METROL TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
SC105658 · ltd · incorporated 1987-07-14
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
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c.
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 67-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 67). 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 (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
5 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 38.5y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 38.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (58/100)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
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (1 active, 6 linked, 2 with DOB)
77
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
124 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
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
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
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 (34 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-18📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-07-12📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2024-07-12📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-07-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-04-06📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2023-01-09📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-01-09🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2022-12-31➖QUEENSFERRY SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2022-11-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-23📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2022-09-23📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2022-09-23🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2022-09-23🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2022-06-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-03-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-06-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2013-05-20🔒Charge registered #5Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2013-05-20🔒Charge registered #4Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2009-04-04➖SMITH, David Balfour resigneddirector
- 1996-03-19🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1995-06-26🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 1994-04-12➕QUEENSFERRY SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 1994-04-12➖SECRETAR SECURITIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-secretary
- 1993-07-15➖BIRD SEMPLE FYFE IRELAND resignedcorporate-secretary
- 1993-07-15➕SECRETAR SECURITIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 1990-06-29➖ROSS, Beverly resignedsecretary
- 1989-01-24🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 1987-10-29🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 1987-07-14🏢Company incorporatedAs METROL TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
Owner dependency
90/100
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 age: Director aged approximately 67 — 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 63+: Senior director is approximately 67. 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 39 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
Dunwilco (194) Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Dunwilco (194) Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
METROL TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
This company · SC105658
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dunwilco (194) Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Shaun Compton Rossceased 06/04/2016· 75-100% shares
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 · Professional services · AB postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GENERAL OCEANS UK HOLDINGS LTD→ SC308386 · est 2006 | £9.77M £7.20M–£12.34M | — | — | 0 | 19y | 84 | 68y |
| HIGHLAND FUELS HOLDINGS LIMITED→ SC215790 · est 2001 | £9.50M £7.00M–£12.00M | — | — | 300 | 25y | 88 | 62y |
| CRAIGSHANNOCH LIMITED→ SC191743 · est 1998 | £5.90M £4.34M–£7.45M | £2.95M | — | 300 | 27y | 88 | 67y |
| HSB HOLDINGS LIMITED→ SC260511 · est 2003 | £3.58M £2.64M–£4.52M | — | — | 0 | 22y | 84 | 61y |
| T D C PARSONS PEEBLES LIMITED→ SC663297 · est 2020 | £2.76M £2.03M–£3.48M | £11.52M | — | 5100 | 5y | 87 | 77y |
| ROTECH HOLDINGS LIMITED→ SC148822 · est 1994 | £1.97M £1.45M–£2.49M | £453.6k | — | 0 | 32y | 92 | 58y |
| WELLTEC (UK) LTD.→ SC204742 · est 2000 | £134.9k £99.4k–£170.4k | £17.23M | — | 3200 | 26y | 85 | 62y |
| ACCURA MEASUREMENT LIMITED→ SC322109 · est 2007 | — | — | £5.47M | — | 19y | 83 | 60y |
| ALLEN ASSOCIATES (H.P.E.) LIMITED→ SC201596 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | 83 | 59y |
| BOURTREE INVESTMENTS LIMITED→ SC190868 · est 1998 | — | — | — | — | 27y | 83 | 61y |
| CONNECT NDT LIMITED→ SC205224 · est 2000 | — | — | — | — | 26y | 83 | 70y |
| CUMMING & CO. (ABERDEEN) LTD.→ SC248131 · est 2003 | — | — | £352.1k | — | 23y | 83 | 58y |
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
Incorporated1987-07-14
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC74909 — Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c.
Registered office
Unit 24 Kirkhill Place
Kirkhill Industrial Estate
Dyce
Aberdeen,
AB21 0GU
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-12
Last: 2025-06-28
Officers (1 active · 5 resigned)
Active
ROSS, Beverly→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1990-06-29
BIRD SEMPLE FYFE IRELAND→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · resigned 1993-07-15
QUEENSFERRY SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 1994-04-12 · resigned 2022-12-31
SECRETAR SECURITIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 1993-07-15 · resigned 1994-04-12
SMITH, David Balfour→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · resigned 2009-04-04
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
5
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 20/05/2013 | 23/09/2022 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 20/05/2013 | 23/09/2022 | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 26/06/1995 | — | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Assignation | 1 property | 24/01/1989 | 09/01/2023 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Floating charge | 1 property | 29/10/1987 | 19/03/1996 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (124 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2026-04-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-24
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-06-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-12
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2024-07-12
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-07-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-08-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-06
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2023-04-06
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-01-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-14
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2022-09-23
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2022-09-23