What BigSteelBox does

BigSteelBox is a privately held, 100% Canadian-owned moving and storage company founded in 1999 and headquartered in Kelowna, BC. It rents and sells ISO-certified steel shipping containers (10' and 20' variants including Standard, High Cube, and Open Side) for residential and commercial use, operating 34 store locations across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario with a destination corridor to the Maritimes. The company's technology stack centers on heavy 8-gauge steel container construction with proprietary features including a Lock Box anti-bolt-cutter security system, heavy-duty rubber door gaskets, pre-installed D-ring tie-downs spaced every 4 feet, and a centralized modifications facility in Paris, ON that performs custom electrical, insulation, roll-up door, personnel door, window, and paint modifications on a 2-4 week turnaround.

Revenue is generated across five streams: month-to-month container rentals (with first-month rent bundled into the initial moving quote), one-time container sales in used, premium used, and new condition tiers, long-distance and local moving services priced on three tiers (Economy, Standard, Expedited) with weight-agnostic all-inclusive pricing, professional container modification services, and container office rentals/sales for construction job sites. Go-to-market combines a self-serve customer portal (my.bigsteelbox.com), a Canadian call center (1-800-373-1187, staffed Monday-Friday 8am-9pm and Saturday 10am-8pm), inside sales Storage Consultants, and direct field delivery via company-owned trucks within a 2-3 business day fulfillment window. Customer segments split between residential moving/storage (primary) and commercial verticals including construction, retail, industrial, hospitality restoration, and institutional storage. The company has no disclosed external institutional investors, Brian Hawkins serves as CEO (also handling M&A inquiries), and the founding family (Barry Siebenga) maintains involvement.

Name

BigSteelBox

Legal name

BigSteelBox

Website

https://bigsteelbox.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BigSteelBox is a Canadian-owned moving and storage company that rents and sells ISO-certified steel shipping containers across 34 locations in Canada, serving residential and commercial customers with portable moving, on-site storage, and long-distance moving services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Portable Moving and Storage Services

NAICS

Used Household and Office Goods Moving (484210), Used Household and Office Goods Moving (48421), Other Warehousing and Storage (49319)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Portable Storage Container Rental & Moving (HSAKAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

On-Site Portable Storage (Driveway/Jobsite) Container Placement (HSAKAIAC), Portable Storage Container Delivery, Pickup & Repositioning Services (HSAKAIAE)

Keywords

• Portable storage containers
• Mobile storage solutions
• Shipping container rentals
• Residential moving services
• Commercial storage services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kelowna

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Container Rental: Month-to-month rental of portable steel shipping containers (10' and 20' sizes) for moving and storage. Containers can be kept on customer property or at BigSteelBox storage facilities. First month rent included in initial quote.
2. Container Sales: Sale of new, premium used, and used shipping containers in various conditions and sizes (standard 20', high cube 20', open side 20'). Prices vary by region and condition grade.
3. Moving Services: Local and long distance moving services using portable containers. Pricing includes delivery, pickup, long haul transport, and storage in transit. Three pricing tiers available: Economy, Standard, and Expedited.
4. Container Modifications: Modification services for purchased containers including electrical packages, insulation, roll-up doors, personnel doors, windows, interior wall panels, and custom paint. 2-4 week turnaround depending on modification type.
5. Container Offices: Rental and sale of mobile container offices (20' BigSteelBox Offices) for construction and commercial job sites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BigSteelBox rents and sells portable steel shipping containers (10' and 20' sizes) for residential and commercial moving and storage across Canada. The company delivers containers directly to customer locations for self-paced packing, transports them across provinces for long-distance moves, and stores them at customer sites or BigSteelBox yards. The portfolio spans container rentals, container sales (new, premium used, and used), local and long-distance moving services, commercial storage solutions, shipping container offices, and custom modifications.

Product overview

BigSteelBox is a Canadian moving and storage company offering portable steel shipping container solutions. The core offering is the BigSteelBox container (available in 10' and 20' sizes, including Standard, High Cube, and Open Side variants) used for residential and commercial moving and storage. The product portfolio includes three main service lines: Moving Services (local and long-distance), Storage Services (on-site or yard storage), and Modified Shipping Containers (custom modifications including electrical, insulation, windows, doors). Business solutions include Shipping Container Offices for rent/sale and Commercial Storage Solutions across multiple industry verticals (construction, retail, industrial, hospitality, education, events). The company operates 34 locations across Canada and offers container sales (new, premium used, and used conditions) alongside rental services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Moving Services Local and long-distance moving services using portable BigSteelBox containers, available to residential and commercial customers across Canada with all-inclusive pricing that includes delivery, pickup, long-haul transport, and storage in transit.
• Storage Services Portable storage container rental services with options for storage at the customer location (on-property) or at BigSteelBox secure storage yards, available on month-to-month agreements to residential and commercial customers.
• Container Sales (New, Premium Used, and Used Shipping Containers) Sale of new, premium used, and used shipping containers in 20' standard, high cube, and open side configurations for permanent storage, workshops, container buildings, and modification projects. Available across all Canadian store locations with regional pricing variations.
• Shipping Container Offices 20' mobile shipping container offices available for rent at select locations and for sale at all stores, providing portable workspace solutions for construction sites and commercial job sites.
• Container Modifications Custom modification services for purchased shipping containers offering electrical packages, insulation, roll-up doors, personnel (man) doors, interior wall panels, windows, and custom paint, performed at the Paris, Ontario modification facility with 2-4 week turnaround.
• Commercial Storage Solutions Business-focused storage services covering construction site storage, retail inventory storage, restoration company storage, industrial site storage, hotel renovation storage, school and institution storage, and event/festival storage.
• Business Moving Services Commercial moving services using BigSteelBox containers, supported by Storage Consultants providing sales-assisted support for business accounts with same-business-day follow-up.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20%-40% cost savings compared to full-service movers for single family homes with 2+ bedrooms
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Habitat for Humanity CanadaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partnership making BigSteelBox the official storage provider of Habitat for Humanity Canada. BigSteelBoxes are donated to keep building supplies, equipment, and materials safe on Habitat construction sites. Storage containers are also provided for Habitat Restores to store donated items. Company also runs annual fundraising campaign donating $10 from every new rental up to $50,000.
• Shelter MoverscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing free storage solutions for survivors of gender-based violence who are making the transition to safe housing. BigSteelBox helps Shelter Movers make a direct and positive impact on the lives of community members in need.
• Shelter Movers OttawacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOttawa chapter partnership providing storage solutions for survivors of domestic violence transitioning to independent living.
• Habitat Waterloo RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Habitat for Humanity chapter partnership supporting affordable homeownership in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
• Habitat OkanagancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Habitat for Humanity chapter partnership supporting affordable housing in the Okanagan region.
• Salvation Army KelownacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual food drive partnership where BigSteelBox hosts a food drive to help fill food bank shelves during a critical time of year when donations are low.
• Mamas for Mamas - KelownaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal chapter partnership supporting mothers in need through the Mamas for Mamas organization.
• Metro Community (Kelowna)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community organization partnership in Kelowna.
• Ottawa BluesfestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity event sponsorship for Ottawa's major annual music festival.
• Deep Roots Food HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization supporting local food systems and food security in Ottawa area.
• The Gaslight DistrictminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKitchener community partner and event supporter.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Zippy Shell: Zippy Shell operates a portable storage and moving franchise using delivered containers for residential and commercial customers in the US. Its hybrid franchise model and portable storage focus make it a direct structural peer to BigSteelBox.
• Go Mini's: Go Mini's is a portable storage franchise operating across the US with delivered container moving and storage services. Comparable to BigSteelBox on service model (container delivered to customer) and target customer (residential and small commercial moves).
• 1-800-Pack-Rat: 1-800-Pack-Rat is a US-based portable storage company delivering all-steel containers for local and long-distance moves. Its container-only, delivery-driven model closely mirrors BigSteelBox's core value proposition and target use cases.
• SMARTBOX Solutions: SMARTBOX is a portable moving and storage company that delivers containers directly to customer homes for packing, storage, and shipment. Its container rental plus moving service offering overlaps almost entirely with BigSteelBox's core proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Cubesmart: CubeSmart is a US self-storage REIT with a national footprint of traditional storage facilities. While it does not focus on portable containers, it competes indirectly for customer storage spend and has begun exploring portable/last-mile storage solutions adjacent to BigSteelBox's offering.
• PODS: PODS is the largest US-based portable storage and moving company, offering steel containers delivered to customer driveways for packing, storage, and shipping. It is the most directly comparable business model to BigSteelBox, with a much larger US footprint and significant brand recognition that US entrants could leverage to expand into Canada.
• Allied Van Lines: Allied Van Lines is a large North American full-service moving company offering traditional packing, loading, and long-distance transportation. It competes with BigSteelBox on the long-distance moving customer but uses a labor-based model and offers premium services that BigSteelBox's self-pack container model undercuts on price.
• U-Haul (U-Box): U-Haul operates the U-Box portable container program in addition to its dominant truck and trailer rental business across North America. It competes directly with BigSteelBox on portable moving and storage and benefits from an unmatched brand and store network in the US, with growing presence in Canadian border markets.
• Public Storage: Public Storage is the largest US self-storage REIT, operating thousands of facilities nationwide. It competes with BigSteelBox's off-site yard storage product and represents the incumbent fixed-facility alternative to portable container storage.

Regional players

• AMJ Campbell: AMJ Campbell is one of Canada's largest moving companies, providing local, long-distance, and international relocation services. It competes with BigSteelBox on long-distance moving but operates a traditional labor-based moving model rather than portable container delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bigsteelbox
• YouTubeyoutube.com/bigsteelboxtv
• Facebookfacebook.com/bigsteelbox
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bigsteelbox
• Instagraminstagram.com/bigsteelbox

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BigSteelBox