JOHN ROBERTSON ( NORTH ) LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC211462 · ltd · incorporated 2000-09-28
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and stalled — no momentum either way. Needs an approach trigger.
What changed my view
Last 30 days

No material changes in the last 30 days.

Last 90 days

No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.

Last 180 days

No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.

🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Construction of domestic buildings
Sector: Construction
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 64-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 64). 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

1 live charge · oldest 25.6y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 25.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (56/100)

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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (2 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
3 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
80 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.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (27 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-04-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-08-05
    📄
    accounts-amended-with-made-up-date
    accounts · AAMD
  3. 2025-07-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2024-11-08
    📄
    accounts-amended-with-made-up-date
    accounts · AAMD
  5. 2024-04-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-07-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-07-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2021-08-13
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  9. 2021-08-13
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  10. 2021-04-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  11. 2021-04-05
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  12. 2021-04-05
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  13. 2021-04-05
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  14. 2020-09-04
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  15. 2020-07-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  16. 2019-07-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  17. 2018-07-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2001-01-13
    ➖
    THOMSON, Dennis resigned
    director
  19. 2000-11-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  20. 2000-09-28
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As JOHN ROBERTSON ( NORTH ) LIMITED
  21. 2000-09-28
    ➕
    LEGGE, Janice appointed
    secretary
  22. 2000-09-28
    ➕
    ROBERTSON, John Graham appointed
    director
  23. 2000-09-28
    ➕
    BRIAN REID LTD. appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  24. 2000-09-28
    ➖
    BRIAN REID LTD. resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  25. 2000-09-28
    ➕
    THOMSON, Dennis appointed
    director
  26. 2000-09-28
    ➕
    STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  27. 2000-09-28
    ➖
    STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
Critical — business is the founder

The 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.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "ROBERTSON" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • 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

clean
No 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
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mrs Pauline Mary Robertson
Individual · Scottish · DOB 06/1969 · age 57
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting06/10/2020
Mr Scott Patrick Robertson
Individual · Scottish · DOB 05/2002 · age 24
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting06/10/2020
Mr John Graham Robertson
Individual · British · DOB 04/1962 · age 64
25–50%
25–50%board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control06/04/2016

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 · Construction · AB postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
SEIVWRIGHT BROTHERS LIMITED→
SC234623 · est 2002
£8.04M
£5.74M–£10.33M
——7323y8776y
THISTLE WINDOWS & CONSERVATORIES LIMITED→
SC159622 · est 1995
£1.28M
£917.3k–£1.65M
——11930y8465y
SKENE ENTERPRISES (ABERDEEN) LIMITED→
SC072886 · est 1980
£910.0k
£650.0k–£1.17M
——10545y8387y
AJC CONSTRUCTION SCOTLAND LIMITED→
SC216542 · est 2001
———270025y8360y
AM CAMPBELL (UK) LTD.→
SC212573 · est 2000
——£62.6k—25y8363y
LADYSBRIDGE VILLAGE LIMITED→
SC262049 · est 2004
———022y8375y
SPARK'S MECHANICAL SERVICES LIMITED→
SC102458 · est 1986
——£3.06M—39y8359y
T & M SLATING LTD.→
SC251627 · est 2003
———923y8359y
WHITEHILLS DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD.→
SC216307 · est 2001
——£49.1k—25y8375y
A & B BUCHAN LIMITED→
SC375607 · est 2010
——£945.4k—16y8262y
A G FLEMING CONSTRUCTION LIMITED→
SC339764 · est 2008
———40018y8259y
A J DONALD (SLATERS) LIMITED→
SC345042 · est 2008
——£88.4k—17y8265y
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
Incorporated2000-09-28
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC41202 — Construction of domestic buildings

Registered office

Newton Of Letterfourie,
Drybridge, Buckie
Moray
AB56 5LB

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-12
Last: 2025-09-28

Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)

LEGGE, Janice→
secretary · appointed 2000-09-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ROBERTSON, John Graham→
director · ~64y · appointed 2000-09-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BRIAN REID LTD.→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2000-09-28 · resigned 2000-09-28
Resigned
THOMSON, Dennis→
director · ~56y · appointed 2000-09-28 · resigned 2001-01-13
Resigned
STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD.→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2000-09-28 · resigned 2000-09-28
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Bond & floating charge1 property24/11/200013/08/2021

Recent filings (80 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-04-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-07
accounts-amended-with-made-up-date
accounts · AAMD
2025-08-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-07-22
accounts-amended-with-made-up-date
accounts · AAMD
2024-11-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-04-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-07-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-12
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2021-08-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-04-08
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2021-04-05