IAN CRUICKSHANK (POTATOES) LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC088908 · ltd · incorporated 1984-07-16
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 39.6y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Oct 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 73-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 73). 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 · 2 lenders · oldest 39.6y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 39.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)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
5 officers (2 active, 5 linked, 3 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
102 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 | 2025-10-31 | 2024-10-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 400 | 500 |
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
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (25 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-26📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2025-06-26📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2025-06-26📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2025-05-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-04-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-01-11➖LC SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2023-01-11📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2022-04-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-05-27📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2021-05-21🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC (Trading as Both Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank) (Company Number SC001111)
- 2021-04-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-04-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-06-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-06-21📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2018-06-21📄appoint-corporate-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP04
- 2018-06-05➖ESSLEMONT CAMERON GAULD resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2018-06-05➕LC SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2009-08-10➖CRUICKSHANK, Hilda May resigneddirector
- 1996-04-10🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 1993-12-01➕CRUICKSHANK, Fiona Margaret appointeddirector
- 1986-09-24🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 1984-07-16🏢Company incorporatedAs IAN CRUICKSHANK (POTATOES) LIMITED
Owner dependency
100/100
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
- +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 "CRUICKSHANK" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 32 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 73 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
96/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 73 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 32 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 42 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 · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Ian Caldow Cruickshank Individual · British · DOB 06/1953 · age 73 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FYVIE ESTATE MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED→ SC052080 · est 1972 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 53y | — | — |
| GRAMPIAN AGRICULTURAL SERVICES LTD.→ SC294646 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| GROUND BOUND LTD→ SC853435 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| GROW GREENER LTD→ SC663559 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| HAPPY HOG LTD→ SC713332 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| HAULKERTON FARMS LIMITED→ SC173136 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 29y | — | — |
| HEADSHOT LIMITED→ SC255042 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| HEATHER SPRIG LIMITED→ SC107594 · est 1987 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 38y | — | — |
| IAN G DONALD (POTATOES) LTD→ SC331783 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| IAN GATT LTD.→ SC245405 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| IAN JOHNSTON & SONS LIMITED→ SC035263 · est 1960 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 65y | — | — |
| IAN R MACKIE LTD.→ SC242421 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
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.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1984-07-16
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Registered office
Sauchenloan
Fisherford
Inverurie
Aberdeenshire
AB51 8YP
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-29
Last: 2025-08-15
Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)
CRUICKSHANK, Fiona Margaret→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 1993-12-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ESSLEMONT CAMERON GAULD→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · resigned 2018-06-05
LC SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2018-06-05 · resigned 2023-01-11
CRUICKSHANK, Hilda May→
Resigneddirector · ~95y · resigned 2009-08-10
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC (Trading as Both Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank) (Company Number SC001111) | A registered charge | — | 21/05/2021 | — | |
| outstanding | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Standard security | 1 property | 10/04/1996 | — | |
| outstanding | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Floating charge | 1 property | 24/09/1986 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (102 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-04-01
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-15
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2025-06-26
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-06-26
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2025-06-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-05-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-04-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-06-20
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2023-01-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-30
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2021-05-27