Container storage facility a first for the southern hemisphere

IT’S THE FIRST OF ITS KIND in the southern hemisphere and it has the potential to change the way storage is carried out for generations to follow.

With a vision to maximise storage space and revenue, automate storage systems and capitalise on a booming growth market, Boxman Managing Director Mat Charles knew there had to be a better way to offer container storage in New Zealand. Always a keen follower of technological advances, Mr Charles stumbled across a large furniture storage business in Europe that seemingly operated indoor container facilities using standard fork hoists to dig containers out of stacks.

While this was a neat concept, Mr Charles realised there had to be a better way to operate and through the use of some industry-leading software, the idea for the world’s first fully automated, customercontrolled indoor container storage facility was born – BASS.

Fast forward the best part of 15 years, and finally his hard work, grit and determination have paid off, with Christchurch now home to the southern hemisphere’s first-ever facility of its kind.

The facility has a capacity of 600 x 10ft and 2200 x 20ft containers. The containers are typically stacked five high, with the overhead crane operating in the 1 over 5 space above the stacks. As a rule, the containers are stacked 150 millimetres apart, with the BASS facility offering the most densely stacked full container storage facility in the world – a pretty remarkable feat for Aotearoa.

Though, while the innovation largely speaks for itself, it certainly hasn’t been plain sailing for Mr Charles and his team at Boxman. First putting the markers down in 2006, and further developing the concept through 2007 and 2008 – Boxman was not alone in having to contend with the 2008 global financial crisis and most recently, the COVID-19 global pandemic.

It’s been a tumultuous few years, but thankfully, Mr Charles doesn’t believe in superstition.

“If I was a superstitious man, I’d say the universe was sending me a message,” he laughs.

“But I am nothing if not tenacious when it comes to innovation and great ideas, be they my own or anything Boxman staff bring to the table. Given the highly stressful circumstances of Covid and the subsequent lockdowns associated with it, the teams we have worked with in New Zealand have done a fantastic job to get us to where we are.

“Given the size of the investment required to build this type of facility, it took some years before we were confident the market was again ready for such a facility, but to our advantage, the downtime gave technology the opportunity to rapidly advance and that has come a long way in the last 15 years.”

In fact, looking ahead, Boxman has already committed to the building of similar facilities in Auckland and Wellington, as Mr Charles continues his aims of forming a network of facilities throughout the country – allowing customers to move containers seamlessly from one facility to the next. Construction for these sites is expected to take place later this year.

In an effort to bring people together postpandemic, and showcase the innovation emerging on the back doorstep, CILT Southern Section Chairperson Dan Patrick organised an event – well supported by members, with approximately 40 to 50 attending in November 2022.

Members were taken on a tour of the storage facilities and given a demonstration of how the mechanisms and processes tie in –learning of the app-based technology that allows a customer to pre-arrange for their container to be waiting behind a secure door on arrival.

“The technology was amazing and many certainly commented on it being a snazzy product,” Mr Patrick said. “It’s important we get out and see how people do things ... making sure we don’t just live in our own silos and picking up new things and practices, as well as networking.”