Michael Richards, a former software and technology expert of the self-storage industry, has announced a new summer science camp for teens to be provided by Science Camps of America, a nonprofit organization Richards started after selling his software business in 2010. The inaugural sleep-away science camp will open in June in Pahala, on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Science Camp of Americas mission is to provide fun, intense science experiences to inspire future generations to better understand the universe. The idea is to get the kids outside and into the field to experience science," Richards said. "Each day, we will jump into the vans and head out to learn about our world. One day we might be examining lava flows, the next we might be helping reforest former ranch land, the next we might be stargazing from Mauna Kea. Being in the field, accompanied by science teachers and scientists, campers will not only absorb a tremendous amount of knowledge, they will also have an idea of what its like to be a scientist.

Floyd McCoy, the organizations director for education, was raised on the Big Island and is a professor of geology and oceanography at the University of Hawaiis Windward campus. When Mike, who has been one of my geology students, asked if I would be interested in helping him start Science Camp, I agreed immediately. This is a fantastic and unique opportunity for kids since it gets them outside, hands-on with the science. And the Big Island is just the perfect location for this camp," McCoy said.

McCoy, a Harvard Ph.D. and Fulbright Scholar, has been in TV specials for "National Geographic" as well as the BBC, TLC, NBC, and Discovery channels. He oversees curriculum development for Science Camp.

The first summer-camp session, "Land and Sea," will be held June 22-July 1. Campers will examine volcanoes, geology, beaches, reefs and the ocean. The second session, "Air and Space," will take place July 1-10. Topics include the atmosphere, weather systems, climate change and the innovative technologies being developed to address the ever-changing world. Science Camp will be held on the grounds of Pahala Plantation Cottages.

Based in Hawaii, Science Camps of America is currently awaiting 501(c)3 approval. It is one of only a few camps available for high school students interested in experiencing science and nature.

Richards founded Hi-Tech Smart Systems Inc., his self-storage software business, in Hawaii in 1983 and sold it in 2010. That opened up a great opportunity for me to start this camp. I love science, and I love watching kids learn science," he said. "I am so encouraged by the excitement young people show for science and technology. With Science Camp, we hope to help science teachers everywhere deepen that excitement by putting teens in the field to experience great science first-hand.

Richards also announced the availability of the Fred Hendy Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will allow qualified students from Hawaii to attend one of the camps 2013 sessions. Details about applying for this and other scholarships may be found at ScienceCampsAmerica.com.

Self-storage operator Storage Deluxe has launched Deluxe Car Storage, a specialty division targeted at owners of luxury, exotic and classic cars. The companys first premium vehicle-storage facility has opened in Hyde Park, N.Y., with plans to grow a national portfolio.

Company officials describe the vehicle-storage model as a deluxe car club where customers can get their prized vehicles pampered. Members can relax in a lounge with other enthusiasts and watch auto racing, auctions and other events on a large-screen television. Stylish touches, like lit floor-to-ceiling glass, enable members to show off their cars and other vehicles to friends and visitors.

At Deluxe Car Storage, we're dedicated to providing a state-of-the-art, safe, clean environment for car enthusiasts to store classic, custom and luxury vehicles. Why? Because we're car lovers, too," said Nicholas Coslov, Deluxe Car Storage CEO. "We're creating the kind of place where people can meet, talk shop, swap stories and, of course, show off their cars. It's the most high- end, secure, luxury-car storage environment you'll find in New York.

Facility amenities include climate- and humidity-controlled storage spaces, trickle battery charging, full detailing services, outdoor units with 24-hour access for pickup and drop-off, and 24-hour security-camera feeds on stored vehicles. In addition, every time a car is dropped off, a 360-degree photo is taken to provide owners peace of mind that the facility is accountable for ensuring cars remain in the same condition as they arrive.

The program also offers custom-built car-storage spaces for discerning collectors.

The company has partnered with outside vendors to provide customers with preferred pricing on automotive services, including car washing and detailing, inspections, maintenance and transport. An auto concierge also provides information and special pricing on car clubs and additional services.

Customers can purchase membership at three levels, with a short-term, pay-as-you-go option available for seasonal storage. Some packages include free monthly car washes, quarterly detailing services, annual inspection services, 24-hour access, and 24-hour security-camera feeds.

Luxury car owners in New York need and truly want a place where they can bond over their passion and where storage professionals will treat their cars like they would treat their own, said Frank Crivello, senior vice president of operations and marketing at Storage Deluxe.

Founded in 1998, Storage Deluxe is a New York-based owner, developer and operator of self-storage facilities. The company has developed more than 30 facilities in the New York metro area but last year sold a 27-property portfolio to real estate investment trust CubeSmart. The company continues to own several facilities in Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, N.Y.

The four U.S.-based self-storage real estate investment trusts (REITs)CubeSmart, Extra Space Storage Inc., Public Storage Inc. and Sovran Self Storage Inc.have announced when and how they will reveal their earnings statements for the fiscal quarter that ended Dec. 31.

CubeSmart

CubeSmart will release its quarterly financial results on Feb. 21. An accompanying conference call will be held at 11 a.m. ET on Feb. 22. A live webcast of the conference call will be available from the investor-relations page of CubeSmart.com. The dial-in numbers are 888.317.6016 for U.S. callers, 412.317.6016 for international callers and 855.669.9657 for Canadian callers.

After the live webcast, the call will remain available on CubeSmart's website for 30 days. In addition, a telephonic replay of the call will be available through March 24. The replay dial-in number is 877.344.7529 for domestic callers and 412.317.0088 for international callers. The reservation number for both is 10024576.

CubeSmart owns or manages 516 self-storage facilities across the United States and operates the CubeSmart Network, which consists of approximately 825 additional self-storage facilities.

Extra Space Storage Inc.

Extra Space will release its quarterly earnings on Feb. 21 after the market closes. The company will host a conference call at 2 p.m. ET on Feb. 22 to discuss the results. Hosting the call will be CEO Spencer Kirk, along with Scott Stubbs, executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Karl Haas, executive vice president and chief operations officer.

During the call, company officers will review fourth-quarter performance, discuss recent events, and conduct a question-and-answer period for registered financial analysts. All other participants will have listen-only capability.

The phone number for the call is 866.202.3109 for U.S. callers and 617.213.8844 for international callers. The conference ID is 40867641. The conference call playback, which will be available through March 22, will be accessible at 888.286.8010 in the United States or 617.801.6888 internationally. The conference ID is 90834799.

The conference call will be available on the investor-relations page of ExtraSpace.com. Those who wish to listen online should visit the website at least 15 minutes before the event start time to register and install any necessary audio software. A replay of the call will be available online for 30 days.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Extra Space owns or operates 910 self-storage properties in 34 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico. The companys properties comprise approximately 610,000 units and 67 million square feet of rentable space.

Public Storage

Public Storage will release its fourth-quarter earnings on Feb. 21. A conference call is scheduled for Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the results.

For the live conference call, the domestic dial-in number is 866.406.5408. The international dial-in number is 973.582.2770. The conference ID is 90166639. The live webcast will be available through the investor-relations page of PublicStorage.com and will be accessible on demand until March 8. For the conference call replay, the domestic dial-in number is 800.585.8367, the international number is 404.537.3406, and the conference ID number is 90166639.

Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage has interests in 2,069 self-storage facilities in 38 states with approximately 132 million net rentable square feet. Operating under the Shurgard brand name, the company also has 189 facilities in seven European countries, with approximately 10 million net rentable square feet.

Sovran Self Storage Inc.

Sovran will issue its quarterly results after the market closes on Feb. 13. The company will conduct a conference call to review the financial results and discuss operations on Feb. 14 at 9 a.m. ET.

The call can be accessed at 877.407.8033 within the United States or 201.689.8033 internationally. Management will accept questions from registered financial analysts after prepared remarks. All others are encouraged to listen to the call via webcast from the investor-relations page at UncleBobs.com. The webcast will be archived for 90 days. A telephone replay will be available for 72 hours after the meeting by calling 877.660.6853 and entering conference ID 407404.

Sovran, which operates facilities under the brand Uncle Bob's Self Storage, operates 462 facilities in 25 states, with a large presence in Texas.

Ezy Access Storage in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, recently sold for $3.5 million. Built in 2008, the single-story facility is on Boundary St. near Wilsonton. The property has a land area of 5,753 square meters.

The facilitys 540 storage units are available in 18 sizes, each with insulation and an individual alarm system. The property includes an office, reception area, boardroom and a two-bedroom managers apartment. Ezy Access Storage offers video surveillance, an undercover driveway, free use of the companys moving truck, and packing supplies. Racking systems for document storage are also available.

Matt Walsh of Highway Frontage Real Estate brokered the transaction. Walsh told the source the owner of the business decided to sell due to lack of experience in the industry. He said the new owners will likely continue to use the building as a self-storage business.

Highway Frontage Real Estate specializes in the sale of self-storage facilities in Australia. The company offers facility assessments, marketing, brokerage and more.

Self-storage tenants in Singapore are using their units to declutter their homes in time for Chinese New Year, according to local operators. Extra Space Self Storage, which has five facilities in the Southeast Asian city-state, reported a 7 percent increase in customers ages 20 to 40 in the month leading up to the new year compared to this time last year. The number of customers this year doubled compared to the same period in 2010.

Although the Chinese Year of the Snake doesnt begin until Feb. 10, Singaporean celebrations began in late January and will continue into March. More than 70 percent of the population are Chinese descendants.

Michael Hagbeck, CEO of Extra Space, said self-storage customers in Singapore are using facilities to make room for hobbies or their lifestyle at an increasing rate, and that the period leading up to the Chinese New Year provides extra incentive to perform spring cleaning. Tenants are storing clothing and common household items in addition to large Chinese New Year decorations to clear space in their homes.

Storhub, which also operates five self-storage facilities in Singapore, is anticipating a 15 percent increase in occupancy at its facilities by Feb. 10. Tenants between the ages of 20 and 40 make up 60 percent of its client base, company officials said.

Similarly, Lock+Store, which has two facilities in Singapore, expected a 20 percent increase in demand for units in the month leading up to the new year.

Extra Space Self Storage operates facilities in Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. It is a different company than Extra Space Storage Inc., one of four publicly traded self-storage real estate investment trusts operating in the United States.

Stor-All Systems Inc. broke ground this week on a Stor-All Storage brand self-storage facility in the Vinings area of Atlanta. Situated on less than an acre of land on the northwest corner of Cumberland Parkway and Paces Ferry Road, the four-story facility will encompass 88,000 square feet of storage space and offer 711 climate-controlled units. It is northwest of downtown Atlanta and adjacent to the I-285 Beltway Perimeter in the Vinings community.

The facility will include wine storage and a basement as well as building controls, multiple elevators, video surveillance and controlled access. The exterior design will feature American Colonial architecture with portions of exposed brick, dozens of windows, and a clock tower above the main entrance.

Purchased in July 2012, the property is Stor-Alls 44^th facility in the United States and its eighth in the metro-Atlanta area. Stor-All first entered the Atlanta market in 1990.

In this slow economy, we werent looking to build a new storage facility; but the opportunity arose in a great location, so we felt compelled to move forward with this project, said Larry Anderson, managing partner. 

Founded in 1967, Stor-All Storage operates facilities in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia from its headquarters in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The company also provides real estate brokerage, asset selection, underwriting, construction, development, property management and investor-relations services to its individual investment partnerships.

Jill Luke, general manager at Patriot Self Storage in North Port, Fla., has been honored by city officials as 2012 Citizen of the Year. Luke has been with Patriot since 2009 and was recognized largely for her extensive work with many community causes and activities.

"It's very humbling," Luke said. "Man, do I feel humble."

When Luke began at Patriot, she was touched by the number of tenants who were renting units due to home foreclosures. Compelled to help those in the community, she began volunteering with the Salvation Army during a food drive, and then worked to organize a coalition to assist the homeless, with the goal of establishing an overnight shelter.

In all, Luke said she is involved with about 15 organizations, including fundraising for cancer research with Relay For Life; serving on the board of the Boys & Girls Club; and volunteering with Kiwanis, women's clubs, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, People For Trees and Toys For Tots. She also helps with the booster club at North Port High School and has assisted with events benefitting Friends of the North Port Library.

"I've fallen in love with the people here," she said. "The people of North Port are just incredible."

Patriot Self Storage operates both of its locations in North Port and was voted Best Small Business of the Year in 2010 by the North Port Chamber of Commerce.

OpenTech Alliance Inc., a Phoenix-based provider of self-serve kiosks, call-center services and other technology solutions for the self-storage industry, has introduced the latest model in its line of self-storage kiosks, the INSOMNIAC 570.

The new model is a more affordable option for self-storage operators who wish to offer their customers a self-service solution but cannot afford the higher-end kiosk models. It is being offered at a base price of $13,250, or $387 per month on a 48-month lease.

The INSOMNIAC 570 can be installed through a wall or on a pedestal. Flexible installation options and a compact design make it suitable for indoor and outdoor environments.

The 570 comes equipped with a full line of user-friendly features such as an onsite service center that completes new rentals, processes payments and implements the e-lease process (paperless or print). Dynamic components allow the kiosk to stage a virtual tour of the facility as well as offer the new renter a lock and tenant insurance. Other features include:

• 15-inch, color, touch-screen display
• Digital signature capture
• Fingerprint scanner
• 4.5-inch printer
• Lock dispenser
• VOIP phone
• Credit card scanner
• Bill acceptor
• Check reader
• Stereo speakers
• Built-in video-surveillance camera that records every kiosk visitor

"We continue to invest in innovation to help reduce the cost of our hardware so our self-service solutions are within reach of every self-storage operator," said president and CEO Robert Chiti. "What we believe is simple: If your facility is open longer than your competitor and more convenient, you will rent more units. The ultimate would be to have staff on duty 24 by 7, but as employee costs increase, it is not financially practical. So we will continue to deliver new self-service solutions that operate on site, on the Internet and on whatever is next," added Chiti.

In addition to its INSOMNIAC kiosks, OpenTech provides a full range of self-storage rental solutions including the INSOMNIAC Live! Call Center, INSOMNIAC Online Web and mobile applications, LiveAgent! software products and the INSOMNIAC ILock System, all available through the company's Self-Storage Cloud.

The Storage Business Owners Alliance LLC (SBOA), a buying group for the U.S. self-storage industry, and GMAC Insurance, a nationwide property and casualty insurance company, have partnered to provide RV-insurance discounts to customers who store their RVs at self-storage facilities.

GMAC now offers tenants of SBOA member self-storage facilities a storage option, which allows them to suspend their liability and collision coverage while their RV is in storage. By doing this, they can save up to 53 percent on RV insurance, according to an SBOA press release.

GMAC Insurance offers many coverage options to better insure the RVs of self-storage tenants, including personal-belongings coverage, emergency-expense allowance, permanent attachments coverage and optional full-replacement-cost coverage. There are also special coverage options for RV full-timers and discounts for multiple vehicles and policies.

Self storage owners and operators who would like to list their facility as an SBOA-approved location for the GMAC Insurance storage option should contact the SBOA for a free review by calling 800.405.1457.

Eligibility, coverage and actual discounts may vary. Coverage is provided by companies in the GMAC Insurance Group. GMAC Insurance is a registered service mark.

The SBOA is a cooperative organization that enables smaller self-storage businesses to enjoy the benefits of bulk buying power. The group has grown to include nearly 3,000 member facilities. Members pay an annual membership fee to save on items such as packing and moving supplies, marketing services, payroll services, UPS shipping and more.

By Christopher P. Baird

Ive been around the Internet in a Web-development and marketing capacity for most of my adult life. At first, the Internet was a fad, then a get-rich-quick platform. Now it's matured to the point where its a real line item on the budgets of larger companies. The problem is smaller, less sophisticated companies dont see their Internet marketing from a global point of view or broader perspective. Its because they haven't been trained to look at it that way.

Most companies that sell Internet-marketing products have trained self-storage operators to look at each piece separately because they can only sell based on their expertise. One company does local search (maps), another paid search (Google Ads) and another organic optimization. There are also listing sites, transaction sites, Web developers and anyone else who wants to sell you ads.

Looking at these services as individual parts rather than as a whole is not ideal. For example, a facilitys paid search is not completely independent from organic results, which are not completely independent from maps, video content, etc. Nor are those items not completely separate from a facility's Yellow Pages ads, TV commercials or even its signage and business cards. They all work together to provide information and make a sale. Self-storage operators need to look at everything theyre doing from a marketing perspective and find any overlaps or disconnections so they can make the whole process more efficient and profitable.

When adding any service to your marketing mix, you first need to consider what youre already doing to market your business and what you want to do. Will there be a duplicated effort that causes an unnecessary increase in costs, or will the new service create a connection that increases your return?

For example, rather than hire two separate companies to handle paid search and search-engine optimization (SEO), it may be more sensible to hire one that specializes in both so information can be passed along easily. If you find a keyword isnt converting through paid search, why would you pay someone to optimize your website with that keyword?

Self-Storage Aggregators

Lets look at just one area of marketing where many self-storage operators are overlooking the sum of their efforts: aggregator websites. Before I go further, let me say this: There are debates going around about whether aggregator websites are good or bad. This is not one of them. Theres no intent on my part to be pro or anti aggregator; I'm simply neutral. Think of it as if I were discussing any external website that conducts transactions or advertises your product and whose goal is to compete for Internet real estate in your market.

One of the more serious Internet-marketing mistakes Ive seen self-storage operators make recently is improperly using industry aggregators. You may be making the same mistake, and it could be negatively impacting your business.

Here's an example of what I mean: One day I get a call from a concerned client who asks why hes getting more reservations from an aggregator website (let's call it BookStorage.com) than his own corporate website. To know the answer, we have to consider a few things:

• How is the corporate website placing in searches in comparison to Bookstorage.com?
• Is the corporate site optimized for conversions?
• Does the corporate site have the same basic capabilities and information as Bookstorage.com?
• How comparable are the rates on both sites?

I check and find the corporate site is comparably placed, able to convert and equipped with tools. However, customers are finding the best price for an available unit on Bookstorage.com. At first glance, this can be viewed as seemingly minor; in this situation, its having a serious impact.

Look at it from a consumer's perspective. Say you were searching for a widget and found two websites on which to purchase one: the company that made the widget and an outlet store that simply sells widgets among other things. My guess is you would purchase the widget from the company that made it; but if the outlet store had a better price, it would probably sway you. Thats exactly whats happening in our example.

Now lets consider the business owners perspective. In an effort to drum up business, you allow BookStorage.com to rent your units at a price better than those offered on your own website. But now BookStorage.com competes with you directly for customers who want to rent with you. You also pay Bookstorage.com a fee for each transaction, and you potentially allow BookStorage.com to remain in the customers memory as the go-to place for storage solutions. In short, you sold your product for less money, paid a fee to do it, and created competition for yourself at the same time. When said that way, it sounds bad.

Now, Im not saying you shouldn't use BookStorage.comquite the opposite, in fact. You should use it as long as what it produces for you comes from its own efforts, without your assistance. Im advocating that you give your website a competitive edge and not drive people from it to BookStorage.com.

If you're paying $100 to acquire a customer from BookStorage.com, why not just offer the same rate there as on your corporate website, but offer a better special on your website by $100 or even just $50? The net to you would be the same or more, but you'd be making your website the more attractive place to buy. This way, when rentals come through BookStorage.com, youll know it's very unlikely that those customers found your website first.

When examining your online marketing, it's critical to take a global view and consider all of your marketing efforts as a whole. Look for overlaps that might cause unnecessary costs, duplicated efforts, or even areas where youre setting yourself up for competition. Be smart with your marketing dollars, and youll find your efforts will pay off.

Christopher Baird is the CEO of Tucson, Ariz.-based Automatit Inc., which offers full-service Web development and marketing services to self-storage companies nationwide. He has more than 15 years of experience in website marketing and search engine optimization. Prior to joining Automatit in 2001, he was a freelance Web designer. For more information, call 520.293.4608; e-mail [email protected]; visit www.automatit.net .