Author: Vincent Smith

Vincent Smith is the founder and owner of StorageBox, the trading name of VJS Storage Ltd, one of Ireland's leading portable self-storage providers. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Business from Dublin City University, graduating in 2004, and has spent almost 20 years building and managing businesses across a variety of industries. Vincent's entrepreneurial journey began while he was still a student in DCU. During this time, he established what would become the first part of his business interests, a vehicle valeting and detailing centre located on the Colpe Road in Drogheda. Today, this business continues to operate successfully as Colpe Car Care Centre, employing a team of dedicated staff. More recently, the business expanded with the opening of Southgate Shine, a car valeting facility located within Southgate Shopping Centre. The move into the self-storage industry came about almost by accident. The vehicle detailing business operated from premises owned by Vincent's late grandfather, who had relocated his farming activities to a newer site. This left a number of farm buildings unused, creating an opportunity to convert them into storage units. As demand for storage increased locally, the storage side of the business gradually expanded and became a significant part of the company's operations. A pivotal moment came during a twelve-month period of travel in 2008 and 2009. While hiking the famous Inca Trail in Peru, Vincent met a traveller from California who introduced him to the concept of portable self-storage, commonly known in the United States through the PODS (Portable On Demand Storage) model. The idea immediately stood out as an innovative approach to self-storage and remained in his mind long after returning home. Upon returning to Ireland during a challenging economic period, Vincent continued to develop his business interests while gaining valuable experience across property management, administration, agriculture, facilities management and customer service. However, the concept of portable self-storage never left him. In 2013, StorageBox was launched using a purpose-built delivery trailer and a small fleet of portable storage units imported from England. The business was built on a simple principle: bring the storage unit directly to the customer, allowing them to load it at their own pace before it is transported to a secure storage facility. This approach removed much of the inconvenience associated with traditional self-storage and remains at the core of the StorageBox service today. A significant milestone was reached in 2017 when Vincent acquired Mobile Storage Services, another portable storage operator in Ireland. The acquisition allowed StorageBox to expand its offering, introducing larger storage units and strengthening its position within the Irish storage market. Today, StorageBox serves homeowners, businesses and students throughout Ireland, offering a range of portable and self-storage solutions. Vincent remains actively involved in the day-to-day operation and development of the business, drawing on his experience as both an entrepreneur and a long-standing participant in the storage industry. Outside of work, Vincent enjoys spending time with his wife Tara and daughter Zoe. He has a keen interest in fitness, cycling, travel and the outdoors. He believes that many of the best business ideas come from life experiences, and the inspiration for StorageBox itself is a reminder that opportunities can often appear when you least expect them.