STIVEN LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC292048 · ltd · incorporated 2005-10-20
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
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Sept 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Agents involved in the sale of a variety of goods
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 65-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 65). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 5 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

6 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 20.1y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 20.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: high (82/100)

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

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
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (2 active, 9 linked, 7 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
3 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
78 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Sept 2023Sept 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2024-09-302023-09-30
Average employees-14001500

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

3 signals 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 (40 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-04-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-02-28
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  3. 2025-02-21
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Dp&L Holdings Limited
  4. 2024-03-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-04-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-01-09
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  7. 2023-01-09
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  8. 2022-12-31
    ➖
    LUCAS, John Price resigned
    director
  9. 2022-07-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2021-08-04
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  11. 2021-03-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2020-06-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2019-06-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2018-07-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-06-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2016-05-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2015-10-26
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  18. 2014-09-01
    ➕
    LUCAS, John Price appointed
    director
  19. 2014-07-18
    ➕
    BISSET, Alexander Melville appointed
    director
  20. 2014-07-18
    ➕
    ROBERTSON, Shona appointed
    director
  21. 2014-07-18
    ➖
    BAIN, Mary-Ann resigned
    secretary
  22. 2014-07-18
    ➖
    CAMPBELL, Andrew Charles resigned
    director
  23. 2014-07-18
    ➖
    CHALMERS, Alasdair David resigned
    director
  24. 2014-07-18
    ➖
    ROBERTSON, John Stewart resigned
    director
  25. 2014-03-06
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  26. 2013-05-03
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  27. 2013-05-02
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  28. 2013-04-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  29. 2013-04-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
  30. 2012-09-05
    ➕
    CAMPBELL, Andrew Charles appointed
    director
  31. 2010-12-03
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
  32. 2006-03-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  33. 2005-12-09
    ➕
    BAIN, Mary-Ann appointed
    secretary
  34. 2005-12-09
    ➖
    THORNTONS LAW LLP resigned
    corporate-secretary
  35. 2005-12-09
    ➕
    CHALMERS, Alasdair David appointed
    director
  36. 2005-12-09
    ➖
    HUTCHESON, Iain Henderson resigned
    director
  37. 2005-12-09
    ➕
    ROBERTSON, John Stewart appointed
    director
  38. 2005-10-20
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As STIVEN LIMITED
  39. 2005-10-20
    ➕
    THORNTONS LAW LLP appointed
    corporate-secretary
  40. 2005-10-20
    ➕
    HUTCHESON, Iain Henderson appointed
    director

Owner dependency

73/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

71/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 21 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.

Group structure

Cortachy Holdings Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Cortachy Holdings Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
⬇
STIVEN LIMITED
This company · SC292048

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

3 active beneficial owners · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Cortachy Holdings Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016
Mr Alexander Melville Bisset
Individual · British · DOB 08/1961 · age 65
——sig. influencesignificant influence · firm interest06/04/2016
Ms Shona Robertson
Individual · Scottish · DOB 05/1969 · age 57
——sig. influencesignificant influence · firm interest06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr John Price Lucasceased 31/12/2022· significant influence · firm interest

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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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
Incorporated2005-10-20
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC46190 — Agents involved in the sale of a variety of goods

Registered office

First Floor 2b Valentine Court
Kinnoull Road
Dundee
DD2 3QB

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-03
Last: 2025-10-20

Officers (2 active · 7 resigned)

BISSET, Alexander Melville→
director · ~65y · appointed 2014-07-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ROBERTSON, Shona→
director · ~57y · appointed 2014-07-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BAIN, Mary-Ann→
secretary · appointed 2005-12-09 · resigned 2014-07-18
Resigned
THORNTONS LAW LLP→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2005-10-20 · resigned 2005-12-09
Resigned
CAMPBELL, Andrew Charles→
director · ~67y · appointed 2012-09-05 · resigned 2014-07-18
Resigned
CHALMERS, Alasdair David→
director · ~72y · appointed 2005-12-09 · resigned 2014-07-18
Resigned
HUTCHESON, Iain Henderson→
director · ~64y · appointed 2005-10-20 · resigned 2005-12-09
Resigned
LUCAS, John Price→
director · ~66y · appointed 2014-09-01 · resigned 2022-12-31
Resigned
ROBERTSON, John Stewart→
director · ~77y · appointed 2005-12-09 · resigned 2014-07-18
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

6
Total charges
4
Outstanding
3
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Dp&L Holdings
Dp&L Holdings Limited
A registered charge—21/02/2025—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge1 property02/05/2013—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge1 property19/04/2013—
outstanding
NatWest Group
Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
A registered charge1 property10/04/2013—
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property03/12/201006/03/2014
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Bond & floating charge1 property15/03/200603/05/2013
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (78 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-15
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-02-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-03-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-28
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-01-09
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-01-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-21
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2021-08-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-03-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-20