MCPHERSON ENGINEERING LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC244000 · ltd · incorporated 2003-02-17
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 Oct 2024
Net worth
£1.36M
book net assets
Opportunity
75/100
Strong
🔔
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: Renting and leasing of agricultural machinery and equipment
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 75/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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 (58/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (76/100)

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 2 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
59 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
75/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £1,360,026
Cash YoY
+669%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£64k
↑ 669% YoY
Net Worth
£1.4m
↑ 33% YoY
Current Assets
£1.8m
↑ 20% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£359k£719k£1.1m£1.4m£1.8mOct 2023Oct 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2024-10-312023-10-31
Total assets£1.92M£1.55M
Current assets£1.80M£1.50M
Cash£63.7k£8.3k
Debtors£607.6k£497.6k
Net assets£1.36M£1.02M

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
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-06-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-08-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-06-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-06-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-05-04
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  6. 2021-12-15
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  7. 2021-12-15
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  8. 2021-12-10
    ➖
    MCPHERSON, Ian resigned
    director
  9. 2021-03-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2020-03-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2019-11-05
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  12. 2019-10-31
    ➖
    MCPHERSON, Anne Gilbertson resigned
    secretary
  13. 2019-04-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2018-05-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-11-01
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  16. 2017-08-28
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  17. 2017-08-28
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  18. 2017-07-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  19. 2003-02-17
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As MCPHERSON ENGINEERING LIMITED
  20. 2003-02-17
    ➕
    MCPHERSON, Neil appointed
    director
  21. 2003-02-17
    ➕
    MCPHERSON, Anne Gilbertson appointed
    secretary
  22. 2003-02-17
    ➕
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  23. 2003-02-17
    ➖
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  24. 2003-02-17
    ➕
    MCPHERSON, Ian 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 "MCPHERSON" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

75/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 23 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

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Neil Mcpherson
Individual · British · DOB 09/1974 · age 52
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Ian Mcphersonceased 10/12/2021· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting

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

Similar companies

Active · Professional services · DG postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
ASHER ASSOCIATES LIMITED→
SC189951 · est 1998
———180027y8359y
BROWNS FOOD GROUP LIMITED→
SC236133 · est 2002 · no financials extracted
————23y8362y
CARA CONSULTANTS LTD.→
SC214972 · est 2001
——£3.2k—25y8381y
DRYFE VETS LIMITED→
SC266139 · est 2004
——£1.04M—22y8363y
GM MARINE LIMITED→
SC384029 · est 2010
——£24.2k—15y8267y
M.K. WELDING (NEW CAMPLE) LIMITED→
SC298674 · est 2006
——£215.6k—20y8261y
CRICHTON FOUNDATION→
SC361942 · est 2009 · no financials extracted
————16y8183y
DEVORGILLA PROJECTS LIMITED→
SC692965 · est 2021 · no financials extracted
————5y——
QUAY DESIGN (ARCHITECTS) LTD→
SC667663 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————5y——
RACHEL LITTLE LEARNING SOLUTIONS LTD→
SC644252 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————6y——
STRYDE COMPLIANCE LTD→
SC864640 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
STUART HUXTABLE LIMITED→
SC393900 · est 2011 · no financials extracted
————15y——
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
Incorporated2003-02-17
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC77310 — Renting and leasing of agricultural machinery and equipment

Registered office

Glebe Terrace Glebe Terrace
Lochmaben
Lockerbie
DG11 1RE
United Kingdom

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-07-31
Last made up to: 2024-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-29
Last: 2025-12-15

Officers (1 active · 3 resigned)

MCPHERSON, Neil→
director · ~52y · appointed 2003-02-17
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MCPHERSON, Anne Gilbertson→
secretary · appointed 2003-02-17 · resigned 2019-10-31
Resigned
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-02-17 · resigned 2003-02-17
Resigned
MCPHERSON, Ian→
director · ~86y · appointed 2003-02-17 · resigned 2021-12-10
Resigned

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

Recent filings (59 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-08-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-06-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-06-15
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-05-04
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2021-12-15
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2021-12-15
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-03-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-03-18