AUTO TECH (COACHWORKS) LIMITED

💤Zombieactive

SC099608 · ltd · incorporated 1986-06-16

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 Jan 2026

Net worth

—

book net assets

Opportunity

79/100

Strong

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch

What this business does

Primary activity: SIC 99999

Sector: Extraterritorial bodies

Investor take

Pursue

Active trading company with a 81-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 81). 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 (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 27.9y

15/100

under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

· Oldest live charge is 27.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
· 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
· Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (72/100)

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

1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed

Lenders & charges

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

Directors & officers

9 officers (1 active, 9 linked, 7 with DOB)

Ownership & PSC

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

Director network

1 connected companies via shared directors

Filing history

116 filings on record

Gazette notices

No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)

Opportunity Score

79/100Strong

PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

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.

Key financials

1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accounts

Cash

—

Net Worth

—

Current Assets

—

Current Liabilities

—

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102

Metric	2026-01-31
Average employees	100

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

filings

Last 90 days

filings

• 1 accounts
• 1 confirmation-statement

Last 180 days

filings

• 1 accounts
• 1 confirmation-statement

Counts from Companies House filing history.

Corporate timeline (37 events)Click to expand

2026-03-16
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-03-13
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-04-29
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-11-02
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-10-28
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-11-10
📄
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AAMD
2021-10-29
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-05-18
📄
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2021-05-17
📍
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2021-05-17
📍
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2021-05-17
📄
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2021-05-17
📄
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2021-04-20
📄
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2021-01-23
➖
SEMPLE, Geoffrey Davidson resigned
director
2020-07-14
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2019-10-21
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2019-05-15
📄
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2019-05-15
🔓
Charge satisfied #1
2018-11-02
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2009-10-01
➖
SEMPLE, Geoffrey Davidson resigned
secretary
2006-06-09
➖
CALDWELL, Duncan resigned
director
2006-05-01
➕
SEMPLE, Elizabeth Baird appointed
director
2005-05-16
➖
MURRAY, Robert resigned
director
2005-05-11
➖
EADIE, William resigned
director
2004-11-25
🔓
Charge satisfied #3
2002-09-30
➖
SEMPLE, Elizabeth B resigned
secretary
2002-09-30
➕
SEMPLE, Geoffrey Davidson appointed
secretary
2002-09-30
➖
SEMPLE, Elizabeth B resigned
director
2000-02-25
➕
EADIE, William appointed
director
1998-09-02
➖
HUGHES, James Hanlon resigned
director
1998-09-02
➕
MURRAY, Robert appointed
director
1998-06-25
🔒
Charge registered #4
Lender: Geoffrey Davidson Semple
1998-06-25
🔒
Charge registered #3
Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
1998-06-25
🔒
Charge registered #2
Lender: Bell Building Projects
1998-06-12
🔒
Charge registered #1
Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
1997-03-01
➕
HUGHES, James Hanlon appointed
director
1986-06-16
🏢
Company incorporated
As AUTO TECH (COACHWORKS) LIMITED

Owner dependency

100/100

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

+Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
+Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 20 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
+Founder age: Director aged approximately 81 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

98/100

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 81 years old. Natural succession window is now.
primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 20 years.
secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 40 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

1 med ·

Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern

medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner

Name	Shares	Voting rights	Nature of control	Notified
Mrs Elizabeth Baird Semple Individual · British · DOB 09/1945 · age 81	25–50%	—	25-50% shares	06/04/2016

1 historic (ceased) PSC

Mr Geoffrey Davidson Sempleceased 23/01/2021· 25-50% 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 · Other · DG postcode area

Company	Est. value	Turnover	Net worth	Staff	Age	Opp	Director
AIRMIX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED→ SC373762 · est 2010 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	16y	—	—
ALADDINS CAVE OF GOLF LIMITED→ SC169912 · est 1996 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	29y	—	—
ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF OUR LADY AND SAINT NINIAN LTD→ SC859393 · est 2025 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
ARDWELL COMMUNITY KIRK→ SC535735 · est 2016 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	9y	—	—
BOUDICCA RECORDS LLP→ SO305145 · est 2014 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	11y	—	—
BPF BLACKBALL→ 16981977 · est 2026 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
BRAZENALL & ORR LLP→ SO307892 · est 2023 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	2y	—	—
BROWNRIGGS (THORNHILL) LLP→ SO304122 · est 2012 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	13y	—	—
C.P. PORTEOUS & SONS - PENLAW FARMS→ SL000759 · est 1985 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	40y	—	—
CANNY SCOT LIMITED→ SC289856 · est 2005 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	20y	—	—
CARA LTD→ SC216269 · est 2001 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	25y	—	—
CASTLEWIGG GWYNNE LIMITED→ SC466703 · est 2014 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	12y	—	—

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

Incorporated1986-06-16

Jurisdictionscotland

Primary SIC99999 — SIC 99999

Registered office

4 Old Posting Stables

Gatehouse Of Fleet

Castle Douglas

DG7 2HL

Scotland

Filing status

Accounts

Next due: 2027-10-31

Last made up to: 2026-01-31

Confirmation statement

Next due: 2027-02-14

Last: 2026-01-31

Officers (1 active · 8 resigned)

SEMPLE, Elizabeth Baird→

director · ~81y · appointed 2006-05-01

View their other companies + combined net worth →

Active

SEMPLE, Elizabeth B→

secretary · resigned 2002-09-30

Resigned

SEMPLE, Geoffrey Davidson→

secretary · appointed 2002-09-30 · resigned 2009-10-01

Resigned

CALDWELL, Duncan→

director · ~73y · resigned 2006-06-09

Resigned

EADIE, William→

director · ~69y · appointed 2000-02-25 · resigned 2005-05-11

Resigned

HUGHES, James Hanlon→

director · ~74y · appointed 1997-03-01 · resigned 1998-09-02

Resigned

MURRAY, Robert→

director · ~74y · appointed 1998-09-02 · resigned 2005-05-16

Resigned

SEMPLE, Elizabeth B→

director · ~81y · resigned 2002-09-30

Resigned

SEMPLE, Geoffrey Davidson→

director · ~88y · resigned 2021-01-23

Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

Total charges

Outstanding

Active lenders

Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown

		Type	Properties
outstanding	Geoffrey Davidson Semple	Standard security	1 property	25/06/1998	—
satisfied	Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC	Standard security	1 property	25/06/1998	25/11/2004
outstanding	Bell Building Projects	Standard security	1 property	25/06/1998	—
satisfied	Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC	Bond & floating charge	1 property	12/06/1998	15/05/2019

Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.