CORDINERS SAWMILLS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC335303 · ltd · incorporated 2007-12-14
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 Jun 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Sawmilling and planing of wood
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.

Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. 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 (58/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 18.1y

15/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 18.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (71/100)

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
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (2 active, 8 linked, 2 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
69 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-06-30
Average employees3600

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

2 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
2
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-12-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-12-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-12-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-09-20
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  5. 2023-09-18
    ➖
    CORDINER, James Ritchie resigned
    director
  6. 2022-12-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2021-12-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2020-12-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2019-12-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2019-05-28
    ➕
    GILL, Graeme John appointed
    secretary
  11. 2019-05-28
    ➖
    CORDINER, Brenda Frances resigned
    secretary
  12. 2019-05-28
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  13. 2019-05-28
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  14. 2018-12-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2018-01-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2016-12-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2015-12-18
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  18. 2015-12-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  19. 2015-05-01
    ➕
    CORDINER, Brenda Frances appointed
    secretary
  20. 2015-05-01
    ➖
    CORDINER, James Francis resigned
    secretary
  21. 2014-11-05
    ➕
    CORDINER, James Francis appointed
    secretary
  22. 2014-11-05
    ➖
    GRANT, Merlyn resigned
    secretary
  23. 2012-01-17
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
  24. 2008-05-14
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  25. 2008-04-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: James Corinder and Son Limited
  26. 2008-04-14
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
  27. 2008-04-04
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: James Cordiner and Son Limited
  28. 2008-01-18
    ➕
    CORDINER, James Francis appointed
    director
  29. 2008-01-18
    ➕
    GRANT, Merlyn appointed
    secretary
  30. 2008-01-18
    ➖
    P & W SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  31. 2008-01-18
    ➕
    CORDINER, James Ritchie appointed
    director
  32. 2008-01-18
    ➖
    P & W DIRECTORS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-director
  33. 2007-12-14
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CORDINERS SAWMILLS LIMITED
  34. 2007-12-14
    ➕
    P & W SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  35. 2007-12-14
    ➕
    P & W DIRECTORS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-director

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 "CORDINER" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 18 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

68/100
Strong succession signal

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

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 18 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 18 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.)

Group structure

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

🏛️
Cordiners Assets Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
⬇
CORDINERS SAWMILLS LIMITED
This company · SC335303

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%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Cordiners Assets Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016

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 →

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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
Incorporated2007-12-14
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC16100 — Sawmilling and planing of wood

Registered office

Silverbank Sawmills
North Deeside Road
Banchory
Kincardineshire
AB31 5PY

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-28
Last: 2025-12-14

Officers (2 active · 6 resigned)

GILL, Graeme John→
secretary · appointed 2019-05-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CORDINER, James Francis→
director · ~41y · appointed 2008-01-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CORDINER, Brenda Frances→
secretary · appointed 2015-05-01 · resigned 2019-05-28
Resigned
CORDINER, James Francis→
secretary · appointed 2014-11-05 · resigned 2015-05-01
Resigned
GRANT, Merlyn→
secretary · appointed 2008-01-18 · resigned 2014-11-05
Resigned
P & W SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2007-12-14 · resigned 2008-01-18
Resigned
CORDINER, James Ritchie→
director · ~83y · appointed 2008-01-18 · resigned 2023-09-18
Resigned
P & W DIRECTORS LIMITED→
corporate-director · appointed 2007-12-14 · resigned 2008-01-18
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

4
Total charges
3
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank PLC
Floating charge1 property17/01/2012—
outstanding
James Corinder and Son
James Corinder and Son Limited
Standard security1 property24/04/2008—
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank PLC
Floating charge1 property14/04/2008—
satisfied
James Cordiner and Son
James Cordiner and Son Limited
Standard security1 property04/04/200814/05/2008
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (69 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-06
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-09-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-12-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-12-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-12-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-12-16