ETEST LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC309127 · ltd · incorporated 2006-09-25
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 19.4y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Technical testing and analysis
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 78/100 (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: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (63/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 19.4y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 19.4 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: high (80/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
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
9 officers (3 active, 9 linked, 5 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
86 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
65
Some acquirability indicators.
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 | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 1400 | 1400 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
4 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
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
5
filings
- • 5 officers
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (38 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-14📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2026-01-14📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2026-01-14📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2026-01-14📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2026-01-14📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-15📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-08-15📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-12-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-21📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2021-02-26➖NOBLE, Christopher Leonard resigneddirector
- 2021-02-26📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-09-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-06📄second-filing-of-director-appointment-with-nameofficers · RP04AP01
- 2019-06-04📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2019-05-01➕NOBLE, Christopher Leonard appointeddirector
- 2019-04-09📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-03-12➖BOOTH, Fiona Jane resigneddirector
- 2018-03-31➖SIMPSON, Adair James resigneddirector
- 2017-10-01➕BOOTH, Fiona Jane appointeddirector
- 2017-09-01➕SIMPSON, Adair James appointeddirector
- 2015-09-16🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Santander UK PLC, as Security Trustee for Each Santander Group Member.
- 2011-07-23🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2010-12-01➕LC SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2010-12-01➖HUTCHEON RATTRAY & COMPANY resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2007-03-01➕MCDONALD, Linzie Catherine Cadden appointeddirector
- 2007-01-17🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2006-11-23🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2006-09-25🏢Company incorporatedAs ETEST LIMITED
- 2006-09-25➕MCDONALD, Neil Roderick appointeddirector
- 2006-09-25➕BRIAN REID LTD. appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2006-09-25➖BRIAN REID LTD. resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2006-09-25➕HUTCHEON RATTRAY & COMPANY appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2006-09-25➕STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2006-09-25➖STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
76/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
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 20 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
59/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 20 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 20 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.)
Group structure
Egroup Services Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Egroup Services Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
ETEST LIMITED
This company · SC309127
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Egroup Services Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 16/05/2018 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mrs Linzie Catherine Mcdonaldceased 16/05/2018· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
- Mr Neil Roderick Mcdonaldceased 16/05/2018· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
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 · AB postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FERGUS STEWART INTEGRITY LTD→ SC858282 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| FERGUSON GEOTECHNICAL LIMITED→ SC567675 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| FINANCE GAP SOLUTIONS LIMITED→ SC474221 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| FIND TOTALS LTD→ SC844843 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| FLORIN ENGINEERING DESIGN LTD→ SC444600 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| FORCHAN LTD→ SC421444 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| FOUR SEAS CONSULTING LIMITED→ SC689068 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| FOURLET (CASTLECALL) LIMITED→ SC330460 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| FOX ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS LIMITED→ SC508885 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| FPSO SUPPORT & SERVICES LTD→ SC387768 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| FSPD DEVELOPMENTS LTD→ SC500435 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| G & D CONSTRUCTION LTD→ SC431381 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
6 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
Incorporated2006-09-25
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC71200 — Technical testing and analysis
Registered office
Johnstone House
52-54 Rose Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1HA
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-09
Last: 2025-09-25
Officers (3 active · 6 resigned)
LC SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Activecorporate-secretary · appointed 2010-12-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MCDONALD, Linzie Catherine Cadden→
Activedirector · ~57y · appointed 2007-03-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MCDONALD, Neil Roderick→
Activedirector · ~57y · appointed 2006-09-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BRIAN REID LTD.→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2006-09-25 · resigned 2006-09-25
HUTCHEON RATTRAY & COMPANY→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2006-09-25 · resigned 2010-12-01
BOOTH, Fiona Jane→
Resigneddirector · ~55y · appointed 2017-10-01 · resigned 2019-03-12
NOBLE, Christopher Leonard→
Resigneddirector · ~43y · appointed 2019-05-01 · resigned 2021-02-26
SIMPSON, Adair James→
Resigneddirector · ~41y · appointed 2017-09-01 · resigned 2018-03-31
STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD.→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2006-09-25 · resigned 2006-09-25
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 | Santander Santander UK PLC, as Security Trustee for Each Santander Group Member. | A registered charge | — | 16/09/2015 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 17/01/2007 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 23/11/2006 | 23/07/2011 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (86 total)
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-01-14
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-01-14
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-01-14
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-01-14
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-01-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2025-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2024-09-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2023-11-14
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-25
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-08-15
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-08-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2022-12-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-26