MCPHERSONS ATLANTIC LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC120158 · ltd · incorporated 1989-09-14
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 Feb 2025
Net worth
£205.7k
book net assets
Opportunity
75/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Agents specialised in the sale of other particular products
Sector: Wholesale & retail
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 46310Wholesale of fruit and vegetables
  • 46380Wholesale of other food, including fish, crustaceans and molluscs
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 66-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 75/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 66). 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

7 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 33.7y

15/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 33.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: high (81/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

Company profile
address, 3 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
7 charges (7/7 with lender, 7/7 with type)
90
Directors & officers
10 officers (1 active, 10 linked, 5 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
8 connected companies via shared directors
69
Filing history
137 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
75/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
74
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102
Positive net assets
Net assets £205,654
Very low cash
Cash position: £11
Cash YoY
+0%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£11
~ YoY
Net Worth
£206k
↑ 44% YoY
Current Assets
£187k
↑ 20% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£41k£82k£123k£165k£206kFeb 2024Feb 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-02-282024-02-28
Total assets£361.7k£364.9k
Current assets£187.5k£156.9k
Cash£11£11
Debtors£171.5k£146.1k
Net assets£205.7k£142.8k

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

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 persons-with-significant-control
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (44 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-11-03
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  2. 2025-06-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2025-02-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-06-15
    📄
    accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AAMD
  5. 2023-02-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-02-08
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  7. 2022-09-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2021-11-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2020-08-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2019-11-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2018-05-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  12. 2017-11-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2016-11-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  14. 2016-05-30
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  15. 2015-11-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2010-10-11
    ➖
    MCPHERSON, Irene Catherine Mary resigned
    secretary
  17. 2010-10-11
    ➖
    MCPHERSON, Irene Catherine Mary resigned
    director
  18. 2006-07-27
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  19. 2004-08-11
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  20. 2004-07-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  21. 2003-07-08
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  22. 2003-07-08
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  23. 2003-06-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  24. 2003-03-15
    ➖
    PHILLIPS, William Charles Henry resigned
    director
  25. 2002-04-18
    ➕
    PHILLIPS, William Charles Henry appointed
    director
  26. 2002-04-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Aberdeen Asset Managers Limited
  27. 1994-09-16
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  28. 1994-06-03
    ➖
    MCPHERSON, David James resigned
    director
  29. 1992-10-10
    ➖
    MCPHERSON, Garth resigned
    secretary
  30. 1992-10-10
    ➕
    MCPHERSON, Irene Catherine Mary appointed
    secretary
  31. 1992-10-10
    ➖
    MCPHERSON, Garth resigned
    director
  32. 1992-10-10
    ➕
    MCPHERSON, Irene Catherine Mary appointed
    director
  33. 1992-10-10
    ➖
    MCPHERSON, Patricia Mcintosh resigned
    director
  34. 1992-08-21
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  35. 1990-10-05
    ➖
    IRVINE MACPHERSON, Irene Catherine Mary resigned
    secretary
  36. 1990-10-05
    ➕
    MCPHERSON, Garth appointed
    secretary
  37. 1990-10-05
    ➕
    MCPHERSON, David James appointed
    director
  38. 1990-10-05
    ➕
    MCPHERSON, Garth appointed
    director
  39. 1990-10-05
    ➕
    MCPHERSON, Patricia Mcintosh appointed
    director
  40. 1990-10-05
    ➖
    WINTER, Kenneth resigned
    director
  41. 1989-12-12
    ➕
    MCPHERSON, John Dru appointed
    director
  42. 1989-12-12
    ➕
    IRVINE MACPHERSON, Irene Catherine Mary appointed
    secretary
  43. 1989-12-12
    ➕
    WINTER, Kenneth appointed
    director
  44. 1989-09-14
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As MCPHERSONS ATLANTIC 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.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "MCPHERSON" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 36 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 66. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 36 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 37 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 · 1 low
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.

5 live charges
low

Heavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mrs Irene Mcpherson
Individual · British · DOB 07/1965 · age 61
50–75%
50–75%board control50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control10/01/2023
Mr John Dru Mcpherson
Individual · British · DOB 02/1960 · age 66
25–50%
—25-50% shares15/04/2017

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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————3y——
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

9 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
Incorporated1989-09-14
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC46180 — Agents specialised in the sale of other particular products

Registered office

6 Atholl Crescent
Perth
PH1 5JN

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-05
Last: 2025-09-21

Officers (1 active · 9 resigned)

MCPHERSON, John Dru→
director · ~66y · appointed 1989-12-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
IRVINE MACPHERSON, Irene Catherine Mary→
secretary · appointed 1989-12-12 · resigned 1990-10-05
Resigned
MCPHERSON, Garth→
secretary · appointed 1990-10-05 · resigned 1992-10-10
Resigned
MCPHERSON, Irene Catherine Mary→
secretary · appointed 1992-10-10 · resigned 2010-10-11
Resigned
MCPHERSON, David James→
director · appointed 1990-10-05 · resigned 1994-06-03
Resigned
MCPHERSON, Garth→
director · ~64y · appointed 1990-10-05 · resigned 1992-10-10
Resigned
MCPHERSON, Irene Catherine Mary→
director · ~62y · appointed 1992-10-10 · resigned 2010-10-11
Resigned
MCPHERSON, Patricia Mcintosh→
director · ~98y · appointed 1990-10-05 · resigned 1992-10-10
Resigned
PHILLIPS, William Charles Henry→
director · ~87y · appointed 2002-04-18 · resigned 2003-03-15
Resigned
WINTER, Kenneth→
director · appointed 1989-12-12 · resigned 1990-10-05
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

7
Total charges
5
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:7 of 7 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Standard security1 property27/07/2006—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Standard security1 property11/08/2004—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Standard security1 property15/07/2004—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Bond & floating charge1 property20/06/2003—
satisfied
Aberdeen Asset Managers
Aberdeen Asset Managers Limited
Bond & floating charge1 property18/04/200208/07/2003
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property16/09/1994—
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Floating charge1 property21/08/199208/07/2003
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (137 total)

change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-11-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-02-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-22
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AAMD
2023-06-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-02-28
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2023-02-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-09-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-11-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2020-08-20