Thinking inside the box
Published Sept. 30, 2011 in The Chronicle Herald
[caption id="attachment_2293" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Troy McLean, who runs a BungoBox franchise with his partner, on Thursday stands with some of the company’s reusable boxes, available to customers as an alternative to cardboard, in Hammonds Plains. Photo by Christian LaForce"]
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By BILL POWER Business Reporter
IT MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE to build a better mousetrap, but some Halifax entrepreneurs have learned it is possible to build a better box.
The business partners picked up the national rights earlier this year to form BungoBox Canada — a plastic moving-box rental enterprise hatched in the United States — and announced Thursday the first franchise in this country will be established in Edmonton.
"Our plan is to build out slowly and allow each franchise to establish a solid local business in their market, providing an alternative to traditional cardboard moving boxes," partner Darin McLean said in an interview.
"Eventually we will have a system that links all the major Canadian centres."
McLean said the popularity of BungoBox is spreading at a good pace in Halifax Regional Municipality, especially among people in the moving and storage business and among consumers.
"There are about 1,500 moves in the region each year, and I think it is reasonable to get about 200 of those moves onto our system this year. We’re confident we’ll eventually have 80 per cent of the market."
BungoBox rigid plastic boxes are durable and easily stacked and the partners promote the fact their system is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than traditional cardboard boxes.
"People who use cardboard boxes often feel bad after their move when they have to dispose of the used boxes," said McLean.
BungoBox plastic boxes are picked up by the company after they are used. There is no additional cost for the pickup service, which is built into the rental fee.
A two-bedroom package includes 32 large boxes, three extra large boxes and one dolly for $90 for one week and $25 for the second week.
After the move within Halifax-Dartmouth region is completed, a representative picks up the boxes.
"We expect to develop 20 franchises across Canada over the next two years and hope to award two more Canadian franchises before the end of the year," said McLean.
His partners in the venture are brother Troy McLean and Raymond McFadgen.
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