Versibox – Santos, Brazil

August 7, 2019

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Interview with

Mr. Christian Vostoupal

Managing Partner

Who are the owners of Versibox and when was the company established?

My father, Robert Otto Vostoupal, and I are the owners. We’ve worked in the container industry since 1992. The company was established in September 2017.

I understand that you have offices in both Brazil and the US?

Yes, we have offices in both countries. But all commercial and operational staff are in Brazil, which is our headquarters.

The buying and selling of containers is a competitive business. What makes you stand out?

We have a worldwide network that allows us to operate in major markets. Also with differentials we can be more attractive, such as the repurchase of containers, where our customers can resell us containers purchased from Versibox, this is useful when the customer has no use for the container after the period of use or shipping.

A layman would say that ‘a container is a container’, so why not simply buy from the cheapest? Can you explain why it makes sense to be careful when choosing container providers?

That’s the point. We don’t buy containers from anyone we don’t know personally. First, this is a big risk, as in this industry normally you have to pay in advance to get the units. Also, with regards to the conditions of containers, you need to be able to trust the seller when they say that the containers are in cargo worthy (CW) conditions, for example. But to ensure to our customers that we are selling units in CW conditions, before we deliver any units we submit them to a reputable surveyor company that issues a report attesting that the unit can be used for a shipment.

What type of containers do you have for sale generally?

The market asks for dry containers, mostly 20’ 40’ and 40’HC. But we can supply all types.

You also offer a modular building. Will you please explain the concept in detail and provide some pictures that depict a modular building?

In Brazil where we are based, we are often asked about selling transformed units. As we prefer not to have a structure to attend this demand, we have a partner specializing in this. He works singularly on container transformations and can attend the needs of customers all over the country. We provide the desired containers for projects at the nearest ports and the company goes there and builds what was requested at the place of use. Operating in this way, we can focus on our competence in the sale of containers.

Below there are some photos from a bank made with reefer containers – we used 22 x 40’ HC for this building. This building was made to be ‘green’ by using solar panels, green roofs and rainwater capture. After it was finished the work was certified by LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.