MiniCo Insurance Agency LLC, a provider of insurance products for the self-storage industry, added a new feature to its website that enables Canadian self-storage operators to obtain faster commercial-insurance quotes from its subsidiary, MiniCo Insurance Agency of Canada Inc. The tool allows facility operators in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Saskatchewan to submit applications online to the companys preferred broker network.

Once submitted, applications are reviewed and completed by designated brokers. Subsequent to underwriting, eligible risks receive a quote for review.

MiniCo continues to add insurance brokers to its Canadian subsidiary. Most recently, Gerry Corrigal and Rick Gabrielle of McElhoes & Duffy Insurance Brokers in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, were named preferred brokers.

Phoenix-based MiniCo has provided self-storage insurance programs since 1974. The company offers multiple specialty property and casualty insurance products for a variety of unique industries and exposures and carries an A.M. Best rating of A. MiniCo is a member of the Aran Insurance Services Group of Rockville Centre, N.Y.

A self-storage development proposed for a rural business park recently received zoning approval from the borough council in North Waltham, England. TT Tents, a supplier of event tents and temporary buildings, applied to the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in July to change the areas zoning to allow self-storage.

The project will include 72 storage containers comprised of 24 single-story, 48 two-story and 14 larger units, according to the source. It will also include 11 vehicle-parking spaces. Operating hours will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Under conditions imposed by the borough council, site construction must begin within three years.

TT Tents predicted that customers could make as many as 14 trips per week to their storage containers, according to the source. The company expects the smaller units to be used by the general public to hold smaller seasonal items and furniture. The larger containers might be used by those in a temporary transition between residences.

TT Tents provides temporary or semi-permanent buildings for commercial use including offices, storage buildings, workshops, car-show rooms, classrooms and retail space.

Since it was introduced more than a decade ago, self-storage has become an integral part of residential life and business space in Singapore. The industry continues to expand due to space constraints in homes and as an affordable option for businesses looking for office space, according to the source.

''Demand for self-storage has certainly risen over the years and looks set to increase further, said Heng Tze Kiang, general manager of StorHub, one of the nations largest storage operators. Rising space constraints, a more affluent population, increasing home prices and office-space occupancy costs have led more people to store their belongings in self-storage facilities.

StorHub began serving Singaporeans in 2003 and today operates 11 facilities. Its portfolio comprises more than 1 million square feet in 10,000 units. Its growth has been helped in part from consumers educating themselves about self-storage on the Internet, Kiang said.

The Internet has also served to create awareness among consumers on the advantages of self-storage and how it can complement ones lifestyle and business needs, he explained. Many customers now view self-storage facilities as an extension of their living space and for them, reliability and security are their top storage priorities.''

Another active player in the market, Extra Space Self Storage (not affiliated with the U.S. self-storage real estate investment trust Extra Space Inc.), continues to expand its footprint in Singapore as well as emerging markets in Malaysia and South Korea. The company currently operates six facilities in Singapore.

''We remain optimistic because there is simply a great deal of latent demand for self-storage, said Daphne Lim, marketing manager for Extra Space. Homes are getting smaller while incomes are getting larger. Singaporeans dont always have the space to accommodate all their acquisitions.''

The most common legal concerns self-storage operators have about their business are typically related to lien procedures against delinquent tenants and the proper administration of sales auctions. For this reason, the traditional Legal Learning Live Workshop at this year’s Inside Self-Storage World Expo in Las Vegas has been retooled to focus specifically on lien sales. Led by Jeffrey Greenberger, a partner of Katz, Greenberger & Norton LLP, the four-hour “Auction Edition!” on March 30 will include input from Dan and Laura Dotson, auctioneers with American Auctioneers who appear regularly on the reality television series "Storage Wars," as well as StorageBattles.com President and CEO Jim Grant.

Offered from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the session is designed to help operators avoid the risk exposure of a wrongful-sale claim. The course includes 2.5 hours of intensive education in lien-sale best practices including steps to follow and pitfalls to avoid. The workshop will also discuss lien-sale requirements, sale-specific risks and how to be prepared for a lawsuit. The panel will then generate discussion on lien-sale alternatives and mechanics.

Based in Cincinnati, Greenberger focuses his practice on commercial real estate with a concentration in self-storage. He assists operators in the design and implementation of legal policies and procedures, and operational issues. He serves as the legal adviser to several state self-storage associations and has hosted the ISS Expo’s Legal Learning workshop for several years.

The expo’s concurrent education program, March 31 and April 1, includes nine tracks covering issues related to self-storage ownership, management, marketing, investment, finance, building, development, liability and more. Additional workshops focus on day-to-day management, development, facility ownership and social media.

The conference and tradeshow will take place at the Paris Hotel & Resort. Discount registration rates are available through March 28.

Created for self-storage owners, managers, developers, investors and suppliers, the ISS Expo is the industry’s largest conference and tradeshow, comprising four days of education, exhibits and networking opportunities. The event focuses on strategies for generating revenue, best practices, current trends, and new products and services. Details and online registration are available at www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com.

SpareFoot, an online marketplace for the self-storage industry, has secured $10 million in venture capital from Insight Venture Partners. The company will use the money to improve products and services for self-storage operators, including the addition of major brand partners to the SpareFoot network intended to provide a wider pool of storage customers, officials said in a press release.

Funds will also be allocated for additional staff and technology investments to improve the usability of SpareFoots platform. SpareFoot has helped thousands of facility operators fill their vacant units, said Chuck Gordon, co-founder and CEO of SpareFoot. This new investment will allow us to explore new products and services that will make owning a storage facility more profitable.

Based in Austin, Texas, SpareFoot has raised $26 million in venture capital since its founding in 2008. Insight Venture Partners has contributed $22 million including $12 million last year.

Were thrilled about our latest investment in SpareFoot, said Richard Wells, managing director of Insight Venture Partners. SpareFoot has done a great job of bringing together a highly fragmented market of small self-storage operators, and is doing an even better job helping them compete with the large players.

Founded in 1995, Insight Venture Partners is a global private-equity and venture-capital firm. It has raised more than $7.6 billion and made more than 200 investments worldwide.

SpareFoot.com helps consumers find and reserve self-storage units, with comparison shopping tools that show real-time availability and exclusive deals. With a network of more than 7,000 storage facilities ranging from mom-and-pop operations to real estate investment trusts, the company reaches prospective storage renters though partnerships with brands including SelfStorage.com, Apartments.com and Penske Truck Rental.

The board of directors for Extra Space Storage Inc., a self-storage real estate investment trust, has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share on the company's common stock for the first quarter of 2014. This is a match to the dividend of the two previous quarters. The dividend is payable on March 28 to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 14.

In addition, the company released its fourth-quarter financial results on Feb. 20 and held a conference call on Feb. 21. CEO Spencer Kirk and Scott Stubbs, executive vice president and chief financial officer, hosted the call, which included a review of the company’s fourth-quarter performance, a discussion of recent events, and a question-and-answer period for registered financial analysts. A complete summary of the results are available at extraspace.com.

Extra Space released its quarterly earnings for the fourth quarter of 2014 last week. The company reported same-store revenue increased 6.6 percent and net operating income rose 8.9 percent compared to the same period in 2012. Same-store occupancy grew by 130 basis points to 89.2 percent as of Dec. 31, compared to 88.9 percent at the same time in 2012. Read more about the company’s financial statement here.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Extra Space owns or operates 1,029 self-storage properties in 35 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico. The company’s properties comprise approximately 680,000 units and 75 million square feet of rentable space.

The CEOs from each of 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.are expected to make roundtable presentations next month during the 2014 Global Property CEO Conference, an event designed for institutional investors.

Hosted by Citi Institutional Equity, the conference will be held March 2-5 at the Westin Diplomat hotel in Hollywood, Fla. It will feature presentations from more than 100 property companies from around the world. Although investor attendance is by invitation only, some sessions may be offered through live webcasts or audio, and may be made available as recordings after the event.

David L. Rogers, CEO of Sovran Self Storage, which operates the Uncle Bobs Self Storage brand, will make his presentation at 1:35 p.m. ET on March 3. A live webcast will be available through Veracast. The company has not said if the recording will be available after the event.

Sovran operates 481 facilities in 25 states under the Uncle Bob's Self Storage brand name.

Extra Space Storage CEO Spencer F. Kirk will present at 4:55 p.m. ET on March 3. A live webcast will be available through Veracast. A recording of the presentation will be available on the Veracast website through June 2, Extra Space officials said in a press release.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Extra Space owns or operates 1,029 self-storage properties in 35 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico. The companys properties comprise approximately 680,000 units and 75.7 million square feet of rentable space.

Public Storage CEO Ronald L. Havner Jr. will present at 10:50 a.m. ET on March 4. Live webcast information through Veracast is currently unavailable. Public Storage officials have not announced if a recording of the session will be available after the event.

Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage has interests in 2,110 self-storage facilities in 38 states with approximately 135 million net rentable square feet. Operating under the Shurgard brand name, the company also has 188 facilities in seven European countries, with approximately 10 million net rentable square feet.

Christopher P. Marr, president and CEO of CubeSmart, is scheduled to hold his roundtable presentation at 8:50 a.m. ET on March 5. A live webcast will be available through Veracast or on CubeSmarts website, company officials said in a press release. A recording of the presentation will be available on both websites through June 2.

CubeSmart owns or manages 532 self-storage facilities across the United States and operates the CubeSmart Network, which consists of more than 800 additional self-storage facilities.

Update 2/24/14 The food drive for the Kitsap Humane Society brought in about 2,000 pounds of pet food, Danielson told the source. The food was picked up by shelter director Eric Stevens on Valentines Day.

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Self-storage facility rivals in Bainbridge and Poulsbo, Wash., are squaring off to see which team can bring in the most food donations for Kitsap Humane Society (KHS). Reliable Storage Bainbridge and Reliable Storage Poulsbo are battling Bainbridge Self Storage, Bainbridge North Storage and Pacific Storage in Poulsbo in the fundraiser, which runs until Feb. 13. Pet-food donations can be made at any of the facilities. The winner will receive a box of Valentines chocolates courtesy of the losing team.

Reliable Storage and Bainbridge Self Storage entered into a similar challenge in 2013 to collect food for Helpline House, which provides a number of community services. Janice Danielson, manager of Bainbridge Self Storage, challenged Curt Bonderant, manager of Reliable Storage, to beat her donation number during the drive, which ran from Feb. 23 to March 9. The one who collected the least number of items was required to add two extra bags of groceries and wash the competitors car. The facilities brought in a combined 1,000 pounds of donations, with Danielson in the lead.

Established in 1908, KHS depends on donations to care for animals in need. Governed by a volunteer board of directors consisting of local community and business leaders, it educates the public on animal-welfare issues and how to better care for pets.

In addition to its Bainbridge and Poulsbo locations, Reliable Storage also has facilities in Bremerton, Kingston, Port Orchard and Silverdale, Wash.

Bainbridge Self Storage, Bainbridge Self Storage North and Pacific Storage are owned by Urban Self Storage Inc., which was founded in 1987. The company operates more than 55 facilities in New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.

Real estate investment firm World Class Capital Group LLC (WCCG) recently acquired a six-property self-storage portfolio in the Houston market. The 270,000-square-foot, 1,600-unit acquisition is the companys fourth portfolio purchase in the last 18 months. The facilities will be rebranded as Great Value Storage, a wholly owned and operated subsidiary of WCCG, and renovations for all six properties are underway.

Through the four portfolio purchases, as well as two single-asset acquisitions made during the same time period, WCCG has added 27 facilities comprised of more than 15,000 units and 1.8 million square feet to its national platform.

We are pleased to announce the addition of these six facilities to our growing portfolio and expand our footprint in Houston, said Nate Paul, president and CEO of WCCG. Houston is a strategic market for our platform, and we plan to continue acquiring and developing high-quality self-storage facilities in the Houston market. Our scale in the region allows us to capitalize on operating efficiencies and seamlessly integrate new assets.

We continue to be agile and opportunistic in our storage acquisitions, added Sheena Paul, vice president of WCCG. It is the key to the success of the Great Value platform.

Austin, Texas-based WCCG targets investments across a broad range of asset types through single-asset and portfolio acquisitions, and is also an active acquirer of real estate debt. The companys primary focus is the acquisition of complex or undervalued real estate assets with the opportunity to create value through repositioning, redevelopment, or leveraging its property and asset-management platform. WCCGs portfolio includes office, retail, industrial, multi-family, self-storage and land assets.

Great Value Storage operates 45 facilities in Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas.