U-Haul International Inc. has purchased a former Dr. Pepper bottling plant in Lafayette, La., and will convert the 71,045-square-foot, steel-frame building into a self-storage facility. Once known as the Acadiana Bottling Plant, the building is on 2.5 acres at 700 Kaliste Saloom Road. It will be rebranded as U-Haul Moving and Storage at Kaliste Saloom.

The conversion project is part of U-Hauls corporate sustainability initiative, which supports infill development to help local communities lower their carbon footprint, company officials said in a press release. Adaptive reuse of existing buildings reduces the need for new construction materials and helps cities fill abandoned buildings, U-Haul said.

[We] can take a building that was for many years a Dr. Pepper bottling plant and reuse the location to better serve our customers," said Warren Iles, president of U-Haul Co. of Northern Louisiana. "It's better for our customers, our community and the environment."

Services are expected to include climate-controlled units, boat/RV storage, portable storage, moving truck and trailer rentals, propane sales, and vehicle hitch sales and installations, Iles said.

Established in 1945, U-Haul has more than 40 million square feet of storage space at more than 1,000 owned and managed facilities throughout North America.

U.K. self-storage company Lok'nStore Group PLC released the financial results for the first half of its 2014 fiscal year through Jan. 31, reporting increases in revenue and occupancy. Self-storage revenue was up 7.8 percent year over year, including a 9.5 percent bump in January, which was the companys largest monthly increase since June 2006.

Unit occupancy was up 7.5 percent, while price per square foot increased 2.9 percent compared to the same period a year ago. Move-ins also increased 21.4 percent year over year. The companys ancillary sales also showed improvement from the same period a year ago, with tenant-insurance sales up 20 percent and boxes and packaging up 25 percent.

Company officials attributed the positive six-month performance to improvements in the economy and strategies implemented to improve operating efficiency. "Trading in the first half of our financial year has been strong, culminating in a buoyant January, normally our quieter period, said Andrew Jacobs, CEO. It is especially encouraging that growth has been delivered in revenue, occupancy and price per square foot.

The financial report excludes the sale of the companys facility in Ashford, England, last March as well as the early returns from its new location in Maidenhead, England. Overall, officials are encouraged by the new facilitys performance and optimistic about four new English facilities scheduled to open in the next 18 months.

Looking at our development pipeline, our new flagship store in Maidenhead opened in December, and early trading gives us significant optimism and confidence that the new stores in Reading, Aldershot, Southampton and Bristol will add further impetus to sales and earnings, Jacobs said.

LoknStore builds, buys or leases large warehouses or industrial buildings and rents storage units to customers on a weekly basis. Around 60 percent of the company's 7,000 customers are residential and 40 percent commercial. LoknStore has more than 920,000 square feet of net rentable space, which is evenly split between freehold and leasehold.

Parsons Container, which provides portable-storage containers to self-storage operators under the U Hold The Key brand, is expanding its business in Sedgefield, County Durham, England. Founded in 2000, the company has doubled its container sales in the last two years and now has a staff of 16, according to the source.

Parsons Containers has three divisions. In addition to U Hold The Key, it rents and sells containers to a variety of other businesses. The Container Container division, launched in 2007, focuses on online sales. The company has nine locations and generates more than £1.5 million annually, the source said.

To support new growth, the company hired one employee and promoted another. Stephen Collins, who has been with the company for 10 years, was recently promoted to container-sales manager. Louise Coleman was also brought on as hire controller.

Local entrepreneur Ean Parsons founded the company as a container-hire business, but the demand for U Hold The Key led to increased sales in the self-storage industry, he told the source. Parsons has been in the container business for more than 30 years, beginning his career in the Merchant Navy. He founded Sedgefield Harriers, a community-based athletics club, in 2005 and is chairman of the Sedgefield Village Games, an organization that supports and promotes local sports. Hes currently heading a campaign to build a new track for sporting events in Sedgefield.

Legislation has been introduced in Kentucky and Maryland that, if passed, would clarify the ability of self-storage operators to offer tenant insurance to customers. Both bills would enable facility managers to offer limited-lines programs as agents of qualified insurers and are similar to measures recently lobbied for by state industry associations and the national Self Storage Association (SSA).

In Kentucky, House Bill 357 would add self-storage to its list of authorized limited-lines programs under which the state insurance commissioner may issue agent licenses. The measure stipulates that operators would be able to offer and disseminate tenant insurance as long as the limited-lines insurance program and carrier adhere to certain requirements. Those include clear identification of the insurance producer on related materials, and insurer-supplied instruction and training to each self-storage employee who may offer tenant insurance as part of their job duties. The bill is supported by the Kentucky Self Storage Association and SSA.

In Maryland, House Bill 603 is very similar, stipulating tenant-insurance programs offered by self-storage operators fall within the limited-lines regulations authorized by the state insurance commissioner. It would require that storage employees authorized to offer tenant insurance undergo a training program approved by the commissioner. However, each employee would need only one limited-lines license to offer insurance at multiple facilities in the state.

The Maryland measure also stipulates that self-storage operators would not need to obtain a license to merely disseminate brochures or promotional materials on behalf of an authorized insurer. If passed, the bill would go into effect July 1. It is supported by the Maryland Self Storage Association and SSA.

Both state bills would also require operators to make certain disclosures to customers, including a statement that insurance coverage may duplicate coverage in a policy already held by the tenant. If tenant insurance is listed as a conditional requirement on a rental agreement, customers would be able to satisfy the requirement by purchasing the insurance offered through the self-storage facility or by producing evidence of other applicable coverage.

Among the states to adopt similar self-storage tenant-insurance measures last year were Indiana, Oregon and Tennessee.

Universal Storage Containers LLC (USC), a provider of foldable, portable moving and storage containers for self-storage and other industries, is celebrating the successful 2013 season of its sponsored cycling team. The USC Cycling Team raced 110 times and earned 40 top-10 finishes, eight top-three finishes and two wins. It was the second year USC sponsored the group, which includes 20 Colorado-based amateur bike racers who compete in road, mountain-bike and cyclo-cross races.

Over the course of the season, the squad raced under the USC flag in all sorts of weather. This season saw tougher conditions across the board than the last for us, but Im proud of the way our riders came out every weekend, rain or shine, freeze or thaw, said Rod Bolls, USC Vice President and cycling-team manager. Our individual results were solid, and that helped us in the team classification, which is something we value highly here. Its a very competitive state.

The USC team took first place in the mens cyclo-cross 35-plus, Category 3, and eighth in the 35-plus team category. The squad also enjoyed racing in the USA Cycling National Cyclo-Cross Championships in Boulder, Colo., where the team is based.

It allowed us all to come out and compete late in the season against top talent and fly the USC banner high, Bolls said. I can only hope next season sees our momentum continue.         

Based in New Canaan, Conn., USC has offices in Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts and Michigan. Its products include portable "instant office" containers, portable walk-in coolers and freezers, emergency-response containers, and more.

Members of the USC Cycling Team celebrate a victory.

SpareFoot, an online marketplace for the self-storage industry, recently released a list of America's Top 15 Economic Power Towns. To compile the list, the company looked at U.S. towns with 50,000 residents or fewer (based on U.S. Census bureau data) that are home to at least one Fortune 500 company. More than 120 towns met the criteria. To rank the towns, SpareFoot analyzed the following characteristics:

• Home-ownership rate
• Median household income
• Local unemployment rate
• Percentage of residents living in poverty
• Ratio of median home value to median income
• Median value of owner-occupied homes

  The list includes the following towns:

1. McLean, Va.
2. Weston, Mass.
3. Riverwoods, Ill.
4. Franklin Lakes, N.J.
5. Warren, N.J.
6. Armonk, N.Y.
7. Des Peres, Mo.
8. Westport, Conn.
9. Oak Brook, Ill.
10. Dublin, Ohio
11. Chesterbrook, Pa.
12. Deerfield, Ill.
13. Rye, N.Y.
14. Lake Forest, Ill
15. Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Additional list statistics are available on The SpareFoot Blog.

Founded in 2008, 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. 

By Sasha Fritzel

In this technological age, social media initiatives can make up a large part of a self-storage operation's marketing strategy. Businesses are expected to maintain pages on all the popular platforms, and customers have grown to expect the transparency and consistency in communication that social media allows.

One medium that has gained a following for marketing is the professional networking website LinkedIn. Growing exponentially, LinkedIn is ranked third for social media in terms of unique monthly users, according to eBusiness Knowledgebase, a website that offers online marketing and analytics. The outlet claims to have more than 250 million members. Once used only for jobseekers, LinkedIn has made consistent improvements to its features. The end result is a sleek, modern interface that lends itself well to all types of marketing.

Interacting With Customers

Much like Facebook, LinkedIn gives self-storage businesses the option to create a page members can find in search results, view and follow. Fan engagement is also similar to Facebook in that followers are able to like updates as well as comment and share.

LinkedIn offers an additional feature unique to its platform, which is the ability to view employees on a business page as well as job listings and company-culture information. This feature ensures your self-storage page is not only reaching customers but potential employees and business partners.

Using LinkedIn Pages

Engagement is key on LinkedIn. To reach the most customers, curating and creating sharable and interesting content is vital. Customers will be drawn to your page if they find your content interesting, so offer relatable, topical material. For example, self-storage operators can include tips for storing and preserving specialty items, organization, and household chores. The idea is to mix business promotions with useful and educational content so the page doesnt appear too sales-oriented.

How often you engage is equally as important as the content you post. Companies that consider social media to be an essential component of marketing are more likely to update on a regular basis, which will lead to richer customer engagement. The website recently released its 10 Best LinkedIn Company Pages for 2013. The No. 1 pick was software company Adobe Systems Inc., which consistently updates its page multiple times per day.

In addition to company pages, LinkedIn offers a secondary page feature called showcase pages. These allow a company to highlight particular brands or product offerings separate from the company main page. Showcase pages are helpful for self-storage companies with multiple locations, as the brand page can be maintained separately, and each location can have a page of its own. They function very similarly to company pages, giving followers the ability to like, share and comment on content.

Meeting Occupancy Goals

For self-storage owners and managers, meeting or exceeding occupancy goals is a critical part of the business. The more storage units occupied, the better, and social media content should always be a part of the marketing mix to help achieve these goals.

LinkedIn is an ideal platform to advertise specials or promotions, either company-wide or just for specific locations. The audience will typically be comprised of professionals, so gearing content to that demographic will further boost occupancy. For example, college students looking for their first internship will likely be on LinkedIn, so lure them in with a summer storage special.

Apart from generating new customers, it can also be a great place to network with industry groups and potential partners. There are industry groups available to discuss potential marketing initiatives, networking groups to reach complimentary businesses (such as moving companies), and recruiting tools to locate and contact new talent.

If your business is having trouble reaching its core customer base, LinkedIn has a feature called Sponsored Updates. Theres a fee, but these updates could potentially deliver scores of new followers that could turn into customers. Think of them as advertising, except its on a social media platform instead of a newspaper ad.

LinkedIn allows the business to set a budget and target specific demographics based on geographical area, age, gender and occupation. This is a great tool if your goal is to finally zero in on the upper-level executives crowd near your Phoenix location, or perhaps the young professionals in Des Moines, Iowa. The options for targeting are seemingly endless. With the right budget, you can reach any of the 250 million members currently using LinkedIn.

Contributing to Branding Goals

Social media has become an essential tool for marketers to drive traffic to websites, increase revenue and strengthen branding. With so many components to a companys online presence, consistency and quality are key in ensuring your brand doesnt get lost in the shuffle. Social media makes this easier by giving companies a platform to introduce new brand initiatives to customers on a regular basis.

LinkedIn in particular has become a key resource for branding because of its professional image. It presents itself as the more buttoned-up social media in the pack, and it has the content to match. Because the websites focus is on companies through-and-through, brand-specific content doesnt seem out of place as it sometimes can on Facebook or Pinterest.

Leads generated by LinkedIn are more likely to be authentic and meaningful. The numbers are powerful43 percent of marketers have found a customer on LinkedIn, according to the website. The audience may be smaller than other social media, but its mightier! Introducing this audience to your brand is a crucial step in the marketing process. They are power players and will be advocates for your message.

While the power of social media is being touted by self-storage professionals everywhere, LinkedIn is consistently being overlooked because of its reputation as a website for jobseekers. However, it continues to add features that benefit businesses and the number of users keeps growing. The best time to start using this social medium was yesterday, so get ahead of the crowd and include it as part of your social-media marketing strategy.

Sasha Fritzel has been writing and creating all her life. After graduating from the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas School, she decided she might as well make a living at it. She found her dream job at Go Local Interactive as a marketing coordinator and assists the team with any and all things marketing. The company helps businesses acquire new customers through results-based online marketing solutions.

With self-storage development on the upswing after nearly five years of slow activity, new owners and investors interested in the industry may be eager to participate in an in-depth Developers Workshop on March 30 at the Inside Self-Storage World Expo in Las Vegas. Led by RK Kliebenstein, vice president of acquisitions for Chicago-based operator Metro Storage LLC, the four-hour seminar will offer lessons learned during the Great Recession and identify new pathways to industry success.

Offered from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the session also features a panel of self-storage builders and real estate investors who will share insight to ground-up construction, conversion projects and facility renovations, including case studies that illustrate specific development strategies. The panel includes James Bratton, president of MST Constructors/Akamai Real Estate Investments; Charles Plunkett, CEO of Capco Steel Inc.; and Caesar Wright, president and CEO of Mako Steel Inc.

Kliebenstein has more than 25 years of industry experience and was formerly president of Coast-To-Coast Storage, a consulting firm offering feasibility studies, site selection, financing, management and marketing services. He has been a frequent speaker at the ISS Expo, and his books on “How to Make Money in Self-Storage” are sold through the ISS Store, an e-commerce website providing research and education products for self-storage professionals.

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, facility ownership, legal issues 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.

Titan Storage in Littlehampton, England, is offering up to two months of free storage to victims of the country’s recent flooding. The facility is in the Riverside Industrial Estate.

Littlehampton and surrounding areas have experienced flooding since early January due to heavy rains. On Monday, more than 1,000 homes in the Thames Valley and West Country were evacuated. The flooding will continue to impact residents and business owners for at least another week, according to the Environment Agency, a U.K. government organization that provides public information and materials about rivers, flooding and pollution. The agency issued flood and high-wind warnings on Monday for areas in England and Wales.

Littlehampton is a seaside resort town in West Sussex about 51 miles from London. It sits on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun and has a population of more than 25,000 residents.

Titan Storage was launched in 2012 by Ducalian, a private-equity firm specializing in creating value through planning, developing and occupancy growth in the U.K. real estate market. In addition to its facility in Littlehampton, Titan operates stores in Bracknell, Braintree and Leamington Spa.