Storage Investment Management Inc. (SIMI) hosted its annual Managers Conference and Awards Recognition dinner Sept. 23 at the Inn at Ethan Allen in Danbury, Conn.

The conference included an educational segment with a presentation from an attorney with significant self-storage experience. The session focused on dealing with customer issues such as bankruptcy, death, divorce, transfer of rental agreements and more.

The afternoon included roundtable discussions on marketing, same-store results, expense reduction, and online marketing with an emphasis on social media and operations.

An awards and recognition dinner followed the conference. Each year SIMI recognizes the Best of the Best Managers by presenting a variety of awards for best-performance results for certain criteria that are key elements to successful self-storage operations. This years top winners include:

• Manager of the Year and Most Improved Results: Ron Tortora, sales manager, Storage American, Garden City, N.Y.
• No. 1 Ranked Power Ratings: Clayton Dineen, sales manager, Avon Quality Storage, Avon, Mass.
• 20-Year Employee Award: Michele Sealy, Planet Self Storage, Hyde Park, Mass., and Arlene Moran, Planet Self Storage, Lindenwold, N.J.

SIMI also recognized seven other employees for their extended length of service, ranging from five up to 20 years. An owner-operator, fee manager and consultant in the self-storage industry, SIMI currently manages more than 30 properties in the Northeast.  

   

A recent study conducted by the Self Storage Association of the United Kingdom (SSA-UK) and TNS Research indicates that approximately 40 percent of employees in Wales work from home, and the figure is likely to grow in coming years. The trend is reflected in the growth of the U.K. self-storage industry, as residents use storage facilities to make more space for their home office.

In 2009, more than a million square feet of self-storage was added to the nation, bringing the total to 28 million square feet of storage space.

According to the research, 16 percent of respondents feel the amount of work they do from home is likely to increase in the coming year. Only 9 percent felt they would work from home less.

Of those interviewed, more than half (51 percent) prefer to work from home. Approximately a quarter (24 percent) said they believed they would be more productive if allowed to do so.

The research revealed that Internet access is key to home-working in Wales, with more than three quarters of respondents (78%) saying it is even more important than the telephone.

As the trend for smaller houses and living space continues in the U.K., more people are turning to self-storage to store their possessions, Rodney Walker, CEO of the SSA-UK, told the Daily Post North Wales. This trend is further compounded as more people are working from home or creating home offices to save money, finish work or run Internet businesses.

Bill Shanko, regional manager for roofing contractor D.C. Taylor Co., will present a free webinar on Nov. 17 titled Climate-Controlled Facilities: Get Immediate Energy Savings When Replacing Your Roof. Intended for self-storage owners and operators as well as construction professionals, the online seminar will outline roofing options that provide greater control over a facilitys energy consumption.

Shanko will use case studies to illustrate the energy-saving potential of metal retrofit roofing systems. Hell discuss ways to calculate energy savings, common roof deficiencies and their causes, how to determine if a metal retrofit system is right for a facility, and the benefits of hiring a professional roofing contractor.

The webinar will take place at 2 p.m. ET. The free registration process can be completed at MiniStorageMessenger.com.

D.C. Taylor Co. has more than 60 years of experience and provides roofing solutions specifically designed for the self-storage industry.

Janus International hired Brian Skrivanek as the companys Midwest sales manager for its self- storage division.

Skrivanek was previously employed by U.S. Door & Building Components, where he was a self-storage sales manager for four years. Prior to that, he was with McElroy Metals as a sales representative. Skrivaneks territory will include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Headquartered in Temple, Ga., Janus is a manufacturer of commercial and industrial doors and building components for self-storage and an array of other industries. The company also has joint ventures in the United Kingdom and Mexico.

 

Mini U Storage is now the official self-storage company for the Anaheim Ducks hockey team. As part of the agreement, Mini U Storage will exclusively offer its customers two free tickets to an Anaheim Ducks home game with each new self-storage unit rental.

With a new storage unit rental, Mini U Storage customers will receive a voucher for two tickets to a Ducks 2010-11 home game at Honda Center, a free truck to move-in, $25 of free merchandise, 99-cent boxes and free use of storage shelves for easier organization. The ticket vouchers can be redeemed online at Ticketmaster.com and are not subject to blackout dates.

We are very excited to be a partner of the Anaheim Ducks, said Brian Dahn, president of Dahn Corp., which manages Mini U Storage. Our corporate offices have been located in Irvine, Calif., for more than 30 years and the Anaheim Ducks are a terrific organization.

Other elements of the partnership agreement include two signage opportunities along Honda Centers dasher boards, advertising on all Anaheim Ducks TV broadcasts on FS West, PRIME TICKET and KDOC, an in-game TV feature for 35 games beginning in January 2011, and a presence on AnaheimDucks.com. The partnership also includes Mini U Storage recognition on HondaVision and various public address announcements during Anaheim Ducks home games.

 

One of lifes pleasures is to work with people you dont like. Sometimes you might even get to work with someone you really, really dont like. And now and again, you get to work with your arch nemesis. If youre not in charge of hiring, you get whatever co-workers your supervisors choose. I dont know about your work place, but Ive seen a few hiring managers who make some pretty poor decisions.

Most companies try hard to hire people who are compatible and likable. Usually, it works just fine. But maybe you work somewhere the hiring process doesnt even consider a persons likeability. What are you supposed to do?

Find Middle Ground

First of all, check yourself. Are you doing anything to offend this person? Are you giving off any bad vibes? If you are, apologize for being less than lovely and try to do better. It may be you just got off to a wrong start with someone, and you can learn to get along with each other over time.

However, its usually the other person whos the ogre. Its one thing to be a co-worker to someone obnoxious and horriblemany times you can ignore that person and go about accomplishing what you need to do. But sometimes that person does nothing but get in your way. Sometimes he goes out of his way to make you look bad or make your day miserable. What do you do?

First, express your concerns to your supervisor, the person whos supposed to provide you with a safe environment. Perhaps he can help calm your adversary or act as a mediator. Maybe he can even get the problem person transferred. While its hard to dismiss someone without causeand being difficult to work with is not always a sufficient reasonif your nemesis is treating customers poorly or making the company suffer, there could be grounds for dismissal.

If your supervisor is unwilling or unable to get a little space between you and the person you loathe, youll have to handle the situation. Be frank and tell the person you may not get along, but you wont allow it to interfere with your job. Ask him to also avoid letting personal conflict get in the way of the job. Sometimes a frank discussion will prevent him from getting in your space and interfering work flow. Most people can work with someone they dislike as long as everyone is focused on work and ignoring the personal interactions.

Getting Along With the Boss

Its quite another thing when its your boss whos the problem. This happened to me once. My original supervisor was replaced by one who was moody, self-centered and an unpleasant grouch. That was not much fun. I tried to have a discussion in which we might agree to disagree and put aside our personality conflict for the sake of the work. I didnt get very far and ended up leaving the job.

But it may not be possible to leave a job just because you clash with the boss. In that case, youll have to make a deal, which might be: Your boss leaves you alone and refrains from stirring things up in return for you trying hard and doing good work. Sometimes an accord like this works; even a difficult boss can realize the value of a good employee. Just stay on guard ensure he doesnt use you as a scapegoat for projects that go poorly, or as a sacrificial lamb if theres a convenient need to blame someone.

Draw Up an Arrangement

Its best to confront the person whos making your work day difficult and briefly explain how you feel. Offer the simple solution of putting aside differences for the sake of the workplace. If you think you have an arrangement, be careful its kept. Some people who have miserable personalities are happy to give you the impression of making a deal, just to squash you later. So be on guard for payback or dissolution.

Finally, consider finding another place to work where obnoxious people have a hard time getting hired. I realize there arent a ton of jobs waiting to be filled. But if your choice is to stay with a co-worker or boss whos impossible or leave, you may be better off leaving.

Just remember that if you did a little self-reflection and found you were not the problem, then you have nothing to feel guilty about. Life is too short to work with people who make you miserable. Instead, go out and find some people who are pleasant to work with. If nothing else, youll at least feel better about getting up in the morning.

Tron Jordheim is the director of PhoneSmart, an off-site sales force serving self-storage owners for 10 years. For more information, call 866.639.1715; visit www.phone-smart.info.

The Illinois Self Storage Association (ISSA) will host an Executive Retreat, Dec. 3-4, for the states self-storage owners and senior management. The interactive event will focus on issues to help facility operators strengthen their operation in 2011. It will be held at the recently renovated Hickory Ridge Marriott in Lisle, Ill.

Program facilitators include self-storage experts Jim Chiswell, president of Chiswell & Associates LLC; Jeffrey Greenberger, partner in the law firm of Katz, Greenberger & Norton LLP in Cincinnati; and David Kohn, a real estate broker with MJ Partners, with a specialty in self-storage development.

The retreat begins at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 with dinner and a presentation by Chiswell that will spark a creative exchange throughout the evening. On Saturday morning, Chiswell and Greenberger will host an open forum during which attendees can ask all manner of self-storage questions. Afterward, Greenberger will discuss potential legal pitfalls and ways to avoid them. Kohn will speak during a luncheon, focusing on issues of which operators need to be aware when evaluating and expanding their self-storage properties. The event ends at 1:30 p.m.

Space for the event is limited. The cost is $150 for ISSA members and $200 for non-members. Registration includes dinner, breakfast, lunch and breaks. To register, complete the online form at www.ilministorage.org/images/upload/ExecutiveRetreatRegistrationForm2010.pdf.

The hotel room rate is $99 per night plus tax. Reservations can be made by calling 630.971.5000.

Sun City Self Storage in El Paso, Texas, is accepting clothing donations through Dec. 31 in an effort to support Good Will Industries and help those in need. The facility is not only serving as a drop-off location for donations, it is providing free storage to Good Will to house them. Anyone who makes a donation by the end of the year will receive a voucher good for one month of free storage at the facility.

"We're very happy to be in a position to help this great effort. This is a great community, and we really admire what Good Will Industries is doing," said Matthew Van Horn, district manager.

Located at 10485 Dyer St., Sun City Self Storage features a Web-based reservations and payments system, security cameras through the property, digital gate systems, climate-controlled units and more.

Thanks to continued growth and a roster of members nearing 3,600, the Self-Storage Talk online community has added two members to its moderator team. MusicCity Gal and JamestownStorage#8, two facility managers who have belonged to the forum for two years and one year respectively, have joined the ranks of the "mod squad," now 17 strong.

The need for more moderators has arisen as the membership roll of the site, which is the official online forum for Inside Self-Storage, has increased. In late October 2009, the forum was home to 2,200 members. In a year's time, that number has swollen to 3,557, a 62 percent increase. As a result, posting frequency has increased, and so has overall Web traffic, with page views and unique visitors showing steady month-to-month gains. To keep the site a safe and productive place for discussion among industry pros, more pairs of authoritative eyes were needed.

Though there are not further plans to continue to expand the moderator team at this time, as the site grows, so will the moderator roster. Moderators are invited after making significant contributions to the community over a sustained period of time. Candidates for the role post insightful comments, answer questions, provide free resources to others, adhere strictly to site rules, and make others feel welcome on the forum. Having the SST moderator title is a well-respected accolade within the self-storage industry.

In addition to claiming nearly 3,600 members, Self-Storage Talk also boasts 22 topic-based forums, 3,480 discussion threads, and 29,145 total posts. Though anyone can read threads, you must register a username in order to post. Registration is free, though, and takes only a few minutes.

The owner of an auto repair business in Whitehall Township, Mich., recently acquired a self-storage and towing company.

Ray Gundy purchased Dales Towing & Storage from Ed Higgins for an undisclosed price. Gundy is the owner of Gundys Garage in Rothbury, Mich. The auto repair business provides major repair work for cars, trucks and RVs.

Dales Towing & Storage includes four tow trucks and 105 self-storage units, plus a storage area for autos, boats and campers.