CJ & JS HUGHES & SON LTD.

💤Zombieactive
SC319439 · ltd · incorporated 2007-03-23
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 Apr 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: Freight transport by road
Sector: Transportation & storage
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 52290Other transportation support activities
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 61-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 61). 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

1 live charge · oldest 18.8y

45/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 18.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (69/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (2 active, 7 linked, 3 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
58 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

1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-04-30
Average employees900

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

5 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 confirmation-statement
Last 90 days
2
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
3
filings
  • • 2 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-02-10
    📄
    accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AAMD
  2. 2026-01-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2025-01-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2024-01-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-03-07
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  6. 2023-03-07
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  7. 2023-01-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2022-01-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2021-01-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2019-10-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2019-01-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2018-06-27
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  13. 2018-06-27
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  14. 2018-06-27
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  15. 2018-03-28
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  16. 2018-01-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2009-01-22
    ➖
    HUGHES, Jane Sandilands resigned
    director
  18. 2008-09-16
    ➕
    HUGHES, Richard John appointed
    secretary
  19. 2008-09-16
    ➖
    HUGHES, Christopher Joseph resigned
    secretary
  20. 2008-09-16
    ➖
    HUGHES, Christopher Joseph resigned
    director
  21. 2007-08-01
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  22. 2007-03-23
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CJ & JS HUGHES & SON LTD.
  23. 2007-03-23
    ➕
    HUGHES, Richard John appointed
    director
  24. 2007-03-23
    ➕
    HUGHES, Christopher Joseph appointed
    secretary
  25. 2007-03-23
    ➕
    BRIAN REID LTD. appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  26. 2007-03-23
    ➖
    BRIAN REID LTD. resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  27. 2007-03-23
    ➕
    HUGHES, Christopher Joseph appointed
    director
  28. 2007-03-23
    ➕
    HUGHES, Jane Sandilands appointed
    director
  29. 2007-03-23
    ➕
    STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  30. 2007-03-23
    ➖
    STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. resigned
    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.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "HUGHES" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 19 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 61 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

78/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 61. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 19 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 19 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
Mr Richard John Hughes
Individual · British · DOB 07/1965 · age 61
75–100%
—75-100% shares17/06/2016

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

Similar companies

Active · Transport & logistics · TD postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
OLIVERS TRANSPORT LIMITED→
SC115642 · est 1989
£5.38M
£4.04M–£6.73M
——440037y8285y
MOBILITY ASSIST (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→
SC324536 · est 2007
——£107.4k—18y8272y
CAMPBELLS (OXTON) LIMITED→
SC224750 · est 2001
——£451—24y8068y
CAR TRANSPORT UK (UK WIDE) LTD→
16707596 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
E.W.T DISTRIBUTION LTD→
12755887 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————5y——
G & M NISBET HAULAGE LTD→
10404054 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
————9y——
LINDISFARNE ENTERPRISES LTD→
11522527 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————7y——
LONG DISTANCE REMOVALS LTD→
11603482 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————7y——
LSTA BEYST LIMITED→
16512280 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
M ARHAM LTD→
SC777509 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
MACLEAN HAULAGE LTD→
09973042 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
————10y——
NORTH EAST CREW LTD→
16971610 · est 2026 · no financials extracted
———————
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
Incorporated2007-03-23
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC49410 — Freight transport by road

Registered office

Unit 4b Charlesfiled Industrial Estate
St Boswells
Scottish Borders
TD6 0HH
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-06
Last: 2026-03-23

Officers (2 active · 5 resigned)

HUGHES, Richard John→
secretary · appointed 2008-09-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HUGHES, Richard John→
director · ~61y · appointed 2007-03-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HUGHES, Christopher Joseph→
secretary · appointed 2007-03-23 · resigned 2008-09-16
Resigned
BRIAN REID LTD.→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2007-03-23 · resigned 2007-03-23
Resigned
HUGHES, Christopher Joseph→
director · ~84y · appointed 2007-03-23 · resigned 2008-09-16
Resigned
HUGHES, Jane Sandilands→
director · ~83y · appointed 2007-03-23 · resigned 2009-01-22
Resigned
STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD.→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2007-03-23 · resigned 2007-03-23
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Bond & floating charge1 property01/08/2007—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (58 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-20
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AAMD
2026-02-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-01-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-01-26
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-23
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-03-07
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-03-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-01-31
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-01-19
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-03-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-01-18