It was an amazingly quiet weekend for me, and I designed it that way intentionally. Only because I'm bracing myself for the impending hustle and bustle of the Las Vegas show, the experience of which is akin to condensing several objects into a small space via the use of a vacuum-pack devicelike that miraculous FoodSaver they advertise on HSN. (Come on, admit it! You've watched it at least once, even if it was only because you couldn't sleep on a weeknight!) I say this because there's just so much to see and do, you've gotta keep your brain on a swivel.

 

Fortunately, Vegas is a short and frequent flight from Phoenix, which allows me the luxury of traveling at pretty much any hour. I won't arrive at Mandalay Bay (the show's new host hotel) until tomorrow night; but the city's always awake and welcoming, and I never have to worry about missing room service. Plus I'll get in almost a full work day before I have to narrow my shoe selection to a reasonable burden and deal with the household's separation anxiety. (First, the cat will puke on something, usually an expensive jacket or critical piece of paperwork. Then my husband will light into yet another homily on the art of traveling light, a skill I am either unable or unwilling to master.)

 

Of course, this night-owl travel schedule means I'll miss tomorrow's Developers' Seminar and ISS Golf Classic. I won't get to take pictures of the players as they swerve off the course in a post-Bloody Mary, excessive-sun stupor. But I was never one for golf anyway. Aside from the plaid, which is downright offensive, there's simply not enough aggression in that game. It's too polite and peaceful.

 

I'll be posting to this blog from the tradeshow, so those of you who aren't able to attend will get the day-by-day play on screen. In fact, I recently learned that we'll have a cameraman in tow taking video, which we'll put up on the website in pieces throughout the week.

 

If you happen to be at the show and see me wandering around with my crew, don't be shycome up and give us your two cents about the event. We'll also be interviewing operators and investors about their sundry experiences of working in the business, so if you've got something to share, just hop in front of the camera.

 

Still sitting on the fence about attending the expo? I suggest you hop off on the affirmative side. It really looks to be an unprecedented industry affair. And ... If you visit me in the ISS booth, I'll hook you up with a sweet t-shirt. If that doesn't motivate you, nothing will. A souvenir shirt is excellent proof to your significant other that you really were where you said you were; and it gets you off the hook for having to buy shot glasses or snowglobes or whatever trinkets you might otherwise have to procure. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but the shirt gets to go home with you!

 

 

Part of my morning routine involves combing the web for fresh news about self-storage. Most of the time, my findings are pretty clear-cut; but every once in a while, I get a curve ball. Take this photo, for example, which came up on a Yahoo! news search:

 

 

Was this image of a storage facility in Brooklyncomplete with police officer and ominous yellow caution taperegarding an incident that took place at the building in question? Did it have anything to do with self-storage at all? Here's the caption (AP, Dima Gavrysh):

 

An NYPD officer stands guard by the Pinnacle Self Storage building in Brooklyn, New York, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2006. A New York City man who works with African drums was stricken with inhalation anthrax that appears to have been caused by contact with untreated animal skins from the Ivory Coast and not a criminal or terrorist incident, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

 

The connection between the building and the incident doesn't become clear until you do a news search on the facility name and discover the drum-maker was working on animal hides in a storage unit at this facility when he came down with flu-like symptoms. That settles the ambiguity of the caption, but it doesn't solve the PR nightmare Pinnacle now faces.

 

I point this out, not to exacerbate the facility's plight, but because it demonstrates something important regarding the nature of our business: Storage is susceptible to unfortunate incidents because hard luck is part of the human condition. And what is self-storage, if not a collection of human testaments, parceled but thriving, each within its own sharp shell?

 

This could happen to any of you. As storage operators, you deal in the stories of people's lives. And when those stories get ugly, you are sometimes part of the tale. This puts the onus on you to steer the public eye toward more pleasant sights. For every body in a barrel or unit full of stolen goods, we need ten reports of charitable donations, community events and successful businesses. That's the only way to ensure people see something positive on the same page as the off-putting.

 

It's no secret that storage frequently falls prey to the scrutiny of vigilant if not relentless press. Most mornings, it's a victory to find mind-numbing dividend reports and acquisitions at the top of the pile. If it's not drug- or crime-related, it's good news where this industry in concerned.

 

The question is, can we change the way the world sees us? Those precarious boxes of Life sometimes come with a price. But surely they must come with blessings as well?

 

 

 

If you've read the feed on the ISS website, then you already know the upsetting news we received today. Wally Schultz, founder and CEO of the publishing company that produces Metal Marketplace magazine, passed away suddenly on Monday. (You can also read the details regarding services and donations in his obituary.)

 

I didn't know Wally particularly well, but we worked together for several years, and he was a great guy. He always had a ready smile and greeting for me when I visited his booth at ISS expos, where his company regularly exhibited. Being that he was one of the only other publishers on the floor, we would exchange our insights and tales of woe from the print world and share story ideas. Then he would (reluctantly) let me snap his photo for the expo scrapbook. Here's one I took at last year's Vegas show. (I took this one on the sly, since he looked busy.)

 

 

On behalf of everyone here at ISS, I'd like to extend condolences to Wally's family and loved ones. I know he will be missedhe was part of our self-storage family. If anyone has any stories or sentiments to share, please do so.

 

Eminent domain is on the loose, but lawmakers are out to rein it in. As a matter of fact, according to UPI, 39 states want to limit the federal government's power to confiscate private property and turn it over to developers for the sake of "economic progress." This is crucial to a business like self-storage, which could easily fall prey in this little hunt.

 

Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of New London, Conn., which wished to seize several working-class homes and give the land to a private developer. Turns out pharmaceutical company Pfizer wanted to build a hotel/marina/health club. Thanks to eminent domain, it got its wish.

 

But there is hope. Alabama, Delaware and Texas have passed laws to limit ED, and another 36 states have proposed related legislation and amendments. In today's Arizona news, we see legislators pushing to add matching House and Senate measures to the November ballot as early as this week, which will ask voters to halt ED abuse by city governments.

 

As I read through the news history of this critical issue, I see ED proponents argue the practice has had positive effects. For example, they claim it has paved the way for interstate highways, energy resources and other "public benefits." Two Phoenix mayors expressed concern that the proposed Arizona ED measures go beyond the issue at hand and could potentially lead to lawsuits involving any zoning decisions that affect property value.

 

Some of our readers may agree, though I've yet to encounter a storage operator who wasn't at least concerned about this threat. What are your thoughts here? I'd love to hear from storage owners who may be grappling with a current ED issue.