SWANSONS FRUIT COMPANY LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC249181 · ltd · incorporated 2003-05-12
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
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 22.2y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Jul 2025
Net worth
£424.1k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Retail sale of fruit and vegetables in specialised stores
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 63-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 63). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
5 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 22.2y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 22.2 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 (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
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (2 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
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.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £424,080
Cash YoY
+56%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£214k
↑ 56% YoY
Net Worth
£424k
↑ 22% YoY
Current Assets
£588k
↑ 13% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-07-31 | 2024-07-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £564.8k | £491.2k |
| Current assets | £587.9k | £521.6k |
| Cash | £214.4k | £137.5k |
| Debtors | £334.3k | £339.9k |
| Net assets | £424.1k | £348.4k |
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 mortgage
Last 90 days
2
filings
- • 1 mortgage
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 mortgage
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (31 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-09📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2026-04-02🔒Charge registered #5Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2026-02-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-03-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-04-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-02-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-02-25📄mortgage-alter-floating-charge-with-numbermortgage · 466(Scot)
- 2021-02-22📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2021-02-22📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2021-02-22📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-02-17📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2021-02-17📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2021-02-17📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2021-02-17📄mortgage-alter-floating-charge-with-numbermortgage · 466(Scot)
- 2021-02-02➕AIR, Scott appointeddirector
- 2021-02-02🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Magnus William Swanson
- 2020-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-01-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-03-09🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2009-05-15➖SWANSON, Norma Maclean resignedsecretary
- 2007-12-18🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2004-06-04🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2004-06-04🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2004-01-29🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2003-05-12🏢Company incorporatedAs SWANSONS FRUIT COMPANY LIMITED
- 2003-05-12➕SWANSON, Magnus William appointeddirector
- 2003-05-12➕SWANSON, Norma Maclean appointedsecretary
- 2003-05-12➕OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-05-12➖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.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "SWANSON" — 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.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — approaching natural succession window.
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 63. 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
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Magnus William Swanson Individual · British · DOB 12/1963 · age 63 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 04/02/2021 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Magnus William Swansonceased 04/02/2021· 75-100% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Retail · IV postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SKYE'S FINISHING TOUCHES LTD→ SC374899 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| SOUTH QUEENSFERRY HEALTHCARE LIMITED→ SC786565 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| SPEYSIDE ECO-HEAT LIMITED→ SC418480 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| STUFF'D UP LTD→ SC859379 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SUMMIT STRIDE LTD→ SC872021 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TESTME HEALTH LTD→ SC861611 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| THE BAKEHOUSE COLLECTIVE LIMITED→ SC796678 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| THE GLENELG SHOP (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→ SC737473 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| THE GRAND WHISKY AUCTION LIMITED→ SC612333 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| THE HIGHLAND WEIGH LTD→ SC728082 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| THE LOSSIEMOUSE LTD→ SC880390 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| THE WALLED GARDEN TRADING COMPANY LIMITED→ SC453655 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2003-05-12
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC47210 — Retail sale of fruit and vegetables in specialised stores
Registered office
Orchard House
3 Henderson Drive
Inverness
IV1 1TR
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-04-30
Last made up to: 2025-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-05-21
Last: 2025-05-07
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
Active
SWANSON, Magnus William→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2003-05-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SWANSON, Norma Maclean→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-05-12 · resigned 2009-05-15
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-05-12 · resigned 2003-05-12
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
5
Total charges
3
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 02/04/2026 | — | |
| outstanding | Magnus William Swanson | A registered charge | — | 02/02/2021 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 04/06/2004 | 09/03/2018 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 04/06/2004 | 18/12/2007 | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 29/01/2004 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (72 total)
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2026-04-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-02-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-04-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-02-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-05-17
mortgage-alter-floating-charge-with-number
mortgage · 466(Scot)
2021-02-25
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2021-02-22
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2021-02-22
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2021-02-22