My boys play baseball. This summer I spent time in Cooperstown, N.Y., watching them compete in tournaments involving 104 teams from across the country. Some teams really stood out, not only because of their talent but also their organization. While one pitcher tried to get the ball across the plate consistently, others shifted their defense based on the type of pitch selected. Turning a double play was tough for some teams but routine for others. Some struggled to get the bat on the ball, while others hit everything deep.

Watching well-oiled machines play the “Bad News Bears” reminded me of what I see every day in the world of self-storage development. In fact, assembling a development team isn’t much different than piecing together a winning sports lineup. In self-storage as in baseball, the best teams are always well-managed, focused, disciplined and full of talent.

Be the Manager

In baseball, the manager assembles and directs talent; he doesn’t swing the bat. He’s responsible for the result. Similarly, as a self-storage developer, you don’t have to be a soils, construction or market expert to build a successful project. You just have to hire the right people for the job and move them toward the end goal of generating strong profit and return.

“Getting the right development team in place is critical for success,” says Mike Gillikin, vice president of sales and business development for Imperial Design Builders Inc. in Fuquay-Varina, N.C. “Gathering input from consultants, engineers, architects, management company and owner helps us value-engineer the right project. That ultimately translates to better return on investment.”

Surround Yourself With Talent

So, who belongs on the team? Before you start designing your project, here are a few professionals who can help:

• A real estate attorney can help you navigate all sorts of contract and zoning issues.
• An accountant can set up your business efficiently.
• Soil and environmental scientists can assist in the early concept phases to determine if your site is suitable for development without expensive mitigation strategies.
• Market and feasibility consultants must be fully willing to tell you the truth, especially when you don’t want to hear it.
• A third-party management company can add an important voice. It’s useful to engage the company that will ultimately operate the property to gain its blessing on unit mix, signage, office layout and other important items. Such a firm can often provide a detailed list of its required specifications, which should be incorporated into your overall plan.

Next, your design team will create a “playbook” for construction. Stores built today look and function differently from those constructed even just 10 years ago. You need to employ architects, engineers and other professionals who understand the key elements of self-storage and can navigate the local entitlement landscape.

“Owners are getting the architect/engineer team involved earlier and earlier in the process to ensure we deliver the best designs and plans from concept to permitting,” says Tim Kurmaskie, president of Raleigh, N.C.-based Architect Kurmaskie Associates Inc. “Building the best end product requires adjusting to ever-changing state building codes, designing to market demands, and value-engineering individual designs to keep things in budget in this robust construction environment.”

Architects with significant self-storage experience will save you time and money. Those who’ve designed modern facilities understand the importance of state-of-the-art design, which includes curb appeal, comfortable building and elevator access, signage, lighting, security, and management controls. If you hire someone without that requisite experience, you may end up with a weaker product in a competitive market.

Local engineers understand the political and/or administrative landscape of their “home turf.” While any site engineer may be able to work with grades and develop construction drawings, it’s good to have a local guy on the team when it comes to dealing with staff personalities, approval boards, zoning questions and variances. Your site engineer should also be able to coordinate key activities from beginning to end, from survey and soil tests to as-built certifications.

Perhaps you have architects and engineers you’ve worked with on other projects, people already on your team who may have zero self-storage experience. You can fill the knowledge gaps by adding people to your design process who understand the correct specs and requirements of modern facilities.

“The design process requires input from local design professionals who understand the entitlement process intuitively, and self storage professionals who understand the latest and greatest design trends and market-specific demands,” notes Eric Thompson, director of business development for Atlanta-based ARCO/Murray Design Build Inc. “We rely on a big team of people doing it every day to deliver the best project efficiently.”

Trust Your Advisers

I once worked with a self-storage owner who became irate when I told him his development plan was too ambitious. He argued, saying I didn’t understand his five-mile market of 10,000 people. He believed population growth alone would support his 100,000-square-foot storage project, even though rents were too low and growth wasn’t guaranteed. Still, he repeatedly challenged my analysis. He took my recommendation to build a maximum of 20,000 square feet as an insult, even though the numbers didn’t support his vision for the property.

A willingness to hear the truth is essential for any real estate developer, novice or seasoned. Your development team should include advisers who can serve as the guardrails for your ideas. Trust them to guide you. That’s why you’re paying them!

Know What You Don’t Know

The biggest mistake a self-storage developer can make is being unwilling to say, “Somebody knows better.” Too often, I’ve had an experienced developer or general contractor (GC) with a long, successful track record in building other things—roads, houses, apartments, medical offices, etc.—tell me, “I can save a lot of money because I can build it myself.” For example, an experienced GC recently told me he could build his own self-storage project for $17 per square foot. No way. Start around $45 per square foot—maybe! You may be brilliant and experienced, with lots of money, but when it comes to development and construction, it’s tough to beat someone at his own game.

When your design team develops the most efficient plan with the best unit mix and overall schematic, you have the blueprints for success. A GC or design-builder can value-engineer those plans to deliver the most efficient construction process and, ultimately, the most profitable investment. While self-storage isn’t rocket science, it has its own nuances. Work with builders who know and understand the industry, who can deliver projects on time and within budget.

Your design team should assist even after your builder takes control of the project. Architects are trained to “check” actual installation through construction-administration services. Typically, local site engineers are the ones who’ll help the builder during construction with any small field adjustments or on-the-fly value-engineering. Other third-party inspectors should ensure your project is delivered as designed.

Listen: Not every project is a home run. But if you manage it well, stay focused and disciplined and assemble the right talent, you’ll have a winner.

Benjamin Burkhart is owner of StorageStudy.com, which provides feasibility studies and development consulting to self-storage developers and owners nationwide. He can be reached at 804.598.8742 or [email protected]. 

Quinlan Development Group LLC (QDG), a privately held real estate investment and development firm, is building a self-storage facility in Hillside, N.J. The property at 591 N. Union Ave. will comprise 1,162 climate-controlled and 41 traditional, drive-up units. It will be managed by CubeSmart, a self-storage real estate investment trust and third-party management company, according to a press release from HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler LP), the commercial real estate and capital-markets services firm that secured construction financing on behalf of the developer.

The property is immediately off the Garden State Parkway, with exposure to more than 282,000 vehicles per day. Hillside is 15 miles from New York City. More than 300,000 people live within a three-mile radius of the site, the release stated.

HFF team members Geoff Goldstein, senior director; Michael Klein, managing director; and Jay Marshall, senior managing director; secured $15.65 million in construction financing from Arkansas-based Bank OZK.

Founded in 1971 and based in New York City, QDG has built, renovated or invested in more than 36 properties including luxury condominiums, mixed-use rentals, office space, retail and self-storage. Its portfolio comprises more than 2.2 million square feet.

CubeSmart owns or manages 1,075 self-storage facilities across the United States. Its operating portfolio comprises more than 69.5 million square feet.

HFF and its affiliate, HFF Securities LP, are owned by HFF Inc. The firm operates out of 26 offices nationwide and specializes in advisory services, commercial-loan servicing, debt and equity placement, and investment and loan sales.

Biproxi, an online platform for self-storage and other commercial real estate, has launched with more than 40,000 listings nationwide. The website specializes in middle-market listings, defined as sales transactions under $25 million and leases under 50,000 square feet, which account for about 70 percent of U.S. commercial real estate (CRE) transaction volume, according to a press release. The platform offers free listings, marketing tools and a channel to buy, sell and lease property.

The service provides detailed dashboards for brokers to market properties as well as a data vault to confidentially share due-diligence materials securely. Biproxi pre-verifies listings to ensure potential buyers and tenants access only legitimate offerings, the release stated. The suite of a la carte marketing solutions includes professional photography and drone videography.

Launched on Oct. 9, the platform currently has five self-storage listings in four states. Users can filter listings by 14 CRE categories including industrial, land, mixed-use, office, retail and others.

“While a lot of attention is paid to the top brokerage firms and trophy properties in gateway cities, the reality is that the majority of CRE professionals are focused on the middle market,” said Gordon Smith, CEO. “Middle-market deals are generally conducted offline, and the prospective buyer pool is large and diverse, which makes it difficult to identify all qualified buyers through traditional marketing and networking methods alone. Biproxi’s platform ensures deals are exposed to the widest possible buyer audience.”

Biproxi has partnered with several industry organizations and national brokerage firms, with Carrington Title Services serving as the platform’s title partner. Prior to launch, the company secured seed funding from real estate professionals and private-equity investors, several of whom will serve on its Broker Council. Council members include brokers from firms such as Avison Young Inc., Colliers International, Marcus & Millichap and Newmark Knight Frank.

In addition to Smith, Biproxi founders include real estate veterans Carrington Guy, Yan Khamish and Thatcher Milholland.

“By its nature, real estate’s middle market has always been opaque, and we created Biproxi to provide sellers with more certainty about a buyer’s identity and ability to transact,” Smith said. “This level of transparency will also result in deals being closed in a more efficient timeframe, which will benefit all parties. By bringing together the listings and sales platform and providing this added level of assurance, we will improve closing rates across the industry. It’s gratifying to see the buy-in we’ve already received from industry veterans at launch.”

In addition to vetting listings, Biproxi will also pre-vet network participants. Brokers will have “real-time visibility into buyer interest, enabling them to see which brokers, investors and tenants have viewed the offering or downloaded due-diligence materials,” according to the release.

Biproxi is a commercial real estate sales-and-leasing network and marketplace. Though listings are free, there are fees associated with leveraging the platform’s marketing services. Currently, marketing services are being used only by a select group of brokers on an invitation-only basis, the release stated.

Storage King, which operates 25 self-storage properties primarily in Southeast England, has agreed to sponsor the Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s Rugby Football Club (WRFC) for its 2018/2019 season. The company will provide administrative and financial support as well as activities for fans on game days, according to a press release.

“We are excited to be involved in sporting development that is inclusive and diverse. Rugby is a game which unites the whole community, and it is wonderful to see Gloucester-Hartpury fans make their way to the games weekend after weekend,” said Storage King CEO Robin Greenwood. “One of our company’s goals is to make a difference in the various communities which we are a part of, so we are excited to be entering into a partnership with such a passionate and community-focused organization as the Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s Rugby Football Club.”

The club’s first headline sponsorship will provide a platform for the team to grow. It was also recently announced that six players have been named to England’s training squad, the release stated. “The Gloucester-Hartpury WRFC is really excited with our new relationship with Storage King. Not only is Storage King a forward-thinking company, but they are genuinely interested in being involved in the women’s game and helping it grow,” said head coach Susie Appleby. “Storage King has grown rapidly over recent years, much like Gloucester-Hartpury WRFC, and we believe that together we will make the team go from strength to strength.’’

The Storage King portfolio includes 13 owned facilities and 12 properties under licensing and management agreements, primarily in Southeast England. It comprises about 577,000 gross leasable square feet. The portfolio was acquired last year by Stor-Age Property REIT, which operates the Stor-Age Self Storage brand in South Africa.

 

Gecko RV & Boat Storage in Roseburg, Ore., has begun a $1.2 million expansion that will double its size. Workers have completed the leveling and laying of the underlying groundwork for the property at 350 N.E. Pomona St., according to the source.

Plans include copying the facility’s existing layout and replicating it on the adjacent parcel. Once complete, the site will contain three new buildings, a wash station and outdoor parking spaces.

The facility was long overdue for an expansion, according to owner John Blodgett. “We are at 95 percent capacity and there is always a waitlist, so it looked like there was enough demand to expand,” he said. “Typically, most tenants who rent from us stay there for years.”

Many of the tenants travel from communities such as Bend and Cottage Grove where vehicle storage is forbidden, Blodgett said. “A lot of those developments in Bend have zero setback with really strict HOAs, and there’s really no room for an RV. There’s a limited number of places that can store an RV in covered storage, especially in a small town.”

Although the facility will expand, the staff won’t. “We have an existing business already, so we’re not duplicating the office; we’re not adding employees,” Blodgett said. “Our current staff can handle doubling it without any issues. Once they are signed up, they don’t require much maintenance.”

“We’re super excited for the expansion and we’re happy to get more people off of the waitlist and get them a place to store their RV,” Blodgett added. “We’re excited to serve those people who need a place to store their RV.”      

In addition to vehicle storage, Gecko also offers traditional storage units. The facility serves the communities of Green, Glide, Melrose, Roseburg, Wilbur and the surrounding areas.

Source:
The News Review, Gecko Storage Builds $1.2 Million Expansion

Self-storage operators expend a great deal of effort and capital seeking new ways to attract customers. From social media and Google ads to referrals, you stretch your marketing budget as far as it can go. But what are you really offering your audience as enticement to store with you? Your ads may boast you’re the “best self-storage facility in town,” and your referrals may save a friend or family member one month’s rent. But often your customers are still thinking, “What's in it for me?”

This is where your unique selling points (USP) come in. I’m not merely talking about your management staff or the dimensions of your units. Your USPs are what your facility offers above and beyond the standard fare and benefits. What do your prospects really want? Following are five things you can offer to optimize your tenant experience.

Contract Terms in Layman’s Terms

While your self-storage operation must have a formal rental contract containing clauses, subsections, indemnities and other legal jargon to ensure the business is protected from liability, your customers want something they can understand without needing to consult a lawyer. Identify the most important elements of your contract and expand upon them in a colloquial way that’s easy to reference and digest, such as a bulleted list. You might things that educate the renter about your rights as facility operator, for example:

• Your right to access to the renter’s unit to make necessary repairs following a reasonable request and notification period
• Your right to place a lien against all property in the unit if the customer fails meet the agreed upon terms of the signed contract
• The amount of time you’ll wait to act if the renter defaults on his rental obligations

By providing this information in layman’s terms, you avoid the potential for disgruntled renters to feel they’ve been ill-treated. It also communicates that you have nothing to hide.

Rental Trucks

Offering discounted or free use of a moving truck upon move-in is one of the easiest ways to save renters money at little expense to you. Where they see more dollars staying in their bank account and a great amenity, you’ll see a surge in new business.

If you’re willing to spend money to make money, invest in your own trucks so you can brand them and essentially create a mobile billboard for your business. If you don’t want the added cost and responsibility of owning and operating trucks, partner with a local company to become a dealer for its vehicles. For self-storage customers, it all comes down to what’s most cost-effective and convenient.

Also, consider the times and dates you offer truck rentals. Most customers don’t want to take time off from work to move, so make your trucks available for drop-off and pick-up during extended evening hours and weekends. While “free” always reigns, if you do your research and ensure your truck-rental service is a significantly less than that of your competitors, renters will consider this offer a steal.

Online Billpay

Do you mail in a check to pay your credit card bill or pay it online? These days, most people pay their bills online or via a mobile app. Why wouldn’t your renters want the same convenience?

A recent study found that 56 percent of all bills are paid online; and that number is only growing, with Millennials and Gen-Xers using this convenience most. By offering online billpay, you’re not just giving renters another payment option, you’re illustrating that your facility stays up-to-date with trends. You also show that your business doesn’t rely on antiquated methods. Being unwilling to grow and improve won’t appeal to today’s consumer.

Advanced Security

Renters are trusting your facility with their personal belongings, which can range from collectibles and antiques to business documents and excess inventory. What matters is they’re items your renters feel strongly enough about to pay for their safekeeping. That’s why a simple unit lock just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Renters want security features that reassure them their possessions are safe. Your facility should include features such as regularly monitored, 24/7 video surveillance, secondary unit locks that only staff can access, unique passcode-protected gates and doors, and a fenced perimeter. Not only will these preventive measures show your dedication to security, they’ll keep your property safe.

Online FAQs

While there are still some people who prefer the personal touch of interacting with a live customer-service agent, those days are largely coming to an end. The age of self-service is in full swing. In fact, a recent consumer survey found that 91 percent of participants prefer to use an online knowledge database, like a frequently asked questions (FAQs) page, to find answers to their questions about a business.

This is especially useful when potential self-storage renters are in research mode to find the facility with the best terms, prices and amenities. They may not be ready to engage with an employee just yet. While great customer service and a knowledgeable staff will never go out of style, a FAQ section on the facility website can mean the difference between a tenant choosing you or the other guy.

Deliver the USPs

Self-storage is a booming industry and the market is only going to become more competitive. While advertising and marketing are great ways to promote your brand and drive traffic to your site, it’s what prospects find when they get there that matters most.

Today's renters are looking for transparency and extra amenities that surpass the market standard. By understanding the key benefits they seek and delivering them, you’ll be one step closer to winning the USP game and landing another signed rental agreement.

Stephen Schwartz is the co-founder of Secure Self Storage, a firm that specializes in the development and acquisition of industrial properties. It operates two self-storage facilities in Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit www.secureselfstorage.ca. 

The Federation of European Self Storage Associations (FEDESSA) announced the winners of its annual awards during its recently concluded annual conference and tradeshow in Paris. Honors went to self-storage operators and vendors from what was a record number of award entries, according to an e-newsletter sent to members. Recipients were:

• Extraordinary Achievement Award: Shurgard Self Storage for a construction project in Greenwich, England
• Innovation Award: Janus International Group LLC for its SecurGuard smart-lock system
• Charity Initiative: Safestore Holdings PLC for its Grenfell Tower relief project in London
• Managers of the Year: Andreas Bienussa of ZeitLager Self Storage in Germany and Denise Nyberg of Shurgard in Sweden
• Facility of the Year: Espaciogeo Self Storage in Pontevedra, Spain

Founded in 2004, FEDESSA consists of 14 self-storage associations across Europe and represents about 1,400 self-storage facilities.

StoreLocal, a cooperative created by independent self-storage operators to offer member benefits with economies of scale, has partnered with Empower Software Technologies Inc. to offer Storage Commander property-management software to facility operators in Australia and New Zealand. Through the partnership, Empower users will have access to Storelocal’s Web technology and local search engine optimization services. Co-op members will be able to access Storage Commander’s accounting, reporting and customer-management features, according to a press release.

Additional program highlights include account management; online reservations and payments; built-in debit card, credit card and electronic-check (ACH) processing; customized billing; a reporting suite; and an open application programming interface (API) that integrates with third-party vendors. Storage Commander comes in desktop and cloud-based versions.

StoreLocal has added add Storage Commander to its Tenant suite of technology products and services, which allows self-storage renters to perform search for facilities, explore their amenities, complete a rental agreement, select and purchase products and services, and move into their unit, the release stated.

“Our successful partnership in the U.S., which combines Storelocal’s end-to-end customer service experience with the functionality and business capabilities of Storage Commander, has gained even more traction by entering the Asia-Pacific region,” said Bruce Heverly, chief marketing officer for StoreLocal. “We look forward to continued growth and expansion across the international marketplace.”

“Adding Storelocal’s advanced technology, which provides customers around the world a seamless, fully automated self-storage experience, delivers a comprehensive, gold-standard solution to today’s self-storage needs,” added Steve De Mamiel, who leads Storage Commander in Australia and New Zealand.

StoreLocal leverages the combined strength of its membership for services such as customer acquisition, financing, marketing and technology. The coop also owns online self-storage directories StorageFront.com and SelfStorageHounds.com. Its total membership includes more than 1,100 self-storage facilities through 130 owner-member companies.

Based in Murrieta, Calif., Empower has provided management-software solutions to the self-storage industry for 20 years.

Source:
EIN News, Storelocal Partners With Empower Software Technologies to Bring Storage Commander to Australia and New Zealand

DEStorage.com, which operates seven self-storage facilities in Delaware, has acquired Barton’s Mini-Storage in Seaford, Del. The property at 20689 Sussex Highway also houses Barton’s Grand Rental and Barton’s Landscaping, which weren’t part of the purchase. The storage facility will be operated from the DEStorage.com location at 9435 Tiger Road, according to the source.

In addition to climate-controlled and drive-up units, the facility offers outdoor parking for boats, RVs, heavy equipment and other commercial vehicles. The area is gated and contains video cameras, the source reported.

DEStorage.com is making several improvements to the property including new signage, security and lighting. Customers will also have the ability to reserve units and manage their account online.

Based in Delaware, DEStorage.com is a subsidiary of Investors Realty Inc., a diversified property-management firm headquartered in Dover, Del. It operates six facilities in Dover, Milford, Millsboro, Rehoboth, Seaford and Smyrna. The company also has two properties under construction in Avondale and Georgetown, Pa., which are expected to open in 2019.

Source:
Milford Live.com, DEStorage.com Acquires Barton Mini-Storage

“Tweet it or it didn’t happen.” Over the last several years, social media has become a primary means of communication. Not only are people connecting with long-lost high school classmates, but we can see what’s going on across the world in real time. Through platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, social-justice movements can take flight and a person can become an international superstar overnight.

Social media has also transformed the way businesses appear, advertise and interact with customers. As these platforms mature, more and more people turn to them for recommendations on where to eat, shop and even store their belongings.

The question is, how can we self-storage managers use social media to increase rentals and revenue? What can we learn from other business that adeptly use these platforms to market their services? Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years in relation to my facilities.

Embrace the ‘Trifecta’

Before you begin making profiles on every social media platform, there are three essentials to focus on first: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Facebook Business has become like Yelp, the Yellow Pages and Google all rolled into one. People of all ages look to Facebook for places to do business. Many companies strive to have reviews posted on Facebook vs. Google. About 100 million hours of video is watched every day on Facebook, according to Hootsuite, a social media management platform.

Since giving users the ability to turn their accounts into business profiles, Instagram has quickly become a go-to platform for small businesses. Being geared toward pictures and videos, it’s the perfect place to showcase your facility’s aesthetics and introduce customers to the management team. With Instagram Story, you can show what’s going on at your property in real time.

Twitter completes the trifecta. It’s popular with Millennials, and business is driven by hashtags and retweets. The platform has a 280-character limit on each post, so it forces you to get right to the point with what you want to tell followers.

Offer a Unique Outlook

In a world where social media users scroll through hundreds of blogs, pictures, articles and videos each day, if you want someone to stop and interact with your posts, you must stand out. It’s vital to include professional-looking photos and videos of your facility on the various platforms. It’s equally important to create other types of posts that are unique and will catch a user’s eye.

Memes—humorous photos or GIFs—have been a great success on my facility’s social media pages. If creative or funny enough, a meme could rapidly go viral. I began to post industry-related memes with the intent to be known as the “meme storage facility.” In fact, a local realtor who recently saw me at a community event and recognized the company logo on my shirt said he loves seeing my posts on his feed. It’s something I can do to differentiate my business from others.

Your unique posts could be video shorts, cartoons, storage or packing tips, or even inspirational quotes. Whatever you do, be distinctive!

Interact

It’s good to produce pictures, video and other content on social media. It’s better to “like” posts by other businesses and your customers. It’s best when you take a few minutes every day to interact with the people you’re following and those who are following you.

Facebook Business has turned away from liking and sharing others’ posts, but Instagram and Twitter have become the best places to interact. For example, I’ll offer congratulations to a customer whose child is graduating from high school or make an encouraging comment on the local YMCA’s post about an upcoming yoga class. I’ll even comment and retweet a competitor’s post if I think it’ll benefit those who look at my feed.

These platforms are also a good place to send direct messages. I’ve scheduled meetings with local businesses by communicating with them through Twitter. Interacting with other users on social media shows they’re in genuine interest, and others will be encouraged to do that on your profiles as well.

Update Often

A social media “pro” will regularly update his accounts and keep them fresh. A follower who’s interested in storing at your facility may be disinclined to rent from you if the last update on your store’s Instagram profile was over a year ago. Your most recent Facebook pictures shouldn’t be from the Christmas 2017 move-in special. At first glance, it seems daunting to keep all—or even just one—of these accounts up to date. Thankfully, there are tools you can use to link all your social media platforms and revise them all at once.

For example, if I post on Instagram, my Facebook and Twitter accounts are updated instantaneously. There are times I’ll do this while I’m at the facility, but I’ve also written a Tweet or posted a video while I’m out of the office and marketing in the community. The technology at our fingertips (literally) makes it simple to post often and quickly. The key is to make it a habit.

Educate Yourself

If you’d love to integrate social media into your marketing strategy but don’t know much about it, there are countless blogs and podcasts about using social media for business. The platforms and technology change so quickly that we must stay educated. The Social Pros Podcast, available on iTunes, is a wonderful, informational, well-done resource for anyone who wants to learn more about social media marketing.

I also get advice from my teenage stepsons on what’s new. If you have children, grandchildren or younger relatives, use them as focus groups to find out what catches their eyes when scrolling. After all, they’re our future tenants!

Social media is vital for business growth and sustainability. Whether you have 100 facilities or just one, it’s important to learn how to use social media and use it well.

Steven Jeffers is the manager of Monster Self Storage in Seneca, S.C., and has five years of industry experience. He’s married with two teenage stepsons, and he loves to play disc golf and volunteer at his church. Monster operates nine locations: one in Georgia, two in North Carolina and six in South Carolina. Monster For more information, call 843.510.2096; visit www.monsterselfstorage.com.