Clearwater-based PODS names new CEO

Clearwater moving and storage company PODS Enterprises LLC has appointed a new president and CEO, the portable container company announced Wednesday. 

Jim Gimeson, 57, of Ohio, took on the key leadership position at PODS Jan. 5, according to a release. 

Gimeson most recently served as CEO of WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems beginning in 2019, where he led operations across 25 states and eight Canadian provinces. 

“Jim is a proven growth-focused leader and we are excited to welcome him to PODS,” Jeff Johnson, chairman of PODS’ Board of Directors, says in the release. “His track record of positioning businesses for success, enhancing operations and expanding service offerings makes him uniquely qualified to lead PODS into its next chapter.”

Gimeson has extensive experience working in both consumer and business-to-business service industries. He has also led multiple organizations through brand transformations, service expansions, mergers and acquisitions, the release says. 

Before joining WASH, Gimeson worked as COO of Sears Home Services, the nation’s largest appliance repair, HVAC and home improvement service provider. Earlier in his career, he played a key role in guiding Scott’s LawnService, a subsidiary of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through a 2016 merger with TruGreen. He later became COO of TruGreen, a $1.3 billion organization, the release says. 

Gimeson says he’s excited to embark on some of those same growth initiatives at PODS. 

“I am honored to join PODS, a company that has transformed the way people think about moving and storage,” Gimeson says in the release. “PODS’ longstanding commitment to flexibility, convenience and a truly personal customer experience is what sets the brand apart.”

He succeeds outgoing president and CEO Kathryn Marinello, who announced her retirement after five years at the helm of PODS. 

Founded in 1998, PODS pioneered the use of portable, weather-resistent containers for moving and storage. Today, with an annual revenue of roughly $980 million, PODS provides residential and commercial moving and storage services across the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom.