Research Paper on:
SHEPHERD CONSTRUCTION

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
more than a century-old, having been founded in 1890 (Shepherd Construction (a), 2003). By the late 1930s, the Company had established a strong presence throughout Yorkshire and northern England (Shepherd  Construction (a), 2003). The Company continued to grow through acquisition as well as geographical expansion, forming the Shepherd Building Group in 1962 comprising three divisions today; construction, manufacturing and property  development (Shepherd Construction (a), 2003). The following focuses on the Companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats -- and how Shepherd can work  within the current construction industry market. Strengths. Shepherd Construction offers many strengths, among them, longevity and a high reputation  for quality. The Company is also known for innovation -- which is a direct result of longevity (Shepherd Construction (a), 2003). It was a pioneer in design and billed  as a procurement route and as a result, has been able to add many in-house services such as process engineering and clean room technology (Shepherd Construction (a), 2003).  Another strength offered by Shepherd Construction is its employee base (Shepherd Construction (b), 2003; see also Investors in People, 2003). Shepherd considers that employees  are not necessarily cogs, but rather, are human resources that need investment and training (Shepherd Construction (b), 2003). As such, the company offers many opportunities for internal and external training,  as well as reimbursement for outside education (Shepherd Construction (b), 2003). The Companys apprenticeship program is strong as well, and has been a viable way for Shepherd to obtain qualified  construction personnel through high school programs (Shepherd Construction (b), 2003). Another strength of Shepherds is that of total quality management and continuous