MO & CO (UK) LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC236096 · ltd · incorporated 2002-08-29
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 Sept 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Wholesale of clothing and footwear
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 86-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 86). 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).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

3 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 23.5y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 23.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · 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
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (3 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
94 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
🔒Estimated company valuation

Sector-multiple EBITDA, turnover, and NAV-proxy valuation range with confidence tier — derived from extracted iXBRL financials.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
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 accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Sept 2024Sept 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-09-302024-09-30
Average employees21002100

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 mortgage
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (31 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-03-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-12-11
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  3. 2025-11-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: George Buchan
  4. 2025-02-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2024-09-24
    📄
    capital-name-of-class-of-shares
    capital · SH08
  6. 2024-09-23
    📄
    memorandum-articles
    incorporation · MA
  7. 2024-09-23
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  8. 2024-09-20
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  9. 2024-09-20
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  10. 2024-09-20
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  11. 2024-06-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  12. 2023-12-21
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  13. 2023-12-21
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  14. 2023-11-08
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  15. 2023-10-25
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Close Invoice Finance LTD
  16. 2023-03-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2022-02-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2021-01-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2020-06-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  20. 2019-05-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  21. 2017-03-15
    ➖
    BUCHAN, George resigned
    secretary
  22. 2005-01-11
    ➕
    BUCHAN, Austen George appointed
    director
  23. 2002-11-13
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  24. 2002-09-03
    ➕
    BUCHAN, George appointed
    director
  25. 2002-09-03
    ➕
    BUCHAN, Maureen Frances appointed
    director
  26. 2002-09-03
    ➕
    BUCHAN, George appointed
    secretary
  27. 2002-09-03
    ➖
    PF & S ( SECRETARIES) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  28. 2002-09-03
    ➖
    PF & S (DIRECTORS) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  29. 2002-08-29
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As MO & CO (UK) LIMITED
  30. 2002-08-29
    ➕
    PF & S ( SECRETARIES) LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  31. 2002-08-29
    ➕
    PF & S (DIRECTORS) LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

83/100
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
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 86 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

90/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 86 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 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

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mrs Maureen Frances Buchan
Individual · British · DOB 10/1946 · age 80
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting29/08/2016
Mr George Buchan
Individual · British · DOB 02/1940 · age 86
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting29/08/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Austen George Buchanceased 01/09/2016· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · significant influence

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

Similar companies

Active · Wholesale & distribution · AB postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
JOHN DAVIDSON (PIPES) LIMITED→
SC050397 · est 1972
£15.21M
£11.41M–£19.01M
£79.83M—2500054y8361y
WELLHEAD ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES LIMITED→
SC123707 · est 1990
£993.4k
£745.1k–£1.24M
——1536y8373y
KEITH BUILDERS MERCHANTS LIMITED→
SC217157 · est 2001
£155.6k
£116.7k–£194.6k
——3925y8458y
APEX TUBULARS LIMITED→
SC331461 · est 2007
———60018y8363y
GPH BUILDERS MERCHANTS LIMITED→
SC378341 · est 2010 · no financials extracted
————15y8371y
SEAFOOD TRADERS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED→
SC223363 · est 2001
———900024y8378y
ABERDEEN OFFICE SUPPLIES LIMITED→
SC238550 · est 2002
——£59.2k—23y8267y
CABER COFFEE LIMITED→
SC329912 · est 2007
——£593.6k—18y8283y
CRAIGIEVAR TIMBER LIMITED→
SC357720 · est 2009
——£227.4k—17y8274y
D. RUDDIMAN LIMITED→
SC031624 · est 1956
——£15.2k—69y8296y
GOOD TASTE SCOTLAND LIMITED→
SC314261 · est 2007
——£50.0k—19y8270y
GPH BUILDERS MERCHANTS (2006) LIMITED→
SC208072 · est 2000 · no financials extracted
————25y8271y
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
Incorporated2002-08-29
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC46420 — Wholesale of clothing and footwear

Registered office

78-80 St Clement Street
Aberdeen
AB11 5BD

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-06-30
Last made up to: 2025-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-14
Last: 2025-07-31

Officers (3 active · 3 resigned)

BUCHAN, Austen George→
director · ~54y · appointed 2005-01-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BUCHAN, George→
director · ~86y · appointed 2002-09-03
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BUCHAN, Maureen Frances→
director · ~80y · appointed 2002-09-03
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BUCHAN, George→
secretary · appointed 2002-09-03 · resigned 2017-03-15
Resigned
PF & S ( SECRETARIES) LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-08-29 · resigned 2002-09-03
Resigned
PF & S (DIRECTORS) LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2002-08-29 · resigned 2002-09-03
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

3
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
George Buchan / Maureen Frances Buchan
A registered charge5 properties20/11/2025—
outstanding
Close Invoice Finance
Close Invoice Finance LTD
A registered charge—25/10/2023—
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Bond & floating charge1 property13/11/200221/12/2023
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (94 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-03-27
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-12-11
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-02-20
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2024-09-24
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2024-09-23
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2024-09-23
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-09-20
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-09-20
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-09-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2024-06-25
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-12-21
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2023-11-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-23