MCDOWELL ENGINEERING LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC248421 · ltd · incorporated 2003-04-28
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.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2025
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: Activities of head offices
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 57/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. 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

4 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 22.9y

35/100
too messy

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 22.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 35/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

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
7 officers (3 active, 7 linked, 3 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
77 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 accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Dec 2024Dec 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-12-312024-12-31
Average employees2200

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (32 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-04-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-05-07
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  3. 2025-04-29
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  4. 2025-03-31
    ➕
    HUNTER, Steven appointed
    director
  5. 2025-03-31
    ➖
    WALKER, Colin resigned
    director
  6. 2025-03-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2024-04-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2023-03-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2022-03-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2021-08-19
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  11. 2021-08-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2020-03-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2019-05-21
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  14. 2019-05-21
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  15. 2019-05-21
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  16. 2019-04-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2018-06-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2017-04-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2011-11-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
  20. 2007-08-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  21. 2003-08-01
    ➕
    HUNTER, Irene appointed
    secretary
  22. 2003-08-01
    ➖
    WALKER, Colin resigned
    secretary
  23. 2003-08-01
    ➕
    WALKER, Colin appointed
    director
  24. 2003-06-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  25. 2003-06-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Trustees for the Roy Mcdowell NO1 Discretionary Trust
  26. 2003-05-06
    ➕
    HUNTER, Scott appointed
    director
  27. 2003-05-06
    ➕
    WALKER, Colin appointed
    secretary
  28. 2003-05-06
    ➖
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  29. 2003-05-06
    ➖
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  30. 2003-04-28
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As MCDOWELL ENGINEERING LIMITED
  31. 2003-04-28
    ➕
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  32. 2003-04-28
    ➕
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

84/100
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
  • +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.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

36/100
Weak signal

Limited succession signal. Not a near-term off-market candidate.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — HUNTER, Steven (same surname) appointed 2025-03-31. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 64. 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.
  • 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 Scott Hunter
Individual · British · DOB 05/1962 · age 64
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control28/04/2017

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 · Professional services · FK postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
MAXI STAFFING LTD→
SC834683 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
————1y——
MCINTYRE MARINE INSPECTIONS LTD→
SC866266 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
MOSTECH MECHANICAL SERVICES LTD→
SC872927 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
MUNRO PROJECT MANAGEMENT LTD→
SC794047 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————2y——
PAPER IGLOO LIMITED→
SC302888 · est 2006 · no financials extracted
————19y——
PAPERPAL LTD→
SC866661 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
PR-WK LTD→
SC844777 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
————1y——
PROFITS BOOSTED LIMITED→
SC752520 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
PROTEA LAXMI CONSULTING LTD→
SC862658 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
R FULTON FINANCIAL PLANNING LTD→
SC840660 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
————1y——
RAGA MARKETING LIMITED→
SC693969 · est 2021 · no financials extracted
————5y——
REAL WORKS (FALKIRK) LIMITED→
SC764333 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————3y——
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
Incorporated2003-04-28
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC70100 — Activities of head offices

Registered office

7 Glentye Road
Broadleys Industrial Park
Stirling
FK7 7LH

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-09-30
Last made up to: 2025-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-05-12
Last: 2025-04-28

Officers (3 active · 4 resigned)

HUNTER, Irene→
secretary · appointed 2003-08-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HUNTER, Scott→
director · ~64y · appointed 2003-05-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HUNTER, Steven→
director · ~38y · appointed 2025-03-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WALKER, Colin→
secretary · appointed 2003-05-06 · resigned 2003-08-01
Resigned
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-04-28 · resigned 2003-05-06
Resigned
WALKER, Colin→
director · ~72y · appointed 2003-08-01 · resigned 2025-03-31
Resigned
JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-04-28 · resigned 2003-05-06
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

4
Total charges
4
Outstanding
3
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank PLC
Floating charge1 property10/11/2011—
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Floating charge1 property24/08/2007—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Bond & floating charge1 property24/06/2003—
outstanding
Trustees for the Roy Mcdowell NO1 Discretionary Trust
Bond & floating charge1 property24/06/2003—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (77 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-04-07
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-08
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-05-07
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-04-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-04-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-03-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-03-30
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2021-08-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-08-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-05-07
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-05-04