RUTHERFORD FINANCE LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC143184 · ltd · incorporated 1993-03-11
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
  • · Oldest live charge 29.3y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
71/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified
Sector: Financial & insurance
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 71/100 (strong), bankability 65/100. Strong seller-intent signal (88/100, director aged 69). Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Confirmation statement overdue. Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

11 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 29.3y

50/100
clean up first

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 29.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

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
11 charges (11/11 with lender, 11/11 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (3 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
106 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
71/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
59
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Mar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Average employees200200

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
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (45 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-12-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-06-20
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  3. 2024-06-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-07-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-10-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-11-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2020-07-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2019-07-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2019-03-27
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  10. 2018-10-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2017-07-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  12. 2016-10-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  13. 2016-03-31
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  14. 2015-11-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2015-04-01
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  16. 2014-08-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2011-04-16
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  18. 2007-10-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #11
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  19. 2004-04-10
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #10
  20. 2004-04-10
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #9
  21. 2004-04-10
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #8
  22. 2004-04-10
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #7
  23. 2004-04-10
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  24. 2004-04-10
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  25. 2004-04-10
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  26. 2004-04-10
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  27. 2001-11-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #10
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  28. 2001-11-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #9
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  29. 2001-11-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  30. 2001-11-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  31. 2001-11-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  32. 2001-11-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  33. 2001-11-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  34. 2001-11-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  35. 2001-03-23
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  36. 2000-11-17
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  37. 1997-01-29
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  38. 1997-01-01
    ➕
    BLACK, Ronald Rutherford appointed
    director
  39. 1994-03-11
    ➕
    BLACK, Ronald Rutherford appointed
    secretary
  40. 1994-03-11
    ➖
    COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  41. 1994-03-11
    ➖
    COMBINED NOMINEES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  42. 1993-03-11
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As RUTHERFORD FINANCE LIMITED
  43. 1993-03-11
    ➕
    BLACK, Susan appointed
    director
  44. 1993-03-11
    ➕
    COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  45. 1993-03-11
    ➕
    COMBINED NOMINEES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

91/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 33 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 69 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

81/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 69. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 33 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 33 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 high · 1 med ·
Confirmation statement overdue
high

Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.

Evidence: Next due: 2026-03-19

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.

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Ronald Rutherford Black
Individual · British · DOB 02/1957 · age 69
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting06/04/2016
Mrs Susan Black
Individual · British · DOB 12/1958 · age 68
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting06/04/2016

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

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
Incorporated1993-03-11
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC64999 — Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified

Registered office

41 Charlotte Square
Edinburgh
EH2 4HQ
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-03-19OVERDUE
Last: 2025-03-05

Officers (3 active · 2 resigned)

BLACK, Ronald Rutherford→
secretary · appointed 1994-03-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BLACK, Ronald Rutherford→
director · ~69y · appointed 1997-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BLACK, Susan→
director · ~68y · appointed 1993-03-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
COMBINED SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1993-03-11 · resigned 1994-03-11
Resigned
COMBINED NOMINEES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1993-03-11 · resigned 1994-03-11
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

11
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:11 of 11 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property15/10/2007—
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property06/11/200110/04/2004
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property06/11/200110/04/2004
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property06/11/200110/04/2004
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property06/11/200110/04/2004
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property06/11/200110/04/2004
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property06/11/200110/04/2004
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property06/11/200110/04/2004
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property06/11/200110/04/2004
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Bond & floating charge1 property17/11/200016/04/2011
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Bond & floating charge1 property29/01/199723/03/2001
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (106 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-12-18
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-06-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-06-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-07-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-10-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-11-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-03-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2020-07-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-03-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2019-07-15
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2019-03-27