Innovative Boxed-in Solutions

Sea Box Inc.
Written by Jessica Ferlaino

Named as a finalist in the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) Manufacturer of the Year in 2016, Sea Box Inc. are the specialists in container design, modification, and manufacture. With over three decades of experience, the company has developed the capacity and the reputation for high quality, innovative shipping, storage, and shelter solutions. If you can think it, they can build it.
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Sea Box Inc. was founded as a small shipping container brokerage in 1982 by Jim and Maureen Brennan. The business grew rapidly throughout the 1980s, due in large part to the success of its partnerships with the U.S. military. Recognizing the opportunity and potential in this market, Sea Box Inc. expanded its service offerings.

“As projects grew in complexity, Sea Box became more efficient in its problem solving,” explained Andrew Salerno, Director of Marketing. “This evolution led to the establishment of an in-house engineering and design department, further solidifying the company’s strong reputation for innovation, quality, and dependability.”

He continued, “After growing out of its modest offices, Sea Box relocated its global headquarters to a 375,000 square foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility situated on 51 acres in New Jersey within close proximity to two major shipping ports.”

Sea Box Inc. is strategically headquartered in Cinnaminson, New Jersey, where its primary manufacturing facility is located. In addition to its four New Jersey locations, the company also enjoys the support of its global offices in Asia, South America, Australia, and Europe. The firm has grown significantly to satisfy the increasing global demand for its products. As Salerno identified, having multiple locations “increases Sea Box’s resource pool, speeds up deployment, harnesses local talent, and improves cost efficiency.”

As specialists in the design, modification, and manufacture of ISO shipping and storage containers, Sea Box Inc. offers both standard offerings in many sizes, as well as the potential to customize using various parts, accessories, and enhancements to produce unique equipment and tactical or personnel shelters. Specialty equipment such as generators, trailers, and flatracks make for very versatile applications.

Indeed, the company has the capacity to design and manufacture customized containers that can meet any customer need. Customizable features include insulated walls and ceilings, energy efficient upgrades, full electrical, lighting, plumbing and ventilation systems, environmental control units, even generators. Sea Box Inc. can also incorporate specialized features such as Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding, sound attenuation, and fire suppression systems, making it an ideal partner for customers such as the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

“Sea Box offers a wide range of products including containerized shelters, modular buildings, refrigerated containers, specialized storage systems, container parts/accessories, specialty equipment and of course, standard shipping containers,” said Salerno.

“The company’s innovative container designs begin with the functional knowledge and creative skills of its engineers who work tirelessly to develop project solutions from concept to reality,” he explained. “To expedite the development process, the engineering team can produce prototype and concept parts using both its precision machining shop, The Inventors Shop, and an in-house commercial 3D printer.”

The Inventors Shop is Sea Box’s machine shop, where innovation and expertise is put to work. It is a 40-year old facility dedicated to precision machining and manufacturing. For the Sea Box team, The Inventors Shop is where the finite details of a project come to life. Recently, the company purchased a 10-foot gantry and a 10-foot water jet to support its exceptional design and manufacturing capabilities.

From shelters to generating stations, data centers, housing units, mobile latrine-shower-toilet shelters, portable labs and workshops, and many other applications, Salerno provided several examples of Sea Box Inc.’s exemplary product offerings. Of the thousands of projects Sea Box Inc. has worked on, Salerno began by describing a mobile machine shop that was constructed using two modified containers. A project for the U.S. Marine Corps, the mobile machine shop impressively houses a CNC vertical mill and CNC lathe.

The team is also responsible for developing the new generation of PodZilla for PODS. PodZilla has become an integral part of PODS’ operations as this delivery system enables container deliver in areas that are inaccessible by truck alone.

Another testament to the company’s capacity, Sea Box Inc. is responsible for the first deployable air traffic control tower. The project entailed connecting 16 custom modified containers and is a 55-foot-high structure with a 30 by 20 footprint. It functions as a temporary air traffic control tower when needed. The options truly are endless.

The Sea Box team works closely with partners to develop highly innovative and creative projects that can challenge the status quo. One such project was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Dwell Design Show. Sea Box Inc.’s modern tiny home was a joint effort with Coccoon9 of New York City. The Cocoon Cabin, Studio, and Lite showcase exceptional quality and design and offer rapid construction timelines.

To be sure, Sea Box Inc. specializes in projects that allow for rapid and efficient deployment. Its patented Collapsible Relocatable Shelter (CRS), for example, measures 20’ x 8’ x 9’ and can lower the costs and environmental footprint associated with shipping. CRS containers can collapse into flat packs and can be shipped four high, as opposed to singularly. These containers can be connected when expanded to create a variety of configurations. Sea Box Inc. also designed and manufactured a larger version of the CRS, the Relocatable Simulation Shelter (RSS). RSS was originally designed for the U.S. Air Force for use as a flight simulator, but can be retrofitted to many applications including warehousing, greenhouses, offices, and any other structure a customer might need.

Sea Box Inc. also developed a fully containerized and re-deployable wave machine, the Surfstream. This prototype was the first prototype patented to allow the use of surfboards with fins and was designed and developed in conjunction with a former Sea Box Inc. employee, Bruce McFarland, now of American Wave Machines.

The company deploys its products for commercial, industrial, and residential applications, offering convenient and secure solutions. Sea Box Inc. also has an extensive fleet of standard dry freight storage containers, refrigerated containers, and insulated office containers available for short and long term lease, with delivery and pickup available from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Connecticut.

Using only the finest products, materials, and state-of-the-art production methods, Sea Box Inc. meets quality and timeline requirements on each project it undertakes. The company’s team of mechanical and electrical engineers rely on AutoCAD, AutoCAD Mechanical, PTC Cero, and Autodesk Inventor to draft, create, and manufacture functional containerized solutions.

Within the ranks of Sea Box Inc. are upwards of 170 highly trained and qualified engineers, quality control specialists, managers, fabricators, electricians, welders, plumbers, production specialists and equipment operators who possess the skill, experience, and the passion to reinforce Sea Box Inc.’s reputation for quality. “The company’s innovative container designs begin with the functional knowledge and creative skills of its engineers who work tirelessly to develop project solutions from concept to reality,” acknowledged Salerno.

He credited “the can-do attitude of the hardworking men and women on the manufacturing floor, whose specialized skills have been honed over the many years Sea Box has been in business. A dedicated team of administration, operation, and sales professionals keep the company running smoothly and constantly in the direction of innovation.”

Sea Box Inc.’s professionals design and construct the most unique shipping container creations available and in doing so the company has created a culture of success. Employees are drawn to the firm’s environment, which supports creativity, innovation and smart solutions. In Salerno’s words, Sea Box Inc. is an employer of choice; a “family business atmosphere with a global reach.”

In an interesting move, the company has integrated Kai-Zen practices into the plant’s operations as a means of improving productivity, reducing costs, and resulting in a safer, more efficient environment where success is reproduced. Customers require the foremost in quality and safety standards, and Sea Box Inc. delivers, thanks to the efforts of its dedicated Quality Assurance department. “ISO 9001:2015 sets the standard for establishing Sea Box’s systematic approach to means and methods. This includes safety adherences. Sea Box’s culture is also very much intertwined with the high level of importance it gives to safety,” said Salerno of the company’s commitment to safety and quality.

Thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities and resources, its highly skilled, creative, and innovative team of professionals, and its commitment to improved processes and methods, Sea Box Inc. has remained profitable and has set the benchmark for quality, proving to be a model for success in the container industry. The company has carved out a niche for itself and has positioned itself as a leader in shipping and storage container design, modification, and manufacture. To sustain this growth and success, Salerno explained, “Sea Box’s employment level has grown steadily over the years. A large contract with the U.S. Air Force kept the company very busy up until its completion this past fall.”

He continued, “its strong performance on the project was rewarded with a second contract that will result in steady work for the next several years,” noting that Sea Box Inc. continues to adapt its long-term strategy, remaining flexible to capitalize on market opportunities.

Salerno noted that the company is “currently endeavoring to introduce a warehousing and container system to the North American market, which was developed by our Australian partner for a major oil company abroad. Another major goal is its expansion in housing systems within the European markets. Overall, Sea Box’s goal is to continue to expand its business within the military, commercial, oil, gas, housing, and domestic rentals segment.”

Sea Box Inc. is optimistic about the future, and with good reason. Driven by innovation, creativity, and inherent industry knowledge and expertise, Sea Box Inc. will continue to challenge the status quo by investing in and improving its capacity to conceive of, engineer, and construct impressive containerized solutions that many companies and organizations around the world have come to rely on each day.

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