Portasilo History

Portasilo Limited was registered as a limited company on November 16th 1953.

Donald Shepherd had for some years been concerned with finding a better way of storing, handling, and measuring cement on building sites. The method then of delivering in paper or cotton bags, which had to be split open and the cement hand- shovelled into the mix was expensive, wasteful and very costly to handle.

Since 1950, the Shepherd Construction company had under Donald Shepherd’s guidance been experimenting with bulk handling techniques. This involved a specially developed steel road tanker made in Bradford, West Yorkshire and Swedish timber silos. Unfortunately the road tankers were so heavy they could only travel at 20 mph to meet the then road traffic regulations and the timber silos were susceptible to the weather and required a crane to erect. The company decided to develop a system itself.

They developed a lightweight silo which required no foundations, or electric power and had an innovative weighing device. The silo was portable and could be both loaded and unloaded from a lorry by one man. With a 30% saving in the cost of cement in bulk as opposed to bags, it attracted great interest throughout the Industry.
The problem of the road tankers was solved in association with the Northern Aluminium Company, to produce a tanker in aluminium which was 80% lighter than the original steel tanker and could travel legally at 30 mph.

Together, tanker and silo presented a compelling system that took the handling of cement into a much more automated form.

Both the cement producers and leading building contractors, keenly supported this new system. Sales took off and enquiries were received from all over the world.