ➕
    PRETTY, Michael John appointed
    secretary
  38. 1992-03-31
    ➖
    WESLEY, Alistair James resigned
    secretary
  39. 1991-11-01
    ➕
    KEITH-WELSH, David appointed
    director
  40. 1991-11-01
    ➖
    KIRSOP, Charles Kenneth James resigned
    director
  41. 1991-11-01
    ➕
    TAYLOR, Dermot Malcolm appointed
    director
  42. 1991-11-01
    ➖
    TOOKEY, Robert Hugh resigned
    director
  43. 1991-11-01
    ➖
    YOUNG, James Patrick resigned
    director
  44. 1991-10-08
    ➕
    GRAHAM, David Callum Robertson appointed
    director
  45. 1991-10-08
    ➕
    THOMSON, William Ronald Erskine appointed
    director
  46. 1991-10-08
    ➕
    WALKER, David William Brown appointed
    director
  47. 1989-12-21
    ➕
    TOOKEY, Robert Hugh appointed
    director
  48. 1989-01-30
    ➖
    WALTON, Alistair Horsburgh resigned
    secretary
  49. 1989-01-30
    ➕
    WESLEY, Alistair James appointed
    secretary
  50. 1987-05-29
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation as Agent and Trustees
Showing most recent 50 of 54 events

Owner dependency

83/100
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 19 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 73 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

89/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 73 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 19 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 40 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • 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.)

Group structure

E.G. Thomson (Holdings) Limited holds majority control (50-75%). Likely parent but not wholly-owned.

🏛️
E.G. Thomson (Holdings) Limited
Corporate parent
⬇
BEN LINE AGENCIES LIMITED
This company · SC100101

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

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
E.G. Thomson (Holdings) Limited
Corporate entity
—50–75%50-75% 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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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
Incorporated1986-07-17
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC74990 — Non-trading company

Registered office

C/O Turcan Connell Princes Exchange
1 Earl Grey Street
Edinburgh
EH3 9EE
United Kingdom

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-14
Last: 2025-12-31

Officers (3 active · 17 resigned)

TURCAN CONNELL COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2023-01-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MCGREGOR, Michael Stewart→
director · ~60y · appointed 2021-11-22
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
YOUNG, Charles Whiteford→
director · ~73y · appointed 2007-10-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GRAHAM, David Callum Robertson→
secretary · appointed 1992-09-30 · resigned 2007-10-02
Resigned
HARDIE, Roselyn Ann→
secretary · appointed 2007-10-02 · resigned 2011-06-24
Resigned
PRETTY, Michael John→
secretary · appointed 1992-03-31 · resigned 1992-09-30
Resigned
WALTON, Alistair Horsburgh→
secretary · resigned 1989-01-30
Resigned
WESLEY, Alistair James→
secretary · appointed 1989-01-30 · resigned 1992-03-31
Resigned
THE CITY PARTNERSHIP (UK) LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2011-06-24 · resigned 2023-01-18
Resigned
FARGUS, David Nigel Alexander→
director · ~79y · resigned 1994-11-08
Resigned
GRAHAM, David Callum Robertson→
director · ~83y · appointed 1991-10-08 · resigned 2007-10-02
Resigned
KEITH-WELSH, David→
director · ~82y · appointed 1991-11-01 · resigned 1994-11-08
Resigned
KIRSOP, Charles Kenneth James→
director · ~81y · resigned 1991-11-01
Resigned
TAYLOR, Dermot Malcolm→
director · ~74y · appointed 1991-11-01 · resigned 1994-11-08
Resigned
THOMSON, William Ronald Erskine→
director · ~86y · appointed 1991-10-08 · resigned 2021-11-22
Resigned
TOLSON, Jonathan Huntriss→
director · ~87y · resigned 1993-04-16
Resigned
TOOKEY, Robert Hugh→
director · ~91y · appointed 1989-12-21 · resigned 1991-11-01
Resigned
WALKER, David William Brown→
director · ~92y · appointed 1994-11-08 · resigned 2003-10-01
Resigned
WALKER, David William Brown→
director · ~92y · appointed 1991-10-08 · resigned 1992-09-30
Resigned
YOUNG, James Patrick→
director · ~90y · resigned 1991-11-01
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

4
Total charges
4
Outstanding
3
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation as Agent and Trustees
Debenture1 property29/05/1987—
outstanding
Ben Line Group
Ben Line Group LTD
Debenture1 property29/05/1987—
outstanding
Ben Line Group
Ben Line Group LTD
Instrument of charge1 property29/05/1987—
outstanding
Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation as Agent and Trustee
Instrument of charge1 property29/05/1987—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (151 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-10-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-09
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2024-01-04
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2024-01-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-09-26
appoint-corporate-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP04
2023-01-18
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2023-01-18
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-01-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-13
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-01-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-11-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-19