Five stars for Portakabin in safety audit

The York-based business, part of the privately-held Shepherd Group, said it achieved a five-star rating in an audit of key operational areas, including health and safety, quality and sustainability.

The audit was carried out by Achilles, a global group that qualifies, evaluates and monitors suppliers to help buyers for the world’s largest corporations develop long-term, mutually-beneficial relationships with reliable, qualified suppliers.

Stephen Marshall, manager of Achilles Building Confidence, said the audit is designed to uncover any potential weaknesses within a business to drive continuous improvement across the construction industry supply chain in the UK. “Only a very small percentage of suppliers receive five-star ratings,” he added.

Derek Carter, chief executive of the Portakabin Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be accredited under the Achilles scheme and to achieve such a strong, independently-audited performance.”

Portakabin is operating in a tough sector. Its parent company said last year’s sales were consistent with the previous year against a market struggling for volume.

The Shepherd Group is thought to be Yorkshire’s second largest family-owned business, behind Bradford-based motor group JCT600. The group reported sales of £748m in the year ending June 2013.