MEARNS HARDWARE LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC245514 · ltd · incorporated 2003-03-12
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 21.2y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46150
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 66-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 66). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 2 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 21.2y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 21.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)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, 4 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
72 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.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 3 | 300 |
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
2
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 officers
Last 180 days
3
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 officers
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (29 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-24📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-12-17➖OGILVIE, Ian George resigneddirector
- 2025-12-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-21📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-12-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-30📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2022-08-30🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2021-09-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-11-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-11-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-08-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2016-12-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-04-06📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-11-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2012-10-10➖OGILVIE, John Duthie resigneddirector
- 2008-02-25🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2008-02-20🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2006-03-06➕OGILVIE, Ian George appointeddirector
- 2006-03-06➕OGILVIE, John Duthie appointeddirector
- 2005-02-02🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 2003-03-12🏢Company incorporatedAs MEARNS HARDWARE LIMITED
- 2003-03-12➕OGILVIE, Karen appointedsecretary
- 2003-03-12➕OGILVIE, Andrew Stephen appointeddirector
- 2003-03-12➕OGILVIE, Karen appointeddirector
- 2003-03-12➕OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-03-12➖OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
Owner dependency
91/100
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 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
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 66. 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 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
cleanNo 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| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Karen Ogilvie Individual · British · DOB 05/1960 · age 66 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 01/07/2016 |
Mr Andrew Stephen Ogilvie Individual · British · DOB 01/1967 · age 59 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 01/07/2016 |
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 · Wholesale & distribution · AB postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCO-BERE SEAFOODS (HOLDINGS) LIMITED→ SC290003 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| SFF (UK) LTD→ SC467406 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| SKATERAW FISHERIES LIMITED→ SC550292 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| SOLUTION SALES LTD→ SC733033 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| SPECTRA RENEWABLES LIMITED→ SC558768 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| STAR Q LINE LTD→ SC877813 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| STEVEN F WEBSTER LIMITED→ SC188876 · est 1998 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
| STONERIDGE ELECTRONICS LIMITED→ SC139213 · est 1992 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 33y | — | — |
| STRACHANS LIMITED→ SC062092 · est 1977 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 49y | — | — |
| STRAT-LOGIKA LIMITED→ SC314010 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| SWEENEY KINCAID LIMITED→ SC196511 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| SWTC TRADING LIMITED→ SC725688 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2003-03-12
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC46150 — SIC 46150
Registered office
22 Napier Place
Marykirk
Kincardineshire
AB30 1XE
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-26
Last: 2026-03-12
Officers (3 active · 3 resigned)
Active
OGILVIE, Andrew Stephen→
Activedirector · ~59y · appointed 2003-03-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
OGILVIE, Karen→
Activedirector · ~66y · appointed 2003-03-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-03-12 · resigned 2003-03-12
OGILVIE, Ian George→
Resigneddirector · ~67y · appointed 2006-03-06 · resigned 2025-12-17
OGILVIE, John Duthie→
Resigneddirector · ~92y · appointed 2006-03-06 · resigned 2012-10-10
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
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 25/02/2008 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 20/02/2008 | 30/08/2022 | |
| outstanding | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Standard security | 1 property | 02/02/2005 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (72 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-24
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2026-03-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-11-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-20
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-12-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-19
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2022-08-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-11-30