Portakabin appoints new CEO

Portakabin Group, the portable building manufacturer and rental company, has appointment Derek Carter to the role of CEO.

He joined Portakabin last year as managing director and becomes CEO following the retirement of long-standing managing director and executive chairman Stephen Price. Mr Price remains a non-executive director of Shepherd Group, which is the owner of Portakabin.

Mr Carter, who will be based at Portakabin’s headquarters in York, UK, has spent 27 years in the marine industry, working at Lewmar, a manufacturer of marine equipment, and subsequently as CEO for Fairline, the boat manufacturer.

He will have overall responsibility for all its brands - which include Portakabin, Yorkon, Portaloo, Konstructa and Foremans - and its operations in the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. He is also a director of the Shepherd Group.

Mr Carter said he was looking forward “to taking the Portakabin business to the next stage in its evolution...We will continue to build on its strength and reputation while growing existing markets and expanding into new markets in Europe and ultimately internationally.”

Portakabin was established in York more than 50 years ago with its original site accommodation building. Rental of portable accommodation remains a major part of its business, with estimated rental revenues of €175 million in 2011 placing it just short of the top 50 rental companies in the world according to the IRN100 list.