BOYDS COACH HIRE LIMITED

💤Zombieactive

SC150742 · ltd · incorporated 1994-05-09

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 Jun 2025

Net worth

£476.2k

book net assets

Opportunity

82/100

Exceptional

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What this business does

Primary activity: SIC 49390

Sector: Transportation & storage

Investor take

Pursue

Active trading company with a 63-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 63). 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

1 live charge · oldest 31.8y

45/100

under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

· Oldest live charge is 31.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
· Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
· Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (77/100)

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

Lenders & charges

1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)

Directors & officers

10 officers (1 active, 10 linked, 5 with DOB)

Ownership & PSC

1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared

Director network

Network not yet resolved

Filing history

89 filings on record

Gazette notices

No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)

Opportunity Score

82/100Exceptional

PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality

Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.

Acquirability

Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.

Risk profile

Few red flags.

Signal strength

100

Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared

Positive net assets

Net assets £476,187

Cash YoY

-16%

Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts

Cash

£266k

↓ 16% YoY

Net Worth

£476k

↑ 15% YoY

Current Assets

£385k

↓ 3.6% YoY

Current Liabilities

—

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown

Metric	2025-06-30	2024-06-30
Total assets	£654.5k	£586.4k
Current assets	£385.5k	£399.9k
Cash	£266.1k	£316.9k
Debtors	£119.4k	£83.0k
Net assets	£476.2k	£412.6k

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

2 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

filing

• 1 persons-with-significant-control

Last 90 days

filings

• 1 persons-with-significant-control
• 1 accounts

Last 180 days

filings

• 1 persons-with-significant-control
• 1 accounts

Counts from Companies House filing history.

Corporate timeline (37 events)Click to expand

2026-04-22
📄
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-03-27
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-03-19
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-01-24
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-03-31
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-03-30
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-05-24
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2020-03-30
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2019-03-28
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2018-10-26
📄
accounts-amended-with-made-up-date
accounts · AAMD
2018-03-30
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2017-06-29
📄
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2017-03-23
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2016-08-20
📄
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2016-03-17
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2015-06-29
📄
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2014-12-31
➖
BURNSIDE, Thomas Allan resigned
secretary
2014-12-31
➖
BURNSIDE, Thomas Allan resigned
director
2008-06-20
➖
SHAW, Christine Austin resigned
director
2003-09-30
➕
MCFARLANE, Paul Thomas appointed
director
1999-07-01
➖
SNEDDON, Robert resigned
secretary
1999-07-01
➕
SHAW, Christine Austin appointed
director
1999-03-10
➖
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
corporate-nominee-secretary
1994-12-30
➕
BURNSIDE, Thomas Allan appointed
secretary
1994-12-30
➖
MCLARDIE, Elizabeth Cameron resigned
secretary
1994-12-30
➖
MCLARDIE, Elizabeth Cameron resigned
director
1994-07-14
➕
MCLARDIE, Elizabeth Cameron appointed
secretary
1994-07-14
➕
MCLARDIE, Elizabeth Cameron appointed
director
1994-07-14
➖
SNEDDON, Robert resigned
director
1994-07-14
🔒
Charge registered #1
Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
1994-06-08
➕
SNEDDON, Robert appointed
secretary
1994-06-08
➕
BURNSIDE, Thomas Allan appointed
director
1994-06-08
➕
SNEDDON, Robert appointed
director
1994-06-08
➖
JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED resigned
corporate-nominee-director
1994-05-09
🏢
Company incorporated
As BOYDS COACH HIRE LIMITED
1994-05-09
➕
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
corporate-nominee-secretary
1994-05-09
➕
JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED appointed
corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

93/100

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

+Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
+Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
+Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100

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 63. 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 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 32 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

clean

No 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 Paul Mcfarlane Individual · British · DOB 12/1963 · age 63	75–100%	75–100%	board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control	06/04/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

Similar companies

Active · Transport & logistics · PA postcode area

Company	Est. value	Turnover	Net worth	Staff	Age	Opp	Director
B. MUNDELL LIMITED→ SC054931 · est 1974	£1.96M £1.47M–£2.45M	—	—	54	52y	83	64y
GALLANACH MARINE CONSULTANTS LIMITED→ SC769319 · est 2023	£72.6k £54.5k–£90.8k	£28.2k	—	200	2y	84	50y
A M TRANSPORT (CAMPBELTOWN) LTD.→ SC355750 · est 2009	—	—	£827.4k	—	17y	82	68y
AAI INTERNATIONAL SCOTLAND LIMITED→ SC383141 · est 2010	—	—	—	800	15y	82	71y
BRIAN ADAM`S TRANSPORT LIMITED→ SC307386 · est 2006	—	—	£642.7k	—	19y	82	59y
BROOKFIELD SECURITIES LIMITED→ SC015861 · est 1930 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	96y	82	66y
CRD INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT LTD.→ SC257963 · est 2003	—	—	£130.6k	—	22y	82	70y
D.W. PARKER LIMITED→ SC241950 · est 2003	—	—	£433.1k	—	23y	82	58y
FALKIRK CAR CARRIERS LTD.→ SC228015 · est 2002	—	—	—	16	24y	82	60y
FLYING SCOT GLASGOW LIMITED→ SC182653 · est 1998 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	28y	82	68y
GORDON GRANT MARINE LTD.→ SC265624 · est 2004	—	—	—	8	22y	82	61y
J.L. MCNEIL LIMITED→ SC040675 · est 1964 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	61y	82	66y

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

Incorporated1994-05-09

Jurisdictionscotland

Primary SIC49390 — SIC 49390

Registered office

26 New Street

Paisley

Renfrewshire

PA1 1YB

Filing status

Accounts

Next due: 2027-03-31

Last made up to: 2025-06-30

Confirmation statement

Next due: 2026-07-13

Last: 2025-06-29

Officers (1 active · 9 resigned)

MCFARLANE, Paul Thomas→

director · ~63y · appointed 2003-09-30

View their other companies + combined net worth →

Active

BURNSIDE, Thomas Allan→

secretary · appointed 1994-12-30 · resigned 2014-12-31

Resigned

MCLARDIE, Elizabeth Cameron→

secretary · appointed 1994-07-14 · resigned 1994-12-30

Resigned

SNEDDON, Robert→

secretary · appointed 1994-06-08 · resigned 1999-07-01

Resigned

OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→

corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1994-05-09 · resigned 1999-03-10

Resigned

BURNSIDE, Thomas Allan→

director · ~78y · appointed 1994-06-08 · resigned 2014-12-31

Resigned

MCLARDIE, Elizabeth Cameron→

director · ~86y · appointed 1994-07-14 · resigned 1994-12-30

Resigned

SHAW, Christine Austin→

director · ~73y · appointed 1999-07-01 · resigned 2008-06-20

Resigned

SNEDDON, Robert→

director · ~78y · appointed 1994-06-08 · resigned 1994-07-14

Resigned

JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→

corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1994-05-09 · resigned 1994-06-08

Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

Total charges

Outstanding

Active lenders

Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown

			Type	Properties
	outstanding	Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company	Floating charge	1 property	14/07/1994	—

Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.