A SHIPPING container business has announced the appointment of a new managing director.

Parsons Containers Group has announced Damien Murphy joined the Sedgefield headquartered business at the start of March and former managing director and founder Ean Parsons has stepped up to the role of chief executive and chair of the board.

Mr Murphy is a trained engineer and experienced business leader whose has spent much of his career in the North-East, working in the off-shore industry. He studied at Cranfield University on its Business Growth Programme and later gained an MBA from Durham University.

Parsons Containers was founded by Ean Parsons in 2000 and its operations include trading and converting shipping containers, as well as container self-storage under the brand ‘U Hold The Key’.

With an annual turnover of over £6m, the company is now one of the UK’s leading suppliers of shipping containers and one of the largest self-storage companies, hosting around 1,500 stores on 11 sites.

Mr Murphy said: “When I met Ean and his team, I was immediately impressed by the strong entrepreneurial culture within the Parsons Containers Group. Combine that with the diversity within the business’s own divisions and the markets that they serve, and it’s clear to me that we have a huge opportunity for growth here. I look forward to building on the firm’s recent achievements, to deliver even greater success in the years ahead.”

Mr Parson added: “I am delighted to have secured a managing director of the calibre of Damien to lead the business during the next stage of growth.

"The knowledge and experience he brings will add considerable strength to the group.”