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PODS (company)

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PODS
Company typePrivate
IndustryMoving & Storage
FoundedNovember 10, 1998; 26 years ago (1998-11-10)[1]
Headquarters
Clearwater, Florida
,
U.S.
Area served
United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom
Key people
John B. Koch
(President and CEO)
Websitewww.pods.com

PODS, or Portable On Demand Storage, is a moving and storage company. It was founded in 1998 and is based in Clearwater, Florida.[2]

Business

PODS container at sporting event.

PODS operates by delivering a storage container to the customer's house.[2] The containers are constructed of plywood over steel frames,[2] and are available in three sizes.[3] The customer can pack their items in it, lock it themselves with their own padlock,[4] then have the unit stored at a warehouse, or have it delivered to another location.[2] The units and warehouse are owned by local franchises.[5] PODS is working with Sprint Nextel to use wireless GPS to track trucks in the fleet and to give directions for deliveries.[6] PODS was bought in 2014 by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.[7]

History

PODS was founded in 1998 by Peter Warhurst who was looking to expand his family's storage business. He invented PODS containers, as well as a hydraulic lift system that enables operators to easily deliver and transport the units, which he named PODZILLA.[8] In 2005, PODS grossed over $200 million in revenue.[2] In addition, as of 2005, PODS was still privately owned, however, PODS is now franchised in 45 states, and logs 2,500 pickups and deliveries a day.[2] Between 2005 and August 2009, PODS service expanded to include 48 states, as well as Australia and Canada.[9]

In February 2007, PODS was acquired by Atlanta-based Arcapita for $451.4 million.[10] In June 2008, PODS and the Real Estate Staging Association reached an agreement to form a strategic partnership.[11] In September 2008, PODS and Mobility Services International (MSI) announced a partnership where PODS would be providing services for MSI client transferees and assignees.[12] In December 2008, PODS and Wabash National announced they have signed a multi-year agreement to build and service all of PODS' portable storage container requirements.[13] In August 2009, PODS and UniGroup reached an agreement to share services. Under the agreement, PODS will have access to the packing and loading services of United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit while UniGroup can access 138,000 PODS moving and storage containers.[9] In November 2009, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and PODS formed a strategic alliance offering discounts and special services.[14] In June 2010, PODS announced the sale of the first franchise in the United Kingdom.[15] In October 2010, PODS announced their continued expansion into Canada with the sale of the Halifax Territory.[16]

PODS reached a significant milestone in the containerized moving and storage industry as they announced the delivery of their two millionth container to a residential customer in Florida.[17]

In 2012, PODS sued U-Haul International in U.S. District Court for trademark infringement, claiming that U-Haul "improperly and unlawfully" used the word "pods" to describe its U-Box product. On September 25, 2014, a jury ruled that U-Haul had infringed on PODS' trademarks, causing confusion and damaging business for PODS. The jury found that U-Haul unjustly profited from mentioning the term on its marketing and advertising materials and started using the word only after PODS became famous as a brand name in the moving and storage industry. The jury awarded PODS $62 million in damages.[18]

Products

The new PODS containers built by Wabash have a steel frame construction with completely recyclable panels made of steel skins and a high-density polyethylene core and are produced in three sizes: approximately 8-by-7-by-7 feet, 8-by-8-by-12 feet and 8-by-8-by-16 feet. The top is a translucent durable polymer material that allows ambient light to pass through and illuminate the inside of the container. The entry is a light-weight steel roll up door.[19]

Disaster recovery

PODS franchises around the country provided units for collection of donations as well as providing units for storm victims of Hurricane Katrina.[2] PODS has also served in many situations that are less conventional than moving, such as assisting in recovery efforts during the Malibu fires and the Midwest flooding in Iowa, and routinely delivering PODS containers around the nation to communities experiencing emergency situations.[20]

References

  1. ^ "Pods.com WHOIS, DNS, & Domain Info - DomainTools". WHOIS. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "PODS taking a chunk out of moving and storage market". USA Today. Associated Press. August 4, 2006. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  3. ^ Spowart, George; Bonham, Jennifer (August 4, 2009). "PODS and UniGroup Create Alliance to Better Serve Customers" (Press release). Market Wire. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
  4. ^ "Mobile Mini vs. PODS". Mobile Mini. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  5. ^ Fowler, Melissa (June 27, 2003). "Packing in the PODS". Business Courier. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  6. ^ Hamblen, Matt (March 17, 2007). "PODS picks GPS for tracking workers, storage containers". ComputerWorld. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  7. ^ "Canadian pension fund buys PODS". Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Invasion of the PODS". Business Report. May 6, 2002. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  9. ^ a b Staff (August 4, 2009). "PODS allies with UniGroup's United Van Lines, Mayflower Transit". Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  10. ^ "Arcapita acquires US company for $451m". Gulf Daily News. February 27, 2008. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  11. ^ Brodnax, Shell (June 15, 2008). "Real Estate Staging Association and PODS Form Strategic Partnership" (Press release). Real Estate Staging Association. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  12. ^ "MSI and PODS Announce Partnership" (Press release). Mobility Services International. September 17, 2008. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  13. ^ Henk, Allison (December 16, 2008). "Wabash National(R) and PODS(R) Announce Partnership Agreement" (Press release). Wabash National. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  14. ^ "PODS, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Form Strategic Alliance". Forbes. November 4, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009. [dead link‍]
  15. ^ "PODS Portable Storage Opens First U.K. Franchise". Inside Self-Storage. June 28, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
  16. ^ "PODS continues expansion in Canada" (Press release). PODS. October 6, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
  17. ^ "Moving, storage firm celebrates 2 million contains delivered". Business Journal. August 3, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  18. ^ Susan Thurston (September 25, 2014). "PODS wins $62 million award in trademark infringement lawsuit against U-Haul". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  19. ^ "Frequently Asked Moving and Storage Questions About PODS Portable Storage Containers". Retrieved 2011-12-14.
  20. ^ Vervoorn, Tina (August 15, 2008). "Moving and storage firm PODS, Inc. celebrates millionth delivery". California Chronicle. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
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