WHITAKER MARITIME LTD

💤Zombieactive
SC377704 · ltd · incorporated 2010-04-29
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 Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 50200
Sector: Transportation & storage
Investor take
Pursue
Active 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: 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 (2 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
60 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.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Mar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Average employees200200

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

Recent activity

Last 30 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (28 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-05-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-08-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-07-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-05-11
    📄
    capital-name-of-class-of-shares
    capital · SH08
  5. 2023-05-04
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  6. 2022-10-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-04-01
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  8. 2022-04-01
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  9. 2022-04-01
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  10. 2022-04-01
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  11. 2022-03-31
    ➕
    HUTCHISON REID, Tea Rosemary appointed
    secretary
  12. 2022-03-31
    ➖
    WHITAKER, James Ian resigned
    secretary
  13. 2021-10-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  14. 2021-03-30
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  15. 2021-03-29
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  16. 2021-03-29
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  17. 2021-03-29
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  18. 2021-03-29
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  19. 2020-09-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  20. 2020-09-16
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  21. 2020-09-16
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  22. 2018-04-06
    ➖
    WHITAKER, Daniel resigned
    secretary
  23. 2018-04-06
    ➕
    WHITAKER, James Ian appointed
    secretary
  24. 2016-11-01
    ➕
    WHITAKER, Daniel appointed
    secretary
  25. 2016-09-30
    ➖
    WHITAKER, Lynn Marie, Dr resigned
    director
  26. 2010-04-29
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As WHITAKER MARITIME LTD
  27. 2010-04-29
    ➕
    WHITAKER, Frederic George, Capt appointed
    director
  28. 2010-04-29
    ➕
    WHITAKER, Lynn Marie, Dr appointed
    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 "WHITAKER" — 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 candidate

Strong 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

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Capt Frederic George Whitaker
Individual · British · DOB 01/1963 · age 63
50–75%
—50-75% shares06/04/2016
Miss Tea Rosemary Hutchison Reid
Individual · British · DOB 01/2005 · age 21
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting31/03/2022
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mr James Ian Whitakerceased 31/03/2022· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
  • Mr Daniel Whitakerceased 05/04/2018· 25-50% shares

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

Similar companies

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CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
TIMBERBUSH TOURS LIMITED→
SC279983 · est 2005
£8.60M
£6.45M–£10.75M
——10921y8565y
EAGLE COURIERS (HOLDINGS) LIMITED→
SC292831 · est 2005
£3.09M
£2.32M–£3.86M
———20y8761y
EAGLE COURIERS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→
SC092113 · est 1985
£3.09M
£2.32M–£3.86M
——5041y8761y
A WILLIAMSON HAULAGE LIMITED→
SC306338 · est 2006
——£1.27M—19y8278y
A. JOHNSTONE HAULAGE LTD.→
SC283850 · est 2005
——£512.2k—21y8262y
ANDREW BLACK LIMITED→
SC224735 · est 2001
——£3.88M—24y8264y
BROUGHTON REMOVALS LIMITED→
SC181756 · est 1997 · no financials extracted
————28y8283y
CHAUFFEUR DRIVE SCOTLAND LIMITED→
SC394052 · est 2011
——£231.3k—15y8265y
DEREK HEEPS LIMITED→
SC167126 · est 1996
———300029y8263y
DUNBAR REMOVALS AND STORAGE LTD.→
SC165409 · est 1996
———1330y8271y
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———10022y8263y
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 →
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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.

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Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2010-04-29
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC50200 — SIC 50200

Registered office

1 Damselfly View
Edinburgh
EH17 8XH
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-13
Last: 2026-04-29

Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)

HUTCHISON REID, Tea Rosemary→
secretary · appointed 2022-03-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WHITAKER, Frederic George, Capt→
director · ~63y · appointed 2010-04-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WHITAKER, Daniel→
secretary · appointed 2016-11-01 · resigned 2018-04-06
Resigned
WHITAKER, James Ian→
secretary · appointed 2018-04-06 · resigned 2022-03-31
Resigned
WHITAKER, Lynn Marie, Dr→
director · ~58y · appointed 2010-04-29 · resigned 2016-09-30
Resigned

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

Recent filings (60 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-05-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-05-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-08-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-07-18
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2023-05-11
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2023-05-04
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-10-07
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-04
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2022-04-01
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-04-01
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2022-04-01
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-04-01