Leah St. Hilaire, 23, was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) on Sunday after she crashed her vehicle into a building at Eastern River Self Storage in Dresden, Maine. St. Hilaire was driving a 2001 Volkswagen Passat east on Patterson Road near River Road when she failed to stop at the intersection and collided with the building, according to Lt. Rand Maker of the Lincoln County, Maine, Sheriff’s Office. Investigators believe the incident was alcohol-related.

St. Hilaire was alone in the car and sustained an injury to her knee. She declined medical attention at the scene, Maker told the source. The vehicle was damaged on its driver’s side. The storage building received damage to its siding and stonework, though the severity appears minor based on published photos.

In addition to DUI, St. Hilaire was charged with violating conditions of release. Both are misdemeanors. She was transported to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset, Maine.

WI Self Storage in Appleton, Wis., has launched a year-long food drive to benefit Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin (FAEW), the local chapter of Feeding America, a U.S.-based hunger-relief organization. The goal of “Operation Tame the Hangry!” is to acquire 2,017 pounds of donated items by Jan. 1, 2018, according to the operator’s blog. Tenants who donate non-perishable items at 1117 W. Washington St. will also be entered into drawings to win prizes.

FAEW has food banks in Fox Valley, Wis., and Milwaukee. The nonprofit works with a network of more than 550 member organizations in 36 counties in Eastern Wisconsin, including food pantries, soup kitchens, meal programs, emergency shelters, and day-care and senior centers, according to its website. Each year, it serves about 400,000 people, including 124,000 children and 41,000 seniors.

In addition to its food drive, WI Self Storage started a “Take a Book/Leave a Book” initiative to encourage reading by adding a bookcase to its office. Tenants who donate a book are invited to take another.

The company is also hosting a contest on its Facebook page and website this month. Tenants who leave a review on either site will be entered to win one of two free, three-month memberships to Xperience Fitness, a local gym. The winners will be announced on Jan. 30, the blog stated.

WI Self Storage is managed by States Self Storage Management Co. LLC.

By Jay Harron

Build it and they will come? That only works if “they” know what “it” is. By “it,” we’re referring to self-storage in Brazil, Latin America’s biggest country and most dynamic economy. “They” are Brazil’s population of 200 million. In the entire country, there are only 125 storage facilities, with the majority in São Paulo, the largest city with more than 20 million residents.

So what’s the best way to share knowledge of the self-storage product to this vast potential market? MetroFit, a São Paulo-based operator focused on Brazil’s major metropolitan areas, is marketing to educate the public. The company has two facilities in São Paulo, with a third expected to open this fall. 

Marketing Challenges

Since MetroFit was formed in 2012, its principals and executive management team have been aware of a unique challenge: how to educate an entire marketplace about the benefits of a product no one knows to exist. “While we were intrigued by the prospects of self-storage in Brazil, we fully acknowledged that market awareness of the service offering is extremely low,” says Matthew Nagel, chairman of MetroFit parent company Metro Storage LLC. “We take for granted that nearly everyone in the United States knows about self-storage. In Brazil, however, we estimate that market awareness of the product is less than 1 percent of the total population.”

So, what to do in the context of a startup company where budgets are tight, especially for marketing? The short answer is to be creative, both in the marketing spend as well as the campaigns designed to educate. “We’ve been focused on marketing from day one of MetroFit,” says Arthur Ostrovsky, head of operations for MetroFit. “We look at marketing both in terms of online like Internet and digital strategies, as well as offline, which we define as more traditional marketing efforts.”  

Online vs. Offline

The benefit of addressing a lack of product awareness is being able to use the enormous advantages of digital marketing. Not surprisingly, MetroFit focuses its efforts and ad spend on search engine optimization (SEO), principally through Google. “A big chunk of our marketing dollars are focused on SEO and, specifically, trying to position MetroFit for prominence when our potential customers search for self-storage,” Ostrovsky says.

That strategy is great for people who know what they want. But what about for those who don’t? That’s where MetroFit tries to be creative. In 2014, the company hired São Paulo-based marketing firm All Set Communications. Founded by Leopoldo Gottardi, All Set helps brands leverage their communication efforts through traditional as well as the latest digital means. “MetroFit presents an amazing opportunity to educate an entire population about a service offering completely new to Brazilian consumers,” Gottardi says. To achieve maximum exposure, he and his team began designing online campaigns aimed at spreading the MetroFit brand as well as the self-storage product.

One successful strategy in particular was the creation of “virtual MetroFit characters” used in Facebook campaigns to educate potential consumers. All Set and MetroFit created four character types that represent a good cross-section of potential Brazilian customers. These characters are regularly featured in creative, fun campaigns that subtly feature how MetroFit can solve someone’s short- or long-term storage needs. “Facebook is wildly popular in Brazil,” Gottardi says. “We created these MetroFit characters to creatively reach a large target audience and cement the idea that MetroFit can solve space constraint needs in large cities like São Paulo.”

While communicating to potential customers via digital means is important, MetroFit hasn’t forgotten about more traditional forms of advertising. One unique strategy it employs is advertising on pizza boxes in neighborhoods near its stores. “Remember, we’re trying to draw attention to MetroFit, so we feature our bold yellow color and Web page address on pizza boxes,” Ostrovsky says. “No one knows what self-storage is—yet—but everyone knows what pizza is!”

With creative marketing strategies like this, MetroFit hopes to continue to be top-of-mind in Brazil when it comes to self-storage. 

Jay Harron is president of Metro Storage International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Metro Storage LLC. He’s responsible for finding and executing relationship-driven self-storage joint ventures and partnerships outside the United States. Headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, MetroFit is a joint venture between Metro Storage and TRX Realty, a Brazilian-based real estate developer and fund manager. MetroFit currently has two facilities in São Paulo with a third expected to open this fall. For more information, visit http://metrofit.com.br.

The Scotland self-storage market was recently featured in a BBC report chronicling the business. The report highlights the types of consumers who use storage and the state of the industry in the region, and compares its progress to the U.K. market as a whole. Though the Scottish market didn’t emerge until the 1990s, about a decade behind other parts of the United Kingdom, the local industry is showing signs of growth behind efforts of independent operators, according to the source.

"In Scotland we don't have much dominance by the major chains at all. In fact, the three major operators in the U.K. only have a handful of sites there, so the Scottish market is very much full of independent operators,” Rennie Schafer, chief executive of the Self Storage Association of the United Kingdom (SSA-UK), told the BBC. “I can certainly see significant growth over the next 10 years. Particularly in Scotland, more people will use it as more people become aware of the product.”

Consumer recognition is still a challenge across the U.K as a whole, the source reported. While 90 percent of the public have heard of self-storage, just 30 percent understand how it works, according to the 2016 annual survey published by the SSA-UK. Of those surveyed, 66 percent couldn’t name a single self-storage brand.

Growth in Scotland is being driven by smaller operators and primarily in urban areas. "The Scottish market was not as developed as the south of England, so growth was not as fast there,” Schafer explained. "Scotland is more sparsely populated, and more densely populated areas help to bring more visibility to the product.”

The BBC report also highlights growth from business tenants, economic factors affecting the market and consumer motivations for renting self-storage.

Update 1/16/17 – PRA has nixed plans for the eight-story self-storage facility it intended to build on Eighth Ave. S. in SoBro. “We decided not to move forward with the transaction,” Van Lare told the source, declining to elaborate on the company’s reasoning.

Eighth Avenue South Ventures LLC, which acquired the property in 2015, has listed it for sale for an undisclosed price, according to the source.

The report didn’t mention the two other Nashville sites PRA has under contract on which it intends to build a pair of six-story self-storage facilities.

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8/9/16 – Provident Realty Advisors (PRA) received site-plan approval last week for its eight-story self-storage project on Eighth Ave. S. Developers Byrd and Van Lare have two other Nashville sites under contract for a pair of six-story self-storage facilities approved in the SoBro and Vanderbilt-West End areas of the city, the source reported. Those two projects will bring another 300,000 rentable square feet of space to the market.

PRA expects to begin construction on all three projects within a year, according to the source.

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7/29/16 – Provident Realty Advisors Inc. (PRA), a Dallas-based developer and real estate investment firm with interests in self-storage, has proposed an eight-story self-storage facility for the SoBro neighborhood of Nashville, Tenn. The asset would comprise 150,000 square feet on a 0.6-acre parcel at 514 Eighth Ave. S. The property is under contract between PRA developers Richard Byrd and Case Van Lare and a local investment partnership that includes restaurateur Miranda W. Pontes, according to the source.

The property includes the former home of the Nashville Center Stage bar and music venue, which Pontes acquired for $2.6 million last March with investment partners Doug Martin and Justin Prince. The acquisition included the adjacent parking lot at 522 Eighth Ave. S., the source reported.

Houston-based architecture firm Edgecomb & Associates Inc. is scheduled to discuss design modifications on Aug. 4 with the Downtown Code Design Review Committee. Revisions include moving vehicle access to Drexel Street instead of Eighth Avenue South. The review committee earlier rejected some requests from the developer, including modifications to the active-use requirement along Eighth Avenue S.

The project is the second eight-story self-storage facility proposed in SoBro in recent weeks. In May, The Natchez Group submitted plans for a 1,000-unit facility at 825 Third Ave. S.

Founded in 1991, PRA has developed or invested in more than $3 billion worth of real estate projects. In addition to self-storage, the company’s development and investment projects include master-planned residential communities, mixed-used development, multi-family housing and retail centers, according to its website.

Strategic Storage Trust II Inc. (SST II), a public, non-traded, self-storage real estate investment trust (REIT) sponsored by SmartStop Asset Management LLC, has purchased Saddle Rock Self Storage in Aurora, Colo., from Metro Self Storage, a Colorado-based operator. The property at 6950 S. Gartrell Road sits on 5.5 acres and comprises 53,360 rentable square feet of storage space in 400 units. Developed in 2012, the 10-building facility contains drive-up and interior, climate-controlled units as well as vehicle parking.

“This facility is in a solid retail location—a growth market with excellent demographics,” said H. Michael Schwartz, CEO and chairman of SST II. “We will continue to focus on major metros like the greater Colorado market, which offer tremendous long-term value.”

Earlier this month, SST II acquired 11 facilities in North Carolina. The properties comprise approximately 553,500 rentable square feet in 4,850 units. The assets previously operated under the George’s Stor-Mor or Mindful Storage brand names.

Metro Self Storage also owns Murphy Creek Self Storage in Aurora. The property 1255 S. Gun Club Road contains more than 600 units.

The SST II portfolio includes approximately 47,520 self-storage units and about 5.5 million rentable square feet of storage space. SmartStop Asset Management is the asset manager for 102 facilities in Toronto and the United States. Its portfolio comprises approximately 7.4 million rentable square feet. SmartStop also sponsors Strategic Storage Growth Trust Inc., a public, non-traded REIT also focused on self storage assets.

A man was hit by a car Friday afternoon while working inside a unit at Great Northern Self-Storage in Kents Hill, Maine. He was struck at 2:50 p.m. after a woman who was attempting to back up her vehicle hit the gas instead of the brakes, according to Steve Woodsum, owner of the storage property and a witness to the accident at 1697 Main St.

“[The vehicle] was all lined up to go straight, and the young woman driving the vehicle had big boots on. She hit the accelerator instead of the brake,” Woodsum said.

The man didn’t appear to suffer life-threatening injuries and could walk after the accident, said Woodsum, who also owns an auto shop next to the storage facility. A medical helicopter was originally requested but later cancelled, the source reported. The man was taken to a hospital by ambulance. The storage building wasn’t damaged in the incident.

The accident is being investigated by the Maine State Police, said Readfield Fire Department Chief Lee Mank.

By Brian Griewe

If a self-storage company is committed to developing its holdings in a way that benefits the corporation, community and environment, green building must be an inherent practice. How we construct and maintain our properties makes a huge difference in the health of our planet and its inhabitants as well as our own bottom line. Green buildings use little energy, have lower maintenance costs and provide a healthier, more stimulating environment for customers and employees.

But what exactly does it mean to build “green”? The term has been bandied about for decades, and you’ll find it being used in relation to buildings, communities and products, such as vinyl windows and recycled-content flooring. It’s not always easy to sort through those claims, which is why certification programs such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the Green Globes rating and certification tool are extremely helpful—even necessary.

LEED awards points for energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems, indoor air quality, water conservation, and sustainable materials in a weighted system that adds up to Silver, Gold and Platinum ratings. Green Globes is a bit less rigorous and costly, allowing business owners to select from a list of sustainability features to rack up points toward certification. Working with a LEED-accredited architect who knows how to offset expenses and earn credits without spending extra money makes it easier to get certified.

Why should a self-storage developer or owner bother with certification? More than half the respondents in a recent Nielsen global survey said they were willing to pay more for products and services from companies committed to making positive social and environmental impact. In that same survey, 61 percent of corporate leaders saw sustainability as a key market differentiation that improved financial performance. The USGBC claims green buildings attract tenants more easily and command higher rents and sale prices. In some markets, it states traditionally constructed buildings are experiencing a “brown discount,” renting and selling for less than market value.

According to USGBC, researchers have proven that building to LEED certification standards saves companies in energy and other resource costs over the long run, and provides a more hospitable environment for employees and customers. LEED-certified buildings use 25 percent less energy and see a 19 percent reduction in aggregate operational costs compared with non-certified buildings. As such, building owners report a 19.2 percent increase in return on investment for existing projects and a 9.9 percent increase for new projects. When you throw in the numerous tax incentives, tax credits, grants and expedited building permits you get when you build green, the bottom-line impact becomes pretty substantial.

Storage Goes Green

Many self-storage companies are getting on board with the green movement. Here are but a few examples:

• Focus Property Group LLC built a solar-powered, Silver-certified Greenbox Self Storage building in downtown Denver using energy-efficient and recycled products and materials.
• Northgate Self Storage constructed a 675-unit Gold-certified facility in Colorado Springs, Colo., that ventilates and filters air for optimal indoor air quality. This is in addition to energy-efficient features such as insulated-foam panels and low volatile organic compounds (VOC) materials.
• In Maryland, ezStorage has LEED-certified facilities in Charles Village and Elkridge. The Gold-certified Elkridge facility achieves a 58 percent energy savings over non-certified buildings. The company has pledged that all future facilities will be certified.
• Also in Maryland, Extra Space Storage Inc. has built 12 Gold-certified facilities, with more pending. The company continues to improve its properties with energy-efficient lighting and solar panels.
• H. Michael Schwartz, CEO of SmartStop Asset Management Inc., designed, financed and owns a 120,000-square-foot mixed-use facility in Ladera Ranch, Calif., that was built to LEED Gold standards. The property is home to SmartStop’s headquarters and a 42,000-square-foot storage facility. The photovoltaic system powering the facility is expected to generate 472,200 kilowatt hours of energy annually.

Solar is an untapped opportunity about to explode. In Canada, where the solar market is in its infancy, SmartStop has built three high-revenue, high-efficiency storage facilities powered by 750,000-kilowatt solar systems. SmartStop included conduits for future photovoltaic systems on every building because it’s much easier and less expensive than trying to retrofit.

Electricity from coal, gas and hydro (water) isn’t getting cheaper. Local governments are making energy efficiency a standard requirement for building licenses and permits. And builders are realizing that something as simple as keeping ceiling heights low—so they don’t have to heat and cool vast amounts of empty space—can yield big savings in the long run.

That’s the great news about so many “green” building practices: They save money. In the self-storage industry, where curb appeal matters, companies pay a lot to keep thirsty landscaped grounds alive. Installing rain gauges and xeriscaping—landscaping that eliminates the need for supplemental irrigation—are two easy ways to turn down the spigot and diminish the money flow.

The cost of lighting also adds up. LEDs, light-control monitors and motion sensors are simple green fixes that save money. LEDs use a fraction of the energy of other lighting sources and illuminate so well they can be spaced farther apart. Fewer fixtures mean reduced material and maintenance costs.

Durable materials such as hard-surface flooring also save money over time. They last longer, require less maintenance and provide a healthier environment for customers and employees. Soft-surface materials like carpeting can trap and hold dirt, dust and contaminants, and often contain questionable chemicals like formaldehyde, a government-recognized carcinogen. Reducing people’s exposure to products and materials that emit VOCs—chemicals that evaporate at room temperature and can cause headaches, allergic reactions, fatigue and dizziness—means better productivity and fewer sick days.

Weighing the Costs

You might sometimes pay more to take advantage of energy- and water-saving technology and the safest, healthiest materials; but it’s worth it. Green materials and systems save money over the life of a building. For example, thermal-plastic roofing helps with heat reduction, requires less long-term maintenance than asphalt over a 20-year cycle, and is fully recyclable at the end of its life.

The USGBC states the premium to certify most LEED-certified buildings ranges from 0 percent to 4 percent. Supply-chain maturity and exponential leaps in technology have brought the cost of green building down. We’re in a time when a little upfront cost goes a long way. A 2 percent investment to add green features yields savings of more than 10 times the original outlay in operational costs as well as increased employee productivity and health.

Availability and Acceptance

Throughout North America, attitudes about green building are changing. When LEED standards were established in 2000, it was a fairly radical idea. Eco-friendly products, materials and contractors were substantially more expensive and often hard to find. A lot of builders saw green building as a fad and didn’t take it seriously.

Now everyone from consumers to corporate board members is beginning to understand that the way in which we build affects people and the planet. As more developers jump on board, the cost of nontoxic, environmentally friendly products and materials is dropping while availability increases. Information and resources are easier than ever to find. State and municipal green-building programs are popping up everywhere from California—where Title 24 energy standards are constantly being tweaked for better energy performance—to Toronto in which the Green Building Standard pushes the envelope in sustainable site and building design.

Some day—likely soon—every building will have smart, energy-efficient designs and durable, nontoxic materials. Regulations will require them, and informed people will demand them. Until that day, taking a simple step like installing LED lighting or going big with a photovoltaic system will keep you ahead of the competition and improve your company’s bottom line.

Green building is no longer a fad; it’s good business.

Brian Griewe is vice president of development at SmartStop Asset Management LLC, a diversified real estate company with a managed portfolio that comprises 6.7 million rentable square feet and 59,400 storage units. The company is the property/asset manager for 89 storage facilities throughout the United States and Toronto. Mr. Griewe is responsible for expanding the company’s acquisitions and commitment to creating environmentally friendly, energy-efficient buildings. For more information, visit www.smartstopassetmanagement.com.