WILLOWBRAE COACHWORKS LIMITED
Opportunity 78/100 (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 (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £1.34M | £1.34M |
| Current assets | £759.8k | £758.7k |
| Cash | £140.4k | — |
| Debtors | £619.4k | — |
| Net assets | £1.34M | £1.34M |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Corporate timeline (14 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-03-13📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2019-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-13📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2018-12-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-12-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2016-03-03🏢Company incorporatedAs WILLOWBRAE COACHWORKS LIMITED
- 2016-03-03➕MCFADDEN, Martin James appointeddirector
- 2016-03-03📄incorporation-companyincorporation · NEWINC
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 61 — approaching natural succession window.
- +No director turnover: Company is 10 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
- 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.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
cleanShareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Martin James Mcfadden Individual · British · DOB 06/1965 · age 61 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 01/01/2017 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Automotive · EH postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FARMER AUTOCARE LIMITED→ SC246050 · est 2003 | £9.60M £7.68M–£11.52M | — | — | 182 | 23y | 82 | 58y |
| LOCHRIN AUTOS (EDINBURGH) LIMITED→ SC182971 · est 1998 | £271.2k £216.9k–£325.4k | — | — | 9 | 28y | 82 | 66y |
| ALLARDYCE & GOLDIE ENTERPRISES LIMITED→ SC076646 · est 1981 | £65.3k £52.3k–£78.4k | £453.9k | — | 500 | 44y | 84 | 62y |
| AJM SPRAYING SERVICES LTD→ SC249637 · est 2003 | — | — | £623.2k | — | 23y | 83 | 64y |
| BRAIDWOOD MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED→ SC235866 · est 2002 | — | — | £599.8k | — | 23y | 83 | 64y |
| DALKEITH RETAIL CENTRE LIMITED→ SC324402 · est 2007 | — | — | £7.49M | — | 19y | 83 | 83y |
| GOGETA LIMITED→ SC292487 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | 83 | 69y |
| KAIM PARK GARAGE LTD.→ SC262902 · est 2004 | — | — | £2.66M | — | 22y | 83 | 62y |
| LOTHIAN BRAKEWAYS LIMITED→ SC147590 · est 1993 | — | — | — | 700 | 32y | 83 | 83y |
| PENTLAND COMPONENT PARTS LIMITED→ SC082096 · est 1983 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 43y | 83 | 86y |
| PERTH HONDA LIMITED→ SC366689 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | 83 | 69y |
| A F NOBLE & SON (PENICUIK) LIMITED→ SC337051 · est 2008 | — | — | £2.56M | — | 18y | 82 | 64y |
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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (1 active · 0 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.