JOSEPH BONNAR JEWELLERS
💤Zombieactive
SC101137 · private-unlimited · incorporated 1986-10-01
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
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 47770
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 78-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 78). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · oldest 39.3y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 39.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: low (53/100)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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 1 with DOB)
73
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
60 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
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 (28 events)Click to expand
- 2025-08-01📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2025-08-01📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2025-07-18➕FERGUSON, Shirley Ann Bowman appointedsecretary
- 2025-07-18➖FLOCKHART, David John Richmond resignedsecretary
- 2020-01-16📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2016-05-13📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2016-05-13🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2016-03-08📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2016-01-12📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2016-01-12📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2016-01-12📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2016-01-11➖BARRACK, Emma Louise resignedsecretary
- 2016-01-11➕FLOCKHART, David John Richmond appointedsecretary
- 2015-01-15📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-01-14📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2013-01-16📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2012-04-27📄legacymortgage · MG03s
- 2012-04-27🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2012-03-20📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2012-03-20📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2012-01-18📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2006-05-06➕BARRACK, Emma Louise appointedsecretary
- 2006-05-06➖BLATHERWICK, Clare Maureen resignedsecretary
- 2003-12-05➕BLATHERWICK, Clare Maureen appointedsecretary
- 2003-12-05➖BONNAR, Jane Cant resignedsecretary
- 1997-12-01🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1987-01-29🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1986-10-01🏢Company incorporatedAs JOSEPH BONNAR JEWELLERS
Owner dependency
100/100
Critical — business is the founderThe 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 name in company name: Company name contains director surname "BONNAR" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 78 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 78 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
Red flags
cleanNo 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%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Director Joseph Hugh Bonnar Individual · British · DOB 08/1948 · age 78 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board controlsig. influence75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · significant influence · firm interest | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NORTH BERWICK PO LTD→ SC815817 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| NOVANEXA LUXURY UK LIMITED→ SC878791 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NUDRAW PVT LTD→ SC857773 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NUTS ABOUT SEEDS LTD→ SC848405 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| OEHOBBY LTD→ SC777620 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| OH PILATES LTD→ SC850685 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| OKOROAFRO LIMITED→ SC777613 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ONE EIGHTY SOLUTIONS LTD→ SC817999 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ORIGIN SERVICES LTD→ SC641738 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ORIGINAL CASUALS LTD→ SC433326 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| OVEHEALTH LTD→ SC854242 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| PATHHEAD SUPERMARKET LTD→ SC530606 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
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
Typeprivate-unlimited
Incorporated1986-10-01
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC47770 — SIC 47770
Registered office
72 Thistle Street
Edinburgh
EH2 1EN
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: —
Last made up to: —
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-14
Last: 2025-12-31
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
FERGUSON, Shirley Ann Bowman→
Activesecretary · appointed 2025-07-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BARRACK, Emma Louise→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2006-05-06 · resigned 2016-01-11
BLATHERWICK, Clare Maureen→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-12-05 · resigned 2006-05-06
BONNAR, Jane Cant→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2003-12-05
FLOCKHART, David John Richmond→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2016-01-11 · resigned 2025-07-18
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 01/12/1997 | 27/04/2012 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Standard security | 1 property | 29/01/1987 | 13/05/2016 |
Recent filings (60 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-16
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2025-08-01
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2025-08-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-02
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2020-01-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-01-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-01-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2018-01-03
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2017-01-06
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2016-05-13
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2016-03-08