Willbox
Willbox is a UK-based, privately-held supplier and hirer of shipping containers, site accommodation, and bespoke container conversions, serving construction, self-storage, defence, and energy clients from 20+ depots covering 90% of UK geography.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersSouthampton, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Willbox does
Willbox is a UK-based supplier of shipping containers, site accommodation, and bespoke container conversion solutions, operating since 1993 as a subsidiary of the Williams Shipping Group (established 1894). The company offers standard shipping containers in sizes from 5ft to 40ft, specialised containers (tunnel, refrigerated, platform, open top, open side, offshore, flatrack, high cube, multidoor), and a full range of site accommodation units including portable offices, welfare units, shower blocks, toilet blocks, canteens, drying rooms, sleeper cabins, smoking shelters, and combination units. Products are built to industry-standard certifications including CSC, ISO 1161, EN 12079, and DNV 2.7-1 for offshore-rated units. Value-added services include container conversions, modular buildings, repair and maintenance, painting and respraying, bespoke fabrication, and the WILLBOX360 end-to-end self-storage site set-up service.
The business operates five revenue streams: container hire (recurring subscription), container sales (one-time), bespoke conversions (professional services), site accommodation hire/sale, and container transport via an in-house delivery fleet. Distribution is direct-to-customer through 20+ UK depots covering 90% of the geography, an e-commerce website, a freephone sales line, depot walk-ins, and a field sales team serving enterprise and major contractor accounts. Pricing ranges from £888 for clearance 40ft used containers to £24,995+ for specialist units, with new containers starting at £1,688 and hire available at promotional rates as low as £1 per day.
Willbox serves a diversified customer base including construction firms and self-storage operators as primary segments, with secondary presence in defence, energy and renewables, maritime, industrial and retail parks, education, oil and gas, and private individuals. Named enterprise customers include Scotia Gas Networks, Haven Holidays, and MDL Marinas. The company holds Bureau Veritas certifications for ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 across key locations, and is a member of industry bodies including the Self Storage Association UK, CSTA, MPBA, CPA, BIC, Achilles UVDB, and RoSPA. Willbox is privately held, family-run, and operates with 51-100 employees led by a 13-person management team.
Willbox firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Willbox
- Legal name
- Willbox Ltd
- Website
- https://willbox.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Willbox is a UK-based, privately-held supplier and hirer of shipping containers, site accommodation, and bespoke container conversions, serving construction, self-storage, defence, and energy clients from 20+ depots covering 90% of UK geography.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Willbox industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Shipping Container Hire and Sales
- NAICS
- General Warehousing and Storage (493110), Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Warehousing and Storage (4931)
- SIC
- Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dumpster Rental & Roll-Off Container Services (HSAKALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Container Repair, Maintenance & Refurbishment Depots (M&R) (TLALAJAG), Container Yards & Inland Depot Storage (Empty Container Depots/ICDs) (TLALAAAI)
Keywords
Where Willbox is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Southampton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices24 records
Markets served
Willbox business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Container Hire: Short-term and long-term rental of shipping containers and site accommodation units. Customers pay recurring hire fees for access to containers. Daily rate offers available (e.g., £1 per day promotion).
- Container Sales: Sale of new and used shipping containers. One-time purchase transactions. Used containers available at clearance prices from £888 to £24,995+. Sales prices for new containers start from £1,688.
- Container Conversions: Custom modification and conversion services for containers into offices, welfare units, canteens, and other specialised configurations. Professional services revenue.
- Site Accommodation Hire/Sale: Welfare units, accommodation cabins, shower blocks, toilet blocks, and other site facilities available for hire or purchase.
- Container Transport: Delivery and positioning services using in-house transport fleet. Customers can arrange delivery of hired or purchased containers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping Containers for Sale from £1,688 |
| Subscription | Monthly | £1 Per Day Hire Promotion |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Used Container Clearance |
| Subscription | Monthly | Small Container Hire (5ft-10ft) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Willbox product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Willbox supplies ISO-standard shipping containers in sizes from 5ft to 40ft for hire and sale, specialised containers (tunnel, refrigerated, platform, open top, open side, offshore, flatrack, high cube, multidoor), and a full range of site accommodation units (portable offices, canteens, toilet blocks, shower blocks, sleeper cabins, drying rooms, smoking shelters, combination units, effluent tanks). The company also delivers bespoke container conversion services, the WILLBOX360 self-storage site set-up programme, modular buildings, and nationwide container transport via its own fleet, distributed through 20+ UK depots covering 90% of the country.
Product overview
Willbox is a UK-based supplier of shipping containers, site accommodation, and container conversion solutions. The product portfolio includes standard shipping containers in sizes from 5ft to 40ft (5ft, 6ft, 7ft, 8ft, 9ft, 10ft, 20ft, 30ft, 40ft), specialized containers (tunnel, refrigerated, platform, open top, open side, offshore, flatrack, high cube, multidoor), and site accommodation units (smoking shelters, sleeper cabins, shower blocks, offices, toilet blocks, effluent tanks, drying rooms, canteens, combination units). Services include container conversions (portable offices, welfare units, bespoke containers), Willbox360 for self-storage site setup, modular buildings, container transport, painting/respraying, and repair/maintenance. All products and services are available for hire or purchase from 20+ strategically positioned UK depots covering 90% of the UK, with nationwide delivery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shipping Containers (5ft to 40ft)
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.9 out of 5 customer rating on Google
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Willbox
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Willbox technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
Willbox partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Williams Shipping Groupparent companyWillbox is a subsidiary of Williams Shipping Group, a family business established in 1894 with operations in marine and logistics industries. This parentage provides Willbox with heritage, stability, and shared operational resources.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Willbox competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Konnex: UK provider of container solutions including shipping container hire, conversions, and bespoke builds for construction, retail, and self-storage. Directly comparable product offering and customer segments.
- Container Conversions (UK): UK specialist in bespoke container conversions for offices, welfare units, and site accommodation. Strong overlap with Willbox's bespoke container conversion service.
- S Jones Containers: UK shipping container hire, sale, and modification specialist serving construction and self-storage operators. Directly comparable in scale, product portfolio, and go-to-market motion.
- Cleveland Containers: UK-based shipping container supplier offering new and used containers for hire and sale, plus conversions and modifications. Closely matches Willbox on core product, customer base (construction, storage, commercial), and UK delivery model.
- TAG Containers: UK container hire and sales specialist serving construction, retail, and self-storage markets. Comparably sized UK operator with similar product and service mix.
- Algeco UK: UK leader in modular space and site accommodation hire, including welfare units, offices, and portable buildings. Directly competes with Willbox's site accommodation and modular buildings lines.
Broad incumbents
- Wernick Group: UK modular buildings and portable accommodation supplier serving construction, education, and commercial sectors. Overlaps with Willbox's modular building and site accommodation lines.
- Portakabin: Established UK modular buildings and portable cabin manufacturer/hirer providing site accommodation, offices, and welfare units. Competes with Willbox's site accommodation segment and conversions capability, with a much wider product range.
- Mobile Mini UK: UK arm of a global portable storage leader; large fleet of containers for hire across multiple sectors. Overlaps with Willbox's core hire business but at significantly larger scale with broader service portfolio.
Regional players
- Elliott Hire: UK plant and container hire operator focused on southern England. Provides shipping containers and site accommodation with regional rather than national depot coverage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
Willbox social profiles
Digital presenceWillbox compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance13 records
Willbox financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Willbox leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Willbox funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Willbox M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Willbox
What does Willbox do?
Willbox supplies ISO-standard shipping containers in sizes from 5ft to 40ft for hire and sale, specialised containers (tunnel, refrigerated, platform, open top, open side, offshore, flatrack, high cube, multidoor), and a full range of site accommodation units (portable offices, canteens, toilet blocks, shower blocks, sleeper cabins, drying rooms, smoking shelters, combination units, effluent tanks). The company also delivers bespoke container conversion services, the WILLBOX360 self-storage site set-up programme, modular buildings, and nationwide container transport via its own fleet, distributed through 20+ UK depots covering 90% of the country.
Is Willbox a public or private company?
Willbox is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Willbox founded?
Willbox was founded in 1993. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Willbox based?
Willbox is headquartered in Southampton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Willbox make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Container Hire is the primary driver. The others are container Sales, container Conversions, site Accommodation Hire/Sale and container Transport.
Who are Willbox's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Konnex, Container Conversions (UK), S Jones Containers, Cleveland Containers, TAG Containers and Algeco UK. Broad incumbents are Wernick Group, Portakabin and Mobile Mini UK. Elliott Hire is listed as a regional player.
Does Willbox have an API?
No public API is recorded for Willbox.
What industry is Willbox in?
Willbox's product category is Shipping Container Hire and Sales. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAKALAL, Dumpster Rental & Roll-Off Container Services, with a secondary code of TLALAJAG, Container Repair, Maintenance & Refurbishment Depots (M&R). Its NAICS code is 493110 and its SIC code is 4220.