Partner Article

Durham container business increases turnover by 43% to £2 million

One of the UK’s leading shipping container and self storage businesses has reported record growth in 2014. Parsons Containers, based in Sedgefield, County Durham, increased turnover by 43% to over £2m.

For the first time, sales outside the region outstripped those within the North East and container hires doubled during the year. Container sales have now more than doubled during the last 24 months.

Founded in 2000, Parsons Containers has two main divisions. The first hires and sells containers in the North East and nationally; the second offers self storage under the brand of U Hold The Key, operating on nine sites, eight in the region and one in Grantham.

The company was one of the first businesses in the UK to offer shipping containers for self storage in this way and currently has over 1,000 containers, with about 60% used by the general public and 40% by businesses.

A third division of Parsons is Container Container, created in 2007 to sell containers via the internet. This arm of the business has grown year on year and has given Parsons Containers a significant national presence.

During 2014, Parsons renewed its focus on special projects, building bespoke containerised products to specific requirements for various industries, including off-shore, power generation and farming. This approach capitalised on a growing trend for the creative use of shipping containers in architecture and building design.

Parsons Containers was founded by local entrepreneur Ean Parsons, 55, who has been working in the container industry for over 30 years. Parsons began his career in the merchant navy, before taking a nautical degree at Sunderland Polytechnic, followed later by an MBA at Newcastle University Business School.

Following a series of roles in the industry, he founded Parsons Containers Ltd in 2000, followed by one of the UK’s first container self-storage businesses, U Hold The Key, in 2001.

Ean Parsons said: “Parsons Containers has been a strong and successful brand in the North East for several years, but we have seen excellent growth recently and the business is one of the leaders in its field nationally.

“Because we apply a bespoke approach to every container project that we build, that has allowed us to adapt our products for a really diverse range of customers, from local government, schools and sports clubs, to offshore, farming and even retail.

“Each design is unique and it’s our really experienced team that makes sure we meet every challenge that we are set.

“Of course, underpinning the business is continued growth in both the sale of standard containers and in container hire for self storage.

“Our online sales arm, Container Container, has helped deliver business throughout the UK, while U Hold The Key is one of the best known self storage brands around.

“The economy has been difficult at times in recent years, but we have a strong business model and an excellent team, so I am confident that Parsons Containers can continue to grow.”

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