MCLAYS LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC265647 · ltd · incorporated 2004-03-29
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.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
71/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Wholesale of meat and meat products
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 71/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Asset purchase likely safer than share purchase given structural signals. 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 (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
6 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 22.0y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 22.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 35/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (57/100)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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
12 officers (4 active, 12 linked, 7 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
101 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
71/100Strong
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
59
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
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 (47 events)Click to expand
- 2025-06-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-02-15📄change-account-reference-date-company-current-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2020-10-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-11-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-04-27📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2019-04-27🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2018-10-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-06-21➕MCLAY, John Robertson appointedsecretary
- 2018-06-21➖REID, Gillian resignedsecretary
- 2018-06-21➖REID, Gillian resigneddirector
- 2018-06-21📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2018-06-21📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2018-06-21📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2017-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-03📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2017-10-30📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2017-10-30📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2017-10-30📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2017-10-25➕MCLAY, Craig appointeddirector
- 2015-10-30➖JENKINS, David Munro resigneddirector
- 2015-08-05➕MCLAY, Andrew appointeddirector
- 2014-04-23🔒Charge registered #6Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC, 2ND Floor Drummond House, 1 Redheughs Avenue, Edinburgh, EH12 9JH
- 2009-09-01➕JENKINS, David Munro appointeddirector
- 2007-07-06🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2006-06-14➖DONALD, Peter Galloway resigneddirector
- 2006-06-02➖WALLACE, William Gordon resigneddirector
- 2006-05-20🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2005-05-04🔒Charge registered #5Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2005-04-28🔒Charge registered #4Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2004-10-25🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2004-06-08➕DONALD, Peter Galloway appointeddirector
- 2004-05-07➕MCLAY, John Robertson appointeddirector
- 2004-05-07➕REID, Gillian appointedsecretary
- 2004-05-07➖BLP SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2004-05-07➕REID, Gillian appointeddirector
- 2004-05-07➕WALLACE, William Gordon appointeddirector
- 2004-05-07➖BLP CREATIONS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2004-05-07➖BLP FORMATIONS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2004-05-07🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland Commercial Services Limited
- 2004-05-07🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2004-03-29🏢Company incorporatedAs MCLAYS LIMITED
- 2004-03-29➕BLP SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2004-03-29➕BLP CREATIONS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2004-03-29➕BLP FORMATIONS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
98/100
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
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "MCLAY" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong 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.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 22 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
1 high · 1 med ·Confirmation statement overdue
highAnnual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.
Evidence: Next due: 2026-04-12
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Craig Mclay Individual · British · DOB 06/1993 · age 33 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 25/10/2017 |
Andrew Mclay Individual · British · DOB 04/1991 · age 35 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr John Robertson Mclayceased 25/10/2017· significant influence
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 · G postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. ROBERTSON PLUMBING SUPPLIES LIMITED→ SC109755 · est 1988 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 38y | — | — |
| AARNIKA LIMITED→ SC535313 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ACTIVECLOBBERUK LTD→ SC877752 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AJ IMPEX LIMITED→ SC641694 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ALAYASH LIMITED→ SC604041 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ALEX MATHER LIMITED→ SC078787 · est 1982 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 43y | — | — |
| ALI & NAQVI INVESTMENTS LIMITED→ SC608005 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ALIF GLOBAL ENTERPRISES LIMITED→ SC706006 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ALPHA RENEWABLE WHOLESALE UK LTD→ SC746977 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ALXT LTD→ SC748466 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AN WHOLESALE INC LIMITED→ SC815351 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ANAYA COLLECTION LTD→ SC710655 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2004-03-29
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC46320 — Wholesale of meat and meat products
Registered office
70 Glentanar Road
Balmore Industrial Estate
Glasgow
Strathclyde,
G22 7XS
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-04-12OVERDUE
Last: 2025-03-29
Officers (4 active · 8 resigned)
MCLAY, John Robertson→
Activesecretary · appointed 2018-06-21
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MCLAY, Andrew→
Activedirector · ~35y · appointed 2015-08-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MCLAY, Craig→
Activedirector · ~33y · appointed 2017-10-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MCLAY, John Robertson→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 2004-05-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
REID, Gillian→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2004-05-07 · resigned 2018-06-21
BLP SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2004-03-29 · resigned 2004-05-07
DONALD, Peter Galloway→
Resigneddirector · ~81y · appointed 2004-06-08 · resigned 2006-06-14
JENKINS, David Munro→
Resigneddirector · ~64y · appointed 2009-09-01 · resigned 2015-10-30
REID, Gillian→
Resigneddirector · ~62y · appointed 2004-05-07 · resigned 2018-06-21
WALLACE, William Gordon→
Resigneddirector · ~67y · appointed 2004-05-07 · resigned 2006-06-02
BLP CREATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2004-03-29 · resigned 2004-05-07
BLP FORMATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2004-03-29 · resigned 2004-05-07
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
6
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC, 2ND Floor Drummond House, 1 Redheughs Avenue, Edinburgh, EH12 9JH | A registered charge | 2 properties | 23/04/2014 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 04/05/2005 | 20/05/2006 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 28/04/2005 | 06/07/2007 | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 25/10/2004 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland Commercial Services Limited | Floating charge | 1 property | 07/05/2004 | 27/04/2019 | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 07/05/2004 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (101 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-06-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-06-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-03
change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
accounts · AA01
2021-02-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-10-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-04-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-11-04
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2019-04-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-04-04