BOLTS CAR HIRE LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC154841 · ltd · incorporated 1994-12-12
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and stalled — no momentum either way. Needs an approach trigger.
What changed my view
Last 30 days

No material changes in the last 30 days.

Last 90 days

No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.

Last 180 days

No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.

🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Renting and leasing of cars and light motor vehicles
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 75-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 65/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 75). 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

4 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 31.3y

30/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 31.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (57/100)

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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (1 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
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
89 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
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-22
    📄
    replacement-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
    confirmation-statement · RP01CS01
  2. 2025-12-22
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  3. 2025-12-22
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  4. 2025-12-19
    ➖
    GARRIOCK, Arlene Joyce resigned
    secretary
  5. 2025-12-19
    ➖
    GARRIOCK, Arlene Joyce resigned
    director
  6. 2025-01-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2024-02-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2023-03-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2022-02-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2021-06-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2020-12-21
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  12. 2020-06-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2020-03-20
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  14. 2019-11-16
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  15. 2019-11-14
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  16. 2019-11-07
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
  17. 2019-11-07
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
  18. 2019-01-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2018-01-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  20. 2017-01-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  21. 1997-03-11
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  22. 1995-03-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  23. 1995-01-24
    ➕
    GARRIOCK, John Robert Simon appointed
    director
  24. 1995-01-24
    ➕
    GARRIOCK, Arlene Joyce appointed
    secretary
  25. 1995-01-24
    ➖
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  26. 1995-01-24
    ➕
    GARRIOCK, Arlene Joyce appointed
    director
  27. 1995-01-24
    ➖
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  28. 1994-12-12
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BOLTS CAR HIRE LIMITED
  29. 1994-12-12
    ➕
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  30. 1994-12-12
    ➕
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
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 31 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 75 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
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 75 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 31 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

1 med ·
2 director resignations in last 12 months
medium

Multiple recent departures can indicate governance disagreement, succession event, or preparation for sale/stress.

Evidence: GARRIOCK, Arlene Joyce resigned 2025-12-19; GARRIOCK, Arlene Joyce resigned 2025-12-19

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
John Robert Simon Garriock
Individual · Scottish · DOB 12/1951 · age 75
50–75%
50–75%board control50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control01/05/2016

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

9 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
Incorporated1994-12-12
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC77110 — Renting and leasing of cars and light motor vehicles

Registered office

Bolts Car Hire Limited
North Road
Lerwick
Shetland
ZE1 0NT
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-26
Last: 2025-12-12

Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)

GARRIOCK, John Robert Simon→
director · ~75y · appointed 1995-01-24
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GARRIOCK, Arlene Joyce→
secretary · appointed 1995-01-24 · resigned 2025-12-19
Resigned
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1994-12-12 · resigned 1995-01-24
Resigned
GARRIOCK, Arlene Joyce→
director · ~73y · appointed 1995-01-24 · resigned 2025-12-19
Resigned
JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1994-12-12 · resigned 1995-01-24
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

4
Total charges
4
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge1 property07/11/2019—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge1 property07/11/2019—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Bond & floating charge1 property11/03/1997—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Standard security1 property06/03/1995—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (89 total)

replacement-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP01CS01
2026-05-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-23
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2025-12-22
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-12-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-01-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-02-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-03-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-02-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-06-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-12-23
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2020-12-21