York Guides

Yorkshire Post Today

THE growth of temporary buildings manufacturer Portakabin has been the catalyst for record turnover and profits at Shepherd Building Group, one of Yorkshire's biggest family-owned businesses.
The York-based construction firm has increased pre-tax profits by 15 per cent from £30.3m to £35m.
Group turnover is up to £644.2m from £603.4m.
Group chairman Alan Fletcher said a strong performance from Portakabin and the first profits yielded from its Homeseeker Homes business, which was acquired last year and which is one of Britain's biggest makers of residential park homes, had helped to boost profits.
Both Portakabin and Shepherd Homes achieved record profit performance, at £20.7m and £10.1m respectively.
Mr Fletcher said the strong performance in the Shepherd Homes division, which forms part of the group's property division, was an achievement given the cooling of the property market.
In its annual results to June 30, Shepherd also revealed an increase in turnover at Shepherd Construction to £348m, up from £296.6m in 2004.
However the construction and engineering division's profit performance, which includes Shepherd Construction and Shepherd Engineering Services, was hit by competitive market conditions.
As a result, pre-tax profit for the division was £2.6m, down from £6.2m in 2004, but the firm said it was working to improve efficiency in the sector.
The firm, which has cash resources of £57.5m on its balance sheet, said its improved performance resulted from a number of actions taken.
These included increased focus on core activities in the UK, the introduction of more open management and the strengthening of the quality and culture of risk management and control. To improve performance in the firm's manufacturing division, new senior management have been appointed at its Portakabin business in Holland and its German unit has been closed. Turnover in the division's Portasilo arm also increased.
Chairman Mr Fletcher said: "The improving profit trend is encouraging.
"It should be recognised, however, that there are currently uncertainties in relation to short and medium term activity levels in key markets, particularly for Shepherd Homes and for the manufacturing division.
"In addition, increasing competition in the construction sector and the resultant lower margins available restrict the opportunity for profit improvement and present a considerable challenge to the management of our construction companies.
"Despite this market background, the board has continuing confidence in the potential of the group's businesses."
The group, which functions across three divisions of manufacturing, property and construction and engineering, was founded in York in 1890 and employs 3,500 people, with 2,000 based in York.
Other members of the board are independent non-executives Angus Fraser and Anthony Pedder; group finance director Terence Smith; group director Mark Shepherd; and deputy chairman Patrick Shepherd.
The two Shepherds are the only board members with shares in the company.
A long-running feud between members of the Shepherd family and its former chairman was finally resolved last year.
The family avoided a costly court case when it came to an out-of-court settlement with Paul Shepherd.
Mr Shepherd had claimed he was wrongfully and unfairly dismissed from a position on the board and from his job as chief executive of the group's construction division.