Police arrested a convicted felon March 10 in Red Bluff, Calif., after they discovered 14 weapons, including two illegal assault weapons, in his self-storage unit at Baker Road Mini Storage.

Robert Lee Stone, 40, is prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition because of his prior conviction. Tehama County sheriff's deputies were conducting a business check at Baker Mini Storage around 10:45 p.m. when they saw a vehicle driving through the parking lot without its lights on. They later saw Stone in his unit, and he consented to a search of it. Deputies found the weapons and several ammunition cans full of ammo while searching.

The suspect is in Tehama County jail in lieu of $30,000 bail.

The first Inside Self-Storage World Expo Bill Fox ever attended was in 2001. Fox, a builder by trade, was seeking information about the industry and looking for potential vendors who could help him build his first self-storage facility. Armed with new contacts and a wealth of information, Fox returned to his home in Pomona, Calif., and built Route 66 Self Storage.

A decade later, Fox remains an ISS expo devotee. The show helps us stay sharp, Fox said of the Inside Self-Storage World Expo, which took place in Las Vegas this week.  This year, Fox even brought along his assistant manager to attend the education seminars and workshops. Its always interesting to see new trends and see what other facilities are doing, he said.

Celebrating its 20^th anniversary, the Inside Self-Storage World Expo drew hundreds of self-storage owners, operators, investors, builders and vendors from around the countryand dozens from around the world. The three-day event included education, exhibits, workshops and more.

The atmosphere at the 2011 expo truly reflected the events theme: Write Your Next Chapter. Like Fox, operators recognize theres increased competition for every rental dollar, so theyre seeking education and tools to ensure their facility is the best in their markets.

Operators are focusing on the core elements of their business, said Troy Bix, publisher of Inside Self-Storage magazine. Theyre seeking training for themselves and their employees, and theyre looking at new marketing and technology tools. The expo is a dynamic event where they can learn from other storage professionals, attend seminars and meet with suppliers in the industry.

Education, Events & Exhibits

The wide range of seminars offered at this years show, March 14-16 at the Paris Hotel & Resort, included financing, development and construction, facility management, marketing, and more. One particular topic of interest at this years show was lien sales. Not only have many operators seen an increase in defaulted rental contracts, but the popularity of the A&E hit TV series Storage Wars is shining a light on the self-storage industry and driving treasure seekers to auctions. R. J. Knox, an owner of two facilities in New York and one in Florida, said the seminar on bankruptcy was exactly the kind of information he was seeking. That hour went by way too fast, he said.

Another avenue many operators explored was technology. In addition to several seminars, the Expo also hosted a Technology Marketplace during the second day of the show. Attendees were invited to talk to technology vendors and experts about whats new in self-storage software, online marketing, security and more. Technology is really changing how operators market their facilities, said Robert Chiti, president of OpenTech Alliance Inc., makers of the INSOMNIAC line of kiosks. It can help them be more efficient and save money.

In addition to two days of education, expo attendees enjoyed a lively Q&A session with industry experts Mel Holsinger of Professional Self Storage Management LLC and Jim Chiswell of Chiswell & Associates LLC. The interactive Q&A enabled operators, investors, builders and other industry professionals to discuss the issues they face today. The show also featured five add-on workshops, a Buyers & Sellers Meeting and roundtable discussions.

The exhibit hall opened on March 15 with more than 150 exhibitors displaying self-storage products and services, including a dozen first-time exhibitors. Companies included developers and builders, online marketing consultants, brokers, financiers, insurance experts, door manufacturers, security and software vendors and many others.

Next Stop: Tacoma, Wash.

The Inside Self-Storage World Expo will head to a new region this fall: the Pacific Northwest. The annual fall conference, Oct. 4-6, will be at Hotel Murano and the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center in Tacoma, Wash. The expo will include three education tracks exploring marketing, management, construction, finance and more. There will also be several workshops, networking events, and two days of exhibits with more than 75 of the industrys leading suppliers. In addition, the show will feature education and exhibits specific to the Canadian self-storage audience.

Details about the show will become available at www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com as they unfold.

Tucson, Ariz.-based National Self Storage Management Inc. has formed the National Self Storage Alliance, a cooperative intended to help small and mid-size self-storage operators save money on online advertising and other services through shared branding power. Alliance members will maintain full operational control of their businesses but agree to operate under the Alliance brand and logo, helping to build a nationwide Web presence.

Basic monthly dues include the brand license, representation on NationalSelfStorage.com, regional advertising, and listings on StorageFront.com, SelfStorageVille.com and MerchantCircle.com. More benefits will be added over time such as TV and radio advertising.

The Alliance is a non-profit organization of self-storage owners and operators lead by president and CEO Travis Morrow.

Many storage operators are competing for the same prime Google real estate of showing up in the top three organic searches for their respective keywords. By joining the Alliance, all of these competing dollars could be spent driving traffic and renters to one website and one brand instead of a multitude of sites, according to an Alliance press release.

Last week's flooding in the Philadelphia area inspired a self-storage facility in Nockamixon, Pa., to offer free self-storage and parking to local residents affected by the storms.

Lackland Self Storage, which has more than 25 locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is giving local residents the rest of March and April for free at the Nockamixon site, as well as a site in New Jersey. Facility representatives expect to be storing furniture and other belongings that may have been damaged or were forced to be moved to avoid damage.

Lackland Self Storage has committed to other philanthropic efforts in the past. Late last year, they partnered with a New Jersey radio station to collect more than $50,000 worth of holiday gifts for needy families.

Carol Krendl, owner and CEO of SkilCheck Services, will host a free webinar for self-storage operators on March 21, 11 a.m. PST, on how to handle customer objections during the sales process. The 30-minute online seminar will provide facility managers with pointers for closing the sale and deflecting opposition from prospects.

Krendl will also host a one-hour webinar on March 25, 10 a.m. PST, titled 5 Steps to Telephone Success. During this event, she will walk attendees through each step of the telephone sales process. The cost to attend this event is $39 per attendee.

Registration for both webinars can be completed at www.skilcheck.com/selfstoragewebinars.html.

Krendl has been involved with the self-storage industry since 1984. She currently serves vice president of the California Self Storage Association. SkilCheck provides services for self-storage operators including mystery shopping, manager background checks, manager training, employment evaluations and more.

USStoragesearch.com recently raised $5,000 for Kure It, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding innovative kidney and other cancer research.

The money was raised during the 2011 1st Quarter Feature Listing Auction at USstoragesearch.com. The company conducts a quarterly auction for its members who wish to secure a featured listing. Having learned of Kure It last fall, USstoragesearch.com saw an opportunity to use the quarterly auction as a way for the storage community to come together and support a worthy cause.

USStoragesearch.com will present a check to Kure It and its founder, Barry Hoeven, whos also president of Westport Properties, during the Inside Self Storage World Expo in Las Vegas on march 15.

Kure It raises money from the private sector and redirects those funds, through competitive grants, to kidney and other cancer researchers conducting groundbreaking research projects to better treat and ultimately cure kidney and other cancers. Kure Its goal is to lead the self-storage industry in the charge to raise $1 million for cancer research.

By John Fogg

In the world of technology, compatibility is todays buzzword. With changing operating systems, Internet providers, software platforms, computers and hardware devices, making sure multiple products work together can be challenging. Fortunately, the way of the world is to provide or make available interfaces for various programs and systems. In the self-storage arena, this hasnt always been the case.

For a self-storage operation, its important that the management of rental accounts links easily with the management of renters movements through the propertyand, of course, to deter the activity of any unauthorized wrongdoers. The goal should be to have a smooth-running office by linking valid software products designed for self-storage.

The word compatibility implies a relationship. In this case, the relationship may be between several different companies and their products. For example, the management software may need to communicate with the sites access control, alarm system, kiosk, accounting package, video surveillance and the Internet. When marrying software developed by different manufacturers, some limitations are bound to exist.

Finding Harmony

As new products, features and companies are added to the mix, software modifications and additions are necessary to keep things working efficiently. When you receive updates or upgrades from one of your providers, it doesnt always mean the new features will work with another system. There are several considerations to ensure systems work in harmony.

Your management software is where most transactions originate, so its the first component to consider. You may expect the program to communicate pertinent information to your gate and keypad software. New move-ins and move-outs, denying access to late tenants, and restoring immediate access privileges are accomplished. Keypads will need to communicate with individual door alarms to disarm the appropriate door, based on the code entered. Therefore, the keypad and door-alarm systems need to be from the same manufacturer.

The management software may be from different manufacturer than the security software. If this is the case, youll need to purchase the interface from both vendors. One will not have access to the others product. If youre switching from one management program to another, it may require changing a part in the existing keypad and re-educating your customer to a different passcode sequence. In this scenario, ask your new management-software provider what it requires.

To ensure you have the functionality you desire, confirm with all manufacturers that the systems youre buying will work together. Beware of representatives who say, Yes, we interface with so-and-so company, or Yes, the interface is included across the board. Youll need to be specific which products youre trying to marry. Each company and its products may be different.

You should also expect companies to charge for the interface service. Interfaces take time and development money to write and support. So ask all companies involved prior to purchasing if the particular system youre considering will interface.

Working With Other Programs

With the need to be compatible with additional operating systems, providers and programs, software has become more sophisticated. For example, some operators have linked their operation to an accounting package, such as QuickBooks. Without an interface to the management software, entries would need to be made twice.

Another system with which your management software may interact is a kiosk. Its function is to take payments and process new rentals at an unattended location. The management software will communicate any new information to the gate software, such as a new move-in code or a late customer whos settling debt. (Beware that a vacancy seal or overlock may still need to be removed from a unit in this scenario.) Most management software now has an interface to kiosks.

In some cases, because of distance, the communication from the management computer to the gate-control module will be reliant on an Internet service providing a static IP address. Web-based software or one that uses features enabled through the Internet may specify which service provider you choose. The ability to take online payments and reservations directly through the management program and to e-mail notices and letters will be dependent on a provider with a proven track record. Consult your software provider for advice when making this choice.

Guidelines for Processing Credit Cards

Credit-card processing through management software can greatly automate the sales process, from swiping the card and getting the authorization, to depositing the funds in a facilitys bank account. Automatic renewals may also be completed.

New credit-card industry guidelines, which took effect in July 2010, established much stricter handling of credit-card information. Software providers had to scramble to make their programs compliant with these guidelines. To ensure youre in accordance, consult your management-software representative before making a decision on a provider for credit-card processing. Ask him to recommend a processor, which will eliminate your risk and help you be compliant.

Do Your Homework

One way to eliminate some of the compatibility legwork is to choose a company whose products can handle more of your facility functions needed at your facility. For example, look for a vendor that provides management as well as gate-access software and products. Similarly, choosing management-software provider that hosts its own online payments and reservations can strike the need to seek a third party. If you plan on using a call center, ask your software representative which centers can interface with his companys products.

The moral of the story is to do your homework. Work with the representatives of the various companies as consultants. Beware of those who say they can do everything, or those who are inflexible. Most of the time, you can accomplish the operation you desirethough it may not be accomplished exactly in the way you thought. If you do this up front, you will have a smooth-running, well-oiled operation for years to come.

John Fogg has been in the self-storage business for 25 years. He is the general manager of Sentinel Systems Corp., a Lakewood, Colo.-based manufacturer of property-management software and security-access systems, individual door alarms, wireless door alarms, camera packages and more. For more information, call 800.456.9955, ext. ext. 405; e-mail [email protected] ; visit www.sentinelsystems.com .

A 54,000-square-foot Brunos grocery store in Birmingham, Ala., was recently converted into an iStore self-storage facility. iStore partners and retail real estate veterans Hugo Isom, Gary Pharo, Will Akin and Greg Hess are focused on creative ways to re-use obsolete big box buildings.

The new facility contains approximately 600 climate-controlled units and 11 enclosed parking spaces for boats or RVs. Adding a mezzanine to the interior created a second level, giving the project 73,000 square feet of rentable space. Since the sea of asphalt in front of the building would not be required for parking, the iStore developers sold a portion of the lot to Taco Bell and Bojangles.

Opened in February, the new iStore project includes a business center for commercial customers that includes a 60-inch color monitor, laptop-friendly work stations with free WiFi , a self-serve coffee bar, and a warming drawer for fresh=baked cookies.

The site also promotes eco-friendly choices and options for its business and customers. The facility offers recycling programs for cardboard and plastic waste. Promotional materials are printed on eco-friendly paper, recycled and bio degradable plastics, and soy-based inks when possible. Energy-saving light bulbs, appliances and HVAC systems help to control the drain on energy resources.

Facility operation is overseen by Universal Management Co. The site managers are Franz and Cindy June, who have more than 10 years of self-storage industry experience.

A Bermuda self-storage facility recently added a level and 84 units to its location, citing growing demand for self-storage on the island.

Island Self Storage, located on the Mill Reach Properties site in Pembroke Parish, opened its new level of 5-by-5 and 10-by-10 spaces on March 14. Operators Don Mackenzie and Glen Smith said potential renters have been waiting for space since July 2010 when the facility opened. They claim the facility is the first in Bermuda, and reached 90 percent occupancy six months after opening, surpassing the U.S. industry average of 18 months to two years to reach 80 percent.

Island Self Storage now has 381 units, including 20 designated for wine storage. Other features include parking spaces for 47 cars and 42 bicycles, as well as a security system with cameras, lighting, and 24/7 access. The climate-controlled facility sits on less than an acre and provides floor dehumidification and emergency power backup.

The facility's parent company, New Venture Holdings Ltd., has its offices within the four-story building. New Venture is also planning to add rentable office space, called Suite Solutions, to its portfolio.

Statesville, N.C.-based BETCO Inc., a manufacturer of metal self-storage buildings and components, hired Mike Fullam as a sales representative covering the territory of Delaware, Maryland, North Virginia and Washington, D.C. Fullam was most recently a partner in a small financial company. During his career, he financed more than $150 million in assets over a 25-year period.

A native of Rochester, N.Y., Fullam received a bachelors of science degree from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, N.Y. He and his wife, Karin, have a son, Brendan, and daughter, Ellice.

BETCO produces self-storage roll-up doors and hallway systems and also provides refurbishing of existing buildings.