A. DE CECCO, LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
SC020350 · ltd · incorporated 1938-04-27
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
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Construction of commercial buildings
Sector: Construction
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with exceptional profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 58). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 2 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · oldest 42.0y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 42.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)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
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (2 active, 9 linked, 6 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
109 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 34 | 3900 |
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
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (32 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-29📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2022-11-29📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-12-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-02-11📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2021-01-28📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2020-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-11-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-01-20📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-11-01➕ELLIS, Caroline Catherine appointedsecretary
- 2012-09-30➖BROWN, Sheila Carson resignedsecretary
- 2012-09-30➖BROWN, Sheila Carson resigneddirector
- 2010-01-31➖HAWTHORNE, Alistair Henley resigneddirector
- 2003-08-14➖DE CECCO, Alberto Louis resigneddirector
- 1997-04-01➕PATON, Alexander appointeddirector
- 1994-05-11🔒Charge registered #4Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1994-04-18🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1994-02-22➖BROWNING, George Graham resigneddirector
- 1993-04-01➕BROWN, Sheila Carson appointeddirector
- 1993-04-01➕HAWTHORNE, Alistair Henley appointeddirector
- 1992-12-31➖LARKINS, William Norman resigneddirector
- 1992-12-01➕BROWN, Sheila Carson appointedsecretary
- 1992-11-30➖DE CECCO, Ida resignedsecretary
- 1988-12-30🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1984-04-03🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1938-04-27🏢Company incorporatedAs A. DE CECCO, LIMITED
Owner dependency
93/100
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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 58 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
85/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 58. Early succession window.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 29 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 88 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| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Alexander Paton Individual · British · DOB 12/1968 · age 58 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 12/12/2020 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr Alexander Patonceased 12/12/2020· 75-100% voting
- Mr Alberto Louis De Ceccoceased 12/12/2020· 75-100% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Construction · G postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A HANNAH GAS SERVICES LTD→ SC662533 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ACRE ROAD (GLASGOW) DEVELOPMENTS LTD→ SC710174 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ACRES DEVELOPMENT & CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LTD→ SC823444 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ACS SCOTLAND LTD→ SC697792 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ADEPT MULTI TRADE LIMITED→ SC719991 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ADM 2010 LTD→ SC388883 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| ADM PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LIMITED→ SC482834 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| ADM ROOFING LIMITED→ SC557464 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ADR FENCING SCOTLAND LTD→ SC818113 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ADVANCED PRESERVATION SPECIALISTS LTD.→ SC205303 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| AF ROOFING & FACADES LTD→ SC750677 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AFFLUENCE ASSETS LTD→ SC851325 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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
Incorporated1938-04-27
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC41201 — Construction of commercial buildings
Registered office
33 Weardale Lane
Queenslie Industrial Estate
Glasgow
G33 4JJ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-11
Last: 2025-11-27
Officers (2 active · 7 resigned)
ELLIS, Caroline Catherine→
Activesecretary · appointed 2014-11-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PATON, Alexander→
Activedirector · ~58y · appointed 1997-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BROWN, Sheila Carson→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1992-12-01 · resigned 2012-09-30
DE CECCO, Ida→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1992-11-30
BROWN, Sheila Carson→
Resigneddirector · ~78y · appointed 1993-04-01 · resigned 2012-09-30
BROWNING, George Graham→
Resigneddirector · ~93y · resigned 1994-02-22
DE CECCO, Alberto Louis→
Resigneddirector · ~74y · resigned 2003-08-14
HAWTHORNE, Alistair Henley→
Resigneddirector · ~83y · appointed 1993-04-01 · resigned 2010-01-31
LARKINS, William Norman→
Resigneddirector · ~103y · resigned 1992-12-31
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Standard security | 1 property | 11/05/1994 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 18/04/1994 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 03/04/1984 | 30/12/1988 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (109 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-17
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-14
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2022-11-29
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-11-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-08
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2021-02-11
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2021-01-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-28