Storage Giant Ltd., which operates 10 self-storage facilities in the United Kingdom, received four awards from two organizations this year. The accolades came as the company focused on doubling its footprint with two new locations in West Midlands, England, and one each in Bridgend, Wales, and Nottingham, England, according to the source.

The honors included “Most Outstanding Commercial & Domestic Self-Storage Facilities 2021 – England & Wales” and “Small Business of the Year 2021 – South Wales,” in the Global Business Awards by “Corporate Vision” Magazine. Storage Giant also received “Most Outstanding Commercial & Domestic Self-Storage Facilities 2021 – England & Wales” and “Small Business of the Year 2021 – South Wales” in the Business Excellence Awards from “Acquisitions International,” a monthly, digital business magazine.

Last year, Storage Giant saw occupancy and revenue grow by more than 6% and 14%, respectively. The company attributes the surge to a shift in customers’ working habits and storage needs as well as more start-up businesses trading online.

“I am very pleased to see Storage Giant continue to be recognized for the economic contribution the company makes in Wales and the wider U.K.,” said company founder Simon Williams. “These continue to be challenging times for businesses across all sectors. We have, as a firm and a tight-knit team, recalibrated what we do so we can continue to serve customers and the thousands of small businesses we incubate under our roof and our business clients. Despite these challenges, we have been able to grow occupancy rates during the pandemic. And 2021/22 is set to become one of the most exciting in the Storage Giant story with our expansion plans pressing ahead.”

Storage Giant is seeking additional development opportunities in Berkshire and Hampshire, England, as well as Port Talbot and Swansea, Wales. Founded in 2007 and based in Newport, Wales, the company operates five facilities in England and five in Wales.

Source:
News From Wales, A Trio of Award Wins For Newport’s Storage Giant in a Year of Ambitious Expansion Plans

Lance Greaney, director of Oamaru Self Storage in Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand, got involved in a foot chase on Wednesday when a police fugitive ran out of an RV that was parked on the property, in which he’d been hiding illegally. Greaney noticed two men running from the vehicle, one clearly chasing the other, and joined the pursuit.

Repair technician Tom Palmer, an employee for Foley’s Plumbing and Electrical, had been hired to work on the RV. While discussing the work with the vehicle owner, he noticed one of the windows had been smashed. Inside, they found items out of place and an unfamiliar cellphone battery on the table. Eventually, they moved seat cushions and found a man in the fetal position.

Believing the man to be homeless and possibly dead, the RV owner left to find a doctor. The man then sprang up and raced out of the vehicle. Palmer gave chase and was soon joined by Greaney. They caught up with the man in less than half a mile when he attempted to climb a fence. They held him on the ground until police arrived.

Greaney said he was grateful for quick action from Palmer, who’s a former rugby player.

Though the fugitive hasn’t yet been identified to the public, he’s believed to be Leslie McCreath, who’s been on the run since December. Public warnings have been issued about McCreath, calling him dangerous. An arrest warrant included charges related to firearms and methamphetamine.

Police confirmed a 45-year-old man had been arrested on a warrant and burglary charges on Wednesday. He appeared in court the same day, the source reported.   

Opened in 2016, Oamaru Self Storage offers drive-up self-storage and vehicle storage.

Source:
Stuff, Police Fugitive Tackled and Caught by Tradesman and Business Owner in Oamaru

U Hold The Key, which operates 11 container-based self-storage facilities in Northeast England, has partnered with franchise consultancy Lime Licensing Group to expand its footprint across the United Kingdom through franchisees. A 15 percent increase in physical occupancy last year, attributed to pandemic impact, quickened the company’s plan to roll out a franchise model, according to the source.

Company officials believe the brand is positioned to experience national recognition similar to that of its parent entity, the Parsons Containers Group of Companies. “Parsons already operates on a national basis with container sales, and we know that the growth in demand for self-storage we’ve experienced here [in the Northeast] is replicated elsewhere,” CEO Ean Parsons told the source. “Taking the franchise approach to expanding the U Hold The Key brand will attract committed, ambitious entrepreneurs. That’s who we want to work with because it reflects the history of the Parsons Containers Group, and the reasons why the business has succeeded.”

“We spent many months researching the market before deciding to launch U Hold The Key as a franchise, and we’re very confident about its potential,” added Richard Pakey, regional director for Lime. “I think that this will be a unique offer in franchising and will deliver one of the very best long-term returns on investment. We’ve structured the model so that it offers great flexibility, whether a franchisee wants a full- or part-time opportunity and plans to be hands-on or hands-off.”

Founded in 2001, U Hold The Key offers 1,500 storage containers that are accessible 24 hours a day. It has two corporate sites under development that are expected to open this year.

Launched in 2000, Parsons is an independent, privately owned business that supplies shipping containers. Additional brands under the Parsons umbrella include ContainerContainer and Containers-Now.

Source:
Bdaily News, National Expansion Plans for North East Storage Specialist With New Franchising Scheme

The Inside Self-Storage Virtual Conference, which took place on April 28 and 29, is now available on demand through May 31. Designed for facility owners, managers, developers and investors, the event offers eight knowledge-packed, one-hour seminars presented by industry visionaries. Four sessions focus on issues related to investing and development, while another four provide insight to modern facility operation. All sessions were recorded live, capturing interactive polls and Q&A with speakers.

Online registration is available at issworldexpo.com/virtual. Users have the choice of two packages. The Seminar Package, at only $39, includes:

• On-demand access to eight education seminars
• On-demand access to five vendor presentations
• Full access to all areas of the virtual platform, including the Education Theater, Resource Center, Vendor Resources, ISS Store and Help Desk
• $5 donation to your choice of one of three charities (Kure It Cancer Research, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Rebuilding Together North Texas)

The Seminar Package Plus, at $149, includes all of the above, plus an expo-hall registration package for the upcoming ISS World Expo in Las Vegas, July 13-16.

For 30 years, ISS has provided informational resources for the self-storage industry. Its educational offerings include ISS magazine, the annual ISS World Expo, an extensive website, the ISS Store, and Self-Storage Talk, the industry’s largest online community.

I’ve never considered myself a natural salesperson. In fact, when I first started in the self-storage industry, I was petrified of sales and would always have my husband, Joe, show units to close the deal. Then I would come in, do the paperwork and explain the process of doing business with us.

I remember how I would listen to him and just be amazed. He could rent a unit to anyone! I started paying attention to what he was doing. No matter who came through the door or called on the phone, he found something in common with them. It could be anything: They both served in the military, had lived in the same town, had children the same age or been in the same line of work. Joe had a gift: He made people comfortable with his laidback approach. Once he started asking questions, they wouldn’t hesitate to tell him their stories. By the time they came to me, he knew everything about them.

After listening to him for a couple of years, I started to do the same thing. Yes, it took me a while to get confident. I was nervous! Plus, I don’t handle rejection well. But as I started talking with prospects and learned the right questions to ask, it became more natural.

The skills you need to be successful in self-storage sales are easy—and you likely already have many of them! Once you master these steps, you’ll close more sales effortlessly.

1. Be Friendly

When prospects walk into or call your office, treat them as if they’re already your self-storage customer. Give them 100 percent of your attention and be genuine. Answer their questions. Think about what makes you happy and impresses you when shopping for products and services.

I’ll give you an example. When my daughter was seeking her first apartment, we visited several properties. After hours of tours and questions, she chose the most expensive option because the leasing agent at that property spent the most time with us. She gave us her undivided attention and made us feel comfortable. She shared many tips and even questions to ask at other properties we toured. She spent the time to educate us about apartment living. Hers was the first property we visited and everyone after paled in comparison. In fact, she was so impressive that I gave her my business card and told her to call me if she ever needed a job!

When you shop for something, you want to know about the product, the service, even the company. Maybe it’s a car, an appliance or just new shoes. You have a lot of questions! So, you read reviews. You educate yourself to make the best decision. People are the same when it comes to storing their valuables. When you’re friendly, you put them at ease and make it comfortable for them to get the information they need. That’s more than half the battle already won!

2. Ask the Right Questions

I’ve learned customer rapport is vital when it comes to sales. Once, you master it, the rest will come. You need to learn who your prospects are. To gain their trust, you must ask questions!

• Who are they?
• When do they need the unit?
• How did they find you?
• How do they plan to move their belongings?
• How long do they plan to use your facility?
• Have they stored their items before and, if so, what was their experience?
• How can you provide solutions that address their concerns?

When you ask the right questions, people will talk to you. They like to share their stories. Simply listening and giving them professional feedback goes a long way!

3. Build Business Value

The next important step to being a good salesperson is to communicate your value. As a self-storage manager, you need to know and have confidence in your product. This includes features and benefits that set you apart from other providers in your market. Be familiar with your competitors. Perform a mystery shop and take note of things you offer that they don’t. If they do something you love, implement it at your site.

It’s also important to clearly communicate why these features matter. For example, you might tell a prospect that your property has wide, well-lit drive aisles, but he might not understand why that’s important. You can clarify that lights offer security and wide aisles make it easy to maneuver a truck. Maybe yours is a multi-story facility that contains covered loading docks. This is a fantastic benefit during inclement weather, so communicate that. High ceilings, tall doors, temperature-controlled units, professional pest control and security cameras are all benefits for the customer and should be presented as such.

4. Address Customer Concerns

If you’re worried about being too pushy, take a step back and breathe. You’ll never seem overly assertive if you’re showing genuine interest in the customer. Still, you must be able to address any concerns he has and effectively handle objections. Spend time with the prospect and discuss his reservations.

One of the most common protests we hear in self-storage is about price. Even in this case, you can close the deal by effectively communicating your value. Reiterate your features and benefits. If he leaves without renting, you’ll know you did your absolute best and you’ll get the next one. In most cases, the time you spent will stay on his mind and he’ll likely return. If price is his only concern, then maybe it’s a customer you can do without.

5. Follow Up

Always follow up with your prospects. You can’t do this if you don’t have their information, so always get a name, phone number and email address. Your outreach can be as simple as a quick “thank you for visiting” email or text that directs them to your website. Be sure to include your contact info!

A day after the visit, give your prospect a call. Leave a message if he doesn’t answer and be excited! Say something like, “It was such a pleasure to meet you yesterday. I would love to help you. Please don’t hesitate to call me if you have any questions or would like another tour. I look forward to serving you.” This conveys confidence that he’s already your customer.

Once you accept the fact that, as a self-storage manager, you are truly in sales, you can have a huge impact. Put your personality into your pitch and present it in your own way. Always remember the golden rule and treat others as you would like to be treated. Your exceptional customer service will be reflected in your referrals and online reviews, resulting in a bigger bottom line.

By taking steps to be confident, ask the right questions, know your competitors and all the other steps outlined above, you’ll be a better salesperson in no time. It’ll even be natural. Find the common denominator between you and your customer. Listen. Provide solutions and follow up. You may even find that you make some lifelong friends along the way. To this day, I have best friends who started out as tenants!

Stephanie Tharpe is the president of A+ Management Group LP, which operates properties in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee, and a partner and senior vice president of operations for A+ Storage of TN LLC. She’s the 2020-21 president of the Tennessee Self Storage Association, which selected her as “Manager of the Year” in 2012. Stephanie is also a moderator for Self Storage Talk, the industry’s largest online community, and has been a featured speaker and panelist at national and state association conferences. To contact her, email stharpe@aplusmanagementgroup.com.

Valet self-storage operator SafeStorage has expanded its footprint in its headquarters city of Bengaluru, India. The company now operates more than 30 warehouses in the municipality comprising 520,000 square feet. Its largest facility, on Soukya Road, comprises 200,000 square feet across 8 acres. It intends to add another warehouse by July and expand to other areas of the city, according to the source.

CEO Ramesh Madisetty attributes the company’s growth to a rise in storage demand stemming from lockdowns connected to the coronavirus pandemic. The spread of COVID-19 prompted many companies to allow employees to work from home, which triggered some staff to vacate rented apartments in the city and return home to other areas. Many of those who relocated needed somewhere to store furniture and other belongings, the source reported.

“Being the largest self-storage company in India, we are setting up new standards and rising bars across self-storage industry,” Madisetty told the source. “All our warehouse shutters are technology-enabled, and we are trying to make use of automation in every possible way to secure customer goods. We ensure safety protocols are followed diligently at all our facilities. We also believe in transparency; hence, everything we do is meticulously recorded and shared with customers. Our aim is to be a one-stop shop for storage and logistics solutions in the country.”

Founded in 2015, SafeStorage operates in five cities, with plans to expand to nine municipalities by the end of the year. It currently provides services to about 10,000 customers in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune, according to its website.

Source:
Manufacturing Today, SafeStorage Strengthens Its Competencies in Bengaluru

Hollywood has one view of Detroit; the self-storage industry has another.

In many movies, the once mighty Motor City is portrayed in almost post-apocalyptic terms—a desolate, dilapidated city gutted by the long, painful decline of the U.S. auto industry. It isn’t a flattering image. In contrast, local self-storage professionals see a hard-scrabble city in the early stages of a comeback, one surrounded by affluent suburbs in a state steadily diversifying its economy. From that vantage point, Greater Detroit looks much more promising.

“We’re doing all right,” says Peter Spickenagel, CEO of Citizen Storage and president of the Self-Storage Association of Michigan. “Detroit isn’t a market going like gangbusters, but things are pretty good. Things are definitely improving.”

Market Dynamics

The data seems to back up this sunnier outlook for Greater Detroit in particular and Southern Michigan in general. The self-storage industry isn’t expanding as quickly here as in other parts of the nation, but new supply has grown by about 7% in the last three years, which indicates investor confidence is slowly growing in the region, according to Radius+, a company that specializes in self-storage data, analytics and location intelligence. Overall, facility operators in are feeling optimistic.

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, self-storage rental rates were remarkably steady, hovering around $110 per month for a 10-by-10, climate-controlled unit. Like other metropolitan areas, Detroit saw a steep fall in rates immediately after the pandemic hit, followed by a strong surge in prices in the second half of 2020. As of early February 2021, prices were hovering around $138 per month, which is a solid figure, according to Cory Sylvester, a principal at Radius+. Increasing demand coupled with rate growth are encouraging signs for the market, he said.

Increased Competition

Part of the reason for Detroit’s somewhat encouraging pricing is it has one of the lowest self-storage penetration rates in the country at 4.4 square feet of space per capita, compared to the national rate of nearly 6 square feet, according to Radius+. In all, the market has about 19.9 million square feet of self-storage.

“We’re probably one of the most underbuilt markets in the nation,” says Adam Pogoda, a principal at the Pogoda Cos., which operates 51 self-storage facilities in Michigan under the National Storage Centers brand.

Low supply has been a boon to facility owners, particularly as pandemic-era demand has increased. Moreover, the imbalance between supply and demand has started to attract the attention of more investors, who are assessing the region’s long-term prospects. In fact, Pogoda says his firm was recently outbid for a property by a real estate investment trust (REIT). “It’s getting more competitive,” he notes. “It’s not like Nashville, Tenn., or Dallas, but it’s growing.”

Activity isn’t just being driven by the REITs, either. Local players have also been aggressive in the market, especially in Detroit’s attractive suburban communities. Following REIT trends can be important, but having intimate knowledge of the market can be a key to success. In recent years, the region has become “very competitive,” according to Spickenagel.

City Life

As for the city itself, some of Detroit’s negative image is well-placed. The urban core was devastated by a decades-long decline of the U.S. auto industry, which was exacerbated by what many believe was poor political leadership. The good news is there’s encouraging redevelopment projects underway downtown, with new residences, commercial and nonprofit structures being built. Old, abandoned buildings are also being converted to new uses.

Though Detroit is far from becoming a fully rejuvenated, post-industrial northern city, progress is happening. “We’re not close to really coming back, but the signs are good,” says Spickenagel. Pogoda agrees, noting that the city’s slow rebound “bodes well for the future of self-storage in the area.” It stands to reason that if self-storage business picks up downtown, Detroit is likely to be a pretty solid market for the long term.

Statewide Improvement

While Detroit recovers slowly, the self-storage market and general economy in Michigan are also improving. “Our rentals are up,” says Chad Lundberg, managing partner of The Storage Group, which owns 14 facilities. The company is based in Muskegon, Mich., which sits on the western side of the state, along Lake Michigan, about a three-hour drive from Detroit. Lundberg has been encouraged by improving factors across the state, noting Michigan has become “economically more diverse and resilient” than in recent decades.

“One of the great things about the Michigan economy is that it’s diversifying away from the auto industry,” agrees Pogoda.

Outlook

Statewide, the general consensus is there’s room for more self-storage inventory. Many owners are making improvements to properties and expanding existing facilities. Some are also expanding through local acquisitions.

As for Greater Detroit, no one is saying the market is about to hit a growth spurt to become the next Austin, Texas, or Denver, but it’s an intriguing area with upside. “It’s not an extraordinarily dynamic market,” says Sylvester, “but there are encouraging signs. If it’s sustained, it looks good for the self-storage industry.”

Monty Spencer is CEO of The Storage Acquisition Group, which specializes in acquiring off-market self-storage facilities and portfolios nationwide. The company also offers market-analysis reports, underwriting and closing support. For more information, call 757.867.8777.

A fire that ignited at a self-storage facility in Evansville, Ind., this week is being investigated as arson. Several units at Bee Hive Mini Storage were destroyed in Monday’s blaze, according to the source.

Crews were dispatched to 501 S. Tekoppel Ave. just before 7 p.m. The fire was contained to one building that included about 30 units, with nearly all sustaining smoke damage, according to Mike Larson, division chief for the Evansville Fire Department. Crews contained the threat within an hour and a half, and no one was injured.

Although the cause of the conflagration is still under investigation, the fire department filed an arson report with police, the source reported.

Opened in 1985, family-owned Bee Hive offers more than 180 units across several buildings. The gated property provides 24-hour access.

Source:
Courier & Press, Evansville Fire Department Investigating West Side Storage Business Fire as Possible Arson

 

Sentry Self Storage Management, a third-party management and consulting firm for self-storage operations, has released its first-quarter 2021 operating results, showing year-over-year improvement in revenue and net operating income (NOI). The company reported revenue growth of 20% and slightly elevated property expenses, which resulted in a 13% increase in NOI compared to the same period in 2020. Occupancy at Sentry-operated properties was 90 percent as of March 31.

Expansions are in progress at three Florida facilities in Boca Raton, Orlando and Tampa, all slated to be complete this year. Sentry is also in the initial planning phases for a new store in East Boca Raton, which will open in 2022.

Based in Coral Springs, Fla., and founded in 1997, Sentry owns or manages 24 self-storage facilities comprising more than 1.8 million net rentable square feet. In addition to consulting and property management, the company offers assistance with acquisitions, development, project feasibility and renovations.