DENHOLM ASSOCIATES LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC205833 · ltd · incorporated 2000-04-04
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Other activities of employment placement agencies
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 76-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 76). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
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Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 21.4y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 21.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: high (80/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
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 (3 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
7 connected companies via shared directors
66
Filing history
86 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
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
74
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 · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 24 | 3500 |
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
3
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 90 days
3
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
3
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (34 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-20📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2026-04-20📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-02-05📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-11-08📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-02-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-04-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-26📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-08-26📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-08-26📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2022-08-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-14📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2021-10-14📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2021-09-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-11-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-08-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-08-11🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2017-08-11🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2017-08-11🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2016-05-05🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC (Trading as Both Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank) (Company Number SC001111)
- 2013-09-16🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
- 2007-08-03🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2004-11-19🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2002-09-10➕DENHOLM, John Clark appointeddirector
- 2002-09-10➖HBJ SECRETARIAL LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-09-10➖MCINTYRE, Alexander Stewart resigneddirector
- 2002-08-16➕DENHOLM, Nicola Carrol appointedsecretary
- 2002-08-16➕DENHOLM, Nicola Carrol appointeddirector
- 2001-08-22➕MCINTYRE, Alexander Stewart appointeddirector
- 2001-08-22➖HENDERSON BOYD JACKSON LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2000-04-04🏢Company incorporatedAs DENHOLM ASSOCIATES LIMITED
- 2000-04-04➕HBJ SECRETARIAL LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-04-04➕HENDERSON BOYD JACKSON LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-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
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "DENHOLM" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 76 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
96/100
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 76 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 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
1 med · 1 lowCharge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Multiple registered office changes
lowMultiple address changes in a short period can indicate operational instability or admin disorder.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Nicola Carrol Denholm Individual · British · DOB 02/1967 · age 59 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 01/04/2026 |
Mr John Clark Denholm Individual · British · DOB 09/1950 · age 76 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 01/03/2017 |
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 · EH postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D R NEWITT & ASSOCIATES LIMITED→ SC225153 · est 2001 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 24y | — | — |
| D R NEWITT INTERIM LIMITED→ SC472942 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| D R NEWITT RECRUITMENT LIMITED→ SC297911 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| DIXON WALTER LIMITED→ SC476049 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| DLB ADVISORS LIMITED→ SC849779 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DM HORIZONS LTD→ SC847704 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DM WATER CONSULT LIMITED→ SC806776 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| DMD LAW TRUSTEES LIMITED→ SC332258 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| DMS RESEARCH & CONSULTING LTD→ SC618656 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| DO REGO & CO LIMITED→ SC868943 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DOCHERTY CONSULTING LIMITED→ SC238298 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| DOUBLE DIAMOND BESPOKE TAX SERVICES LTD→ SC530155 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2000-04-04
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC78109 — Other activities of employment placement agencies
Registered office
First Floor
107 George Street
Edinburgh
EH2 3ES
Scotland
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-14
Last: 2026-03-31
Officers (3 active · 3 resigned)
DENHOLM, Nicola Carrol→
Activesecretary · appointed 2002-08-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DENHOLM, John Clark→
Activedirector · ~76y · appointed 2002-09-10
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DENHOLM, Nicola Carrol→
Activedirector · ~59y · appointed 2002-08-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HBJ SECRETARIAL LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2000-04-04 · resigned 2002-09-10
MCINTYRE, Alexander Stewart→
Resigneddirector · ~70y · appointed 2001-08-22 · resigned 2002-09-10
HENDERSON BOYD JACKSON LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2000-04-04 · resigned 2001-08-22
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC (Trading as Both Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank) (Company Number SC001111) | A registered charge | — | 05/05/2016 | — | |
| satisfied | NatWest Group Rbs Invoice Finance Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 16/09/2013 | 11/08/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 03/08/2007 | 11/08/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 19/11/2004 | 11/08/2017 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (86 total)
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2026-04-20
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-04-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-03
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-02-05
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2024-11-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-02-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-31
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-08-26
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-08-26
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2022-08-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-08-23