IN 1890, York joiner Frederick Shepherd set up a humble house-building business. By the late 1970s the Shepherd Group was one of the 500 largest companies in the UK. Today it is one of the largest family-owned private companies.
One reason for this success has been an ability to survive downturns. During the 1900s when a recession hit the market for new houses, the company diversified into general contracting jobs.
Let’s hope this old lesson can be heeded in the wake of a new restructure. This reorganisation threatens 180 jobs.
We trust Mark Perkins, Shepherd’s chief executive will, like his 1900s predecessor, deliver on promises to “do everything possible to minimise potential redundancies and prioritise the welfare of staff”.
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