DALES ENGINEERING SERVICES LIMITED

📈Growthactive
SC107948 · ltd · incorporated 1987-11-30
Investment thesis
Growth-phase business — story-led; valuation sensitive to momentum.
Why interesting: Trading is scaling; acquirers paying for trajectory get disproportionate leverage.
Why risky: Price often leads fundamentals; dependency on founder often high.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
£21.87M
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures
Sector: Manufacturing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 25620Machining
  • 25990SIC 25990
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 70-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 70). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (77/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

5 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 37.8y

45/100
clean up first

Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.

  • · Oldest live charge is 37.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
  • · Profitable and stable/growing — lender coverage supportable.

Data confidence

Overall: high (80/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

Company profile
address, 3 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
19 officers (6 active, 19 linked, 15 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
149 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
🔒Estimated company valuation

Sector-multiple EBITDA, turnover, and NAV-proxy valuation range with confidence tier — derived from extracted iXBRL financials.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
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
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102
Profitable
Profit before tax £1,472,588
Strong revenue growth
Turnover up 38% YoY
Turnover YoY
+38%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Dec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Turnover£21.87M£15.89M
Gross profit£4.92M£3.80M
Operating profit£1.38M£262.2k
Profit before tax£1.47M£337.0k
Average employees1100010700

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

3 signals detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (53 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-09-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-09-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-10-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-09-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2021-09-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2020-12-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2019-09-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2018-09-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2017-08-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2016-11-18
    📄
    change-corporate-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH04
  11. 2016-09-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2015-08-19
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  13. 2015-07-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2015-05-07
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  15. 2015-04-23
    ➖
    LAWSON, Charles resigned
    director
  16. 2014-08-15
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  17. 2013-06-06
    ➕
    DUNCAN, Jacqueline Bell appointed
    director
  18. 2013-06-06
    ➕
    MACKIE, Nina appointed
    director
  19. 2009-03-16
    ➕
    LAWSON, Charles appointed
    director
  20. 2009-02-01
    ➕
    THOMSON, Kevin Buchan appointed
    director
  21. 2004-08-11
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  22. 2002-09-05
    ➕
    MASSON GLENNIE LLP appointed
    corporate-secretary
  23. 2002-09-05
    ➖
    MACKIE, Graham Alexander resigned
    secretary
  24. 2002-08-14
    ➖
    NICOL, Maurice James resigned
    director
  25. 2002-08-14
    ➖
    ROBERTSON, Douglas Alexander Mitchell resigned
    director
  26. 2002-08-14
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  27. 2002-08-14
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Dales Engineering Limited
  28. 2002-08-13
    ➖
    NICOL, Kerry Ann resigned
    director
  29. 1999-10-06
    ➕
    MACKIE, Graham Alexander appointed
    secretary
  30. 1999-10-06
    ➖
    STRONACHS resigned
    corporate-secretary
  31. 1998-11-06
    ➕
    DUNCAN, William George appointed
    director
  32. 1998-11-06
    ➕
    NICOL, Kerry Ann appointed
    director
  33. 1998-08-03
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  34. 1996-12-01
    ➕
    MACKIE, Graham Alexander appointed
    director
  35. 1996-12-01
    ➕
    ROBERTSON, Douglas Alexander Mitchell appointed
    director
  36. 1996-06-07
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  37. 1996-04-12
    ➖
    HUTTON, James resigned
    director
  38. 1996-04-12
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  39. 1996-04-11
    ➖
    HUTTON, James resigned
    secretary
  40. 1996-04-11
    ➕
    STRONACHS appointed
    corporate-secretary
  41. 1996-04-11
    ➖
    MACKIE, Graham Alexander resigned
    director
  42. 1996-04-11
    ➖
    ROBERTSON, Douglas Alexander Mitchell resigned
    director
  43. 1995-08-11
    ➖
    DAVIDSON, Charles resigned
    director
  44. 1994-10-31
    ➖
    ALEXANDER, Linda resigned
    director
  45. 1993-01-01
    ➕
    ALEXANDER, Linda appointed
    director
  46. 1993-01-01
    ➕
    DAVIDSON, Charles appointed
    director
  47. 1993-01-01
    ➕
    MACKIE, Graham Alexander appointed
    director
  48. 1993-01-01
    ➕
    ROBERTSON, Douglas Alexander Mitchell appointed
    director
  49. 1992-08-15
    ➖
    HUTTON, James resigned
    director
  50. 1989-02-07
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Grampian Regional Council
Showing most recent 50 of 53 events

Owner dependency

73/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • -5 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 70 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

90/100
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 70 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 29 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 38 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

1 med ·
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Group structure

Dales 2002 Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Dales 2002 Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
⬇
DALES ENGINEERING SERVICES LIMITED
This company · SC107948

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%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Dales 2002 Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016

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

7 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
Incorporated1987-11-30
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC25110 — Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures

Registered office

Broad House
Broad Street
Peterhead
Aberdeenshire
AB42 1HY

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-29
Last: 2025-08-15

Officers (6 active · 13 resigned)

MASSON GLENNIE LLP→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2002-09-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DUNCAN, Jacqueline Bell→
director · ~68y · appointed 2013-06-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DUNCAN, William George→
director · ~69y · appointed 1998-11-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MACKIE, Graham Alexander→
director · ~70y · appointed 1996-12-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MACKIE, Nina→
director · ~65y · appointed 2013-06-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
THOMSON, Kevin Buchan→
director · ~56y · appointed 2009-02-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HUTTON, James→
secretary · resigned 1996-04-11
Resigned
MACKIE, Graham Alexander→
secretary · appointed 1999-10-06 · resigned 2002-09-05
Resigned
STRONACHS→
corporate-secretary · appointed 1996-04-11 · resigned 1999-10-06
Resigned
ALEXANDER, Linda→
director · ~76y · appointed 1993-01-01 · resigned 1994-10-31
Resigned
DAVIDSON, Charles→
director · ~81y · appointed 1993-01-01 · resigned 1995-08-11
Resigned
HUTTON, James→
director · ~72y · appointed 1987-12-01 · resigned 1992-08-15
Resigned
HUTTON, James→
director · ~72y · resigned 1996-04-12
Resigned
LAWSON, Charles→
director · ~69y · appointed 2009-03-16 · resigned 2015-04-23
Resigned
MACKIE, Graham Alexander→
director · ~70y · appointed 1993-01-01 · resigned 1996-04-11
Resigned
NICOL, Kerry Ann→
director · ~51y · appointed 1998-11-06 · resigned 2002-08-13
Resigned
NICOL, Maurice James→
director · ~79y · resigned 2002-08-14
Resigned
ROBERTSON, Douglas Alexander Mitchell→
director · ~82y · appointed 1996-12-01 · resigned 2002-08-14
Resigned
ROBERTSON, Douglas Alexander Mitchell→
director · ~82y · appointed 1993-01-01 · resigned 1996-04-11
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

5
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Floating charge1 property14/08/2002—
outstanding
Dales Engineering
Dales Engineering Limited
Bond & floating charge1 property14/08/2002—
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Bond & floating charge1 property12/04/199611/08/2004
satisfied
Grampian Regional Council
Standard security1 property07/02/198903/08/1998
satisfied
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Floating charge1 property22/07/198807/06/1996
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (149 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2020-12-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-08-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2019-09-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-08-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2018-09-25