Big Blue Boxes

What Big Blue Boxes does

Big Blue Boxes is a family-owned provider of portable storage containers serving residential and commercial customers across the Upper Midwest. Founded in 2001 in Minnesota (originally as Portable Storage of MN) and rebranded to Big Blue Boxes in 2015, the company rents, sells, customizes, and stores portable shipping containers in three sizes (10', 20', 40') constructed from industrial-grade COR-TEN™ steel with weatherproofing, ventilation, and multi-point secure locking. Its products span moving services, on-site and off-site storage, long/short-term rentals, mini storage, conex homes, cabin/farm storage, government/military SAM-approved units, portable offices, and moving supplies; a sister company, Big Blue Intermodal, provides intermodal transportation and rail drayage across MN, WI, IL, IA, ND, SD, and NE. Operations are run with a company-owned rollback truck fleet and direct-to-consumer/sales-led go-to-market via website, phone, and email, with delivery and pickup priced per move and rentals billed monthly starting around $89 for the 10' container. Following founder Bill Kirkpatrick's death in 2024, leadership transitioned to second-generation family members; in 2025 the company acquired competitor Contain-It, and on April 2, 2026, Big Blue Boxes was acquired by Ultimate Storage Solutions, joining a national container platform while retaining its regional operating footprint and brand.

Name

Big Blue Boxes

Legal name

Big Blue Boxes

Website

https://bigblueboxes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Big Blue Boxes is a family-owned Upper Midwest provider of portable storage container rental, sales, moving, and intermodal services to residential, SMB, and government customers across MN, WI, IL, and adjacent states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Portable Storage Container Services

NAICS

Used Household and Office Goods Moving (48421), General Warehousing and Storage (493110), General Freight Trucking (4841), Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (484230)

SIC

Public Warehousing & Storage (4220), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Portable Storage Container Long-Distance & Interstate Moves (HSAKAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interstate Small Moves & Partial Loads (Consolidated/Shared Truckload) (HSAKABAE), Container Yards & Inland Depot Storage (Empty Container Depots/ICDs) (TLALAAAI)

Keywords

• Portable storage containers
• Shipping container rental
• Mobile storage solutions
• Container moving services
• Commercial storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Spring Lake Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 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: Monthly rental of portable storage containers in three sizes (10', 20', 40'). First month's rent plus delivery and pickup fees due upon delivery. Long-term and short-term options available. Includes free maintenance during rental period.
2. Container Sales: Sale of new and used shipping containers in three sizes. One-time purchase price including delivery and sales tax. Containers can be customized with various features. Company also buys back used containers.
3. Off-Site Storage Services: Secure storage at company depots for customer containers. Customers have 24-hour access with prior notice. No extra charge for off-site storage.
4. Intermodal Services: Intermodal container hauling and drayage services through sister company Big Blue Intermodal. Rail yard pickup, delivery, and transportation across Upper Midwest states including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, the Dakotas, and Nebraska.
5. Moving Supplies: Sale of moving supplies including premium moving boxes ($1.15-$4.22 each), protective moving blanket rentals ($25.00 per month for 12 blankets), bubble wrap, newsprint wrap, mattress bags, sofa bags, and carton tape.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Big Blue Boxes rents and sells portable shipping containers made from COR-TEN steel in 10', 20', and 40' sizes. The company delivers the container to the customer's location using its own rollback truck fleet, lets the customer pack on their own schedule, then picks the unit up for off-site storage or delivers it to a new location. Additional offerings include on-site storage, off-site depot storage, container-based moving services, moving supplies, business/commercial storage solutions, and intermodal transportation via its sister company Big Blue Intermodal.

Product overview

Big Blue Boxes is a family-owned portable storage container company offering a comprehensive suite of products and services for residential and commercial customers. The core offering consists of portable shipping container rental and purchase in three sizes (10', 20', 40') made from rugged COR-TEN steel. These containers serve as the foundation for multiple service lines: Moving Services (door-to-door container-based moving), Storage Services (On-Site, Off-Site, Long/Short-Term, and Mini Storage options), and Business Solutions (commercial moving, storage, and customized container offices). Additional specialized services include Student Storage, Conex Homes, Cabin Storage, Farm Storage, and Government/Military storage. A sister company, Big Blue Intermodal, provides intermodal transportation and rail services. The company operates across the Upper Midwest with locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Indiana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Portable Storage Container Rental Rental of portable shipping containers in three sizes (10', 20', 40') made from rugged COR-TEN steel, delivered to residential or commercial sites with flexible rental terms. First month's rent plus delivery and pickup fees due upon delivery; long-term and short-term options available with free maintenance during the rental period.
• Storage Container Purchase Sale of new and used shipping containers in multiple sizes with customization options including custom paint, shelving, extra doors, turbine vents, partitions, marine-grade wood flooring, lighting, and windows. Delivery and sales tax included; the company also buys back used containers.
• Container-Based Moving Services Moving solutions where Big Blue Boxes delivers a container to the customer's location, the customer packs at their convenience on their own timeline, and Big Blue Boxes transports the loaded container to the destination or stores it off-site.
• On-Site Storage Delivery and placement of portable storage containers at customer-specified locations (residential or commercial properties) for on-site storage needs, with flexible sizing options in 10', 20', and 40' lengths.
• Off-Site Storage Secure storage at Big Blue Boxes' company-operated depots across the Upper Midwest when a customer's container is not needed on-site. Customers can access their container with 24-hour advance notice at no extra charge.
• Long- and Short-Term Storage Flexible rental periods from one month to multiple years, allowing containers to remain on-site or off-site as needed across the 10', 20', and 40' size options.
• Mini Storage (10' Container) Compact 10'L x 8'W x 8.5' containers offering 680 cubic feet of space, suitable for small homes, apartments, condos, and offices, with pricing starting from $89 per month.
• Business Moving & Storage Solutions Commercial container services for businesses including flexible rental options, custom branding and logo placement, shelving customization, and dedicated logistics support for commercial moving, storage, and job site offices.
• Intermodal Transportation Services Intermodal transportation, trucking, and rail services provided through sister company Big Blue Intermodal, including short-notice rail depot delivery and pickup, container hauling, and drayage across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, the Dakotas, and Nebraska.
• Moving Supplies Packing materials including premium moving boxes in multiple sizes ($1.15-$4.22 each), protective moving blankets ($25.00 per month for 12 blankets), bubble wrap, newsprint wrap, mattress bags, sofa bags, and carton tape, available for purchase or rental.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% more space compared to PODS competitors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Big Blue IntermodalcoreOthersSister company providing intermodal transportation, trucking, and rail services. Handles container hauling and drayage services for commercial clients. Works with clients on individual basis for rail yard pickup, delivery, and transportation across Upper Midwest including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, the Dakotas and Nebraska.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thebigblueboxes
• Facebookfacebook.com/bigblueboxes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bigblueboxes

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Big Blue Boxes