An attempted burglary at a self-storage facility in St. Joseph, Mo., went awry when the alleged burglar became locked inside the unit.

An employee at Mini Warehouse Sunday noticed the units door was slightly open. The employee shut and latched the unit door. A security guard later heard noise coming from the unit and contacted police. A 49-year-old man was arrested but hasnt yet been charged.

American Buildings Co. (ABC), a manufacturer of metal building systems for self-storage and other industries, recently honored the city of Jackson, Tenn., for choosing American-made steel in the recent construction of the Jackson Transit Authority (JTA). On March 18, Kevin Cook, district sales manager of ABC, and representatives from Hoyt Hayes Construction, the general contracting company responsible for building JTA, presented JTA general manager Johnny Gullet with a Proud to Buy American plaque.

The City of Jackson received funding for the project from the Federal Transit Administration, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the city of Jackson. It also had assistance from the American Recovery Act, which meant it was required to use a general contractor who works exclusively with American products. After an extensive bid process, authorized ABC builder Hoyt Hayes was chosen because of its dedication to American products and proven track record of construction quality.

This building has been greatly anticipated by the Jackson community, and we were honored to be chosen as the general contractor, said Josh Hayes of Hoyt Hayes. Constructing metal buildings made of American steel inspires an immense sense of pride within our company.

Headquartered in Eufaula, Ala., ABC has designed, manufactured and delivered metal buildings and roofing systems for more than 50 years. The company has engineering and manufacturing centers nationwide and a network of more than 900 authorized builders. ABC, a NUCOR company, produces industrial and commercial structures as well as tailored projects for a variety of industries including self-storage, automotive, retail and transportation.

The Amsdell family of companies is continuing to grow its portfolio with the purchase of three self-storage facilities in Flat Rock, Fraser and Shelby, Mich. Previously operated by Simply Self Storage, the properties comprise an additional 174,000 net rentable square feet of self-storage.

Amsdell also recently purchased three properties in the Detroit metro area and one in Pittsburgh. The company has existing locations throughout Florida and Ohio. All of the sites are operated by Compass Self Storage LLC, an Amsdell company.

Amsdell plans to expand throughout the greater Midwest and grown the Compass Self Storage brand, according to President Todd Amsdell.

Amsdell Cos. is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The company started as a family-owned construction business in 1928 and has since been active in several billion dollars worth of real estate ventures, with a primary focus on self-storage. The company has experience in property acquisition, construction and property management.

The Amazing Spaces location in The Woodlands, Texas, has been named The Best of The Woodlands winner in the Best Storage or Self-Storage category for the second year in a row by WoodlandsOnline.com.

With 330,000 visits per month in 2010, WoodlandsOnline.com covers The Woodlands, a Houston exurb with more than 150,000 residents. Each year the sites visitors are asked to vote for their local favorites in more than 80 categories.

Our entire Amazing Spaces team is once again honored to have been awarded The Best in Storage for 2011 by area residents, Facility Manager Angela Vaughn said in a news release. "Our customers are truly the Best of The Woodlands."

Open since 1998, Houston-based Amazing Spaces currently operates three locations in the Houston area with a fourth to open in Spring 2012 in the Houston Medical Center. The properties provide self-storage, RV and boat storage, wine storage, packing and moving supplies, and Penske truck rentals. Amazing Spaces Franchising LLC also offers franchise opportunities to qualified applicants.

By Dr. Richard Weinblatt

There are many stories out there already about employees and the pitfalls of social-media use. Theres the one about the salesperson who scans Twitter for hours. Then theres the employee who hijacks a co-workers Facebook account and posts harassing comments. And, of course, theres the ubiquitous case of the worker who slams the employer on LinkedIn and is fired, thus exacting a morale-busting toll on the employee, the workplace and the organization.

From workplace distraction to stalking, harassment and other criminal activity, the rise of social networking has its drawbacks. While some employers lament the greater bandwidth demands, potential virus/Trojan infiltration, and identity-theft issues that can pummel a company's computer network and employees, others worry about the sapping of worker productivity and teamwork. For some companies, the ever-expanding world of Facebook and its ilk has encroached into the workplace with devastating professional and personal consequences.

Can the likes of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and FourSquare be used in a way that doesn't expose supervisors and employing organizations to moral and legal liability? Can the anonymity-germinated freedom of the Internet that emboldens workplace bullies, would be Lotharios and just plain lazy folks be controlled and channeled into productivity? The answer is a resounding yes.

Reduce Problems

While social networking is a relatively recent technological manifestation, other forms of technology have long dotted the desks and shared the cubicles of workers. The phone, fax and copy machine are but examples of other technologies that could, at least to some extent, be abused by the lazy up to the downright criminal worker.

The key for supervisors and executives is to recognize the uses and abuses facilitated by the innovation and what steps can be taken to control the relevant actions. Here are a few tips that you can implement in your business today.

Have clear policies. Very specific policies need to be in place, which govern the use of the Internet and social-networking sites. While some organizations may find it easier to just ban access altogether, this is akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater. A middle-of-the-road approach is probably more appropriate for most employers. Have employees sign an agreement indicating theyve read and understood the policy and had the opportunity to ask questions.

Educate employees. Make sure employees, as well as supervisors, understand whats expected of them as far as social-networking conduct within and when referring to the workplace. While you're at it, reinforce sexual harassment, related issues and their relevant consequences even when they're taking place within the virtual world.

Employees who bash the workplace online can be heading to a heartache-laden experience for everyone. While free speech and whistleblower protections exist, the laws vary from state to state. Employees may not be on as solid footing as they thought when confronted with disparaging comments they posted online about the employer or a fellow worker. Take steps to assure them that such online networking etiquette expectations are in place to protect them, as well as the company.

Take technological precautions. Be sure to keep one step ahead of the nefarious forces of the Internet. Continuously updated anti-virus protection, mandatory changing of passwords on a temporal basis, and strong firewall protections are imperative to the smooth operation of your endeavor in the new social-networking world. Web-filtering systems are also available to enable the employer to restrict access based on a number of different options including time frame, such as breaks or lunchtime, or a time limit, such as one hour per day.

Monitor use. Monitor Internet use and, in particular, social networking within the workplace. Ensure employees understand their computer interaction is being recorded. This oversight is vital as the company may bear civil or criminal responsibility for some actions of their employees.

The democratization effect of the technology has diffused communication channels and put more power in the hands of individuals. Employers need to be properly suited up to fight the scourge of villainous social networking in the workplace.

Dr. Richard Weinblatt, The Cop Doc, is a former police chief, ex-criminal justice professor, and past police academy director whos an expert on police, crime and safety topics. A speaker and author, Dr. Weinblatt regularly writes articles and has been interviewed by CBS News, CNN, MSNBC and The Washington Post. For more information, visit www.thecopdoc.com.

Cohen & Perfetto LLP, a Manhattan-based real estate law firm, recently closed $11 million in financing on behalf of Storage Deluxe for a property in Long Island City, a neighborhood in Queens, New York City. The funding, provided by Wells Fargo Bank, NA, will pay for the eventual development of a plot of vacant land purchased from HD Development of Maryland Inc., an affiliate of Home Depot USA. 

The lot is adjacent to an existing Home Depot store. Over the next year, Storage Deluxe will build a six-floor, climate-controlled self-storage facility on the property. It will comprise 67,425 rentable square-feet and 1,395 units. 

Perfetto oversaw the transaction with Matia Nikolovienis and Christine Mulryan, also of Cohen & Perfetto. James Scott of Giordano Halleran & Ciesla represented HD Development in the transaction. Reed Smith LLP acted as the attorney for Wells Fargo.  The deal was conducted using brokers from Studley Inc. as well as Corporate Property Disposition LLC. 

Marshall Cohen and Louis Perfetto formed Cohen & Perfetto LLP, a full-service boutique real estate law firm, in 2005. The company serves land developers, residential and commercial developers, banks, institutional and individual owners, landlords and tenants, and lenders and borrowers. The firm has experience in handling many types of commercial real estate transactions.

The planning commission in Beaverton, Ore., will make a decision about a proposed self-storage development at a public hearing Wednesday.

Kevin Howard Real Estate wants to build Canyon Mini Storage, a three-story, 66,000-square-foot self-storage facility on Canyon Road. The proposed area is currently a parking lot, zoned for auto sales and shops. The planning commission will consider rezoning it for self-storage.

The facility will include 446 storage units, 700 square feet of office space, and 1,500 square feet of apartment space for the onsite manager.

The public hearing is at 6:30 p.m. at city hall, 4755 S.W. Griffith Drive.

A self-storage tenant in New Port Richie, Fla., discovered two dead rats in her storage unit last month and is now asking the facility to compensate her for damages caused by the rodents.

Naomi Verilhac began renting a unit at Sentry Mini-Storage last October. When she accessed the unit in February, she discovered stored furniture and her wedding dress damaged by chewing and rat feces. The damaged items included a custom wooden cabinet, a leather recliner and a mattress and box spring.

After contacting facility management, Verilhac was offered $300 compensation to clean the mattress. Verilhac claims the damages come to about $2,200.

Verilac did not purchase tenant insurance, and the facility, by law, is not liable for any damage that occurs inside the unit.

Verilac didnt accept the facilitys compensation, and has filed a complaint against Sentry Mini-Storage with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Shes also working with the BBBs mediation service to obtain a better offer from the storage company.