MACKENZIE HUGHES LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
SC202788 · ltd · incorporated 2000-01-05
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 Mar 2025
Net worth
£260.5k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Development of building projects
Sector: Construction
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 3 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 22.5y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 22.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (76/100)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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (1 active, 6 linked, 2 with DOB)
77
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
84 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Positive net assets
Net assets £260,536
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£711k
Net Worth
£261k
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £267.1k | — |
| Cash | £711.1k | — |
| Net assets | £260.5k | — |
| Average employees | — | 500 |
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
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (34 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-01-18📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2024-01-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-12-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-01-17📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-01-17📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-01-17📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2022-09-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-29➖STUART, Kate Mary Helen resignedsecretary
- 2022-08-11📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2021-12-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-26📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2020-12-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-08-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-01-29📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2018-01-29📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2018-01-07➖FORTEATH, Lynda resigneddirector
- 2016-06-30➕FORTEATH, Lynda appointeddirector
- 2009-12-11🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2009-12-03🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Adam & Company PLC
- 2009-08-17🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Adam & Company PLC
- 2006-03-01➖FORTEATH, Elise Helen Mary resignedsecretary
- 2006-03-01➕STUART, Kate Mary Helen appointedsecretary
- 2003-10-22🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Aib Group (UK) PLC
- 2003-10-16🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Aib Group (UK) PLC
- 2000-01-10➖ASHCROFT CAMERON SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-01-10➖ASHCROFT CAMERON NOMINEES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2000-01-05🏢Company incorporatedAs MACKENZIE HUGHES LIMITED
- 2000-01-05➕FORTEATH, Rory George Mackenzie appointeddirector
- 2000-01-05➕FORTEATH, Elise Helen Mary appointedsecretary
- 2000-01-05➕ASHCROFT CAMERON SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-01-05➕ASHCROFT CAMERON NOMINEES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
85/100
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 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 26 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 26 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Group structure
Mackenzie Ardloch Ltd is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Mackenzie Ardloch Ltd
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
⬇
MACKENZIE HUGHES LIMITED
This company · SC202788
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%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mackenzie Ardloch Ltd Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 13/04/2023 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mrs Lynda Forteathceased 07/01/2018· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
- Mr Rory George Mackenzie Forteathceased 13/04/2023· 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Construction · EH postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DENHOLM'S DECORATORS LTD→ SC838350 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| DS STEEL LTD→ SC718911 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| EAST COAST ELECTRICAL CONTRACTS LTD→ SC790092 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| EAST LOTHIAN BOILER CARE LTD→ SC855563 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| EAST LOTHIAN GLASS & GLAZING LTD→ SC453207 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| EAST LOTHIAN PAINTERS & DECORATORS LTD→ SC781146 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| EAST LOTHIAN PLUMBING & HEATING LTD.→ SC255482 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| EAST LOTHIAN ROOFING CONTRACTORS LTD→ SC867994 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| EAST WEST ELECTRICAL LIMITED→ SC524134 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| EASTERN BUILDING SERVICES SOLUTIONS LTD→ SC841908 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| EASTERN ELECTRIC (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→ SC179534 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 28y | — | — |
| EASY ELECTRICAL EDINBURGH LTD.→ SC390711 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2000-01-05
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC41100 — Development of building projects
Registered office
4 Old Tolbooth Wynd
Calton Road
Edinburgh
EH8 8EQ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-19
Last: 2026-01-05
Officers (1 active · 5 resigned)
FORTEATH, Rory George Mackenzie→
Activedirector · ~53y · appointed 2000-01-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
FORTEATH, Elise Helen Mary→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-01-05 · resigned 2006-03-01
STUART, Kate Mary Helen→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2006-03-01 · resigned 2022-08-29
ASHCROFT CAMERON SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2000-01-05 · resigned 2000-01-10
FORTEATH, Lynda→
Resigneddirector · ~47y · appointed 2016-06-30 · resigned 2018-01-07
ASHCROFT CAMERON NOMINEES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2000-01-05 · resigned 2000-01-10
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
3
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Adam & Company Adam & Company PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 03/12/2009 | — | |
| outstanding | Adam & Company Adam & Company PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 17/08/2009 | — | |
| outstanding | Aib Group (UK) Aib Group (UK) PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 22/10/2003 | — | |
| satisfied | Aib Group (UK) Aib Group (UK) PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 16/10/2003 | 11/12/2009 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (84 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-17
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-18
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2024-01-18
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-01-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-17
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-01-17
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-01-17
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2023-01-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-01
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-08-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-11