Member News
Leading North East shipping containers firm Parsons Containers Group has opened a new 1.2-acre U Hold The Key self-storage site on Tyneside.
Situated on Gateshead’s Derwenthaugh Industrial Estate, close to the Metrocentre, the location will enable the company to better service its customer base in Newcastle and Gateshead, and along the A1 corridor.
The development represents the latest stage of delivering the company’s growth strategy and will help meet a surge in demand for self-storage. Parsons Containers Group now operates on 11 sites in the North East, and 12 in total.
The new U Hold The Key site at Derwenthaugh Industrial Estate has the capacity for 164 self-storage containers in a variety of sizes, suitable for a wide range of requirements. The facility offers 24/7 access for customers and benefits from key fob access via electronic security gates, CCTV security cameras, and a cycle stand to enable users to secure their bike on site.
Founded by North East entrepreneur Ean Parsons in 2001, U Hold The Key has grown into one of the UK’s leading self-storage firms, and is a division of the Parsons Containers Group. The company currently has almost 1,700 container stores on 11 sites in the North East and a twelfth in Grantham, Lincolnshire, and continues to grow after experiencing a 15% increase in occupied storage units during 2020.
Ean Parsons, CEO of the Parsons Containers Group, comments: “We have opened the new Gateshead Metrocentre site at a time of increasing demand for U Hold The Key self-storage. Going live on Derwenthaugh Industrial Estate has been a key strategic priority for some time and will be a platform for sustaining the momentum of our business growth. The site is very convenient for customers in the west end of Gateshead and Newcastle and like other U Hold The Key centres, it is ideally located close to the Metrocentre and next to a major road, while offering the safe and secure storage that underpins our reputation. Prior to the site’s opening, we already had a substantial waiting list of customers looking to occupy the stores for domestic and commercial use. We will continue to develop the Gateshead Metrocentre facility over the coming months, adding additional stores to meet customer demand.”
In 2018, the Parsons Containers Group secured investment of £825,000 from Maven investment to support the expansion of its operations across the UK. Opening the new Tyneside site is the latest step towards achieving the strategic growth objectives outlined in the strategy that secured the financial support. The company is also set to open another North East self-storage site this year, with more planned for 2022. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to launch a national U Hold The Key franchise programme, following the surge in demand for self-storage during the pandemic.
U Hold The Key currently offers self-storage containers for a variety of commercial and domestic needs. The Derwenthaugh Industrial Estate site offers containers ranging in size from 6ft x 6ft mini containers up to large 20ft x 8ft x 8ft 6” stores.
To find out more about U Hold The Key, visit www.uholdthekey.co.uk, call 0800 389 4319 or email enquiries@uholdthekey.co.uk.
