ROXBOX 2022 Year in Review

2022 was a big year for ROXBOX. We completed numerous projects for amazing clients, introduced multiple lines of ROXBOX models, teased ROXBOX Residential, expanded our offerings and capabilities, signed contracts on some exciting future projects (including multiple shipping container parks & multi-container structures), and moved our production facility to a 45,000 square foot facility in Houston, Texas. In recognition of the incredible year we had, we wanted to highlight these key milestones and showcase some of the projects we completed in 2022 that epitomize the ROXBOX design + build methodology.

None of this would be possible without our amazing team and we’re honored to work with some of the most dedicated, creative, passionate, and brilliant individuals in the world!

ROXBOX's manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas
ROXBOX's manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas

2022 Project Showcase

Coca-Cola BoomBox

The Coca-Cola BoomBox was one of our coolest projects to date and we could not have been happier with how it turned out. The entire ROXBOX team came together to design + build this incredible shipping container experiential marketing unit extremely fast without compromising our high-quality standards. This giant solar-powered boombox built out of an upcycled shipping container transforms into an interactive marketing experience at each location it stops. The underlying concept of the project focuses on bringing music to different communities and events while giving people the opportunity to learn how to DJ on high-end DJ equipment and highlighting the central Coca-Cola ethos of sustainability.

Key features of the BoomBox include: an interactive DJ experience where guests can learn to DJ, sound-activated LEDs, speakers that bump, VIP rooftop deck, and interchangeable graphics for different Coke brands and marketing initiatives. The BoomBox is the focal point wherever it goes… and since it’s fully solar-powered, it can go anywhere!

Boy Scouts of America 40' Shipping Container Healthcare Unit

The Boy Scouts of America 40’ healthcare unit was an exciting collaboration for our team and showcased our capabilities in the containerized healthcare space. Located on Melita Island, a private island Boy Scouts camping retreat on the beautiful Flathead Lake in Montana, this 40’ shipping container mobile healthcare clinic ensures the scouts are safe while at the campsite. With one check-in/office room, two diagnosis rooms, one exam room, and a mobile plumbing system with tanks, this unit is able to handle all of the retreat’s on-site simple medical needs. As a mobile classified unit, there was no need for permitting and the scouts will be able to move the container clinic to other locations in the future.

This unit was also one our coolest deliveries to date, as the unit was craned onto a barge, driven across one of the most beautiful lakes in the US, and then craned off the barge and onto the island! Still waiting on that Container Merit Badge but, with numerous Eagle Scouts on the team, we were proud to help this fantastic organization!

Simply Pizza 20' Shipping Container Kitchen

Simply Pizza is a Denver-based, woman-owned pizza business that we had the honor to build 20′ mobile pizza kitchens for as they continue their growth. We built two identical units for the Simply Pizza team as they expand their pizza empire from their food truck origin, and hope to build many more with them in the future. With onboard utilities, Simply Pizza is able to move their container kitchens to events, festivals, beer gardens, weddings, tailgates, and more! With many of our clients opting for 40’ kitchens, this project showcased the possibilities of utilizing 20’ shipping containers for kitchens and how we can use the smaller footprint to still build a spacious kitchen. Additionally, given their mobile classification, this project moved quickly and the timeline wasn’t hindered by architecture & engineering requirements that our permanent projects sometimes face.

Detroit Holiday Village Retail Huts Redeployment

Heading into the holidays, ROXBOX successfully redeployed the pop-up retail units we built for Detroit’s annual Holiday Village alongside Groundswell Design Group & Bedrock.

First deployed for last year’s holiday market, the units have been stored off-site since February. Over the course of late November & early December, the ROXBOX, Groundswell, and Bedrock teams collaborated on transporting the units back to Detroit’s Cadillac Square in the city’s center for the annual holiday experience. The village consists of an outdoor marketplace with eight beautiful custom retail spaces featuring a variety of local Detroit retailers. As part of the Bedrock and Quicken Loans Community Fund’s mission to support the local entrepreneurial community, each business featured in the holiday market is Detroit-based, female-owned and/or minority-owned. Merchandise ranging from locally inspired streetwear and artwork to delicious treats and Michigan staple dishes provides all attendees a sampling of Detroit’s unique culture.

These units were designed by Groundswell Design Group for Bedrock and fabricated by ROXBOX. We are very proud to support this project and its mission!

Bruder Design House Shipping Container Garage

ROXBOX partnered with Bruder Design House, a residential design + build firm based out of Colorado, to design and build this beautiful shipping container garage. Located in the Rocky Mountain foothills of Golden, Colorado, the project is a shining testament of modular design overcoming a challenging hillside site. Built from seven 20’ high-cube shipping containers, this two-story multi-container structure has an elevated two-car garage, gear room/mudroom, outdoor game area, professional music studio, home gym and a rooftop deck with stunning views of the mountains.

The sustainably-built garage overcomes its hillside location via its two-story design. On the top level, the two-car garage and gear/mudroom are seamlessly connected to the main floor of the house via an elevated deck. On the first level, the music studio, home gym and outdoor game room are connected to the basement via a wrap-around deck that opens up to a beautiful backyard.

This project is a prime example of the “shell” pathway for a custom project. The Bruder Design House team came to ROXBOX with stamped architectural plans whereupon ROXBOX helped refine the plans and get them approved. ROXBOX then supplied and installed the shells on-site (ROXBOX was contracted to unload and install/connect the shipping containers). Bruder Design House and their experienced General Contractor then took over and finished out the units with on-site inspections from the local Building Department. ROXBOX was able to deliver and install the garage’s “shell” in days, giving the Bruder team their beautiful 2-story garage shell quickly and highlighting the value of modular construction.

Shipping Container Bars

While not a single project, 2022 was a huge year for shipping container bars. The BeerCan & BillyBox are what ROXBOX was built on and we love designing & building these units for our clients. Our shipping container bar models are our most popular products and some of the fastest units we can build – these units have a huge ROI and we are able to deliver them within weeks! Showcased below are multiple shipping container bar projects we completed this year.

Aspen Grove 20’ Shopping Complex 20’ BeerCan Heavy

The 20′ BeerCan Heavy we built for Aspen Grove Shopping Center in Littleton, Colorado was one of the coolest bars we have ever built. The “BarBox” serves as the centerpiece to Aspen Grove’s brand new beer garden and is run by Breckenridge Brewery. With three service windows, a 10-tap draft system, and a walk-in cooler that can hold upwards of 20 kegs, the BarBox will be cranking out drinks all year long to beer garden guests!

Carowinds Amusement Park 20’ BillyBoxes

We designed & built two 20’ mobile BillyBoxes for Carowinds Amusement Park in Charlotte, North Carolina. Carowinds, the premier entertainment and thrill ride amusement park in the Carolinas, will be using the BillyBoxes to serve beverages to eager guests all year long. These high revenue-generating units can be moved throughout the park and were delivered quickly due to their mobile building classification. These BillyBoxes are fully compliant, full-service shipping container bars with built-in walk-in coolers. The units have all of the necessary equipment to meet health code and serve all beverages (beer, cocktails, wine, seltzers, sodas, etc).

Rail Haus Beer Garden BeerCan Heavy

We designed & built a 20′ BeerCan Heavy for Rail Haus Beer Garden in downtown Dover, Delaware. With one of our favorite paint jobs and vinyl wrappings to date, this unit highlights how you can customize our models to truly mak the box your own. This bright, badass BeerCan will be the centerpiece of the outdoor patio at this brand-new beer garden opening in 2023!

The Dive Inn Beer Garden

The Dive Inn is a popular dive bar in Denver, Colorado and recently opened up a brand new beer garden. The Dive Inn utilized shipping containers to transform a parking lot outside their bar into a mini “container park”, which has since become one of Denver’s most popular beer gardens.

The beer garden consists of four mobile classified units: a customized 20′ BillyBox, a custom 20′ mixed-use container (currently being used for seating, but it is also used as a stage, dj booth, and winter storage), and (1) 20’ and (1) 40′ storage containers that double as the beer garden walls, additional storage, and sound barriers. ROXBOX designed, built, and delivered the 20’ BillyBox and 20’ mixed-use container to create a vibrant and revenue-generating beer garden in lieu of their underutilized parking lot. This project showcases how shipping containers can transform any space, big or small, into an exciting new container park development quickly and cost-effectively.

Oakland Hills Golf Course BillyBox

Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is one of the most storied and famous locations in the golf world. Unfortunately a devastating fire tore through the country club last winter, destroying the entire clubhouse and all amenities nearby. While the club decided to continue operations throughout the year, the fire destroyed all of their food & beverage operations and they were unable to serve their guests. The club therefore reached out to ROXBOX and we were able to deliver them a 20’ BillyBox in a very fast timeline. The bar is being used year-round to serve beverages and snacks to club guests while they work to rebuild their clubhouse.

ROXBOX Models

Fast. Cheap. Easy.

In early 2022, we launched our extensive line of modified shipping container models in the Food & Beverage and Commercial spaces. ROXBOX models are different base models that we have spent years refining and optimizing. By choosing one of our ROXBOX models (as opposed to a custom project), customers are greatly reducing the time and cost of their projects, especially from a pre-construction standpoint as all of the designs are already completed. Models have various add-ons that customers can choose from (such as a rooftop deck or various finish options) and can be painted/branded to whatever the client’s preference is to truly make the build their own. ROXBOX models are great for single-unit builds and for projects with tight timelines and/or budgets..

While we are always expanding our offering of ROXBOX models, our current models consist of bars & taprooms, kitchens, cafes, concession stands, retail units, bathrooms, experiential marketing units, and homes. To learn more about each model, visit our Models page here.

HELIOS Solar

Energy That Moves

In collaboration with our partners at Black Stump Technologies in Australia, 2022 saw significant strides in our HELIOS Solar line. HELIOS is our line of off-grid, 100% solar-powered containers that include: Refrigerators, Freezers, Ice-Makers, and Solar Generators.

Our HELIOS units provide rapidly deployable solutions to the issues of energy, refrigeration, healthcare, agriculture, food distribution, events, disaster response, military, and the cold chain. These units offer a reliable replacement for diesel generators & diesel reefer containers while providing comprehensive real-time reporting to allow firms to show that they are meeting their sustainability goals. With multiple contracts signed for 2023 deliveries and partnerships in the works, we’re excited to continue building the HELIOS line and doing our part to keep the world green.

ROXBOX Residential

In addition to launching ROXBOX models in 2022, we also launched ROXBOX Residential, the luxury shipping container home arm of ROXBOX Containers. The demand for attainable housing has never been greater and we wanted to do our part to help maximize residential sustainable development. We therefore partnered with our friends at Box & Boulder to develop models that showcase the possibilities of shipping container homes. For rentals and investment properties, our customers are able to truly wow their guests with a home unlike anything they have ever stayed in.

We currently offer our LuxBox ADU model and custom shells for individual home buyers or we will work with developers to produce units at scale. In 2023 we will be introducing our more luxury, modular container home models… Stay tuned!

ROXBOX Shells

2022 was also a transformational year for our “shell” pathway, as we designed, built & delivered numerous shell projects, expanded our shell pathway capabilities, and began work on multiple large-scale, multi-unit shell projects. By choosing a shell, ROXBOX simply provides the modified container(s) with doors, windows, framing, insulation under the floors, and exterior paint while our customer’s team and/or a local General Contractor finishes out the project on-site and completes all on-site inspections. “Shells” are our least expensive and fastest option but are also our most limited as far as scope.

Whereas ROXBOX models and custom projects will arrive on-site essentially turn-key and have already been fully inspected at our facility by approved 3rd-party inspection agencies, shells are limited to modifying the unit to the point of the first inspection whereupon we usually stop at studs. Once the shell(s) arrive, a licensed General Contractor takes over and finishes the build-out on-site with correlating inspections from your local building department. Therefore, our customers all-in costs for the unit(s) will be similar in the end but this pathway is seen as a more traditional construction pathway.

Stay tuned for some news on a few massive shell projects we have in the works!

ROXBOX Houston

2022 also brought a big move for the ROXBOX team, as we moved our manufacturing facility to Houston, Texas. While our headquarters & design studio will remain in Denver, all production was moved to our new modular manufacturing facility in Houston. Our new 40,000 sqft space greatly enhances our capabilities and ability to produce high-quality units at scale. With 30+ production bays and two 25-ton cranes, we can now handle projects of any size or complexity. The Houston factory also makes ROXBOX much more efficient which translates to lower cost and faster delivery timelines for our customers.

Houston Shop Video Tour

Join us on a 2-minute tour of our manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas.

What's Next in 2023?

While 2022 was an incredible year for ROXBOX, this is just the beginning for this team. We have tons of exciting projects and initiatives in the works that we can’t wait to share with everyone in 2023 and beyond! From 25-container structures to multi-unit shipping container parks all over the country, you are going to see some next level projects from the ROXBOX team come to life this year.

If you are interested to learn more about our shipping container projects or have any questions for our team, click here to contact us.