JAMES AITKEN & SONS (MEAT PRODUCTS) LIMITED
- · Oldest live charge 18.8y old — refinance window within 12 months
Opportunity 65/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (65/100, director aged 62). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Company dissolved. Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 18.8y
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 18.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (61/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Recent activity
Corporate timeline (46 events)Click to expand
- 2025-07-29📄gazette-dissolved-voluntarygazette · GAZ2(A)
- 2025-07-29🏁Company dissolved
- 2025-05-13📄gazette-notice-voluntarygazette · GAZ1(A)
- 2025-05-02📄dissolution-application-strike-off-companydissolution · DS01
- 2024-09-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-20📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2024-09-20📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2024-09-20📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2024-01-08➕WOOD, Thomas appointeddirector
- 2024-01-08📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2023-11-30➖BOWIE, Allan Russell resigneddirector
- 2023-11-30📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-10-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2023-10-04📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2023-10-04📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2023-10-04📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2023-02-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2023-02-07📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2023-02-07📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2023-02-07📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2022-06-06➕BOWIE, Allan Russell appointeddirector
- 2022-06-06📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2022-06-03➖CLARK, Nicholas Rodger resigneddirector
- 2022-06-03📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2021-09-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-27📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2020-11-06➖HILL, Alan George resigneddirector
- 2020-11-02➕CLARK, Nicholas Rodger appointeddirector
- 2018-06-11➖GODFREY, Susan Mary resignedsecretary
- 2018-06-11➖GODFREY, Susan Mary resigneddirector
- 2013-09-04➕HILL, Alan George appointeddirector
- 2010-08-02➖GODFREY, Martyn resigneddirector
- 2008-11-30➖RUTHERFORD, David resigneddirector
- 2007-07-03🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2007-06-01➕RUTHERFORD, David appointeddirector
- 2007-05-01➕GODFREY, Wayne appointeddirector
- 2006-11-08➕GODFREY, Susan Mary appointedsecretary
- 2006-11-08➖MACLAY MURRAY & SPENS LLP resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2006-11-08➕GODFREY, Martyn appointeddirector
- 2006-11-08➕GODFREY, Susan Mary appointeddirector
- 2006-11-08➖VINDEX LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2006-11-08➖VINDEX SERVICES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2006-11-01🏢Company incorporatedAs JAMES AITKEN & SONS (MEAT PRODUCTS) LIMITED
- 2006-11-01➕MACLAY MURRAY & SPENS LLP appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2006-11-01➕VINDEX LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2006-11-01➕VINDEX SERVICES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 19 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 62. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 19 years.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 high ·Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only.
Evidence: Dissolved on 2025-07-29
Group structure
Importo Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Importo Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 30/12/2018 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Browns Food Groupceased 30/12/2018· 75-100% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
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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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (0 active · 10 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Floating charge | 1 property | 03/07/2007 | — |