GRAVITATE-ATWORK LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC287870 · ltd · incorporated 2005-07-25
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 Dec 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c.
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 65-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 65). 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 (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 20.3y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 20.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (2 active, 9 linked, 7 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
82 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£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 employees8800

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

2 signals 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 (37 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-11-19
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  3. 2025-11-19
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  4. 2025-08-29
    📄
    second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
    confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
  5. 2025-06-05
    📄
    change-corporate-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH04
  6. 2025-03-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2024-12-17
    📄
    capital-cancellation-shares
    capital · SH06
  8. 2024-12-05
    📄
    capital-return-purchase-own-shares
    capital · SH03
  9. 2024-10-25
    ➖
    FERGUSON, Neil resigned
    director
  10. 2024-10-25
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  11. 2024-10-25
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  12. 2024-10-16
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  13. 2024-09-30
    ➖
    WIEGRATZ, Laura Anne resigned
    director
  14. 2024-04-09
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  15. 2024-04-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2024-03-27
    ➖
    VALENTINE, Iain William resigned
    director
  17. 2023-04-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2022-08-01
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  19. 2022-08-01
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  20. 2022-07-01
    ➕
    VALENTINE, Iain William appointed
    director
  21. 2022-07-01
    ➕
    WIEGRATZ, Laura Anne appointed
    director
  22. 2022-03-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  23. 2021-06-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  24. 2017-09-21
    ➖
    IGOE, Jessica Ruth resigned
    director
  25. 2017-01-24
    ➕
    FERGUSON, Neil appointed
    director
  26. 2017-01-24
    ➕
    IGOE, Jessica Ruth appointed
    director
  27. 2016-10-06
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  28. 2011-01-01
    ➖
    INGLIS, David George resigned
    director
  29. 2008-01-08
    ➕
    INGLIS, David George appointed
    director
  30. 2006-11-20
    ➖
    BOYD, Karen resigned
    director
  31. 2006-01-25
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  32. 2005-12-09
    ➕
    BOYD, Karen appointed
    director
  33. 2005-09-23
    ➕
    MCBAIN, Margery appointed
    director
  34. 2005-09-23
    ➖
    MORTON FRASER DIRECTORS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  35. 2005-07-25
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As GRAVITATE-ATWORK LIMITED
  36. 2005-07-25
    ➕
    MFMAC SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  37. 2005-07-25
    ➕
    MORTON FRASER DIRECTORS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 21 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 21 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
Margery Mcbain
Individual · British · DOB 12/1961 · age 65
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control25/07/2016

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

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 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
Incorporated2005-07-25
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC74909 — Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c.

Registered office

Level 5, 9 Haymarket Square
Edinburgh
EH3 8RY
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-09-30
Last made up to: 2025-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-26
Last: 2025-08-12

Officers (2 active · 7 resigned)

MFMAC SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2005-07-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MCBAIN, Margery→
director · ~65y · appointed 2005-09-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BOYD, Karen→
director · ~55y · appointed 2005-12-09 · resigned 2006-11-20
Resigned
FERGUSON, Neil→
director · ~40y · appointed 2017-01-24 · resigned 2024-10-25
Resigned
IGOE, Jessica Ruth→
director · ~46y · appointed 2017-01-24 · resigned 2017-09-21
Resigned
INGLIS, David George→
director · ~62y · appointed 2008-01-08 · resigned 2011-01-01
Resigned
VALENTINE, Iain William→
director · ~51y · appointed 2022-07-01 · resigned 2024-03-27
Resigned
WIEGRATZ, Laura Anne→
director · ~42y · appointed 2022-07-01 · resigned 2024-09-30
Resigned
MORTON FRASER DIRECTORS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2005-07-25 · resigned 2005-09-23
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Bond & floating charge1 property25/01/200606/10/2016

Recent filings (82 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-05-19
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-11-19
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-11-19
second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
2025-08-29
confirmation-statement
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-27
change-corporate-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH04
2025-06-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-27
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2024-12-17
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2024-12-05
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-10-25
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-10-25
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2024-10-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-19
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-04-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-04-09