DIRECT BUSINESS SYSTEMS (SCOTLAND) LTD.

⚰️Wound downdissolved
SC169124 · ltd · incorporated 1996-10-17
Investment thesis
Company dissolved — not a live target.
Why interesting: Historical record only; useful for precedent research.
Why risky: Not transactable.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
  • · Oldest live charge 28.2y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
63/100
Worth a look
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Non-trading company
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed dormant / non-trading — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 63/100 (worth a look), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (73/100, director aged 65). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Company dissolved. Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

2 live charges · oldest 28.2y

85/100
ready

Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.

  • · Oldest live charge is 28.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (61/100)

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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
11 officers (2 active, 11 linked, 8 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
16 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
84 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
63/100Worth a look
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Mixed signal. Worth opening the full target workup before deciding to pursue.

Business quality
30
Concerning — overdue filings or status flags present.
Acquirability
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (48 events)Click to expand
  1. 2021-01-19
    📄
    gazette-dissolved-voluntary
    gazette · GAZ2(A)
  2. 2021-01-19
    🏁
    Company dissolved
  3. 2020-11-03
    📄
    gazette-notice-voluntary
    gazette · GAZ1(A)
  4. 2020-10-27
    📄
    dissolution-application-strike-off-company
    dissolution · DS01
  5. 2020-06-24
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  6. 2020-06-24
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  7. 2020-06-18
    ➕
    MARUGGI, Aurelio appointed
    director
  8. 2020-06-17
    ➖
    STANTON-GLEAVES, Robin James resigned
    director
  9. 2020-06-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  10. 2019-07-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  11. 2019-06-10
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  12. 2019-05-28
    ➖
    PIERPOINT, Alan resigned
    secretary
  13. 2019-04-25
    ➖
    COLLINS, Jason Patrick resigned
    director
  14. 2019-04-25
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  15. 2019-03-15
    ➖
    RANDALL, Martin Keith resigned
    director
  16. 2019-03-15
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  17. 2018-12-14
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
    accounts · AA01
  18. 2018-11-23
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  19. 2018-11-09
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  20. 2018-11-01
    ➕
    CLARK, James Alexander appointed
    director
  21. 2018-10-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  22. 2018-07-18
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  23. 2018-07-18
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  24. 2018-01-19
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  25. 2018-01-19
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  26. 2018-01-19
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  27. 2018-01-03
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  28. 2017-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  29. 2016-11-21
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  30. 2016-11-21
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  31. 2016-10-26
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  32. 2016-10-24
    ➖
    CHAMBERS, Eric James resigned
    secretary
  33. 2016-10-24
    ➕
    PIERPOINT, Alan appointed
    secretary
  34. 2016-10-24
    ➖
    CHAMBERS, Anne Peden resigned
    director
  35. 2016-10-24
    ➖
    CHAMBERS, Eric James resigned
    director
  36. 2016-10-24
    ➕
    COLLINS, Jason Patrick appointed
    director
  37. 2016-10-24
    ➕
    RANDALL, Martin Keith appointed
    director
  38. 2016-10-24
    ➕
    STANTON-GLEAVES, Robin James appointed
    director
  39. 2008-04-04
    ➖
    CAMPBELL, Richard resigned
    director
  40. 2006-11-01
    ➕
    CAMPBELL, Richard appointed
    director
  41. 2004-08-12
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  42. 1998-04-27
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  43. 1996-11-01
    ➕
    CHAMBERS, Eric James appointed
    director
  44. 1996-10-17
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As DIRECT BUSINESS SYSTEMS (SCOTLAND) LTD.
  45. 1996-10-17
    ➕
    CHAMBERS, Eric James appointed
    secretary
  46. 1996-10-17
    ➕
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  47. 1996-10-17
    ➖
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  48. 1996-10-17
    ➕
    CHAMBERS, Anne Peden appointed
    director

Owner dependency

73/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

66/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 30 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 high ·
Company dissolved
high

Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only.

Evidence: Dissolved on 2021-01-19

Group structure

Apogee Corporation Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Apogee Corporation Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
⬇
DIRECT BUSINESS SYSTEMS (SCOTLAND) LTD.
This company · SC169124

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Apogee Corporation Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control24/10/2016
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mrs Anne Peden Chambersceased 24/10/2016· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
  • Mr Eric James Chambersceased 24/10/2016· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting

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

Statusdissolved
Typeltd
Incorporated1996-10-17
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC74990 — Non-trading company

Registered office

Rannoch House 17 Shairps Business Park
Houstoun Road
Livingston
West Lothian
EH54 5FD

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: —
Last made up to: 2019-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: —
Last: —

Officers (0 active · 9 resigned)

CLARK, James Alexander→
director · ~47y · appointed 2018-11-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MARUGGI, Aurelio→
director · ~65y · appointed 2020-06-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CHAMBERS, Eric James→
secretary · appointed 1996-10-17 · resigned 2016-10-24
Resigned
PIERPOINT, Alan→
secretary · appointed 2016-10-24 · resigned 2019-05-28
Resigned
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1996-10-17 · resigned 1996-10-17
Resigned
CAMPBELL, Richard→
director · ~54y · appointed 2006-11-01 · resigned 2008-04-04
Resigned
CHAMBERS, Anne Peden→
director · ~72y · appointed 1996-10-17 · resigned 2016-10-24
Resigned
CHAMBERS, Eric James→
director · ~73y · appointed 1996-11-01 · resigned 2016-10-24
Resigned
COLLINS, Jason Patrick→
director · ~56y · appointed 2016-10-24 · resigned 2019-04-25
Resigned
RANDALL, Martin Keith→
director · ~67y · appointed 2016-10-24 · resigned 2019-03-15
Resigned
STANTON-GLEAVES, Robin James→
director · ~58y · appointed 2016-10-24 · resigned 2020-06-17
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

2
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Standard security1 property12/08/200418/07/2018
satisfied
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Floating charge1 property27/04/199826/10/2016

Recent filings (84 total)

gazette-dissolved-voluntary
gazette · GAZ2(A)
2021-01-19
gazette-notice-voluntary
gazette · GAZ1(A)
2020-11-03
dissolution-application-strike-off-company
dissolution · DS01
2020-10-27
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2020-06-24
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2020-06-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2020-06-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-10-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2019-07-24
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2019-06-10
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2019-04-25
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2019-03-15
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
accounts · AA01
2018-12-14
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2018-11-23
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2018-11-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2018-10-25