Company History

Planning permission for the company’s new HQ at its Bacton premises is granted with work starting in early 2021.

The first articulated crane lorry on the road increases fleet size to eleven. This bespoke lorry build will bring the movement of all 40ft containers and cabins in-house for both hire and sale. Equipped with front legs it will also be a valuable addition for site work in restricted places.

With a growing business in both hire and sale we need to keep up with the needs to paint more cabins and containers. The addition of this state-of-the-art paint shop will increase quality, reduce energy use through heat recovery and improve lead times for all departments.

During December, a further vehicle joins the fleet, a Volvo 8×2 rigid lorry with 360 degrees operation site set-up and 65 tonne metre Hyva crane, the first in the world of this type, which takes the lorry fleet to ten vehicles.

The Portable Space team full-time team now stands at 37 people, in addition to numerous local contractors which makes the company a significant enterprise and employer in Mid-Suffolk.

An in-house installation team is established to work on modular, hire and flat pack sales, headed up by Pat Ames, formerly with the hirefleet maintenance team.

Workshops are converted to provide more room for hire sales, the paint preparation area and additional storage to facilitate future growth plans.

Danny Napier promoted to head up the dedicated Modular Division and Michelle McGuire is promoted to Hire Supervisor.

Investment is made in a new and more efficient heating system and improvements to the extraction system in the cabin and container paint shop.

The number of rental hirefleet units hits 1,500.

Portable Space appoints Danny Napier to head up the Container Conversions Division, Mark Dolman as Hirefleet Manager and Michelle McGuire as Hire Controller.

Portable Space is accredited with Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) Bronze for the first time, in recognition of its transport fleet’s compliance with set requirements based on lawfulness, safety, efficiency and environmental protection.

Portable Space becomes one of the first ever companies to offer cabins and containers for sale online at www.portablespace.co.uk

Lee Potter is appointed to assist with preparing cabins and containers ready for hire; and Mark Wilby joins as welder/fabricator.

The first specially-designed 6×2 Volvo lorry is built and added to the fleet, complete with a 36-tonne metre Amco Veba crane. A second vehicle is added two years later.

Farm buildings are converted into a dedicated maintenance workshop for preparing and painting the hirefleet.

A strategic decision is made to invest in new steel ‘anti-vandal’ cabins rather than Jackleg cabins for the hirefleet – which continues today. Specifications are continually updated in line with new technology, customer needs and environmental concerns.

Following two years of difficult farming conditions, Mark Black starts actively looking for business opportunities outside agriculture whilst working on the family farm.