BOX+ Wins Collaboration Award at SSA UK Conference 2025

The Collaboration Award was introduced by the Self Storage Association in 2025 to recognise businesses that have worked together to improve the situation for customers or the wider industry.

With over 500 active self storage customers, Cleveland Containers has supplied thousands of shipping containers to sites and helped them expand and thrive. We wanted to assist our customers even more by providing extra support to help new self storage businesses start up and grow, and also help established sites unlock their full potential.

To build stronger customer and industry supplier relationships, we launched BOX+, an all-in-one solution for starting and running a successful hands-free self storage business.

With Cleveland’s support and backing, our self storage customers are introduced to the industry's best suppliers who can offer a wide spectrum of services, ranging from remote management software, to security and planning. Our main goal is to promote collaboration between suppliers to help operators succeed. With our support, guidance and connections, customers have achieved incredible success.

Since its launch at the Farm Business Innovation Show in November 2022, the service has developed massively, with new suppliers being onboarded year-on-year. Major collaborators of BOX+ currently are: Stora, Approved Business Finance, YBA PPC, ET Planning and DSOC.

This collaboration provides a one stop shop route into the industry for any potential new operator entering the growing container storage market. It brings together respected experts in their fields and therefore enhances industry standards.

Showed a great example of what can be achieved when supplier members work together.

A perfect example of how suppliers can collaborate to further their own businesses and the operators.

- Judges Comments 

BOX+ helps operators cherry-pick the best package that supports their operational needs at any given time. Starting a self storage business is a daunting task and many individuals who are considering entering the market are not sure where to start, what they need, and when they need it. BOX+ eases that pressure, we hold their hand through the process and direct them to experts who can provide the right support and guidance.

We are the first SSA UK supplier in the industry to release a podcast - ‘Chatterbox’ where we talk to industry suppliers about their services, and invite successful self storage operators on to share their stories of entering the industry and best practice tips.

In April 2024, BOX+ went to another level with three suppliers hosting an exclusive live event ‘Storer’s Den’ at the Mercure Hotel, Telford, on the eve of the SSA conference.

Hosted by Cleveland Containers, Stora and Approved Business Finance (ABF), Storers’ Den was a competition open to self storage businesses that had been operating for less than three years to win a self storage support package provided by all six dragons worth over £50,000.

The success of BOX+ has come down to how enthusiastic, willing, and grateful suppliers have been to get involved in the service. Suppliers have been generous with their time and the bespoke deals and packages they have agreed to offer BOX+ customers. BOX+ has been hugely successful for all parties involved. The reciprocal business generated, referrals between suppliers and increased conversation has enhanced industry collaboration massively and improved the quality of new sites that are opening.

Lewis Pennicott, Marketing Director at Cleveland

Five finalists pitched their business plans to the panel in front of a live audience of over 100 people who attended to show their support. The ‘dragons’ who quizzed the five finalists on the night were Lewis Pennicott (Cleveland Containers), Gavin Shields (Stora), Rory Dunn (ABF), Laura Moxham (YBA PPC), Anthony Adams (Engage Management Services) and Dean Booty (StoreMore).

Neal Smitheringale, Founder of StoreEase based in Middlesbrough, won the competition, and the prize package and support provided by the dragons helped accelerate the growth of his new venture.

This industry-first event was a fantastic display of operator ambition, supplier backing, collaboration potential and relationship building, not only for the finalists and dragons, but for all attendees who came to network and show their support.

Over the past two years, our collaboration with Cleveland Containers has been instrumental in driving our growth at Stora. We’ve received over 50 referrals, enabling us to assist numerous startup operators in setting up and running their businesses more efficiently, leading to accelerated growth. Cleveland Containers has become an extension of our sales team, taking the time to understand Stora’s capabilities and educating customers at the first point of contact. As a result, many customers are already committed to Stora before we even engage with them.

Gavin Shields, CEO at Stora