Actavo started off as a services company, erecting and dismantling scaffolding in a number of sectors – mainly power stations and petrochemical plants located in the Humber bank area of the UK.
Initially, the two main business locations for Deborah Construction (part of Actavo) were Wakefield in West Yorkshire and Barnetby in North Lincolnshire. Later, the company developed a hire & sales business, before going through several ownerships.
Over the half-century that has passed since its establishment, the business’s operations have grown from a small, local team to an international network of offices, depots and sites across the UK and beyond, comprising 3,500 staff.
Marking the 50th anniversary, CEO and Chairman of Actavo, Sean Corkery said: “Today is an important milestone for everyone past and present associated with Actavo. It’s fair to say that the endeavours and ingenuity of the founding fathers of Deborah Construction have been instrumental in shaping the culture, heritage and ethos of the company we are today.”
Speaking about the longevity and success of the Hire & Sales operations, CEO of Actavo, Structural Division, Roger Hastie, said: “Firstly, we strive to stay close to our customer and continually look to learn from them as to how we can provide the best service.
“Secondly, we are always looking at ways of diversifying as a business – new products, new services, new branches, and new methods of trading, and new targets. Last, but by no means least, our entire approach is characterised by a culture of safety – safety has been, and will always be, our number one priority.”
Commenting on the growth of the Industrial Solutions business, Russell Best, CEO of Actavo, Industrial Solutions, said: “It’s been an extraordinary journey for the business which, from humble beginnings, rose to be at the vanguard of specialised, multi-disciplinary industrial solutions to a wider range of sectors for five decades.
“This is testament to all employees and management who displayed dedication and resilience through varying national and global economic cycles over that period. Today, we are adopting innovation across all levels of the business and future-proofing the company for continued success in the 21st century.”
