EUROPEAN FOREST MACHINERY LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC206862 · ltd · incorporated 2000-05-05
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and tidy — no seller pressure yet. Approach only if an angle opens.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 26.1y old — refinance window within 12 months
What changed my view
Last 30 days
No material changes in the last 30 days.
Last 90 days
No material changes in the last 90 days.
Last 180 days
No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Jan 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 28302
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 68-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 65/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 68). 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 (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 26.1y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 26.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)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
7 officers (4 active, 7 linked, 5 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
3 active PSC(s) of 5 total, 5 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
78 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
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 | 2025-01-31 | 2024-01-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 0 | 0 |
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
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (34 events)Click to expand
- 2025-10-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-05-09📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-05-09📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-05-09📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-05-09📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-05-09📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-04-02📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2023-06-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-06📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2023-06-06📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2023-05-19📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2023-05-18📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-05-09➖MORGAN, Stewart resigneddirector
- 2023-01-16📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-12-02➖MCVEY, Ewan George resigneddirector
- 2022-05-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-06📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2020-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-02-20🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Barclays Security Trustee Limited
- 2006-03-10🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2004-06-17➕MORGAN, Stewart appointeddirector
- 2000-08-21🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2000-06-15🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2000-05-05🏢Company incorporatedAs EUROPEAN FOREST MACHINERY LIMITED
- 2000-05-05➕WILSON, William James appointedsecretary
- 2000-05-05➕WILSON, Iain Joseph appointeddirector
- 2000-05-05➕WILSON, John appointeddirector
- 2000-05-05➕WILSON, William James appointeddirector
- 2000-05-05➕OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-05-05➖OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-05-05➕MCVEY, Ewan George appointeddirector
Owner dependency
83/100
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
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 68 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
80/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 68. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- 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.)
Shareholders & ownership
3 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr William James Wilson Individual · British · DOB 01/1963 · age 63 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 01/07/2016 |
Mr John Wilson Individual · British · DOB 04/1958 · age 68 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 01/07/2016 |
Mr Iain Joseph Wilson Individual · British · DOB 01/1973 · age 53 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 01/07/2016 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr Stewart Morganceased 09/05/2023· significant influence
- Mr Ewan George Mcveyceased 02/12/2022· significant influence
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Manufacturing · DG postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EWART ENGINEERING LIMITED→ SC049122 · est 1971 | £1.94M £1.51M–£2.37M | £8.54M | — | 7900 | 54y | 87 | 62y |
| HODDAM CONTRACTING COMPANY LIMITED→ SC033012 · est 1958 | — | — | — | 48 | 68y | 83 | 60y |
| JAMES GORDON LIMITED→ SC293893 · est 2005 | — | — | £7.20M | — | 20y | 83 | 76y |
| A & G KING TIMBER LIMITED→ SC198132 · est 1999 | — | — | £7.80M | — | 26y | 82 | 84y |
| CASTLE TECHNOLOGIES (STRANRAER) LIMITED→ SC377099 · est 2010 | — | — | — | 12 | 16y | 82 | 58y |
| DAVID REID LIMITED→ SC292994 · est 2005 | — | — | £11.1k | — | 20y | 82 | 67y |
| ESK VALLEY KNITWEAR CO.LIMITED→ SC059934 · est 1976 | — | — | — | 25 | 50y | 82 | 58y |
| J D ENGINEERING (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→ SC204802 · est 2000 | — | — | — | 1900 | 26y | 82 | 72y |
| MATHER DAIRY UTENSILS COMPANY LIMITED→ SC317396 · est 2007 | — | — | £2.61M | — | 19y | 82 | 69y |
| PLASTIC TECHNOLOGY SERVICES LIMITED→ SC133850 · est 1991 | — | — | — | 4000 | 34y | 82 | 71y |
| PTS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→ SC266414 · est 2004 | — | — | — | 0 | 22y | 82 | 71y |
| SOUTHERN TRACTORS LIMITED→ SC244135 · est 2003 | — | — | — | 4 | 23y | 82 | 68y |
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
Incorporated2000-05-05
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC28302 — SIC 28302
Registered office
Unit 1 Industrial Site
Coast Road
Dalbeattie
DG5 4QU
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-10-31
Last made up to: 2025-01-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-19
Last: 2026-05-05
Officers (4 active · 3 resigned)
WILSON, William James→
Activesecretary · appointed 2000-05-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WILSON, Iain Joseph→
Activedirector · ~53y · appointed 2000-05-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WILSON, John→
Activedirector · ~68y · appointed 2000-05-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WILSON, William James→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2000-05-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2000-05-05 · resigned 2000-05-05
MCVEY, Ewan George→
Resigneddirector · ~68y · appointed 2000-05-05 · resigned 2022-12-02
MORGAN, Stewart→
Resigneddirector · ~50y · appointed 2004-06-17 · resigned 2023-05-09
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
4
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Security Trustee Limited | A registered charge | — | 20/02/2020 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Standard security | 1 property | 10/03/2006 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Standard security | 1 property | 21/08/2000 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 15/06/2000 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (78 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-05-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-10-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-10-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-06-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-09
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-05-09
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-05-09
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-05-09
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-05-09
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-05-09
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
accounts · AA01
2024-04-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-06-23
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2023-06-06
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2023-06-06