TREVOR MCDONALD (MARINE ENGINE SERVICES) LTD.

💤Zombieactive
SC322848 · ltd · incorporated 2007-05-04
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
£1.64M
book net assets
Opportunity
75/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Machining
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 75/100 (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: 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 (58/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (76/100)

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
5 officers (1 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
74 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
75/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £1,639,306
Cash YoY
-29%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£264k
↓ 29% YoY
Net Worth
£1.6m
↑ 9.0% YoY
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£328k£656k£984k£1.3m£1.6mApr 2024Apr 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-04-052024-04-05
Cash£263.7k£372.0k
Net assets£1.64M£1.50M

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

3 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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (29 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-03-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-07-08
    📍
    move-registers-to-registered-office-company-with-new-address
    address · AD04
  3. 2025-03-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-12-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-05-05
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  6. 2023-05-05
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  7. 2023-02-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2022-08-08
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  9. 2022-08-08
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  10. 2022-06-27
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  11. 2022-06-27
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  12. 2022-05-24
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  13. 2022-05-24
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  14. 2022-05-24
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  15. 2022-05-24
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  16. 2022-04-01
    ➖
    MCDONALD, Jennifer resigned
    secretary
  17. 2022-04-01
    ➖
    MCDONALD, Jennifer resigned
    director
  18. 2021-12-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2021-03-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  20. 2020-06-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  21. 2020-03-04
    📄
    gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
    gazette · DISS40
  22. 2007-05-04
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As TREVOR MCDONALD (MARINE ENGINE SERVICES) LTD.
  23. 2007-05-04
    ➕
    MCDONALD, Trevor appointed
    director
  24. 2007-05-04
    ➕
    MCDONALD, Jennifer appointed
    secretary
  25. 2007-05-04
    ➕
    BRIAN REID LTD. appointed
    corporate-secretary
  26. 2007-05-04
    ➖
    BRIAN REID LTD. resigned
    corporate-secretary
  27. 2007-05-04
    ➕
    MCDONALD, Jennifer appointed
    director
  28. 2007-05-04
    ➕
    STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. appointed
    corporate-director
  29. 2007-05-04
    ➖
    STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. resigned
    corporate-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 "MCDONALD" — 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.

Succession & seller-readiness

68/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • 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 Trevor Mcdonald
Individual · British · DOB 09/1973 · age 53
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Jennifer Mcdonaldceased 01/04/2022· 25-50% shares

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

Similar companies

Active · Manufacturing · AB postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
GRAY & ADAMS LIMITED→
SC047482 · est 1970
£75.13M
£58.44M–£91.83M
——50256y8771y
GRAY & ADAMS GROUP LIMITED→
SC230241 · est 2002
£53.82M
£41.86M–£65.78M
——024y8571y
GRAY & ADAMS (DUNFERMLINE) LIMITED→
SC082971 · est 1983
£17.07M
£13.28M–£20.87M
——10643y8571y
GRAY & ADAMS (DONCASTER) LIMITED→
SC128013 · est 1990
£16.62M
£12.93M–£20.32M
——10135y8771y
INTERWELL LIMITED→
SC391140 · est 2011
£10.98M
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£33.44M—780015y9160y
EBLAST LIMITED→
SC202165 · est 1999
£8.03M
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ROTECH SUBSEA LIMITED→
SC451221 · est 2013
£6.41M
£4.99M–£7.83M
£17.20M—480012y8458y
DALES ENGINEERING SERVICES LIMITED→
SC107948 · est 1987
£6.22M
£4.84M–£7.60M
£21.87M—1100038y9370y
SUPERIOR ENERGY SERVICES LIMITED→
SC259694 · est 2003
£6.15M
£4.78M–£7.51M
£1.45M—150022y9460y
IMENCO UK LIMITED→
SC372021 · est 2010
£5.97M
£4.64M–£7.29M
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VECTOR SUPPLIES LIMITED→
SC103810 · est 1987
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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
Incorporated2007-05-04
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC25620 — Machining

Registered office

Hilton Balthangie
Cuminestown
Turriff
Aberdeenshire
AB53 5YB
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-05
Last made up to: 2025-04-05
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-05-18
Last: 2025-05-04

Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)

MCDONALD, Trevor→
director · ~53y · appointed 2007-05-04
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MCDONALD, Jennifer→
secretary · appointed 2007-05-04 · resigned 2022-04-01
Resigned
BRIAN REID LTD.→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2007-05-04 · resigned 2007-05-04
Resigned
MCDONALD, Jennifer→
director · ~50y · appointed 2007-05-04 · resigned 2022-04-01
Resigned
STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD.→
corporate-director · appointed 2007-05-04 · resigned 2007-05-04
Resigned

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

Recent filings (74 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-03-06
move-registers-to-registered-office-company-with-new-address
address · AD04
2025-07-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-20
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-19
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-05
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-05-05
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-05-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-02-21
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-08
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-08-08
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-08-08
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-06-27
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-06-27