Storage Authority LLC, which operates self-storage facilities in Connecticut and offers franchise opportunities, has launched a match program designed to partner developers and investors who are interested in joining the company as a franchisee but lacking the equity to qualify for financing on their own. The program has launched in Texas, with plans to be available nationwide this summer, according to a company press release.

The program is geared toward individuals who wish to enter the self-storage industry and desire a 50-50 partnership. To qualify, parties must have a minimum of $200,000 in cash equity to invest in a Storage Authority franchise, the release stated.

Applicants must complete a review of Storage Authority’s platforms and systems, and fill out a one-page questionnaire to identify “geographical limitations and other basic information a potential partner would need,” company officials said.

Earlier this month, the company announced it had added two franchise locations to its roster and was planning a third corporate asset. The projects are in various stages of development in Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Co-founded by Marc Goodin and Scott House, Storage Authority launched its franchise model in 2015, offering existing self-storage owners and those looking to enter the industry the chance to build a business under the brand’s operational framework. The company also offers consulting services and facility-manager training.

Storage Authority operates two self-storage facilities in Connecticut. It lists Florida, New Jersey, New York and Texas on its website as sites for future locations.

AA Self Storage is building an 84,000-square-foot facility that will be part of a mixed-use development in Leland, N.C. The property will comprise 300 climate-controlled units, 47 traditional units and 77 covered boat/RV spaces. Weather has forced construction delays, but the asset is expected to be complete by the end of August, according to the source.

The facility will be adjacent to Brunswick Forest Veterinary Hospital and be part of The Villages at Brunswick Forest, a 160-acre town center comprising more than 500,000 square feet of retail and professional services.

“We’ve been trying to get into the Leland/North Brunswick County market for a number of years,” said Bill Coffey, president of AA parent company The Rosemyr Corp. “We will primarily serve household customers and the Brunswick Forest community.”

AA has a development plan to build at least one new storage facility each year, Coffey said.

AA operates 13 self-storage facilities in North Carolina and Virginia, with portable-storage solutions available at five locations. Founded in 1954 and based in Henderson, N.C., Rosemyr is a real estate development and investment company with ownership in more than 2.6 million square feet of commercial space. In addition to self-storage, it has interests in banks, restaurants, retail centers and other business assets.

Self-storage properties are constantly changing hands, and Inside Self-Storage is regularly notified of these market transactions. Many are covered in detail on the ISS website and available for viewing on the “Real Estate” topics page. Following are additional acquisitions and sales that weren’t covered.

1173 Storage in Denton, Texas, was sold to a private investor. The property at 3985 FM 1173 consists of two parcels totaling 4.44 acres. Built in 2003 and expanded in 2015, it comprises 53,410 square feet of storage space in 327 units. It also contains 28 uncovered vehicle-parking spaces. The buyer and the seller, also a private investor, were represented in the transaction by Danny Cunningham, senior associate, and Brandon Karr, first vice president of investments, in the Marcus & Millichap Fort Worth, Texas, office.

Alta Sierra Mini Storage in Grass Valley, Calif., was sold for $3.8 million to Ferguson & Brewer Investment Co., an apartment-rental firm based in Paradise, Calif. The 2.7-acre property at 15918 Little Valley Road includes five single-story buildings comprising 33,764 net rentable square feet of storage space in 246 units. The seller, Alta Sierra Mini Storage Inc., was represented in the transaction by Bobby Loeffler and Tyler Skelly, storage specialists for The Loeffler Self-Storage Group (LSSG).

Assured Mini Storage in Lake Charles, La., was sold to a family-owned storage company. Built in 1988 on 7.4 acres, the property at 4852 Ihles Road contains 966 units. A 23,300-net-rentable square-foot expansion was recently added. The facility is a few blocks from Graywood, the city’s first master-planned community, which includes retail and new-home development on 277 acres. The buyer and the seller, private investors, were represented in the transaction by Charles “Chico” LeClaire, senior managing director of investments, and Cameron Glinton, senior associate, in the Marcus & Millichap Denver office.

Devon Self Storage purchased South Congress Storage in Austin, Texas. The 6.5-acre property at 8008 S. Congress Ave. features 10 buildings comprising 39,410 net rentable square feet of storage space in 447 units. The buyer and the California-based seller were represented in the transaction by John Arnold, Bill Bellomy and Michael Johnson of Bellomy & Co.

Self-storage developer Express Building Systems purchased the property at 3211 San Pablo Road S. in Jacksonville, Fla., for $1.02 million. The Winter Garden, Fla., company plans to build a 106,880-square-foot storage facility on the 3.6-acre plot. Expected to cost $4 million, the climate-controlled property will be managed by CubeSmart, a real estate investment trust and property-management firm.

Greater American Self Storage in Yuba City, Calif., was sold for $4.8 million to FollettUSA, an owner of manufactured-home communities. The 4.6-acre property at 1233 Hunn Road features 18 single-story buildings and a manager’s office. It comprises 79,802 net rentable square feet in 711 units. A 0.41-acre expansion was included in the sale. The seller, DFRD Enterprises LP, was represented in the transaction by Loeffler and Skelly.

Iron Gate Self Storage, a six-property portfolio in Elkhart County, Ind., was sold to a limited-liability company (LLC). The facilities occupy 37.05 acres of land and total 289,302 rentable square feet of storage space, including 134,00 square feet of vehicle storage. It was the largest self-storage sale on record for Elkhart County, according to a press release from Marcus & Millichap, which brokered the deal. All of the sites are within 13 miles of the main office on Country Road 113. Two of the facilities were expanded in 2016, and three have land for expansion.

The properties are:

• Bloomingdale Drive Self Storage, 118 units, Bristol
• County Road 113 Self Storage, 420 units, Elkhart
• County Road 9 Self Storage, 340 units, Elkhart
• Johnson Street Self Storage, 274 units, Elkhart
• Middleton Run Road Self Storage, 173 units, Elkhart
• State Road 13 Self Storage, 141 units, Middlebury

The buyer and the seller, a private investor, were represented in the transaction by Sean Delaney, first vice president of investments in the Marcus & Millichap Chicago-Oak Brook office, and Michael Mele, senior managing director of investments in the firm's Tampa, Fla., office.

Ocean Storage purchased a medical building at 6009 Providence Road in Virginia Beach, Va., that will be demolished and replaced with a three-story facility. The storage project will feature 650 climate-controlled and drive-up units.

Park-N-Stor Self Storage in Vidor, Texas, was sold to a Tyler, Texas-based buyer. The property at 150 Morgan St. comprises 33,050 net rentable square feet of storage space in 319 units. Built in 2003, it sits on 7.7 acres. The buyer and the Portland, Ore.-based seller were represented in the transaction by Arnold, Bellomy and Johnson.

Phoenix Self Storage in Phoenix was sold to an East Coast limited partnership. The 8.62-acre property at 3650 W. Broadway Road comprises 128,240 rentable square feet of space in 1,008 climate-controlled and drive-up units. It also contains 23 vehicle-parking spaces. The buyer and the seller, a private investor, were represented in the transaction by Mele, Devin Beasley and Luke Elliott, investment specialists for Marcus & Millichap. Ryan Sarbinoff, regional manager of the firm’s Phoenix office, assisted in the closing.

Construction is underway for Piney Woods Boat & RV Storage in Cypress, Texas. The property at 18111 Shaw Road will comprise 200,000 square feet of climate-controlled storage space, 150,000 square feet of vehicle storage, and 18,000 square feet of mini-office and warehouse suites. Piney Woods operates another facility in Willis, Texas.

Profile Self Storage in Hooksett, N.H., was sold. The property at 180 Londonderry Road comprises 53,950 rentable square feet of space in 507 units. It also contains rental-office space and a separate lot with 80 vehicle-parking spots. The seller was represented in the transaction by Joseph Mendola, the New England broker affiliate for the Argus Self Storage Sales Network.

Pryor Creek Self Storage in Pryor, Okla., was sold. The property at 4016 S. 4357 comprises 19,400 rentable square feet of space. The seller was represented in the transaction by Jared Jones, director of Porthaven Partners and the Argus broker affiliate in Oklahoma.

Safe Storage in Johns Island, S.C, was sold for $3.1 million to White Point Partners, a private investment firm headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. The property at 3289 Maybank Highway comprises 20,205 square feet of space in 197 units. The facility will be rebranded as GOStoreIt, according to The Gorman Group of Marcus & Millichap, which brokered the transaction. The buyer was represented by self-storage investment specialist Michael MacManus.

Schlegel Self Storage in Woodstock, Ill., was sold to existing self-storage owners who have facilities in several states. The property at 740 Washington St. comprises 35,700 rentable square feet of space in 310 units. The buyer and the seller, a private LLC, were represented in the transaction by Jesse Luke, managing partner of the Self Storage Advisory Group for EquiCap Commercial LLC.

Sure Lock Self Storage in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, was sold for $13.5 million. The 4.7-acre property at 43903 Industrial Way was most recently assessed at nearly $5 million, according to the source. The transaction was brokered by Ken Hick and Jamie Schreder of Royal LePage Wolstencroft, a real estate and property-management company.

Southland Storage in Tulsa, Okla., was sold for $1.2 million to a private investor. The property at 4920 S. Braden Ave. comprises 16,185 rentable square feet of storage space. The buyer was represented in the transaction by Jones.

Tucson Self Storage in Tucson, Ariz., was sold for $2.7 million to a California-based investor. The property at 6459 E. Golf Links Road contains eight buildings comprising 47,000 square feet of space in 584 units. The seller was represented in the transaction by Bill Alter, managing director of the self-storage group at Rein & Grossoehme Commercial Real Estate.

Twin States Leasing and Sales in Claremont, N.H., was sold for $2.2 million. The five-story property at 91 Main St. comprises 112,000 square feet of storage space as well as 83 portable-storage units. Before being converted to self-storage, the site was used as a mill. The building has a commercial tenant and room for expansion. The seller was represented in the transaction by Mendola.

Argus is a Denver-based network of real estate brokers who specialize in storage properties. Formed in 1994, the company has 36 broker affiliates covering nearly 40 markets.

With offices in Atlanta, Houston, and Austin, Texas, Bellomy & Co. focuses on the sale of self-storage, industrial, office and retail properties nationwide.

Based in Emeryville, Calif., Devon Self Storage owns and manages 45 facilities. It has maintained a dedicated self-storage operating platform since 1993. Since then, the company has been involved with the acquisition, development, disposition and management of approximately $1 billion in self-storage assets.

Headquartered in Saint Charles, Ill., EquiCap is a boutique brokerage firm specializing in the self-storage industry. Its primary focus is in the mid-west and mid-south markets.

LSSG specializes in self-storage real estate in California and Nevada, having closed more than 80 transactions in those states.

Founded in 1971, Marcus & Millichap is a commercial-property investment firm with more than 1,500 investment professionals in offices throughout Canada and the United States.

Ocean Storage operates six facilities in North Carolina and Virginia.

Founded in 1993, Rein & Grossoehme specializes in the sale of investment properties and industrial, office and retail leasing.

Here’s a little secret: The customer isn’t always right. Unfortunately, as a self-storage operator, you’ll regularly encounter tenants who are difficult, rude and just plain wrong. But while you can’t always protect your facility from security threats, inclement weather and pests, you can safeguard it against cranky customers. Here are six strategies to turn those problematic individuals into loyal renters.

1. Stick to the Facts

A tenant comes into your office. He’s angry because something is missing from his storage unit and he thinks you stole it. You know you didn’t take it and there’s probably a logical explanation. Your instincts might tell you to get defensive. After all, it’s never pleasant to be unfairly accused. Instead, stick to the facts. Reassure the customer you’re not a thief. Calmly suggest that he get in touch with anyone who has access to the unit, and reassure him of your facility’s security measures. You can even offer to show him security footage.

Whether you’re dealing with a tenant who’s blaming you for a missed rent payment, asking you to take responsibility for items damaged due to his own poor storage practices or accusing you of some other injustice, stick to the facts of the situation. Rather than raising your voice and asserting your opinion, remind the tenant about your lease terms, facility policies, etc.

2. Do Things in Person

In the age of smartphones and seemingly omnipresent Wi-Fi, it’s convenient to conduct a lot of business via e-mail. While this is fine for basic communication, if you’re dealing with an unhappy tenant, it’s always best to talk in person or at least pick up the phone. E-mail is efficient but denies both parties the opportunity to express tone of voice and body language, which can often lead to a misunderstanding.

Even if the tenant initiated the communication via e-mail, it’s still a good idea to call or set up a meeting to discuss the issue face-to-face. Not only is this a great way to demonstrate caring, thoughtful customer service, it’s a better and faster path to a solution. Instead of exchanging e-mails all week, you can have a conservation in person, fix whatever’s wrong and get back to running your storage facility.

3. Set Protocols

Ensure your entire team is on the same page when it comes to dealing with difficult tenants. Everyone should know when and how to issue refunds, what incentives to offer and what information to communicate, no matter the situation.

Consider weekly or monthly meetings to get everyone up to speed. You can devote each meeting to a specific type of customer interaction and how to handle it. Role playing, as awkward as it might feel, is a great way to practice handling unhappy tenants.

4. Know the Line

Doing everything in your power to keep tenants happy is a great way to earn loyalty while attracting new business through referrals. Occasionally, however, you may encounter someone who’s a little too difficult. A customer is certainly entitled to express his frustration, disappointment and confusion with you, but when he does so through threats, physical violence, sexual harassment or any other behavior that feels frightening or inappropriate, you’re no longer obligated to keep his business.

Customers who are vulgar or aggressive aren’t just a danger to you, they’re a danger to other staff and tenants. People won’t rent or continue renting with you if they’re made to feel uncomfortable while on the premises. No one wants to hear or witness shouting in the office. If a situation escalates from difficult to threatening, call the police if necessary. Consult with your supervisor or legal counsel. You may need to suspend the customer’s facility access, or even take steps to evict him.

Most important, never go into a storage unit alone with a disgruntled tenant. If he’s getting heated, stay within the range of your security cameras and phone.

5. Empathize

If you’ve ever been on endless hold with your cable company or repeatedly overbilled by your insurance provider, you know what it feels like to experience customer service without compassion. Bad service often feels like it’s you against the business. This isn’t how you want your self-storage tenants to feel.

The solution is empathy. When a tenant comes to you with a concern, it’s your responsibility to take ownership of the problem. You want him to know you’re on his side. For example, if your facility’s corporate office raises the rent and the tenant expresses displeasure, try to see the situation from his point of view. Recognize the increased rent presents a hardship and see what incentives you can offer to make it better. Empathizing with your tenants will often mean admitting that you’re in the wrong, but most important, it means letting the customer know you have the knowledge and the authority to help.

6. Seize the Opportunity to Turn Critics Into Fans

The next time a tenant comes into your office with a problem, try viewing it as an opportunity to create your biggest fan yet. People often forget customer-service experiences that are average or even good, but you can bet they remember those in which the business operator went above and beyond when addressing their complaints.

In your own life, you might not remember every nice meal you’ve had when dining out, but can you think of a time when a restaurant apologized for a long wait time by offering desert on the house? Good customer service at a storage facility should be just like that. Every time a difficult tenant comes into your office, take the time to listen to his problem and then say the following, “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do better.”

Unhappy customers aren’t used to hearing the words “thank you,” and business owners often only express gratitude to clients who are already satisfied. So, try expressing gratitude the next time you’re dealing with a difficult tenant. You just might be surprised by how quickly you both change your attitude.

Krista Diamond is a staff writer for StorageFront, which allows customers to custom search and compare thousands of self-storage facilities. She’s a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and lives in Las Vegas. When she isn't writing about storage, she’s climbing mountains in the desert. For more information, visit www.storagefront.com.

Big Yellow Self Storage of Cheltenham, England, a member of the Big Yellow Group PLC family of storage properties, is providing free storage space to Cotswold Downs Syndrome Group (CDSG) – Friends of Daniella, which supports individuals and families whose lives are affected by Down Syndrome. The organization will use the space to store equipment for its annual barbecue and fundraiser on July 16.

“We are so grateful to the Cheltenham branch for its support. By providing the storage unit free of charge, we can ensure our money is spent on our events and activities, which improve the lives of our members,” said Greg King, a charity trustee. "Our trustees do amazing work, so it’s important our equipment is well-stored and they can access it when they need it."

Hosted at the Reddings Community Centre in Cheltenham, the event is the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year. It will include refreshments and a raffle as well as children’s entertainment such as face-painting, a bounce castle and a juggling performance.

“We’re always keen to offer our support to local charities. When we found out the Cotswold Downs Syndrome Group was struggling to store its equipment, we recognized how we could help,” said Neil Arnot, store manager for Big Yellow Cheltenham.

CDSG was founded in 2004 by Jenny King, whose daughter, Daniella, had Down Syndrome. Daniella died just before her fourth birthday from a congenital heart condition. CDSG offers a variety of services and programs including a mother and toddler group, evenings for parents, family outings, holiday activities, and a youth club.

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.

NorthPoint Development, which launched the Beyond Self Storage brand and a multi-facility development initiative last year, is aiming to build a new self-storage facility as part of a mixed-use development in Sunset Hills, Mo. The 2.5-acre project, pitched by St. Louis-based commercial real estate firm Sansone Group, would also include two restaurants and a retail space, according to the source.

Sansone principal Jim Sansone has proposed demolishing the existing Econo Lodge to make way for the new structures. The city ordered the motel into receivership last year after several incidents of vice activity, including the discovery of a methamphetamine operation. Sansone Group is under contract to acquire the land at the intersection of E. Watson Road and Lindbergh Avenue, the source reported.

The three-story storage facility would be built behind a single structure comprising the restaurants and retail, facing Watson Road.

NorthPoint previously proposed a storage facility for the Sunset Office Park but has faced opposition to the project. Though it’s still pursuing that location, it has shifted its focus to join the Sansone development, according to the source.

"This makes great economic sense, but only if you have the retail and restaurant portion together on the site with the self-storage,” Sansone said during a June 14 open-house meeting with NorthPoint representatives and community members. “Otherwise, no one could afford to make this site work."

Sansone Group is evaluating the site for possible environmental hazards, including asbestos and dangerous chemicals that could be connected to the meth lab, the source reported.

The board of aldermen will discuss the project during a work session on June 27. The public will have its first opportunity to comment during a planning and zoning commission meeting on July 12. Northpoint is scheduled to present its preliminary plan during the meeting.

NorthPoint already has a Beyond Self Storage facility operating in Lenexa, Kan., with several projects underway in the Minneapolis and St. Louis markets.

Founded in 1957, Sansone Group specializes in brokerage, development and property management. Its developments include industrial, office, residential and retail projects.

Janus International Group LLC, a manufacturer of self-storage roll-up doors and building components, has made several key changes to its executive sales team.

Troy Bix, the founder of the Inside Self-Storage brand, has joined Janus as president of its R3 (renovate, remodel or retrofit) Division, where he’ll be responsible for positioning the company for growth in that market. Bix has more than 30 years of experience in self-storage. He started his industry career in 1986 and launched ISS magazine and expo in 1991 and 1992, respectively. As the publisher and vice president of ISS, he oversaw all ISS media assets as well as the annual conference and tradeshow. (Read more about Bix’s professional transition here.)

“We are pleased to welcome Troy to the Janus family and we are delighted to have an industry leader of his caliber to contribute to our future strategic direction,” said Janus President and CEO David Curtis. “As we position the company for growth, his deep industry knowledge, global industry relationships and shared vision for the future of self-storage solutions make him uniquely qualified for this role.”

In addition, Terry Bagley has been promoted to president of the Door Entry & Facility Automation Division, where he will focus on expanding the market for the company’s SecurGuard Electronic Lock/Overlock/Monitor as well as corporate business development. Bagley joined the company in 2016 and has been involved in the storage industry in various capacities for more than 15 years. He served on the Self Storage Association board of directors from 2010 to 2015.

Roc Hughes will assume the role of vice president of business development, where he will focus his sales expertise on R3 initiatives and growth, reporting directly to Bix. Hughes joined the company in 2013 and previously held the role of vice president of international sales. Prior to joining the company, he worked as director of sales and marketing for DBCI (Doors and Building Components Inc.). He has more than 15 years of experience in the self-storage industry and is an active member of several industry associations.

Pete Frayser has been promoted to vice president of international sales, where he will assume leadership of the company’s sales activities in Asia, Europe and Latin America. Frayser joined the company in 2016 as business-development manager for Latin America. A bilingual English/Spanish speaker, he previously worked for a real estate developer in Valencia, Spain, and later with the Major League Baseball and National Basketball Association in New York City. He has a Master of Arts in international trade from the University of Castilla La Mancha in Spain.

“In 15 short years, we have grown Janus International into a global market leader, and we have now assembled a world-class, executive sales-leadership team to drive the company even further. We are poised to lead the organization into the next phase of its growth and success with the best talent in the industry today,” said Curtis.

Headquartered in Temple, Ga., Janus has eight U.S. locations as well as manufacturing facilities in Europe and Mexico. The company is owned by Saw Mill Capital Partners LP, a New York-based private equity investment fund managed by Saw Mill Capital LLC.

Inside Self-Storage (ISS), which has provided education and resources to the self-storage industry for more than 26 years, has announced changes to its executive leadership team. Troy Bix, a 30-plus-year industry veteran and founder of ISS, is leaving the brand to explore new business opportunities. Stepping up to take his place as ISS Vice President is Teri Lanza, who will oversee day-to-day operation. Former account/sales executive Debbie Pirkey, who has moved into the newly created position of business-development manager, will handle all sales.

Bix entered the storage industry in 1986 when he was hired as an account executive for “Mini-Storage Messenger” magazine, produced by MiniCo Insurance LLC. He was later promoted to advertising manager of that publication, and ultimately joined Phoenix-based Virgo Publishing to start ISS magazine in 1991. He hosted the first ISS Expo in 1992.

As publisher of ISS, Bix quickly expanded his influence in the trade-publishing world with the launch of many other magazines and events, including “Team Licensing Business,” “Collegiate Licensing Business,” “Horse Professional,” “Health Supplement Retailer,” “Bed & Breakfast,” “Assisted Living Success” and more. He was named vice president of ISS in 2013.

Bix has joined self-storage components manufacturer Janus International Group LLC as president of its R3 (renovate, remodel or retrofit) Division, where he will position the company for growth in that market.

“I couldn’t be more proud of what we, as a team, have accomplished in the self-storage industry over the past three decades,” said Bix. “Teri, Debbie and the rest of the team have the expertise, vision and drive to take ISS where it needs to go. I’ll always be the brand’s biggest fan, and I look forward to working with all of them in a new capacity from the vendor side of the business.”

Lanza was hired by Virgo as an associate editor in 1998. In her early years with the company, she wrote and edited copy for several brands, including ISS. She was promoted to editor in 1999, and to editorial director in 2002. Over the years, she assisted in the launch of several magazines as well as the first ISS website. She spearheaded the creation of the Self-Storage Talk online community in 2008 and the ISS Store, an e-commerce website providing industry research and education products, in 2012. She worked with industry experts on the creation of the Self-Storage Training Institute, which first opened in 2002 and released its first Qualified Storage Manager Program in 2008. Lanza has also guided the education program for the annual ISS World Expo for many years.

In her new role, Lanza will supervise all ISS media products and events and continue to direct content strategy. Her goal is to expand the ISS brand, discovering new and better ways to serve the industry and building stronger relationships within the self-storage community. In addition to Pirkey, she is assisted in her mission by marketing and education manager Melissa Black, editor Amy Campbell, and contributing editor/ISS Store manager Tony Jones.

Lanza received a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master’s degree in mass communication, with an emphasis on print journalism, from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. Prior to joining Virgo, she worked as business-development manager for a Phoenix-based electric company and as editor of two trade publications produced by the Electric League of Arizona.

“There’s no filling the shoes of our fearless leader, Troy Bix, who built this enterprise from the ground up and made it the media powerhouse it is today,” Lanza said. “I’ve been honored to work by his side these 19-plus years, always innovating and building the ‘next big thing’ in self-storage. We’re sad to see him leave our daily operation; but ISS is a family, and with him still working in the industry, he’ll never truly be rid of us! We’ll work extremely hard to take the brand to the next level and make him proud.”

Pirkey joined the ISS team as administrative assistant in 2005. Since that time, she has worked closely with Bix on the creation and execution of ISS advertising programs as well as expo booth and sponsorship sales. She holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Northern Arizona University.

“The knowledge and experience I’ve gathered by touching so many aspects of the business has led to this new role, which I can’t be more thrilled about exploring,” Pirkey said.

For more than 26 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. It is now owned by Informa Exhibitions LLC, which acquired Virgo in 2014.

The ISS team recently announced that as a result of record booth sales and attendee registration for its annual conference and tradeshow, the event will be moving to a larger venue. After many years of appearing at the Paris Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas—and one final event to occur at that location April 3-6, 2018—the ISS Expo will take place at The Mirage in 2019.

Australia-based self-storage operator National Storage REIT (NSR) has agreed to acquire a three-property portfolio from Elite Self Storage for $28 million. Together, the assets comprise 19,200 square meters in 1,790 units. All three are in suburban communities serving the Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, market, according to a press release.

The deal includes a two-story facility in Brendale, comprising 3,700 net rentable square meters in 500 units, and another in nearby Lawnton, which encompasses 5,700 net rentable square meters in 440 units. The Lawnton property is on an arterial road with retail frontage, the release stated.

The third asset is a single-story facility in Rothwell. It comprises 10,300 net rentable square meters in 850 units and includes a “large hardstand storage area,” NSR officials said.

"We are delighted to be expanding our coverage to three well-established, high-population areas to the north of Brisbane with these high-quality, purpose-built, well-located storage centers,” NSR Managing Director Andrew Catsoulis said. “The close proximity of the Brendale and Lawnton centers provide for Brendale to be operated as a satellite center in an area with limited competition, new residential and commercial/retail developments, and a rapidly growing population."

The deal includes cash and NSR shares. The “stapled securities” are subject to an escrow period but are expected to be issued later this month, according to the release.

NSR operates 116 self-storage facilities across Australia and New Zealand. It’s the first independent, internally managed and fully integrated owner and operator of self-storage centers to be listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.