JAMES JOHNSTON & CO. OF ELGIN LIMITED

🌳Matureactive

SC022553 · ltd · incorporated 1943-09-25

Investment thesis

Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.

Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.

Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.

Opportunity decay

hardening · 12-months

Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.

· Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage

🔒Estimated value

—

Upgrade to see

Turnover

—

not disclosed

Net worth

—

book net assets

Opportunity

83/100

Exceptional

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What this business does

Primary activity: Weaving of textiles

Sector: Manufacturing

ALSO REGISTERED FOR

14190SIC 14190
46410Wholesale of textiles
47190Other retail sale in non-specialised stores

Investor take

Pursue

Active trading company with a 70-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 83/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 70). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 12.7y

35/100

too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

· Oldest live charge is 12.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
· 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
· Legal-friction score 38/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (59/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile

address, 4 SIC codes, incorporation date

100

Financials

No iXBRL financials extracted

Lenders & charges

4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)

Directors & officers

25 officers (6 active, 25 linked, 21 with DOB)

Ownership & PSC

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

Director network

6 connected companies via shared directors

Filing history

214 filings on record

Gazette notices

No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)

Opportunity Score

83/100Exceptional

PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality

Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.

Acquirability

Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.

Risk profile

Few red flags.

Signal strength

100

Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days

filing

• 1 accounts

Last 90 days

filing

• 1 accounts

Last 180 days

filing

• 1 accounts

Counts from Companies House filing history.

Corporate timeline (63 events)Click to expand

2026-04-30
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2025-05-23
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2025-01-06
📄
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-09-27
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2024-07-22
📄
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-07-03
➖
BANNERMAN, Nicholas Alastair Charles resigned
director
2024-04-02
📄
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-03-15
➖
URQUHART, Ian George Masson resigned
director
2023-11-09
📄
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2023-11-08
📄
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2023-11-03
🔒
Charge registered #4
Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC as Security Agent
2023-11-01
🔒
Charge registered #3
Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC as Security Agent
2023-09-12
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2023-07-05
➖
GAFFNEY, Christopher James Martin resigned
secretary
2023-07-05
📄
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-12-06
📄
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2022-12-02
📄
capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
capital · SH10
2022-12-02
📄
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2022-10-14
📄
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2022-10-14
📄
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2022-09-21
➕
WALLACE, Johanna Margaret appointed
director
2022-09-21
📄
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2022-07-12
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2021-12-15
📄
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2021-12-14
➖
COTTON, Simon James resigned
director
2021-09-22
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2020-07-13
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2016-04-20
➖
WATERS, Donald Henry resigned
director
2015-05-05
➕
URQUHART, Jennifer Mollie appointed
director
2015-05-05
➕
WIKSTROM, Martha Shaffer appointed
director
2014-03-03
🔓
Charge satisfied #1
2014-02-14
🔒
Charge registered #2
Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
2013-12-12
➖
SUGDEN, James Edward resigned
director
2013-11-04
➕
COTTON, Simon James appointed
director
2013-09-25
🔒
Charge registered #1
Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
2013-04-03
➖
DRACUP, James Brian Hedley resigned
director
2011-07-29
➖
ARCHIBALD, Graeme Clark resigned
secretary
2011-07-29
➖
ARCHIBALD, Graeme Clark resigned
director
2011-07-05
➕
GAFFNEY, Christopher James Martin appointed
secretary
2011-06-20
➕
GAFFNEY, Christopher James Martin appointed
director
2010-02-01
➕
BANNERMAN, Nicholas Alastair Charles appointed
director
2005-04-01
➕
URQUHART, Neil Edward appointed
director
2005-03-31
➖
HARRISON, Robert resigned
director
2002-01-01
➕
HARRISON, David Alexander appointed
director
2002-01-01
➕
DRACUP, James Brian Hedley appointed
director
2001-12-21
➖
MONTGOMERY, Donald resigned
director
2001-07-11
➖
HARRISON, John Alexander Don resigned
director
2001-06-04
➖
SANDS, Graeme Craig resigned
director
2000-05-02
➖
HARRISON, Edward Paton resigned
director
1999-03-22
➕
SANDS, Graeme Craig appointed
director

Showing most recent 50 of 63 events

Owner dependency

73/100

High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS

-6 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
+Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
+Founder age: Director aged approximately 70 — succession pressure is live.
+Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

90/100

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 70 years old. Natural succession window is now.
primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 83 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

Name	Shares	Voting rights	Nature of control	Notified
Jennifer Mollie Urquhart Individual · British · DOB 04/1978 · age 48	25–50%	—	25-50% shares	06/04/2016
Mr Neil Edward Urquhart Individual · British · DOB 06/1975 · age 51	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.

🔒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 · Manufacturing · IV postcode area

Company	Est. value	Turnover	Net worth	Staff	Age	Opp	Director
GAEL FORCE GROUP LIMITED→ SC229244 · est 2002	£23.82M £18.53M–£29.11M	—	—	1700	24y	83	62y
GAEL FORCE ENGINEERING LIMITED→ SC394817 · est 2011	£1.26M £977.0k–£1.54M	—	—	4700	15y	82	62y
HENDRY HYDRAULICS LIMITED→ SC059511 · est 1976	£331.6k £257.9k–£405.3k	—	—	91	50y	87	75y
ANTA SCOTLAND LIMITED→ SC156285 · est 1995	—	—	—	30	31y	83	69y
MUIRTON CONTROL & AUTOMATION LTD→ SC395862 · est 2011	—	—	£418.0k	—	15y	83	58y
MUNRO SAWMILLS LTD.→ SC228923 · est 2002 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	24y	83	76y
STRATH PRINT LTD.→ SC205018 · est 2000	—	—	£12.4k	—	26y	83	74y
HIGHLAND BODYSHOP LTD→ SC273214 · est 2004	—	—	£148.5k	—	21y	82	73y
INVERFAB LTD.→ SC223907 · est 2001	—	—	£537.1k	—	24y	82	80y
MACKAY STEELWORK & CLADDING LIMITED→ SC161195 · est 1995	—	—	£3.98M	—	30y	82	58y
MARINE DIESEL SERVICES (SCOTLAND) LTD→ SC172858 · est 1997	—	—	£373.4k	—	29y	82	68y
MORAY PRECAST LIMITED→ SC176648 · est 1997	—	—	£126.9k	—	28y	82	69y

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

🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 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.

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Company details

Statusactive

Typeltd

Incorporated1943-09-25

Jurisdictionscotland

Primary SIC13200 — Weaving of textiles

Registered office

Newmill

Elgin

IV30 4AF

Filing status

Accounts

Next due: 2027-09-30

Last made up to: 2025-12-31

Confirmation statement

Next due: 2026-07-09

Last: 2025-06-25