GORHAM TRADING LIMITED
⚰️Wound downdissolved
SC207703 · ltd · incorporated 2000-05-26
Investment thesis
Company dissolved — not a live target.
Why interesting: Historical record only; useful for precedent research.
Why risky: Not transactable.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
50/100
Worth a look
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 5242
Sector: Transportation & storage
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 5243SIC 5243
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed unclear — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 50/100 (worth a look), bankability 42/100. Strong seller-intent signal (88/100, director aged 65). Asset purchase likely safer than share purchase given structural signals. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: asset disposal / carve-out (45/100). Current lenders should be on monthly review.
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 25.2y
25/100
too messy
Structure is too messy for a clean refinance right now — clean up first or expect bespoke terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 25.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 55/100 (high).
Data confidence
Overall: low (49/100)Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.
Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (3 active, 7 linked, 4 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
No PSCs filed (unusual — worth investigating)
35
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
63 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
50/100Worth a look
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Mixed signal. Worth opening the full target workup before deciding to pursue.
Business quality
10
Concerning — overdue filings or status flags present.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
41
Multiple red flags — proceed with caution.
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 (45 events)Click to expand
- 2012-05-29⚠️gazette-dissolved-liquidationgazette · GAZ2
- 2012-05-29🏁Company dissolved
- 2012-02-29⚠️liquidation-compulsory-return-of-final-meeting-scotlandinsolvency · 4.17(Scot)
- 2010-03-10⚠️liquidation-voluntary-arrangement-notice-completion-scotlandinsolvency · 1.4(Scot)
- 2010-03-10⚠️liquidation-voluntary-supervisors-abstracts-of-receipts-payments-scotland-with-brought-down-dateinsolvency · 1.3(Scot)
- 2010-03-03⚠️liquidation-voluntary-supervisors-abstracts-of-receipts-payments-scotland-with-brought-down-dateinsolvency · 1.3(Scot)
- 2008-04-01⚠️liquidation-voluntary-supervisors-abstracts-of-receipts-payments-scotland-with-brought-down-dateinsolvency · 1.3(Scot)
- 2008-03-11📍legacyaddress · 287
- 2008-01-18⚠️liquidation-compulsory-notice-winding-up-scotlandinsolvency · CO4.2(Scot)
- 2008-01-18⚠️liquidation-compulsory-winding-up-order-scotlandinsolvency · 4.2(Scot)
- 2007-11-02📄legacyofficers · 288b
- 2007-10-26📄legacymortgage · 410(Scot)
- 2007-10-18➖BRAID, Ronald John Bradford resigneddirector
- 2007-10-18📄legacymortgage · 419a(Scot)
- 2007-10-18✏️certificate-change-of-name-companychange-of-name · CERTNM
- 2007-10-18🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2007-10-05🔒Charge registered #4Lender: West Coast Estates Limited
- 2007-08-14📄legacymortgage · 419a(Scot)
- 2007-08-14🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2007-07-30📄legacyannual-return · 363s
- 2007-03-16⚠️liquidation-voluntary-arrangement-meeting-approving-creditors-voluntary-arrangement-scotlandinsolvency · 1.1(Scot)
- 2007-01-16📄legacyannual-return · 363s
- 2007-01-04📍legacyaddress · 287
- 2006-12-28📄auditors-resignation-companyauditors · AUD
- 2006-12-20📍legacyaddress · 287
- 2006-07-06📄legacyannual-return · 363s
- 2006-07-06📄legacyannual-return · 363(288)
- 2006-06-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2006-02-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-mediumaccounts · AA
- 2005-05-31📄legacyannual-return · 363s
- 2005-04-27🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2005-04-11🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Mackays Stores Limited
- 2005-04-07➕ALI, Sarfraz appointeddirector
- 2005-04-07🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2001-06-01➕BRAID, Ronald John Bradford appointeddirector
- 2001-03-12🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2000-10-06➕MIAN, Amirah Farhat appointedsecretary
- 2000-10-06➖ALI, Sarfraz resignedsecretary
- 2000-10-06➖ALI, Sarfraz resigneddirector
- 2000-05-26🏢Company incorporatedAs GORHAM TRADING LIMITED
- 2000-05-26➕MIAN, Iftikar Ali appointeddirector
- 2000-05-26➕ALI, Sarfraz appointedsecretary
- 2000-05-26➕OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-05-26➖OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-05-26➕ALI, Sarfraz 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
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
86/100
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 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- 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
2 high · 1 med ·Company dissolved
highCompany has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only.
Evidence: Dissolved on 2012-05-29
9 insolvency-related filings on record
highFilings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding.
Evidence: 2012-05-29: gazette-dissolved-liquidation; 2012-02-29: liquidation-compulsory-return-of-final-meeting-scotland
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
🔒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 · Transport & logistics · EH postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIMBERBUSH TOURS LIMITED→ SC279983 · est 2005 | £8.60M £6.45M–£10.75M | — | — | 109 | 21y | 85 | 65y |
| EAGLE COURIERS (HOLDINGS) LIMITED→ SC292831 · est 2005 | £3.09M £2.32M–£3.86M | — | — | — | 20y | 87 | 61y |
| EAGLE COURIERS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→ SC092113 · est 1985 | £3.09M £2.32M–£3.86M | — | — | 50 | 41y | 87 | 61y |
| A WILLIAMSON HAULAGE LIMITED→ SC306338 · est 2006 | — | — | £1.27M | — | 19y | 82 | 78y |
| A. JOHNSTONE HAULAGE LTD.→ SC283850 · est 2005 | — | — | £512.2k | — | 21y | 82 | 62y |
| ANDREW BLACK LIMITED→ SC224735 · est 2001 | — | — | £3.88M | — | 24y | 82 | 64y |
| BROUGHTON REMOVALS LIMITED→ SC181756 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 28y | 82 | 83y |
| CHAUFFEUR DRIVE SCOTLAND LIMITED→ SC394052 · est 2011 | — | — | £231.3k | — | 15y | 82 | 65y |
| DEREK HEEPS LIMITED→ SC167126 · est 1996 | — | — | — | 3000 | 29y | 82 | 63y |
| DUNBAR REMOVALS AND STORAGE LTD.→ SC165409 · est 1996 | — | — | — | 13 | 30y | 82 | 71y |
| E & M HORSBURGH LIMITED→ SC205341 · est 2000 | — | — | — | — | 26y | 82 | 66y |
| GORDON CONNOR HAULAGE LIMITED→ SC260191 · est 2003 | — | — | — | 100 | 22y | 82 | 63y |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
10 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
Incorporated2000-05-26
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC5242 — SIC 5242
Registered office
Semple Fraser Llp
80 George Street
Edinburgh
EH2 3BU
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: —
Last made up to: 2005-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: —
Last: —
Officers (0 active · 4 resigned)
MIAN, Amirah Farhat→
Activesecretary · appointed 2000-10-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ALI, Sarfraz→
Activedirector · ~65y · appointed 2005-04-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MIAN, Iftikar Ali→
Activedirector · ~56y · appointed 2000-05-26
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ALI, Sarfraz→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-05-26 · resigned 2000-10-06
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2000-05-26 · resigned 2000-05-26
ALI, Sarfraz→
Resigneddirector · ~65y · appointed 2000-05-26 · resigned 2000-10-06
BRAID, Ronald John Bradford→
Resigneddirector · ~75y · appointed 2001-06-01 · resigned 2007-10-18
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 | West Coast Estates West Coast Estates Limited | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 05/10/2007 | — | |
| satisfied | Mackays Stores Mackays Stores Limited | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 11/04/2005 | 14/08/2007 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 07/04/2005 | 18/10/2007 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Floating charge | 1 property | 12/03/2001 | 27/04/2005 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (63 total)
gazette-dissolved-liquidation
gazette · GAZ2
2012-05-29
liquidation-compulsory-return-of-final-meeting-scotland
insolvency · 4.17(Scot)
2012-02-29
liquidation-voluntary-arrangement-notice-completion-scotland
insolvency · 1.4(Scot)
2010-03-10
liquidation-voluntary-supervisors-abstracts-of-receipts-payments-scotland-with-brought-down-date
insolvency · 1.3(Scot)
2010-03-10
liquidation-voluntary-supervisors-abstracts-of-receipts-payments-scotland-with-brought-down-date
insolvency · 1.3(Scot)
2010-03-03
liquidation-voluntary-supervisors-abstracts-of-receipts-payments-scotland-with-brought-down-date
insolvency · 1.3(Scot)
2008-04-01
legacy
address · 287
2008-03-11
liquidation-compulsory-notice-winding-up-scotland
insolvency · CO4.2(Scot)
2008-01-18
liquidation-compulsory-winding-up-order-scotland
insolvency · 4.2(Scot)
2008-01-18
legacy
officers · 288b
2007-11-02
legacy
mortgage · 410(Scot)
2007-10-26
legacy
mortgage · 419a(Scot)
2007-10-18
certificate-change-of-name-company
change-of-name · CERTNM
2007-10-18
legacy
mortgage · 419a(Scot)
2007-08-14
legacy
annual-return · 363s
2007-07-30