USSelfStorageLocator.com, an online directory that helps consumers find storage facilities and generates rental leads for industry operators, has added a new, multi-channel technology interface that allows participating facilities to offer various specials on their storage units. Individual unit specials are now pulled from the each facility's property-management system, extensible markup language and application programming interface feeds.

Self-storage operators offer various specials, from first month free to 50 percent off the first month to free truck rental with move-in and others. Using the USSelfStorageLocator.com interface, they can choose the special they want to apply to any particular unit. They can also choose not to run a particular promotion or to offer a special Web-only rate.

"We realize that this is a difficult economy and how important it is to our users that they find the lowest price and best special on the unit they need. We provide this service to them," said Victor Dante, CEO.

Headquartered in North Miami Beach, Fla., USSelfStorageLocator.com allows consumers to find, compare and reserve self-storage units online. The website features software integrations with all major property-management systems and the ability to pull data and push reservations in real time.

Southern Self Storage, a Florida-based operator with 20 locations throughout the state, is hosting its second social media contest using Facebook. This time the company will give away a brand new Apple iPad Mini. The contest starts Feb. 25 and will end on at midnight ET on April 7.

To enter, participants are urged to visit southernselfstorage.com, where they can access a direct link to the contest. Those who are not yet fans of the company's Facebook page will be asked to like it and complete the entry form.

We couldnt resist doing another one, says Tresha Powe, marketing manager. The feedback and results from our last contest was so positive that we could hardly wait to give our fans the thrill of another.

Southern Self Storage is a Florida-based company that opened its doors in 1985. Most locations offer free truck rental for new customers, extra wide doors and wide lane access for trucks. A few other benefits include computerized gate access to enclosed lighted grounds, painted concrete floors, delivery acceptance and video surveillance.

Stephanie Tharpe, district sales manager for A+ Storage in Mount Juliet, Tenn., and a moderator on Self-Storage Talk (SST), the industrys largest online community, was honored this week by the Tennessee Self Storage Association (TNSSA) as its 2012 Manager of the Year. Tharpe received her award during TNSSAs quarterly luncheon in Chattanooga.

Tharpe has been in the self-storage industry for about 12 years, joining A+ Storage in 2010 as a site manager. She was promoted last month to full-time district manager.

My goal for 2013 is to grow all 12 of our site managers into super managers. I am blessed with a wonderful staff and it has been such a journey to go from a newbie to where I am now, she wrote in a thread celebrating her award on SST.

Tharpe credits SST members with providing industry insight and practical knowledge that have helped her become an effective self-storage manager. I truly love this industry, and SST has been my biggest support group over the years, she said. I encourage all of our managers to get on here and read and participate.

This is not the first time Tharpe has been recognized for excellence in the self-storage field. In 2009, she and her husband, Joe, were awarded third place in the Inside Self-Storage Best in Self-Storage Marketing contest. They were awarded $200 for a creative eight-piece print-ad campaign they designed to promote the facility they were managing at the time.

Tharpe said she was thrilled to receive the TNSSA award and appear in a photo with her idol, M. Anne Ballard, president of training, marketing and developmental services for Universal Storage Group (USG), who attended the event.

Ballard founded Universal Management Co. and is well-known in the industry for her customer-service and management training. She will present an education session on Effective Time and Information Management for Self-Storage Managers, at the Inside Self-Storage World Expo, April 2-5, in Las Vegas. She will also conduct a Marketing Workshop with colleagues Stacie Maxwell, vice president of marketing for USG, and Christopher Baird, CEO of Automatit Inc. Show details can be found at www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com.

A+ Storage operates 12 self-storage facilities in the Nashville area.

The past year has been busy for self-storage operators trying to keep up with legislative changes that affect the operation of their facilities, and it appears the trend will continue well into 2013. Nearly half of U.S. state legislatures have recently made changes to self-storage laws or are considering new legislation. In all, 12 states have altered or added to their statutes in recent months, while 10 others are currently pursuing new lien laws.

It is an exciting time in the self-storage industry, said Scott Zucker, a partner in the Atlanta law firm Weissmann Zucker Euster Morochnik P.C. After 20-plus years of antiquated legislation, were now seeing the evolution of laws that are not only up to date with the technology that is available but are more in line with the practical operation of the business of self-storage.

The national Self Storage Association (SSA) reported it is working with 18 state associations to improve laws affecting self-storage. To date, 17 bills have been introduced in 12 of those states since the beginning of the year, the SSA said.

States that recently updated laws governing self-storage include Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas. Ohios recent change included the use of e-mail for lien-sale notifications as well as the right to tow abandoned vehicles and boats and a limitation on the value of stored property in a unit. It also provided guidelines for the advertisement of a lien sale through a commercially reasonable manner (assuming the presence of at least three independent bidders at the sale), Zucker said.

In Illinois, recent changes to the Self-Service Storage Facility Act permit operators to have vehicles and boats towed from the facility after 60 days of default in lieu of processing the titled property for sale, which Zucker says is a cumbersome and legalistic process.

The new law also creates a statutory enforcement of the limitation of value that should be contained in all self-storage rental agreements and provides for a statutory late fee that can be charged when a tenant is delinquent in rental payment, he said.

Zucker provides legal counsel to several state self-storage associations and is currently updating the rental agreement provided through the Illinois Self Storage Association to include changes from the statute. The association has not announced when the new agreement will be released, he said.

Effectively, the changes in the law clarify rights of self-storage operators and remove certain ambiguities that have developed as the industry has matured, Zucker explained. Ultimately, the changes we are seeing, in Illinois and around the country, demonstrate a focus on protecting both self-storage operators and their customers by clarifying their responsibilities when they take the role of a landlord and a tenant at a self-storage facility.

States pursuing new lien-law legislation are Alabama (House Bill 314), California (Assembly Bill 983), Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon and Pennsylvania. In Oklahoma (Senate Bill 1084), lawmakers are considering streamlining the process of selling vehicles and boats that are abandoned at self-storage facilities, Zucker said. In New Mexico (House Bill 256), the legislature is looking at shortening the time frame for a lien sale from 90 to 60 days.

In Georgia, Senate Bill 61 has passed the senate, while Maryland lawmakers will discuss two bills on Feb. 26, the SSA said.

These lien-law efforts are separate and apart from legislative efforts to create limited licenses for self-storage operators who choose to sell tenant insurance at their facilities, Zucker said. Such a change occurred in Georgia last year, New York the year before and is now pending in Virginia (House Bill 1731).

All of these changes that are occurring will benefit self-storage customers in how they can obtain insurance and how they can be notified about their property, and will benefit operators in how they can manage their risks and handle abandoned goods.

To view the current lien law in your state, visit the Inside Self-Storage Lien Law Registry.

Christopher P. Marr has been named the successor to Dean Jernigan as chief executive officer of CubeSmart, a self-storage real estate investment trust (REIT), beginning Jan. 1, 2014. Marr currently serves as the companys president, chief operating officer and chief investment officer. Jernigan will retire Dec. 31.

"We are at an important point in the evolution of the self-storage industry," Marr said. "Scale and sophistication provide greater competitive advantages than ever before, and CubeSmart is well-positioned to be a leader in the sector. In the years ahead, we have a clear path to maximize shareholder value through disciplined internal and external growth initiatives. I am excited about the future of our company and am honored by the confidence placed in me to lead us forward."

A self-storage industry veteran, Marr has more than 18 years of REIT executive-management experience. He is credited with repositioning CubeSmarts property portfolio and has overseen advancements across all functions of the company. Marr joined CubeSmart in 2006 as chief financial officer (CFO), after serving in the same role for Brandywine Realty Trust, a publicly traded office REIT, from 2002 to 2006. He was CFO of self-storage REIT Storage USA Inc. from 1998 to 2002.

"The board recognizes Dean's tremendous leadership in transforming the company and building a secure foundation for future growth. We are fortunate to have not one, but two of the self-storage industry's most experienced executives, said William M. Diefenderfer III, board chairman. Chris is a natural leader and a strategic thinker. He has broad experience in all facets of the self-storage business and a strong public company track record. The board recognizes that succession is among its top responsibilities and is very confident in a seamless transition."

"My tenure as CEO has been exceedingly rewarding," Jernigan said. "I am proud of our many accomplishments over the past seven years, as we have completely transformed this company's operational infrastructure, property portfolio, balance sheet and culture. However, I am most proud of the extraordinary team of people that we have at CubeSmart. I have had the great fortune of working with Chris for nearly 20 years, and I cannot think of a more fully prepared, capable and deserving person to lead CubeSmart into its next phase of profitability and growth."

CubeSmart owns or manages 515 self-storage facilities nationwide and operates the CubeSmart Network, which consists of approximately 800 additional facilities. According to the Inside Self-Storage Top-Operators List, the company is the fourth largest operator of self-storage facilities in the United States.

The death of Mark Balelo, an auction-house owner who appeared as a buyer on A&Es hit reality TV show Storage Wars, has been ruled a suicide by the Ventura County, Calif., medical examiner's office. Balelo, 40, died of carbon-monoxide poisoning after inhaling car-exhaust fumes. His body was discovered Feb. 11 inside the garage at his business in Simi Valley, Calif.

Nicknamed Rico Suave for his flamboyant style, Balelo was memorable on the show for bringing more than $50,000 in cash to storage auctions and carrying a man purse, which he called his murse.  He first appeared during the shows second season.

Balelo killed himself just two days after he was arrested on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine.

In addition to owning Balelo Inc., a company specializing in auctions, liquidations and closeout sales, Balelo also ran a gaming store called The Game Exchange. A native of Portugal, his hobbies included flying private planes and listening to music. He was engaged to be married.

Self-storage operator Storage Post Self Storage took an active role in assisting New York and New Jersey's victims of Hurricane Sandy by participating in local charity coat drives. The company collected more than 900 gently used coats during November and December.

The charities, Jersey Cares and New York Cares, host an annual drive to collect coats of all sizes for men, women and children in need. Storage Post facilities in those states acted as a coat-collection site, with exterior marketing and special donation boxes.

"We were eager to assist with the coat drives again this year after such a successful collection in 2011. Storm Sandy motivated us all the more because we knew so many peoplecustomers, employees, family memberswho had suffered damage and were not ready for the cold weather," said Jack Chaney, chief operating officer. "We hope all of the coats donated and distributed by Jersey Cares and New York Cares truly help people get through the winter."

In addition to collecting coats, Storage Post operated as a drop-off hub for local groups needing a delivery service. The company offered a complimentary Storage Post truck and driver to help groups deliver their donations to the Jersey Cares and New York Cares warehouses. By the end of December, Storage Post had delivered nearly 2,000 coats combined from both group drop-offs and in-store collections.

Groups across New York helped New York Cares reach a record-breaking 2012 collection total, with more than 120,000 coats donated and distributedan increase of more than 40,000 coats from last year's numbers. Jersey Cares also collected thousands of coats to warm individuals and families across New Jersey.

Established in 1993, Jersey Cares is a nonprofit organization that recruits and engages volunteers in efforts that address community-identified needs. It is an affiliate of Hands on Network, an alliance of volunteer catalysts throughout the world.

New York Cares is the city's largest volunteer organization, operating volunteer programs for 1,300 nonprofits, city agencies and public schools.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Storage Post has locations along the East Coast and throughout the South, and is actively pursuing self-storage acquisitions.

Extra Space Self Storage (not affiliated with the U.S. self-storage real estate investment trust Extra Space Inc.) opened its first self-storage facility in Singapore in 2007. Since then, it has expanded to include five facilities in Singapore, one in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and another in Gangnam area, Korea. A member of the Self Storage Association of Australasia (SSAA) and the Singapore Business Federation, the company offers lifestyle and business storage solutions to consumers in the Asian markets where space is limited and the population density is high.

Extra Space is a joint venture between CEO Michael Hagbeck, Boustead Holdings and investors headed by Lazard Ltd. It is led by Hagbeck and chief financial officer Kenny Tham. Hagbeck recently talked to Inside Self-Storage about the companys explosive growth and plans for the future.

Tell us about Extra Space.

Weve grown 30 times in size since we started this business six years ago. The space we occupy has expanded from just 25,000 square feet in May 2007 to 750,000 square feet today. To put it more simply, weve grown in size from about half a football field to about 15 football fields.

Our customer base has also grown 120 times in five yearsfrom just 50 customers when we started in 2007 to more than 6,000 customers as of August 2012. Thats at least about a 20 percent faster growth rate than our nearest competitors. We currently have a total of 32 employees.

What factors are contributing to the growth of your market?

There is simply a great deal of latent demand for self-storage. Homes are getting smaller while incomes are getting larger. Singaporeans want their living spaces to reflect who they are but dont always have the space to accommodate all their acquisitions. At the same time, they have more interests, hobbies and collections including wine, which requires storage space. Extra Space simply allows them to de-clutter and make room for what they need when they need it.

As for businesses, space is at a premium, but they need to spend their resources on driving results, not on real estate. Startup businesses use our storage spaces, as they are good cost-saving and flexible alternatives to traditional warehouses. They can rent smaller areas, which match their inventory size. As they grow, their space can grow. We have flexible lease terms. With the minimum storage term at just two weeks, small businesses can also use us as short-term overflow space.

We know our product can make a tangible difference to peoples living and working spaces, but many didnt know about such options. So we put a lot of energy into educating people about self-storage. And demand grew naturally as people saw the benefits of self-storage.

What kind of marketing does Extra Space do?

The Web is a key source of queries, as are our TV ads when they air and signages. Word-of-mouth is also quite important in Singapore.

Whats on the horizon for your market and company?

The future looks bright for the industry as the trends in Asian urban lifestyles make self-storage a natural part of how people extend their space. Storage used to be associated with very practical needs such as renovation or moving in between homes and, for businesses, storage of documents. But were seeing that change.

Consumers are storing more lifestyle items as homes become smaller and growing affluence lifestyles become larger. Weve got people storing kayaks, motorbikes, collectibles ... a growing number of Star Wars collectors and cosplay [costume play] hobbyists. Wine storage is popular among men and wardrobe items for women.

Businesses are also changing their storage habits. From a self-storage standpoint, it used to be that SMEs (small and medium enterprises) would use storage mainly for documents and items they no longer wanted. They would also use storage as a temporary space when they were in the middle of moving. Today, were seeing a wider range of SMEs with a wider range of needs.

More SMEs are storing inventory as well as a wider variety of goods. They run the gamut from wholesalers to online businesses, owners of blog shops to higher-end fashion retailers and wine retailers. Items include everything from high-end Italian fabric to night market clothing, Chinese joss sticks to wedding and event paraphernalia. With the rising cost of commercial real estate, it makes sense to store things and use office space for people.

Self-storage is still a very new industry in Singapore, Korea and Malaysia. But still, with a population that is increasingly sophisticated, well-travelled and well-paid, living in homes that are limited in space, we see this as a growth area, especially when you compare this to some other cities where self-storage is more established.

Let me give you an example. Sydney, which has about the same population size of Singapore, has about 120 self-storage facilities. Even if we count the entire industry in Singapore, we only have about 34 self-storage facilities. So, there is definitely room to grow. Consumers are recognizing storage isn't about putting things away and forgetting about them. It's about creating additional space in your homes so that you can make room for your family, your lifestyle and your hobbies.