CROWN ENGINEERING SERVICES LTD.
💤Zombieactive
SC189149 · ltd · incorporated 1998-09-08
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 Oct 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Other engineering activities
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 73-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 73). 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).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · oldest 27.1y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 27.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)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
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 2 with DOB)
80
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
75 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.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-10-31 | 2024-10-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 800 | 800 |
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
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (29 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-07-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-05📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-09-05🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2024-07-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-05-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-02-22📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2021-11-07📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2021-11-07📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2021-05-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-04-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-07-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-18📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2018-12-18🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2018-10-05📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2018-10-05🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2018-05-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-05-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2006-09-21🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 2002-08-26🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 1999-03-08🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 1998-09-08🏢Company incorporatedAs CROWN ENGINEERING SERVICES LTD.
- 1998-09-08➕ROBERTSON, Wilma Lochart appointedsecretary
- 1998-09-08➕ROBERTSON, Douglas Mcintosh appointeddirector
- 1998-09-08➕REID, Brian appointednominee-secretary
- 1998-09-08➖REID, Brian resignednominee-secretary
- 1998-09-08➕MABBOTT, Stephen appointednominee-director
- 1998-09-08➖MABBOTT, Stephen resignednominee-director
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 28 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 73 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
100/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 73 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 28 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 28 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 ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Wilma Lochart Robertson Individual · British · DOB 10/1954 · age 72 | 25–50% | 25–50% | board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control | 30/11/2016 |
Mr Douglas Mcintosh Robertson Individual · British · DOB 07/1953 · age 73 | 25–50% | 25–50% | board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control | 08/09/2016 |
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 →Similar companies
Active · Professional services · DD postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D P & L HOLDINGS LIMITED→ SC482382 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| DAVIE PLANT LIMITED→ SC644151 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| DELTA P SOLUTIONS LIMITED→ SC484827 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| DJ MARTIN (AT) LIMITED→ SC474745 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| DM STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LTD→ SC613999 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| DQZ SERVICES LTD→ SC692892 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| DSB DESIGN LTD→ SC505021 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| DUNCAN PATTIE LIMITED→ SC358885 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| DUNDEE PROMOTIONS LIMITED→ SC827727 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| DUNELLA LTD→ SC838242 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| E.M.S. EUROWELD LIMITED→ SC094303 · est 1985 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 40y | — | — |
| ECHO INITIATIVES LIMITED→ SC436134 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1998-09-08
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC71129 — Other engineering activities
Registered office
328c Clepington Road
Dundee
DD3 8RZ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-22
Last: 2025-09-08
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
ROBERTSON, Wilma Lochart→
Activesecretary · appointed 1998-09-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ROBERTSON, Douglas Mcintosh→
Activedirector · ~73y · appointed 1998-09-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
REID, Brian→
Resignednominee-secretary · appointed 1998-09-08 · resigned 1998-09-08
MABBOTT, Stephen→
Resignednominee-director · ~76y · appointed 1998-09-08 · resigned 1998-09-08
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Standard security | 1 property | 21/09/2006 | 05/10/2018 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Standard security | 1 property | 26/08/2002 | 18/12/2018 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Floating charge | 1 property | 08/03/1999 | 05/09/2024 |
Recent filings (75 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-04-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-07-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-20
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-09-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-06-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-05-27
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-02-22
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2021-11-07
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2021-11-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-05-20