BURNS MOTOR ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC218165 · ltd · incorporated 2001-04-18
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 Apr 2025
Net worth
£853.3k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 45200
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 62-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 70/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 62). 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

4 live charges · oldest 7.7y

45/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 7.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

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
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
67 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.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102
Positive net assets
Net assets £853,329
Cash YoY
+14%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£481k
↑ 14% YoY
Net Worth
£853k
↑ 14% YoY
Current Assets
£481k
↑ 14% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£171k£341k£512k£683k£853kApr 2024Apr 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-04-302024-04-30
Total assets£1.09M£1.01M
Current assets£480.7k£422.7k
Cash£480.7k£422.7k
Net assets£853.3k£748.7k

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
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (31 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-02-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-08-12
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  3. 2025-06-17
    ➕
    BURNS, Ronnie appointed
    secretary
  4. 2025-06-17
    ➖
    BURNS, Hugh resigned
    secretary
  5. 2025-06-17
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  6. 2025-06-17
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  7. 2025-01-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2024-04-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2023-04-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2022-02-09
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  11. 2022-01-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  12. 2021-01-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2020-02-01
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  14. 2020-01-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
  15. 2019-11-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  16. 2019-01-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  17. 2018-10-08
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  18. 2018-10-03
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  19. 2018-09-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
  20. 2018-09-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
  21. 2018-08-29
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  22. 2018-08-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
  23. 2014-12-22
    ➖
    BURNS, Hugh resigned
    director
  24. 2005-04-05
    ➕
    BURNS, Ronald appointed
    director
  25. 2005-01-19
    ➖
    BURNS, Sylvia resigned
    director
  26. 2001-04-18
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BURNS MOTOR ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED
  27. 2001-04-18
    ➕
    BURNS, Hugh appointed
    secretary
  28. 2001-04-18
    ➕
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  29. 2001-04-18
    ➖
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  30. 2001-04-18
    ➕
    BURNS, Hugh appointed
    director
  31. 2001-04-18
    ➕
    BURNS, Sylvia appointed
    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 "BURNS" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

75/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 62. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 21 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • 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

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Ronnie Burns
Individual · British · DOB 09/1964 · age 62
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · trust interest · firm interest30/11/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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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
Incorporated2001-04-18
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC45200 — SIC 45200

Registered office

5 Fishescoates Avenue
Rutherglen
Glasgow
G73 5AX

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-14
Last: 2025-11-30

Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)

BURNS, Ronnie→
secretary · appointed 2025-06-17
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BURNS, Ronald→
director · ~62y · appointed 2005-04-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BURNS, Hugh→
secretary · appointed 2001-04-18 · resigned 2025-06-17
Resigned
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2001-04-18 · resigned 2001-04-18
Resigned
BURNS, Hugh→
director · ~97y · appointed 2001-04-18 · resigned 2014-12-22
Resigned
BURNS, Sylvia→
director · ~88y · appointed 2001-04-18 · resigned 2005-01-19
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

4
Total charges
4
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge1 property30/01/2020—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge1 property19/09/2018—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge1 property19/09/2018—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge—22/08/2018—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (67 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-02-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-28
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-08-12
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2025-06-17
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2025-06-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-01-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-04-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-30
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-02-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-01-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-01-12