MURRAY ETTLE & ASSOCIATES
💤Zombieactive
SC370826 · private-unlimited · incorporated 2010-01-07
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Dental practice activities
Sector: Human health & social work
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 63-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 63). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: 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).
Data confidence
Overall: low (54/100)Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
3 officers (2 active, 3 linked, 2 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
23 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
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
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (18 events)Click to expand
- 2023-12-08📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2016-01-22📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-01-08📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-01-20📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2013-01-14📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2012-01-30📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2011-09-12📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2011-01-31📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2010-03-18📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-addressaddress · AD01
- 2010-03-18📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-nameofficers · AP03
- 2010-03-18📄termination-director-company-with-nameofficers · TM01
- 2010-03-18📄appoint-person-director-company-with-nameofficers · AP01
- 2010-01-07🏢Company incorporatedAs MURRAY ETTLE & ASSOCIATES
- 2010-01-07➕ETTLE, Fiona Palmer appointedsecretary
- 2010-01-07➕ETTLE, Murray Scott appointeddirector
- 2010-01-07➕ROUND, Jonathon Charles appointeddirector
- 2010-01-07➖ROUND, Jonathon Charles resigneddirector
- 2010-01-07📄incorporation-companyincorporation · NEWINC
Owner dependency
100/100
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
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "ETTLE" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 16 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
88/100
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.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 16 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 16 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 · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Murray Scott Ettle Individual · British · DOB 08/1963 · age 63 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Healthcare & medical · DG postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CUMLODEN MANOR NURSING HOME LIMITED→ SC228825 · est 2002 | — | — | — | 6200 | 24y | 83 | 77y |
| ALCOHOL AND DRUGS SUPPORT SOUTH WEST SCOTLAND→ SC227133 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 24y | 81 | 79y |
| CROSSROADS (ANNANDALE & ESKDALE) CARE ATTENDANT SCHEME→ SC178298 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 28y | 81 | 72y |
| CROSSROADS (DUMFRIES & LOWER NITHSDALE) CARE ATTENDANT SCHEME→ SC173600 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 29y | 81 | 88y |
| LANGHOLM AND DISTRICT DAY CENTRE FOR OLDER PEOPLE→ SC273066 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | 81 | 84y |
| SOS LOCUMS LIMITED→ SC324936 · est 2007 | — | — | £68.5k | — | 18y | 81 | 60y |
| CLOVERGLEN SUPPORT SERVICES LIMITED→ SC248984 · est 2003 | — | — | £93.5k | — | 23y | 80 | 70y |
| DALBEATTIE & DISTRICT COMMUNITY DAY CENTRE FOR OLDER PEOPLE→ SC251751 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | 80 | 78y |
| JAYBEES (CHILDCARE) LIMITED→ SC373497 · est 2010 | — | — | — | 26 | 16y | 80 | 68y |
| KINDERHOUSE SERVICES LIMITED→ SC243675 · est 2003 | — | — | £34.9k | — | 23y | 80 | 70y |
| MENOPAUSE MATTERS LIMITED→ SC222055 · est 2001 | — | — | £11.8k | — | 24y | 80 | 68y |
| SENWICK HOUSE LIMITED→ SC464088 · est 2013 | — | — | £100 | — | 12y | 80 | 81y |
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
Typeprivate-unlimited
Incorporated2010-01-07
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC86230 — Dental practice activities
Registered office
51 Rae Street
Dumfries
Dumfriesshire
DG1 1JD
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: —
Last made up to: —
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-17
Last: 2026-01-03
Officers (2 active · 1 resigned)
ETTLE, Fiona Palmer→
Activesecretary · appointed 2010-01-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ETTLE, Murray Scott→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2010-01-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ROUND, Jonathon Charles→
Resigneddirector · ~67y · appointed 2010-01-07 · resigned 2010-01-07
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (23 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-13
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-15
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-05
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-12-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-10
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-12
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-02-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-01-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-01-22
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2018-01-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2017-01-25
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2016-01-22
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2015-01-08
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2014-01-20
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2013-01-14