Metro Storage opened a new self-storage facility on 11A Edinburgh Road in Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia.

Open seven days a week, the storage facility is opposite the Marrickville Metro Shopping Centre, near the airport in Sydney, and close to customers living in Sydneys Inner West and South West areas.

The facility offers short- and long-term car storage, and boat storage, and sells packing and moving supplies.
Metro Storage has existing self-storage facilities in Artarmon, Bondi Junction, Canterbury and Leichhardt, Australia. The company is a member of the Self Storage Association of Australasia.

 

A small airplane carrying four people crashed into a self-storage facility Saturday in Camarillo, Calif. Only one of the passengers was seriously injured.

The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza crashed into Wells Cargo Self Storage at 450 Camarillo Center Dr. about 1:25 p.m., according to the Ventura County Fire Department. Nine structures at the facility were damaged. It took firefighters three hours to get the blaze under control.

Three of the passengers suffered minor injuries and were able to exit the plane. The fourth had moderate to serious injuries, according to fire officials. All four were taken to a local hospital.

The plane took off from Chino Airport and was on its way to nearby Camarillo Airport when it crashed. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

EzStorage Corp. launched its 2011 College Store Your Stuff & Win Sweepstakes, offering discounts and giveaways to college students and staff. This year, two winners will receive an Apple iPad 2, and 10 winners will win a high-definition flip video camera.

The sweepstakes runs April 15-June 30, and is currently promoted on the companys website, on in-store fliers and on social media websites. Students and staff with valid college identification who rent a storage unit each receive a 2-gigabyte USB flash drive (while supplies last), and are eligible to enter the 2011 Store Your Stuff & Win Sweepstakes.

"Last year, our college campaign was such a success we wanted to continue the fun and offer more prizes," said Todd Manganaro, ezStorage president. "Social media is a positive way we can connect with college students, offer discounts and stay in the forefront of our digital world." More details about the sweepstakes and complete rules and restrictions can be found at ezStorages website, www.ezstorage.com/college, or Facebook.com/ezstorage.

EzStorage Corp., headquartered in Columbia, Md., is a self-storage operators with more than 41,000 units throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Last week police in Kingsport, Tenn., arrested a man suspected burglarizing American Storage of 1305 East Stone Drive, and issued a warrant for a second suspect. According to a press release issued by the Kingsport Police Department, officers patrolling the self-storage facility on the morning of April 4 found 10 units with forced entry. Several items had been removed from the units and placed near the exterior fence.

A subsequent investigation revealed two suspects, Dustin Stacy, 22, of Kingsport, and Michael Mullins, 21, also of Kingsport. Both allegedly gave statements regarding their involvement in the burglary. Stacy was arrested and charged on 10 counts of burglary, and is being held on a $50,000 bond. An arrest warrant was issued for Mullins, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.

By Jean-Pierre Albillar

Self-storage operators are seldom concerned with their unit doors until they have a problem with one. Then, depending on the severity, it can become their No. 1 crisisone that could have been avoided with proper planning and care. Since many facility operators lack the time or expertise to keep their self-storage doors in top shape themselves, a good solution is to hire a local door dealer who can provide repairs and upkeep.

Door dealers can often offer an ongoing maintenance program, providing periodic servicing on a facilitys doors at a reduced rate under a contractual agreement. The facility benefits from reduced hourly rates and lower costs on parts as needed. Operators will also establish a working relationship with the door dealer that translates into trust over time.

But not all door dealers provide this maintenance service, so its good for a facility operator to establish his needs in the beginning. Ask if the dealer provides a service contract with reduced rates for service and parts. Its in the dealers best interest to do this because he will have scheduled work for the length of the contract. Often, such contracts are entered for one year, after which time theyre renegotiated due to possible labor or materials cost increases.

The contracted maintenance is usually designed for quarterly visits, but can be adjusted due to the frequency of door use. In the end, the self-storage operator will have peace of mind, knowing his tenants will have trouble-free doors and any major issues will be avoided.

Remember, when its time for a scheduled maintenance visit by the door dealer, operators should inform their tenants to ensure they have access to the units.

Here are some important items that should be included in a regular maintenance visit:

• Over time, all springs will settle and the tension needs to be adjusted. If this is not maintained, the doors will tend to drift down when the chain is released.
• Inspect the guides for buildup of dirt, grease or any lubricants that may have been used.
• Make sure the guides and tracks are clean.
• Inspect the bearings for possible wear.
• Inspect overall condition of the door, and adjust or tighten fasteners that may have come loose over time. This is a possible cause for the door to progressively lose tension.
• Check for any abuse by the tenant and repair or adjust as needed.
• Check for alarm contacts that may need attention due to wear.
• If the door is motor-operated, test the operation of the motor. Make sure all safety features are working as intended and repair as needed.

Reputable dealers that provide maintenance services can often be recommended by your door manufacturer. The sales reps usually know which dealers have a good track record and can often save operators a lot of time searching for the right contact. They can usually recommend as many as three dealers. Operators should then meet with these dealers to discuss pricing and contract terms.

Properly working self-storage doors are a critical component to keeping your tenants happy. Avoid problems with your facilitys doors by scheduling regular door maintenance with a professional in your area.

Jean-Pierre Albillar is the northwest region commercial sales manager for Janus International. Headquartered in Temple, Ga., Janus is a manufacturer of commercial and industrial doors and building components for self-storage and an array of other industries. The company also has joint ventures in the United Kingdom and Mexico. For more information, call 770.562.2850; visit www.janusintl.com .

Gulfport, Miss.-based Tellus Grand Central LLC has acquired a Cordova, Tenn., self-storage facility appraised at $1.3 million via a quitclaim deed. The industrial-zoned property consists of a 3.8-acre plot of land with a self-storage facility built in 1977.

The facility is located at 7384 Raleigh-LaGrange Road at the northeast corner of Raleigh-LaGrange and Mullins Station roads, about 15 miles from downtown Memphis.

Tellus obtained a $1.1 million loan through Financial Federal Savings Bank to finance the transaction. The loan matures in April 2014. In May 2010, Tellus sold a vacant 1.4 acres of the property to Shelby Farms Park Conservancy for $300,000 to become part of the Shelby Farms Greenline.

Tellus Grand Central is part of Tellus Development Ltd., which was founded in 1990. According to the company website, Tellus Development owns and manages properties in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia and Texas.

StorageVault Canada Inc. recently reported its financial statements for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31.

Highlights:

• Revenue increased by $787,952 to $2,543,663, representing a 44.9 percent increase compared to the 2009 fiscal year.
• Net operating income from properties (a non-GAAP (what does non-GAAP mean?) measure) increased by $349,177 to $1,406,844, representing a 33 percent increase compared to last year.
• Cash flow as measured by funds from operations (a non-GAAP measure) increased by $100,649 to $519,982 representing a 24 percent increase compared to last year.

On Jan. 18, StorageVault agreed to sell a 2.2-acre parcel of undeveloped land in Cambridge, Ontario, Jan. 18 in exchange for $350,000 cash and a 1.5-acre parcel of undeveloped land adjacent to its B&B Mini Storage operation in Cambridge, Ontario. This transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2011.

StorageVault owns and operates several self-storage facilities in Canada, as well as PUPS portable-storage franchises. Its common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. As of Dec. 31, 2010, StorageVault's portfolio included 134,000 square feet of rentable area, 56,000 square feet of rentable portable-storage area, and two more portable-storage locations in Cambridge, Ontario, and Nanaimo, British Columbia, with more planned launches in 2011.

A self-storage owner in Greencastle, Ind., called police after she noticed damage to a unit door.

Christine Berliner, owner of Dyno-Store Self Storage on 2 Cedar Drive, reported the break-in April 1. The unit door and hasp were damaged in what appeared to be an attempt to raise the door, according to police.

Although nothing was reported missing from the storage unit, Berliner estimates the damaged to the door between $1,000 and $1,500.

A self-storage facility in Oklahoma City was raided by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) earlier this week.

Agents were seen unloading dozens of boxes labeled as cigarettes from a storage unit at Security Self Storage on Sante Fe and Memorial. ATF spokespersons would not comment on the raid.