Raymond McFadgen describes his new business initiative as “one of those things that seems obvious when you see it.”
McFadgen, Darin McLean and Troy McLean recently purchased exclusive rights to develop and sell BungoBox locations throughout Canada, starting with Halifax.
Anyone who has ever moved knows the pitfalls of finding enough cardboard packing boxes. BungoBox adds a twist to the experience by providing durable, stackable plastic containers made of recycled material.
The company’s promotional material says the BungoBox experience is designed to “cut the cost of your packing supplies in half and protect your stuff a lot better than cardboard boxes.”
So how does it work? Customers call BungoBox, determine how many boxes they need, and rent them for a set period of time. The company’s catchphrase is “Move. Unpack. Now Give’Em Back.” McFadgen said individual containers can be rented by the week, or customers can choose a package geared towards a one, two, three or four bedroom move.
Although the local partners haven’t settled on Canadian pricing yet, McFadgen estimates the cost for the Bungo Boxes needed for a typical one bedroom move would be about $75 or less for a one week rental.
The boxes come with specially designed dollies, each one holding as many as five boxes that “nest” inside the dolly.
Consumer support and interest in the Florida-based BungoBox company has exploded since co-founders Tom and Bob Cannon first started up in 2010. The pair have already received more than 200 franchise applications, and were thrilled to have expanded internationally to Canada in their second year of business.
McFadgen said opening the first Canadian BungoBox location in Halifax made sense because of the high level of “green” awareness in the region and the constant movement of people.
“We looked at mobility rates. In Halifax you have the universities and the military, so there are a lot of people moving about,” he said. "As a green initiative it's a good location to start. Recycling has taken hold here and there's a lot of green awareness."
The company also plans to target local commercial moves. McFadgen said that part of the business has been very successful in the U.S., particularly among businesses interested in promoting their corporate “green” initiatives.
“We’re hoping time wise to have the Halifax franchise up and running in about a month,” he said. “People seem to think it will have a good acceptance rate, especially here in Halifax.”
The local franchisees plan to open 20 to 50 BungoBox locations nationwide within the next two years.
More information about the company can be found at www.bungobox.com. The Canadian website is under construction and local customers will be redirected to the Canadian site once it’s up and running.
ydentremont@hfxnews.ca
