ABERDEEN OFFICE SUPPLIES LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC238550 · ltd · incorporated 2002-10-23
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Stable recent picture — watch for any upcoming trigger event.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
  • · Oldest live charge 23.2y old — refinance window within 12 months
What changed my view
Last 30 days

No material changes in the last 30 days.

Last 90 days

No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.

Last 180 days

No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.

🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Jan 2025
Net worth
£59.2k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46650
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 67-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 67). 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 (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 23.2y

50/100
clean up first

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 23.2 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 (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
5 officers (2 active, 5 linked, 3 with DOB)
82
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
60 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.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £59,243
Cash YoY
+267%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£120k
↑ 267% YoY
Net Worth
£59k
↑ 18% YoY
Current Assets
£181k
↑ 24% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£36k£72k£108k£144k£181kJan 2024Jan 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-01-312024-01-31
Total assets£97.5k£105.6k
Current assets£180.5k£146.0k
Cash£119.8k£32.6k
Debtors£53.2k£94.4k
Net assets£59.2k£50.3k

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
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (27 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-11-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-07-28
    ➖
    ADD ACCOUNTANCY LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  3. 2025-07-28
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  4. 2025-07-28
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  5. 2025-07-28
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  6. 2024-10-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2023-08-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2022-10-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2021-10-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2020-10-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2019-10-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2018-10-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2017-10-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2016-04-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2015-11-02
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  16. 2015-10-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2014-11-03
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  18. 2006-04-26
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  19. 2003-05-01
    ➕
    ADD ACCOUNTANCY LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  20. 2003-05-01
    ➖
    JM TAYLOR LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  21. 2003-04-14
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  22. 2002-12-31
    ➖
    DEANS, Elaine resigned
    director
  23. 2002-10-23
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ABERDEEN OFFICE SUPPLIES LIMITED
  24. 2002-10-23
    ➕
    BALSILLIE, Russell James Gerard appointed
    director
  25. 2002-10-23
    ➕
    PHILIP, Kenny appointed
    director
  26. 2002-10-23
    ➕
    JM TAYLOR LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  27. 2002-10-23
    ➕
    DEANS, Elaine appointed
    director

Owner dependency

83/100
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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

86/100
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 67. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 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
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Russell James Gerard Balsillie
Individual · British · DOB 08/1959 · age 67
25–50%
25–50%board controlsig. influence25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control · significant influence · firm interest23/10/2016
Mr Kenny Philip
Individual · British · DOB 08/1962 · age 64
25–50%
25–50%board controlsig. influence25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control · significant influence · firm interest23/10/2016

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 · Wholesale & distribution · AB postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
JOHN DAVIDSON (PIPES) LIMITED→
SC050397 · est 1972
£15.21M
£11.41M–£19.01M
£79.83M—2500054y8361y
QUALITY FOOD PRODUCTS (ABERDEEN) LIMITED→
SC046323 · est 1969
£7.30M
£5.48M–£9.13M
——6757y8359y
WELLHEAD ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES LIMITED→
SC123707 · est 1990
£993.4k
£745.1k–£1.24M
——1536y8373y
MO & CO (UK) LIMITED→
SC236096 · est 2002
£860.4k
£645.3k–£1.08M
——210023y8286y
KEITH BUILDERS MERCHANTS LIMITED→
SC217157 · est 2001
£155.6k
£116.7k–£194.6k
——3925y8458y
APEX TUBULARS LIMITED→
SC331461 · est 2007
———60018y8363y
GPH BUILDERS MERCHANTS LIMITED→
SC378341 · est 2010 · no financials extracted
————16y8371y
CABER COFFEE LIMITED→
SC329912 · est 2007
——£593.6k—18y8283y
CRAIGIEVAR TIMBER LIMITED→
SC357720 · est 2009
——£227.4k—17y8274y
D. RUDDIMAN LIMITED→
SC031624 · est 1956
——£15.2k—69y8296y
GOOD TASTE SCOTLAND LIMITED→
SC314261 · est 2007
——£50.0k—19y8270y
GPH BUILDERS MERCHANTS (2006) LIMITED→
SC208072 · est 2000 · no financials extracted
————25y8271y
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
Incorporated2002-10-23
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC46650 — SIC 46650

Registered office

6 Market Square
Oldmeldrum
Inverurie
Aberdeenshire
AB51 0AA

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-10-31
Last made up to: 2025-01-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-06
Last: 2025-10-23

Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)

BALSILLIE, Russell James Gerard→
director · ~67y · appointed 2002-10-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
PHILIP, Kenny→
director · ~64y · appointed 2002-10-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ADD ACCOUNTANCY LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2003-05-01 · resigned 2025-07-28
Resigned
JM TAYLOR LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2002-10-23 · resigned 2003-05-01
Resigned
DEANS, Elaine→
director · ~53y · appointed 2002-10-23 · resigned 2002-12-31
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

2
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Bond & floating charge1 property26/04/2006—
satisfied
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Floating charge1 property14/04/200328/07/2025
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (60 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-03
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2025-07-28
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-07-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-10-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-08-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-10-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-10-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-10-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-10-30