With 40 years’ experience in the steel-framed buildings business, it comes as no surprise to learn that Brett Shortland’s order book is full well into 2025.
It’s also a tribute to his building skills, workmanship and customer focus that many of those who are turning to Shortland Structures for their buildings have been doing so for a large chunk of those 40 years. Nick Scrase, who farms near Pulborough in West Sussex with brother Jonathan, was named in a South East Farmer feature 15 years ago as a “long-term customer”. He is still a regular client today.
“Because I work hard to deliver a personal service and because my team is focused on getting the details right, I have become friends with most of my customers,” Brett commented. “They know that they will get exactly what it says on the tin.”
Brett has been in the business since the day after he left school at the age of 16, and the 57 year-old has been adding to his client base and reputation ever since.
His core team, too, is long-standing. Gary Brewer has been with Shortland Structures for 20 years and Simon Peters for more than 10. The six-strong, full-time workforce is supplemented when necessary by a reliable band of sub-contractors and specialists, all of whom share Brett’s commitment to quality.
In the early days Brett himself was often brought in as a trusted sub-contractor by some of the biggest names in the business, but these days he usually operates as the main contractor, building a broad range of agricultural buildings of all shapes and sizes, from hay barns to equestrian premises.
He has built up a good relationship with major Welsh steel buildings supplier Shufflebottom over the years and chooses their buildings, which he said reflected his own approach to quality workmanship.
The Shortland Structures team is currently building a waste transfer station at Northwood Farm, Yapton, West Sussex, for farmer Graham Abbott. The building, an impressive 43 by 35 metres and 10 metres to the eaves, will be let to TJ Waste as a recycling centre catering for the waste created by a growing population.
With four metre concrete panels at the base and cladding above, the building also features acoustic insulation designed to reduce noise nuisance to nearby residents.
Brett’s team is also building a 42 by 15 metre grain store at Northwood Farm for Graham, another long-term customer, and has recently completed a cattle building at Tickletag Farm, Storrington, again in West Sussex.
A recent more unusual request was to erect a triple span building at Holmbush Farm, Horsham for farmer Piers Calvert on the footprint of a former cattle building. With sustainability and the need to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint in mind, the structure was specifically designed to support solar PV panels capable of generating 225 Kwh of electricity.
“The building is 60m long by 18m wide and has a roof pitch that is designed to optimise solar collection on each of the three south-facing roofs,” Brett explained. “The panels are 7mm thick, double-toughened glass laminate and can be walked on. The mounting system is aluminium and designed to last 100 years and the plan is to offer rapid electric vehicle charging to the farm’s tea room visitors.”
Shortland Structures also builds equestrian facilities, and recently completed an Olympic-sized riding school. Another long-term customer is Neil Morris, who recently asked the company to add an extension to a hay barn at Five Oaks Farm, Five Oaks.
Brett is fully certificated and can advise farmers and landowners on the health and safety and other technical issues that can make life complicated for those who are busy with the ‘day job’.
“I make sure I am up to date with all the latest legislation; I can set up a crane, drive a forklift, give first aid or provide a complete method statement or risk assessment – an important aspect of any building project in these health and safety-conscious days,” he explained.
Above all Brett makes sure that his buildings are delivered on time and for the price he quoted. “Customer service and reliability are key when working with farmers,” he said. “You have to be there when you said you would, get the job done and make sure it’s done properly. That’s when customers keep coming back.”
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