DUNWILCO (194) LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
SC121527 · ltd · incorporated 1989-11-23
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: Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 67-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 67). 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).
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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 3 with DOB)
85
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
110 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
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
82
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
4
filings
- • 2 address
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (26 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2025-12-17📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-11-25📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-06-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-15📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2024-07-12📄withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC09
- 2024-07-12📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC08
- 2024-07-12📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-07-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-30📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2023-08-29📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2022-12-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2016-04-11➖SMITH, David Balfour resigneddirector
- 2013-06-19➕SMITH, David Balfour appointeddirector
- 2010-03-01➖SMITH, David Balfour resignedsecretary
- 2010-03-01➖SMITH, David Balfour resigneddirector
- 1990-03-16➕ROSS, Shaun Compton appointeddirector
- 1990-03-16➕SMITH, David Balfour appointedsecretary
- 1990-03-16➕SMITH, David Balfour appointeddirector
- 1989-11-23🏢Company incorporatedAs DUNWILCO (194) 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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 36 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
95/100
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.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 36 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 36 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 lowMultiple registered office changes
lowMultiple address changes in a short period can indicate operational instability or admin disorder.
Group structure
Burness Paull (Trustees) Limited holds 25-50% — a significant corporate investor but not a controlling parent.
🏛️significant stake
Burness Paull (Trustees) Limited
Corporate parent · holds 25-50% shares
⬇
DUNWILCO (194) LIMITED
This company · SC121527
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Burness Paull (Trustees) Limited Corporate entity | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 08/05/2024 |
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 · Trade services · AB postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRDB ENTERPRISES LTD→ SC835635 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| DREAMIER HAIR LTD→ SC726200 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| DRM CORROSION SERVICES LTD→ SC450945 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| DSM RADIOLOGY SERVICES LTD→ SC479000 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| DYCE AESTHETICS LIMITED→ SC859577 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DYCE BARBER LIMITED→ SC803323 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| DYNAMIC WAVES LTD→ SC848303 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS LTD→ SC553370 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| E & J WEST LTD→ SC776165 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| EAST COAST BOILERS LTD→ SC551227 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| EBAR INITIATIVES EBT LTD→ SC783830 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ECCL LIMITED→ SC411848 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1989-11-23
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC82990 — Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Registered office
C/O Metrol Technology Limited Unit 24 Kirkhill Place
Dyce
Aberdeen
AB21 0GU
Scotland
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-07
Last: 2025-11-23
Officers (1 active · 3 resigned)
ROSS, Shaun Compton→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 1990-03-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SMITH, David Balfour→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1990-03-16 · resigned 2010-03-01
SMITH, David Balfour→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · appointed 2013-06-19 · resigned 2016-04-11
SMITH, David Balfour→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · appointed 1990-03-16 · resigned 2010-03-01
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (110 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2026-04-07
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-12-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-05
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-11-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2025-06-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-09
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2024-07-15
withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statement
persons-with-significant-control · PSC09
2024-07-12
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statement
persons-with-significant-control · PSC08
2024-07-12
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-07-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2024-07-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2023-09-13
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2023-08-30
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2023-08-29