Portakabin invests in state-of-the-art facility
MODULAR building specialist Portakabin, part of family-owned Shepherd Group, has made a £6m investment in a new state-of-the-art production facility at its international headquarters in York.
The manufacturing centre is now the most advanced of its kind in Europe, Portakabin said.
Following a three-year research and development programme, the production facility is manufacturing the company’s new steel-framed building system.
The investment, which is the biggest in the history of Portakabin, has provided a new production line specifically designed to manufacture the largest range of module sizes and building configurations now available in the UK; equipment to provide greater accuracy for windows, doors and air conditioning vents; and additional production capacity to meet future demand.
Kevin Jones, Portakabin’s director of business development, said: “At a time when a number of modular building companies have gone out of business and the UK is suffering tremendous economic challenges, we have made the biggest single investment in the history of our business and a clear commitment to the future of our sector and the construction industry.
“We are taking modular construction to the next phase – leading the way in innovation to produce buildings with the highest levels of architectural appeal, the widest choice of modules currently available in the UK, unprecedented design flexibility – all manufactured sustainably, and backed up with outstanding customer service.
“The new production facility gives us the opportunity to compete head on with traditional site-based construction, as well as the modular building sector – with greater capacity.”
Portakabin’s building system is used in applications ranging from hospital facilities, clinics and treatment centres, teaching accommodation and nurseries, to commercial headquarters and office extensions.
Meanwhile, Portakabin has invested a further £3m in its largest and most sustainable hire and visitor’s centre to date.
The development at Isleport Business Park near Bridgwater in Somerset has doubled the size of its previous centre in the area and is part of the company’s continued expansion despite the challenging economic conditions.
