Especially in the current economic climate, achieving 75 years in business is no mean feat – and Shepley Engineers, which reaches the milestone this year, intends to mark it. 

“We’re going to be celebrating online, as well as giving away memorabilia and merchandise,” says Alfie Court, Shepley group marketing and communications lead. “We’re in the process of planning our celebrations with our staff. It goes without saying that this couldn’t happen without them.”
As Sellafield’s longest-serving continuous contractor, the company, based in Whitehaven, is integral to the county’s nuclear heritage. It was founded in Manchester in 1948 by Frank Shepley and in the same year started work on the Windscale Piles. 
“We were engaged on the site before it was even Calder Hall, let alone Sellafield!” says Gavin Jakubowski, Shepley group managing director. “We installed the stainless-steel ducting on the Windscale Piles that you can see reducing in size by the day. That was our very first project, helping to establish the site for the UK’s nuclear weapons programme. It wasn’t until they wanted to capitalise on the electricity that it expanded to become Calder Hall. The longevity of our service at Sellafield is certainly something to be proud of for us.”
The business has operated in several forms throughout the years, through organic growth, mergers and acquisitions. Local blacksmith Alan Dawson came to Shepley for assistance with his workload, and Shepley Dawson Architectural Engineering Ltd was born. In the 1980s, with a gloomy economic climate and unsupportive banks, the architectural branch of the company was sold to a London construction company, and Shepley Engineers Ltd was acquired by VHE plc for £1.6 million.
Several people have spent time at the helm of the business and helped steer the ship in its current direction, including former directors Brian Dawes, Paul Scott and Nick Houghton, who passed the baton on to former director Gavin Jakubowski in 2022. 
Now owned by parent company Renew Holdings plc, in the early 2000s Shepley Engineers acquired two subsidiaries – West Cumberland Engineering and PPS Electrical. This would broaden its experience in the nuclear sector, adding specific electrical and instrumentation and mechanical manufacturing capabilities, giving the Shepley Group a combined 128 years’ experience in the nuclear field. Areas covered include decontamination, decommissioning and nuclear engineering, and it is currently working on Britain’s next generation nuclear power station at Hinkley 
Point C.
“The work is very specialised. We have people that have been in their job for over 30 years, in disciplines such as electrical and mechanical installation and specialist decontamination,” says Trevor Marrs, UK projects director. “This is their bread and butter. From the Windscale Piles to our largest project resource in Evaporator D, we are known for delivering a high-quality service to our clients in a timely manner. 
“The majority of our business comes from nuclear facilities in the UK, but we also have a restoration division that is engaged on several highly-regulated projects, including Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament. We are also one of the largest glasshouse restorers in the country.”
In the 1990s, Shepley Engineers manufactured and installed the iron infrastructure of Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris. Other high-profile restoration projects include Manchester Town Hall and St Pancras station. “These are large-scale projects in the public eye that a lot of people are now going to be able to continue to use. We’re preserving them to make sure people can enjoy them for years to come,” says Trevor.
With a combined workforce of over 660 across the Shepley Group, the company has a large impact on the local economy, investing over £45m per year in its Cumbrian workforce. Last year, more than £3million was spent with SMEs in the West Cumbria supply chain, and almost £25,000 donated to good causes. “We take great pride in our social impact delivery,” says David Henderson, nuclear business manager. The group currently has 47 apprentices, and has helped train hundreds of people over the years. Last September, it hired 21 new apprentices, with over half of the intake being female, and the company hopes this is a sign of changing attitudes around engineering.
Shepley Engineers recently extended its safety record, earning its 27th consecutive RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) Gold Award. “Safety is core to our operations.” says Gavin. “Our priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees.”
Having lasted 75 years, is Gavin confident of the business lasting 75 more? Absolutely! “Nuclear energy is the only 24/7, reliable energy source,” he says. “It isn’t dependent on the weather and is carbon neutral. As long as there is nuclear, as long as there is heritage to restore, we will hopefully be there at the forefront of it all.”