A Father-Son Duo: Peter and Dominic Coy's journey into supplying new shipping containers for self storage
Boxtor was acquired by Peter in 2016, and Dominic took over running the business in 2020, in the midst of Covid. The business was originally founded in 1997, serving predominantly customers in the East Anglia and London home counties. They now cover the whole of the UK, and are looking to grow in areas such as Wales and Scotland.
Over the past few years, through their ability to manufacture directly with factories in the Far East through Containentals longstanding relationships with several production factories in China, Boxtor now has monthly production runs of new shipping containers of all types & sizes, predominantly for the UK self-storage market.
Containental continues to place a major focus on supplying new containers for use in the French self storage market.
To kick things off...
So Peter, can you share how you got involved in the container industry over 50 years ago?
I began my journey on the UK container leasing desk with SeaContainers in London in 1973. I progressed to an operations role specialising in refrigerated and tank containers.
After 18 months with SeaContainers, I joined Interpool Leasing and established a regional office for them in France in 1976. I also covered Spain, Portugal and Switzerland.
What inspired you to establish Containental Ltd, and how has it evolved over the years?
Containental was born in 1982 during a period of exciting growth in the trading and leasing of sea containers globally.
I realised there was a real opportunity here in the UK & Europe to represent smaller leasing companies on an agency basis. We also acquired self-storage businesses in California, France and the UK and established a division manufacturing and renting specialist offshore containers for the oil and gas industry, based in Aberdeen.
What significant changes have you seen in the container industry during your career?
It is difficult to know where to start, as there have been many significant changes over the past 50 years.
Production of shipping containers started in the 1970s in North America, Europe & Japan. In the 1980s production moved mainly to the Far East, with Korea, Taiwan and latterly China.
The second-hand container industry evolved when shipping lines & container leasing companies retired their older equipment. Much of this equipment was sold into a newly created market … The Self-Storage Industry!
As self storage became more sophisticated, the market dictated a need for New (1 trip) equipment which gradually replaced older, tired domestic rental fleets (and their need for ongoing maintenance).
The Covid pandemic, the war in the Ukraine and the Houthi targeted attacks on shipping in the Gulf have all posed significant challenges and cost implications for our industry. The Suez Canal blockage in March 2021 also highlighted the vulnerability of supply chain logistics.
With our own self storage facility (Alert Self Storage in Northampton), we acquired an existing facility some 25 + years ago with 200 ‘used’ and ‘tired’ 20ft shipping containers that all required replacement with our own newbuild equipment. We are now in the process of renewing our entire fleet yet again, showing that shipping containers offer you approximately 30 years use before requiring replacement at your facility.
New containers have coated ‘easy clean’ floors, ‘easy open’ doors and a huge number of air vents, offering customers a much better ‘product’ and experience when storing their valued items!
Can you explain the differences you've observed between the French self-storage market and the UK market?
The French container self storage market has only come about in the last 15 years, so is a late entrant to the industry compared to North America and the UK.
The French self storage market operates predominantly on a franchise model, with a handful of major operators dominating the market.
The UK self storage is evolving rapidly, with pre existing and new operators opening up facilities which are predominantly managed remotely with the latest technology and software.
So Dominic, what was it like to take over Boxtor in 2020, especially during the challenges posed by COVID-19?
Having always had an interest in transport and logistics from a very young age, Covid created an opportunity during the start of the pandemic for me to take on Boxtor, a division of the Containental Group.
At that time, Boxtor was a small container trading company with a rental fleet which predominantly served East Anglia.
Coming from a supply chain recruitment background, this was a new world for me and I was very much ‘chucked in at the deep end!’. I had to quickly learn a lot about the industry and found this challenging at first when so much business was having to be conducted remotely during that period.
I realised very early on that one of the main challenges UK shipping container suppliers faced was having access to a steady flow of new equipment at attractive prices. This is where I approached my father to negotiate a regular supply of new equipment of all types and sizes from Chinese factories. We now place monthly orders with a variety of manufacturers to ensure continued supply for our self storage customer base.
How do you prioritise customer service and why is it so important for your business?
Customer service continues to be our number one priority. Whether you are looking to buy one container for your farm, or 50 1-trip containers for your new self storage site, you are guaranteed to receive the highest level of consultation, care and attention for your enquiry.
Our 5* Trustpilot reviews confirm that we do meet our customer’s expectations.
In a highly competitive market place, it is vital that we as a supplier are honest, transparent and realistic in our ability to supply high-quality new equipment that meets our client’s expectations on price, quality of product and delivery within a given timeframe.
What are your aspirations for Boxtor in the coming years?
As the self storage industry continues to boom, a real goal of mine is to increase Boxtor’s presence & brand awareness in this market, enabling self-storage businesses to reach out to us regarding their storage requirements!
How does your father-son relationship influence the way you operate Boxtor?
Peter has always given me the freedom and confidence to grow the business my way, knowing that I have the backing and support when needed. Being a small, family group of companies allows for quick decision-making and avoids any unnecessary delays.
Fortunately having a Dad who has been involved in the container business for 50 years means that there are very few challenges that he hasn’t seen before!
For Peter and I, there is no better sense of achievement than seeing a new self-storage site from the design phase through to the official site opening, with 100 + containers that we have supplied and delivered to our client’s specification, budget and delivery timescales.
Thanks to Dominic and Peter Coy, for sharing such valuable insights about the group, their journey inside the self-storage industry and how they got to where they are today!
Your dedication to customer satisfaction through providing high-quality containers on time is brilliant and we wish you all the best for the future!
If you are interested in participating in an interview with us, please get in touch with us here.
