A. KELLY LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC081337 · ltd · incorporated 1982-12-31
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
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
  • · Oldest live charge 39.2y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Retail sale of computers, peripheral units and software in specialised stores
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 74-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 74). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 39.2y

50/100
clean up first

Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.

  • · Oldest live charge is 39.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · Legal-friction score 30/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
16 officers (3 active, 16 linked, 10 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
123 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 accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Dec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Average employees16001700

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

2 signals 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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (44 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-06-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-12-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-01-07
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  6. 2022-01-07
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  7. 2022-01-07
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  8. 2021-09-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  9. 2020-12-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  10. 2019-09-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  11. 2019-08-19
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  12. 2019-08-19
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  13. 2018-09-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  14. 2018-05-02
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  15. 2018-04-27
    ➖
    KELLY, Louise Mary resigned
    director
  16. 2017-08-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  17. 2016-09-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  18. 2014-07-09
    ➖
    SELBIE, Francis James resigned
    director
  19. 2014-01-31
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
  20. 2013-10-21
    ➖
    HOPKINS, Graeme resigned
    director
  21. 2012-02-15
    ➖
    YOUNG, Stuart Harris resigned
    director
  22. 2009-02-03
    ➖
    FORREST, Kenneth Robert resigned
    director
  23. 2007-10-30
    ➕
    WILKINSON, Mark Shanks appointed
    secretary
  24. 2007-10-09
    ➖
    WELSH, Thomas resigned
    secretary
  25. 2007-05-01
    ➕
    WELSH, Thomas appointed
    secretary
  26. 2006-12-31
    ➖
    DUNCAN, Gordon Thomson resigned
    secretary
  27. 2006-12-31
    ➖
    DUNCAN, Gordon Thomson resigned
    director
  28. 2001-03-01
    ➕
    KELLY, Louise Mary appointed
    director
  29. 1999-10-01
    ➕
    HOPKINS, Graeme appointed
    director
  30. 1997-08-01
    ➕
    DUNCAN, Gordon Thomson appointed
    director
  31. 1995-01-01
    ➕
    WILKINSON, Mark Shanks appointed
    director
  32. 1994-10-19
    ➖
    KELLY, Ian resigned
    director
  33. 1994-01-01
    ➕
    FORREST, Kenneth Robert appointed
    director
  34. 1994-01-01
    ➕
    SELBIE, Francis James appointed
    director
  35. 1994-01-01
    ➕
    YOUNG, Stuart Harris appointed
    director
  36. 1993-01-11
    ➕
    KELLY, Ian appointed
    director
  37. 1991-11-28
    ➕
    DUNCAN, Gordon Thomson appointed
    secretary
  38. 1991-11-28
    ➖
    KELLY, Alan Lowrie resigned
    secretary
  39. 1991-11-28
    ➖
    O'ROURKE, Thomas John resigned
    director
  40. 1990-11-30
    ➕
    KELLY, Alan Lowrie appointed
    secretary
  41. 1990-11-30
    ➖
    KELLY, Ruby resigned
    secretary
  42. 1990-11-30
    ➖
    KELLY, Ruby resigned
    director
  43. 1987-02-09
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  44. 1982-12-31
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As A. KELLY LIMITED

Owner dependency

98/100
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
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "KELLY" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 31 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 74 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

96/100
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 74 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 31 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 43 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 · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Alan Lowrie Kelly
Individual · British · DOB 12/1952 · age 74
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016
Mr Mark Shanks Wilkinson
Individual · British · DOB 05/1969 · age 57
——sig. influencesignificant influence06/04/2016

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 →

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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
Incorporated1982-12-31
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC47410 — Retail sale of computers, peripheral units and software in specialised stores

Registered office

Solution Centre, Nobel Road
Wester Gourdie
Dundee
Angus
DD2 4UH

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-23
Last: 2025-08-09

Officers (3 active · 13 resigned)

WILKINSON, Mark Shanks→
secretary · appointed 2007-10-30
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
KELLY, Alan Lowrie→
director · ~74y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WILKINSON, Mark Shanks→
director · ~57y · appointed 1995-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DUNCAN, Gordon Thomson→
secretary · appointed 1991-11-28 · resigned 2006-12-31
Resigned
KELLY, Alan Lowrie→
secretary · appointed 1990-11-30 · resigned 1991-11-28
Resigned
KELLY, Ruby→
secretary · resigned 1990-11-30
Resigned
WELSH, Thomas→
secretary · appointed 2007-05-01 · resigned 2007-10-09
Resigned
DUNCAN, Gordon Thomson→
director · ~84y · appointed 1997-08-01 · resigned 2006-12-31
Resigned
FORREST, Kenneth Robert→
director · ~66y · appointed 1994-01-01 · resigned 2009-02-03
Resigned
HOPKINS, Graeme→
director · ~75y · appointed 1999-10-01 · resigned 2013-10-21
Resigned
KELLY, Ian→
director · ~58y · appointed 1993-01-11 · resigned 1994-10-19
Resigned
KELLY, Louise Mary→
director · ~70y · appointed 2001-03-01 · resigned 2018-04-27
Resigned
KELLY, Ruby→
director · resigned 1990-11-30
Resigned
O'ROURKE, Thomas John→
director · ~63y · resigned 1991-11-28
Resigned
SELBIE, Francis James→
director · ~61y · appointed 1994-01-01 · resigned 2014-07-09
Resigned
YOUNG, Stuart Harris→
director · ~63y · appointed 1994-01-01 · resigned 2012-02-15
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

2
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge1 property31/01/2014—
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Floating charge1 property09/02/1987—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (123 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-12-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-19
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2022-01-07
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-01-07
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-01-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-09-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2020-12-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-08-26