StorageMart, which operates more than 190 self-storage properties across Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, has opened a new facility in Edwards, Colo. The property at 32280 Highway 6 comprises 42,750 square feet of rentable storage space in more than 500 interior and drive-up units.

Security features include PIN-controlled access, perimeter fencing and video cameras. The site also offers temperature-controlled units, and a retail office that sells moving and packing supplies.

"This is a beautiful, newly constructed property that really represents the best of what StorageMart can offer our customers," said Cris Burnam, president. "We're dedicated to providing everyone with easy and clean service, and look forward to changing the way the residents of Edwards think about finding the extra space they need."

Founded in 1999 and based in Columbia, Mo., StorageMart is privately owned and operated by the Burnam family, which has been in the storage industry for three generations. It serves more than 75,000 self-storage customers, and operates in Chinese, English, Punjabi, Quebecois French and Spanish.

The Inside Self-Storage (ISS) Store, an e-commerce website providing research and education products for industry professionals, is now offering all 44 of the education sessions recorded during this year’s ISS World Expo in Las Vegas as on-demand video. The presentations cover topics related to self-storage building, finance, investing, management, marketing, ownership, technology and more.

Priced at $20, the videos are available for purchase at insideselfstoragestore.com. Customers are able to view their on-demand immediately from an embedded player inside their account. The recordings are viewable anywhere, on any device with an Internet connection.

The seminars held during the 2017 ISS Expo, the industry’s largest conference and tradeshow, featured self-storage experts presenting in seven education tracks. The on-demand recordings include not only the video of each presentation but the PowerPoint slides used by each presenter, embedded for user convenience. They're are also available in DVD format, individually as well as bundled by track and in larger discount packages.

Conceived as a central hub that allows self-storage owners, operators, developers and investors to obtain cutting-edge information and resources, the ISS Store is owned and operated by ISS, a dynamic services provider that has served the self-storage industry for more than 26 years. The brand includes ISS magazine, the ISS Expo and Self-Storage Talk, the industry’s largest online community.

Drive-Up Storage, which operates two self-storage facilities on the East Coast, has acquired 21st Century Self Storage in Kearney, N.J., a suburb of Newark. The property at 445 Hickory St. was converted to self-storage in 1996. It’s seven miles west of Manhattan, N.Y., according to a press release from JLL Capital Markets, the commercial real estate and finance firm that brokered the deal.

The facility is single-story building containing 189 standard storage units, 21 of which are climate-controlled, and 219 lockers. It includes a rental office as well as electronic access and video cameras.

The seller was represented in the transaction by JLL Managing Directors Joseph Garibaldi, Steve Mellon and Brian Somoza. “Located in one of the most densely populated metro areas in the country, and recently renovated to add more than 200 locker units, this facility should prove to be an excellent investment opportunity for the new ownership,” Mellon said. Drive-Up Storage owns two other facilities in New Britain, Conn., and Philadelphia. It’s subsidiary of Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Maya Capital Partners LLC, which was incorporated in 2016.

21st Century Self Storage operates three facilities in Miami, Philadelphia and Pennsauken, N.J. It also has two sites under development in Toms River and Ocean Township, N.J., and a third in Henderson, Nev.

JLL is a full-service global provider of capital solutions for real estate investors and occupiers. Last year, the firm completed $140 billion in investment sale and debt and equity transactions globally. The firm’s Capital Markets team comprises more than 2,000 specialists globally

Personal Mini Storage, a Florida self-storage operator with 40 locations, has expanded its facility in Davenport, Fla. The property at 41040 Highway 27 is now the largest in the company’s portfolio, according to a press release.

“Personal Mini Storage is excited to announce that our 20,000-square-foot expansion at our South Davenport location is now complete and our 108 brand-new units are ready to rent,” said Marc Smith, president. “Polk County has been a terrific market for us, and we're proud of the ‘personal’ product that we offer.”

The company purchased the former Lighthouse Self Storage & Business Center in 2015. It originally contained more than 200,00 square feet of storage space in 654 climate-controlled and drive-up units as well as covered vehicle parking. Additional property features include electronic access, U-Haul truck rentals, and a retail store that sells moving and packing supplies.

Personal Mini Storage operates three sites in Davenport. In March, the company entered into agreements to become the eighth participating regional operator for National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSAT), a Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in self-storage.

Founded in 1982 by brothers Stan and Ron Shader, Personal Mini Storage has remained a family-owned and -operated business for more than 30 years. The company is currently managed by Laurie and Marc Smith, who have more than 20 years of self-storage industry experience. The operator’s portfolio comprises 2.7 million rentable square feet of storage space.

Headquartered in Greenwood, Colo., NSAT is a self-administered and -managed REIT focused on the acquisition, operation and ownership of self-storage properties within the top 100 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas throughout the United States. The company has ownership interest in 453 storage facilities in 23 states. Its portfolio comprises approximately 28 million net rentable square feet. It's owned by its affiliate operators, who are contributing their interests in their self-storage assets over the next few years as their current mortgage debt matures.

Self-storage owner Walter Ray Pelfrey has been implicated in the 2016 discovery of a 13-year-old girl’s body in a Spencer, Okla., landfill. He’s accused of instructing the manager of his Scott Street Mini Storage facility in Del City, Okla., to erase records that showed Reshawnda Laney Durham, mother of casualty Geanna Durham, had rented a unit at the property. He also allegedly told his employee to put the trunk containing Geanna’s body into a dumpster and arranged transportation of that dumpster to the landfill, according to the source. Pelfrey, 77, has pleaded not guilty to accessory after the fact and unlawful removal of a dead body.

Geanna Durham was last seen alive in May 2014. Her mother, age 29, found the girl’s body inside their home and apparently hid the remains inside a blue trunk at the house for nearly a year before renting a unit at Scott Street Mini, the source reported.

Reshawnda Durham pleaded guilty this week to failure to report discovered remains, unauthorized removal of a dead body, fraudulently obtaining food stamps and public assistance, and child neglect. She admitted to receiving food stamps in her daughter’s name after her death. The neglect charge was related to leaving her 3-year-old son at home unattended. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Prosecutors didn’t allege the teenager was murdered. The state medical examiner couldn’t determine a cause of death, according to the source.

Earlier this year, the storage facility’s former manager testified that Pelfrey asked her in February 2016 to delete records indicating Reshawnda Durham was a tenant. She also said he told her to empty out Durham’s unit and, when the body was discovered, instructed her to put the trunk in the dumpster. Durham rented the unit in April 2015, according to the manager’s testimony.

According to police, Pelfrey had the dumpster transported to the landfill on Feb. 8, 2016. Detectives discovered the trunk with a skeleton inside the following day. DNA concluded the body was Geanna Durham.

Police have also alleged that Pelfrey lied to them in an attempt to help Durham avoid arrest. It isn’t clear from the report why Pelfrey allegedly ordered her unit to be emptied.

Reshawnda Durham reportedly told her mother she didn’t report the discovery of Geanna’s body because she was afraid she would be kicked out of a mental-health program, according to police.

Pelfrey also faces an alternative charge of desecration of a human corpse. His next court date is scheduled for October.

Update 6/29/17 – The Troutman Board of Adjustments unanimously approved a special-use permit on June 22 for the Pruitt self-storage development on Westmoreland Road. The single-story facility will comprise 80,000 square feet. Construction is expected to take six months, with a business opening scheduled for early next year, according to the source.

Though the project continued to face residential opposition, business partners Robinson and Terry Wilson addressed the board, sharing details of their existing Landmark Self Storage facility in Lincolnton to counter arguments from community members. Robinson indicated the Westmoreland property will have only one entrance to control traffic flow. Security concerns will be addressed through customer keycode access, lighting and video cameras.

“We know who comes and goes from the time they enter their code,” Wilson told the board. A group of five people representing organized opposition left the meeting without comment, the source reported.

The name of the facility is still under consideration, according to the source.

The project will still require architectural approval from the design review board and town council.

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3/13/17 – The Troutman Town Council voted last week to rezone the 11-acre parcel it will annex at 111 Westmoreland Road. The 3-2 decision will enable Landmark Self Storage to pursue a new facility with a special-use permit, according to the source. The council approved the zoning change despite continued opposition from residents, several of whom “stormed out” of the meeting following the vote.

James McNiff, a former member of the planning and zoning board, was the only member of the public to speak in favor of the project during the meeting. “I’ve come to recognize the harsh reality of small-town America,” he said. “They’re either going to grow or die. Maintaining the status quo is a myth.”

The rezoning request had been under discussion for more than five months, the source reported. Councilmember Sally Williams, who voted in favor of the rezoning, said the council was following the zoning board’s direction.

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2/14/17 – The Troutman Town Council last week unanimously voted to annex the 11 acres at 111 Westmoreland Road but tabled the rezoning request that would allow self-storage on the property with a special-use permit. The council chose to push back the rezoning vote to gather more information, according to the source.

Several county residents spoke against the self-storage project. Resident Bert Gowens submitted a petition signed by 90 residents who oppose it.

Rezoning applicant Mark Robinson, who owns Landmark Self Storage in Lincolnton, N.C., spoke during the meeting and tried to convince those against to the project that self-storage is a safe business. “In all our time, we’ve had one gas can stolen,” he said. “We never had a puppy mill or a meth lab. We’ve never had body parts found in our units. We get along with everybody in Lincoln County.”

The report didn’t indicate when the council may revisit or vote on the application.

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2/1/17 – The Troutman Planning and Zoning Board voted on Jan. 24 to recommend rezoning 11 acres at 111 Westmoreland Road from “residential agricultural” to “highway business,” which would allow self-storage on the property with a special-use permit. The city council will vote on whether to annex the property from the county prior to voting on the rezoning proposal, according to the source.

The recommendation came despite continued opposition from residents. Kevin Smith argued there is plenty of land zoned for commercial use already without encroaching on the neighborhood, while Mariah Overcash warned of illicit businesses being operated out of storage units.

“They can say stuff is not run out of storage units, but there are statistics,” Overcash told planners. “Puppy mills are run out of them. Meth labs are run out of them. Craigslist is run out of them. I just think they should be in a different place.”

Real estate agent John Kindley spoke in favor of the plan, calling self-storage a “benign use” and arguing other uses could be “a lot more aggressive.” He also noted that if the council doesn’t annex the land and approve the rezoning, the applicant could go straight to the county for approval.

The council is scheduled to review the issue on Feb. 9

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1/13/17 – The Troutman Town Council was expected to vote last night on whether to set a public hearing for the controversial proposal to annex acreage at 111 Westmoreland Road. The annexation would allow Pruitt Development to move forward with its self-storage plan, according to the source.

In addition, the planning and zoning board will discuss the annexation on Jan. 24. Its recommendation to the council would be made prior to the council’s public hearing on the subject, the source reported.

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11/14/16 – A self-storage development proposed for Troutman, N.C., was shot down last week by the town council after residents objected to the project. A motion by council member Paul Henkel to allow Pruitt Development Corp. to build a storage facility in the highway business district was denied during the Nov. 10 public hearing, according to the source. The meeting drew a number of community members, including some from outside the town.

Although the proposal for a 10-acre site on Westmoreland Road is consistent with the town’s 2035 Future Land Use Plan, residents opposed it, claiming storage facility would cause declining property values as well as an increase in crime and traffic, the source reported.

“I, quite frankly, bought our house looking to buy more rural agriculture, understanding it will grow,” said Mark Goins, who lives in the Autumn Grove neighborhood. “I just don’t think a storage facility is appropriate. There are no other businesses within a mile of the proposed location. Mini-storage runs itself and people come at all hours. This could basically be a potential place for crimes. People could pull into the parking lot to hang out.”

Resident Vicki Klutz told the council the facility would cause more traffic in the area. “I think it will be a terrible intersection and cause a lot of problems. It would add to traffic and confusion, and I think it’s dangerous,” she said.

Pruitt is based in Mooresville, N.C.

 

By Preston Glenn

A self-storage operation is a big responsibility requiring more management than the average person realizes. Self-storage owners face many of the same challenges as those of other businesses: managing staff, customer turnover, marketing and advertising, and day-to-day site maintenance. One area in which they often have questions is customer payments.

With the multitude of payment types now available and widening consumer demand, it’s more important than ever to understand the complexities of credit cards, recurring payments and e-checks. Here are five things you should know about accepting various payment methods.

What’s the difference between a one-time and recurring payment?

A one-time payment is exactly that: a payment authorized to be made a single time. It’s the kind of payment you make when you buy groceries, clothes and so forth. It’s possible to accept one-time payments in self-storage. While it allows the customer to pay with a different method each month if he desires, it also creates a lot of overhead for you and your staff.

A recurring payment is authorized to occur on a repeating basis—for a set amount, on a set schedule, against the same payment method. It’s ideal for a monthly bill. The customer must agree to have the payment withdrawn or charged regularly, but once he has, it’s largely a “set and forget” situation. Because there are no reminders necessary to take these payments, and no concern about missed payments, they’re ideal for businesses like self-storage.

Are there alternatives to credit cards I should consider?

There are many ways to pay for products and services besides a credit card. In addition to traditional options such as paper checks and cash, there are alternative payment types. But many of them, such as Bitcoin and mobile payments (Apple Pay, Google Wallet, etc.), aren’t the best fit for the self-storage industry. Rather, operators should focus on those that allow for recurring payments.

An ideal alternative for self-storage is an electronic bank-account debit, also known as an e-check or automated clearing house (ACH) payment. This allows offers the convenience of recurring payments and has lower processing fees than credit cards.

What fees are associated with accepting credit cards and e-check/ACH payments?

Credit cards are relatively painless way for a customer to pay for his storage rental, but that ease of use comes at a price for the facility operator. How much your business will pay to process credit card transactions depends on several variables, such as which card is used and your agreement with your credit card processor. Rates will likely include:

• The interchange rate from the credit card company
• A flat per-transaction fee
• Assessment fees
• Processing costs
• Payment card industry fees from your processor

You also have to consider the cost and any monthly fees for your card readers.

When looking for a merchant-services provider, know how many transactions you expect to complete in a typical month as well as the average cost of each transaction. This will guide you to the best account type with the most appropriate fees for your business. E-checks, for example, usually have a low flat fee, typically between 25 cents 55 cents per transaction. Processors may also charge a daily processing or monthly fee, which will affect the per-transaction cost.

How do I deal with declined payments?

You might eventually deal with a declined card. If it happens, treat the customer with respect. There are many reasons a card may be declined. If the customer asks why, explain that for his own security, banks don’t inform merchants of the reason. Encourage him to contact his bank. It could be a simple fix, such as approving a previous charge or confirming the current charge isn’t a fraudulent transaction.

With credit cards, there could be many reasons why a decline occurs, including suspicion of fraud, or expired or re-issued cards. This can be a hassle for merchants who don’t have time to keep up with changing card information. For many who accept recurring payments, investing in an automatic updater is a great solution. This tool checks databases for changing card information and closed accounts, updating the tokens on file for you.

Consider asking your customer to set up a recurring ACH or e-check payment, especially in the case of someone who’s experienced multiple declines. E-checks come straight from his bank account and are directly deposited into your company account. As long as the customer has the funds, the payment will go through.

Do I need fraud protection?

Credit card fraud is a real and large problem, especially in the United States, where fraud rates are higher than almost anywhere else. In 2014, credit card fraud resulted in more than $16 billion in losses. Card issuers and merchants take the largest hit. According to the financial-advisor website WalletHub, 62 percent of that $16 billion was absorbed by card issuers, with merchants carrying 38 percent.

For small- and mid-sized businesses, fraud loss can carry a hefty price. To protect your self-storage operation, ask your payment processor about its fraud-management practices and ensure you’re taking advantage of every system in place. If you don’t feel the processor has satisfactory protection, there are many outsourced firms that will work directly with merchants to guard every transaction and guarantee there are no chargebacks.

Credit cards have the highest fraud rate of all the payment options. Accepting e-checks can help reduce your risk. While no payment method is completely free of danger, e-checks are one of the safest options, thanks to reduced handling of payments and fewer fraud opportunities.

Final Advice

Remember, prevention begins with you. Here are some helpful tips:

• Understand the common means of fraud for the types of payments you accept.
• Train your staff on the numbers credit cards should start with, depending on the card issuer.
• Always verify signatures on cards and swipe them through your terminal for every transaction. This proves the card was actually used at your business.
• If you’re taking a card number over the phone—what’s known as a “card not present” transaction—get the cardholder’s full contact information, including billing address, as well as written authorization to charge the card. Get the three- or four-digit verification number from the back of the card as well.
• Ensure your company name appears on transaction receipts as well as your customer’s statements to prevent confusion around charges and potential chargebacks. Also provide your business phone number on receipts so customers can call with questions about charges.

Preston Glenn has been with Forte Payment Systems for nine years. He launched and managed the company’s the Strategic Partner Development Team, growing it from one to seven people. During this time, Forte’s revenue more than tripled. Preston has been recently promoted to oversee the inside-sales and account-executive teams. For more information, call 866.290.5400; visit www.forte.net; or follow @FortePayments on Twitter.

PTI Security Systems, a provider of access-control and security solutions to the self-storage industry, has become a licensed provider of products from FLIR Systems Inc. PTI will offer several of the company’s items including Internet protocol (IP), megapixel (MPX) and thermal video-recording devices, according to a press release.

An IP device can be accessed over a computer network or on the Internet, while an MPX camera offers megapixel picture quality over coax cable. Thermal devices provide a visual representation of heat signatures and temperature differences.

“Providing our customers with the best and most reliable access control and security products is our No. 1 priority,” said PTI CEO Franklin Young. “The addition of FLIR products is the first of a number of exciting additions you’ll see from PTI in the coming months. We will have many new and innovative things to offer this year as well as in 2018. It’s a very exciting time for the PTI team.”

Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Wilsonville, Ore., FLIR specializes in thermal imaging and other technologies in products designed for advanced-threat detection, environmental and condition monitoring, machine vision, navigation, outdoor recreation, and security and surveillance.

PTI manufactures technology-enabled access-control and security solutions. Its product line includes access-control hardware and software, wired and wireless door alarms and mobile-access solutions. The company has installed more than 35,000 systems in 30-plus countries. It operates through two U.S. locations as well as distributors in Asia, Australia and Europe.

U.K. self-storage operator Big Yellow Group PLC is sponsoring a youth dance show on July 2, with all proceeds to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. More than 100 children and teenagers from the London dance school Fancy Footwork will perform “Alice in Wonderland” at New Wimbledon Theatre.

“I am so thrilled to see so many of my students reaching out to help others less fortunate than themselves,” said Lucy Clay, founder of the dance company. “This is a professional production that offers an innovative and highly creative narrative, bringing Alice’s magical journey to meet the Queen of Hearts to life.”

The two-hour performance will feature classical ballet, tap, modern and jazz, and showcase “the next generation of talented dancers,” Clay said. Tickets are £25 and available by e-mail at info@fancyfootwork.co.uk.

“We recognize the incredible value initiatives such as this brings to the local community,” said Anthony Chenery, head of marketing and e-commerce for Big Yellow. “We share the school’s vision to engage with the arts at a grassroots level, and are delighted to support this dynamic theatrical production involving so many gifted and generous-spirited young people.”

Big Yellow Group operates 89 self-storage locations in the United Kingdom under the Big Yellow Self Storage and Armadillo Self Storage brand names, with most concentrated in Greater London. Its total portfolio comprises 5.3 million square feet.