HOWARD-JOHNSTON LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
SC111597 · ltd · incorporated 1988-06-14
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
—
year to Jul 2025
Net worth
£942.0k
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Sale of new cars and light motor vehicles
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 76-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 76). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 2 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
3 live charges · oldest 34.7y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 34.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)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
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (2 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
100 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.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £941,993
Net assets shrinking
Down £21,992 YoY
Cash YoY
-7%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£434k
↓ 7.3% YoY
Net Worth
£942k
↓ 2.3% YoY
Current Assets
£756k
↓ 7.0% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-07-31 | 2024-07-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £945.6k | £973.6k |
| Current assets | £756.2k | £813.3k |
| Cash | £434.3k | £468.3k |
| Debtors | £35.3k | £49.5k |
| Net assets | £942.0k | £964.0k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
1 signal 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
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (25 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-04-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-02-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-02-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-02-14📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2019-06-13📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2019-04-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-04-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-01-16📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2018-01-16🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2017-04-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-04-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-08-25📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2002-08-29➕HUNT, Gerard Gregory appointedsecretary
- 2002-08-29➖HOWARD JOHNSTON, Jacqueline Julia resignedsecretary
- 1995-03-15➕HOWARD JOHNSTON, Jacqueline Julia appointedsecretary
- 1995-03-15➖HOWARD-JOHNSTON, Peter Phillip Dawyck resignedsecretary
- 1994-05-05➖HOWARD JOHNSTON, Clarence Dismore resigneddirector
- 1991-08-27🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1991-08-26🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1991-08-26🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1988-06-14🏢Company incorporatedAs HOWARD-JOHNSTON LIMITED
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 "HOWARD-JOHNSTON" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 76 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
85/100
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 76 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 38 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Peter Phillip Dawyck Howard-Johnston Individual · British · DOB 09/1950 · age 76 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
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 →Similar companies
Active · Automotive · EH postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARPARTS BALTIC LTD→ SC739666 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| DENTCENTRAL GROUP LTD→ SC661020 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| DOUGLAS REID'S GARAGE LIMITED→ SC454533 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| E VEHICLES LTD→ SC794040 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| GEORGE CAR REPAIR LTD→ SC851828 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| GRM BODYCRAFT DUNDEE LTD→ SC671618 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| HAMILTON VEHICLE SERVICES LIMITED→ SC840494 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| HAWES TRADING LTD→ SC599485 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| HMW AUTOCARE LTD→ SC817979 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| HUGH C. GIBSON'S HEIRS LIMITED→ SC032986 · est 1958 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 68y | — | — |
| HUNTERS OF LINLITHGOW LIMITED→ SC299675 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| IDEAL PERFORMANCE UK LTD→ SC865649 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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
Incorporated1988-06-14
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC45111 — Sale of new cars and light motor vehicles
Registered office
92-94 Ferry Road
Edinburgh
EH6 4AH
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-04-30
Last made up to: 2025-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-14
Last: 2025-07-31
Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)
HUNT, Gerard Gregory→
Activesecretary · appointed 2002-08-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HOWARD-JOHNSTON, Peter Phillip Dawyck→
Activedirector · ~76y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HOWARD JOHNSTON, Jacqueline Julia→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1995-03-15 · resigned 2002-08-29
HOWARD-JOHNSTON, Peter Phillip Dawyck→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1995-03-15
HOWARD JOHNSTON, Clarence Dismore→
Resigneddirector · ~120y · resigned 1994-05-05
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Standard security | 1 property | 27/08/1991 | 16/01/2018 | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 26/08/1991 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Floating charge | 1 property | 26/08/1991 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (100 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-02-13
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-02
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-02-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-10-26
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-22
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-04-26
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-08-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-02-18
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2020-02-14
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-08-06