CENTRAL GARAGE (STIRLING) LTD

💤Zombieactive

SC378947 · ltd · incorporated 2010-05-21

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.

Why now

Window opening · high confidence

More negotiable than before — 3 signals weakening over the last 30 days.

· Hygiene score: 90 → 70
· Opportunity score: 82 → 73
· Bankability: 80 → 70
· Distress / opportunity: avoid → exceptional

Opportunity decay

softening · 6-months

Softening — cumulative signals suggest this becomes more negotiable over the next 3–6 months.

· 3 recent signals weakening vs 0 strengthening

What changed my view

Last 30 days

Picture worsened over the last 30 days — 3 negative signals vs 0 positive.

↓Opportunity score: 82 → 73
↓Hygiene score: 90 → 70
↓Bankability: 80 → 70
·Distress / opportunity: avoid → exceptional

Last 90 days

No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.

Last 180 days

No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.

🔒Estimated value

—

Upgrade to see

Turnover

—

year to Jul 2025

Net worth

£126.3k

book net assets

Opportunity

73/100

Strong

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch

What this business does

Primary activity: SIC 45200

Sector: Wholesale & retail

Investor take

Special-situation opportunity

Distressed automotive with salvageable qualities — special-situations priority.

Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 70/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 72). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Confirmation statement overdue. Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 11.6y

45/100

under pressure

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

· Oldest live charge is 11.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
· Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
· Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: high (83/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

Company profile

address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date

100

Financials

3 years of iXBRL accounts extracted + narrative notes parsed

Lenders & charges

1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)

Directors & officers

2 officers (2 active, 2 linked, 1 with DOB)

Ownership & PSC

2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared

Director network

Network not yet resolved

Filing history

34 filings on record

Gazette notices

No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)

Opportunity Score

73/100Strong

PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional

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

Business quality

Adequate — check latest filings for context.

Acquirability

Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.

Risk profile

Some moderate concerns — review flags.

Signal strength

100

Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102

Positive net assets

Net assets £126,311

Cash YoY

-11%

Year on year

Key financials

3 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts

Cash

£116k

↓ 11% YoY

Net Worth

£126k

↑ 6.5% YoY

Current Assets

£119k

↓ 12% YoY

Current Liabilities

—

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102

Metric	2025-07-31	2024-07-31	2023-07-31
Total assets	£158.1k	£159.8k	£93.6k
Current assets	£118.9k	£135.5k	£143.6k
Cash	£116.3k	£130.6k	£85.4k
Debtors	£800	£1.9k	£53.9k
Net assets	£126.3k	£118.7k	£78.9k

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal 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

filings

Last 90 days

filing

• 1 accounts

Last 180 days

filing

• 1 accounts

Counts from Companies House filing history.

Corporate timeline (20 events)Click to expand

2026-04-30
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-23
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-04-25
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-20
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-26
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-04-29
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-02-26
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-04-08
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2018-04-30
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2017-04-18
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2016-05-31
📄
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2016-05-31
📄
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2016-04-27
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2015-06-15
📄
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2015-04-29
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2014-11-21
📄
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2014-11-11
🔒
Charge registered #1
Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
2010-05-21
🏢
Company incorporated
As CENTRAL GARAGE (STIRLING) LTD
2010-05-21
➕
MCDIARMID, Stewart appointed
secretary
2010-05-21
➕
MCPAKE, James 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.
+Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 16 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
+Founder age: Director aged approximately 72 — succession pressure is live.
+No director turnover: Company is 16 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.

Succession & seller-readiness

93/100

Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS

primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 72 years old. Natural succession window is now.
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.

Red flags

1 high ·

Confirmation statement overdue

high

Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.

Evidence: Next due: 2026-06-04

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners

Name	Shares	Voting rights	Nature of control	Notified
Mr Jake Mcpake Individual · British · DOB 12/1954 · age 72	50–75%	—	50-75% shares	06/04/2016
Mr Stewart Mcdiarmid Individual · British · DOB 05/1969 · age 57	25–50%	—	25-50% shares	06/04/2016

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

Similar companies

Active · Automotive · FK postcode area

Company	Est. value	Turnover	Net worth	Staff	Age	Opp	Director
DUMBARTON SERVICE STATION LIMITED→ SC261638 · est 2004	—	—	£948.4k	—	22y	83	60y
J K TYRES AND AUTOCENTRE LIMITED→ SC253238 · est 2003 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	22y	83	61y
PEOPLES DETROIT LIMITED→ SC119922 · est 1989 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	36y	83	77y
REDHOUSE GARAGE (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→ SC348251 · est 2008	—	—	£211.4k	—	17y	83	71y
333 SERVICES LIMITED→ SC314584 · est 2007	—	—	—	300	19y	82	71y
A T W TRANSPORT LTD.→ SC217667 · est 2001	—	—	—	—	25y	82	59y
BROOK STREET AUTOS LIMITED→ SC140531 · est 1992	—	—	—	6	33y	82	72y
D CRAM BODY REPAIRS LIMITED→ SC164802 · est 1996	—	—	£298.2k	—	30y	82	67y
FAIRDEAL TYRES LTD.→ SC233638 · est 2002	—	—	£567.2k	—	23y	82	60y
GEMM 4 X 4 LIMITED→ SC280398 · est 2005	—	—	£189.4k	—	21y	82	66y
GLENGYLE GARAGE LIMITED→ SC059483 · est 1976	—	—	—	2	50y	82	72y
H & J BURGOYNE (VAN SALES) LIMITED→ SC328455 · est 2007	—	—	£529.4k	—	18y	82	66y

Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →

🔒Tailored diligence questions

9 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

Incorporated2010-05-21

Jurisdictionscotland

Primary SIC45200 — SIC 45200

Registered office

23 Borestone Crescent

Stirling

FK7 9BG

Filing status

Accounts

Next due: 2027-04-30

Last made up to: 2025-07-31

Confirmation statement

Next due: 2026-06-04OVERDUE

Last: 2025-05-21

Officers (2 active · 0 resigned)

MCDIARMID, Stewart→

secretary · appointed 2010-05-21

View their other companies + combined net worth →

Active

MCPAKE, James→

director · ~72y · appointed 2010-05-21

View their other companies + combined net worth →

Active

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

Mortgages & charges

Total charges

Outstanding

Active lenders

Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown

			Type	Properties
	outstanding	Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC	A registered charge	—	11/11/2014	—

Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.