Compass Self Storage LLC, a member of the Amsdell family of companies, recently acquired a self-storage facility in Jacksonville, Fla., and another in Acworth, Ga. The properties will be rebranded as Compass Self Storage. The acquisitions were made by separate affiliates of Amsdell Group LLC and Compass Self Storage LLC.

The facility at 2825 St. Johns Bluff Road in Jacksonville encompasses nearly 60,000 net rentable square feet of storage space. It’s the company’s 12th location in the Florida market. Amenities include drive-up units, video cameras, online-payment options, and moving and packing supplies.

“We are pleased to enter the Jacksonville market and provide top-notch customer service to our new customers in the Jacksonville area,” said Todd Amsdell, president.

The acquisition at 5488 Wade Green Road in Acworth includes more than 42,000 net rentable square feet of storage space. It’s the company’s fifth location in the Georgia market. Amenities match those of the Acworth property but also include outdoor parking.

Company growth is projected to continue in 2014 with the acquisition and development of self-storage properties in select markets, company representatives said in a press release.

Headquartered in Cleveland, the Amsdell Cos. draws its roots from the family-owned construction company founded in 1928. Since its inception, the company has been active in several billions of dollars of real estate ventures, with a primary focus on self-storage. It has owned and operated more than 500 storage centers under various trade names in more than 27 states. It currently owns and operates properties in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

By Nick Bilava

Spring is a time when a lot of people move or clean out their homes. College students also need a place to store their belongings when the semester ends. For these reasons, it's generally a strong lease-up period in the self-storage industry. For most facility operators, it's an incredibly important time of the year. They need to maximize the opportunity, but how?

Online marketing is a great place to start. There are several ways to boost your business exposure on the Web and fill units during this critical stretch.

Start With Your Website

Your website should be the initial launching zone to your facility’s online marketing. Other techniques can drive traffic back to your website, but if it doesn’t represent your business or offer valuable information and a great user experience, many of your marketing efforts might go to waste.

Your website should present your business in a positive light. It truly is your online storefront, so it should be professional and up-to-date. Also, highlighting features such as online payment and reservation capabilities is a bonus for current and prospective renters. People are getting more accustomed to making purchases and decisions from their mobile devices. Giving them this convenience is important because it increases the chances that they will take action and rent from you.

Another important aspect is easy navigation. This should be absolutely front of mind when designing or upgrading your website. If you have something useful such as online-reservation capabilities, making it hard to find will completely defeat the purpose and frustrate visitors.

Establish Local and Social Presences

Not all online-marketing techniques are easy to execute or provide quick results. However, establishing a local online presence is relatively simple compared to other options. In fact, self-storage operators can claim local profiles on their own with a little time and effort. Local profiles on Google+, Yahoo!, Bing, Yelp and other directories are easy to claim and can make an impact within a few weeks. These directories receive high traffic and are used by millions to find local businesses. These profiles can also help storage operators in organic searches.

Social media profiles are equally as important; and in a way, local search and social media are merging. While being active on social media and interacting with other businesses and people within the area has unlimited potential, just having a presence is better than not having anything at all, as it increases chances of being found by self-storage seekers.

Many social media websites like Google+ and Facebook have local business features and are even used like a search engine by networkers. In fact, Google Places was moved within Google+, which put one of Google’s most used services within its social network. The best thing about these options is they can be set up at no cost.

Use Paid-Search Advertising

For self-storage operators looking to increase visibility even more during the spring lease-up period, paid search advertising—often referred to as pay-per-click or PPC advertising—is another way to increase Web traffic. Paid search is a very simple concept. Businesses create ads and bid for placement on popular search engines like Google and Bing. PPC advertising allows you to buy your way onto the first page of search engine results where the visibility is highest.

One reason paid search is a great tool for facilities is it can have an instant impact. Once the ads have been created, they can be live within a few hours. When using paid search, however, keep in mind that you pay for every click you receive. This means you have to make every one count. In other words, keep people on your site, so they’re not just clicking and leaving.

Paid search ads bring storage seekers to your website, where the decision to rent from your facility is made. If you’re paying for people to visit a website that isn’t converting prospects to tenants, paid search will not be a good monetary investment. Paid search can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool with very high return on investment, but it has to be done right.

Consider Self-Storage Directories

Your website and the Web space you own are important, but they can only take you so far. There are more than 20 first-page positions to choose from in online search results. Businesses that do an absolutely incredible job of online marketing can achieve around three spots on the first page of the major search engines. While this is possible, it’s hard to do, and one of those positions would require you to pay for placement through PPC.

Self-storage directories are another way to get your name in front of more potential tenants. These rank well for online storage searches and can help your chances of being found through another one to two of the positions on these results pages.

Storage directories receive high traffic volume from all over the nation. They give facilities an increased local presence while making it easier for those moving into the area to find a storage solution. In addition, facilities that are struggling to be found online because of a high competition will find directories are an incredibly affordable way to get the high-quality visibility they need.

Although directories come at a price, the return on investment is hard to contest. The payment models vary, but some offer performance-based services so operators only pay for the leads they receive.

There are many options when it comes to improving your online visibility. Whether you're looking for quick and free ways to increase your exposure or are willing to pay for help, the Web provides plenty of ways to maximize rental opportunities during the spring lease-up season.

Nick Bilava is the director of sales and marketing for Storage.com. He has been an active member of the storage community for more than seven years and can be found at various industry events throughout the nation. His goal is to help self-storage operators market their business more efficiently and effectively.

Self Storage Association Asia (SSAA), a trade association dedicated to assisting self-storage operators and industry suppliers working in emerging markets along the Pacific Rim, launched recently during Self Storage Expo Asia 2014 in Hong Kong. The SSAA will provide members with access to industry statistics, networking opportunities, legal documentation and news, officials said in a press release.

"The potential of this industry is massive. It is growing quickly from a low base and has a long way to go to match penetration rates in developed markets like the United States, [Europe] and Australia," said John Perrins, executive chairman of Steel Storage Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia, who will serve as association chair. "Our association is happy to work with successful self-storage associations around the world to bring the best of class to Asian operators seeking to exploit this exciting new market."

A provisional board featuring operators and vendors from Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore was selected. In addition, new members were signed from Australia, Philippines and the United Kingdom, SSAA officials said.

"My regional colleagues and I are honored to accept this responsibility to provide a platform for industry players to learn from each other, share best practices and raise industry standards," said Helen Ng, CEO of Lock+Store in Singapore, who was elected the association’s deputy chair. "Rapid industry growth will drive interest from investors and entrepreneurs as Asia's growing consumer class discovers the convenience of self-storage."

Marilyn Leslie, president of MiniCo Asia Ltd. in Hong Kong, was elected treasurer. Other board members include Gary Beadell, owner, The Store House (Hong Kong); Kevin Chan, CEO, Store Friendly Self Storage Group Pty. Ltd. (Hong Kong); Michael Hagbeck, founder of Extra Space Self Storage [not affiliated with the U.S. self-storage real estate investment trust Extra Space Storage Inc.] (Singapore); Jes Johansen, managing director, Store Friendly Self Storage Group Pty. Ltd. (Singapore); and Stephen Spohn, president and representative director, Quraz Ltd. (Japan).

Marketing a self-storage business today is a convoluted process involving a myriad of online and offline strategies. Facility owners and managers looking to strengthen their marketing efforts will find information and strategies at next week’s Inside Self-Storage World Expo, March 30-April 2, in Las Vegas.

The Marketing Track on April 1 includes three seminars designed to help operators improve their marketing programs. The first session, at 8:30 a.m., offers insight to building a grassroots-marketing campaign. Speakers Shari Sutton, owner, and Heather Saldaña, marketing executive, of Sutton Watkins Advertising & Marketing, will show operators how to embrace new marketing strategies, establish relationships with key community members, and perfect their “sales” pitch to get real results.

The 9:45 a.m. seminar, “Online-Marketing Metrics: How to Track, Interpret and Use Your Results,” will share ways to track marketing efforts on a cost per rental by media source. Led by speaker Jason Barrett, president and chief operating officer of Go Local Interactive, the session will identify which metrics are critical and how operators can use the collected information to improve their online marketing.

The final seminar of the day, at 11 a.m., focuses on search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM). Speaker Christopher Baird, CEO of Automatit Inc., will highlight mistakes operators often make in their SEO and SEM strategies. The session will include information about tracking online efforts and website content.

In addition, this year’s show includes an all-new event on April 2 designed to help operators navigate social media and improve their standing. Beginning at 8 a.m. and concluding at 11:50 a.m., the Social Media Mastery Workshop will delve into a variety of topics. Speaker David Wolf, managing partner of Linkmedia 360, will discuss the essentials of popular platforms, page content that gets the best results, measurement techniques, and tools to help optimize pages for SEO. Separate registration is required.

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. Four additional workshop options are also available, focusing on day-to-day management, development, facility ownership and legal issues.

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 revenue-generation strategies, best practices, current trends, and new products and services. Details and online registration are available at www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com.

 

Lawai Cannery Row Self Storage & Warehousing in Kalaheo, Hawaii, hosted a garage sale on March 23 to benefit the Kauai branch of Easter Seals of Hawaii, a charity that provides individualized family-centered services to people with disabilities or special needs. The facility launched the community event six years ago to raise funds for various aid organizations. Those looking to sell items at the sale pay a registration fee, which is donated to a designated group each year.

Easter Seals has been the beneficiary of the event for three consecutive years, receiving a total of $15,000 in donations. This year the charity also took advantage of a free booth from which it sold rummage items. A total of 35 vendors participated in the sale.

This year’s garage sale coincided with the Easter Seals Molokai Sweetbread sale. Community members who placed orders were able to pick them up at the self-storage event.

Easter Seals typically hosts two garage-sale fundraisers per year, but only one is scheduled in 2014, Liz Ann Vidinha of Easter Seals told the source. The donations are split among the three Kauai centers in Kapaa, Lihue and Waimea to fund a variety of activities including a summer event and a year-end holiday lunch.

Lawai Cannery Row Self Storage & Warehousing, 3470 Lauoho Road, is open every day. Amenities include boat/RV parking, drive-up access and packing and moving supplies.

The William Warren Group Inc. (WWG), a privately held real estate company that operates the StorQuest Self Storage brand, has appointed Tracy Sells as its new director of strategic partnerships. In this role, she will be responsible for the oversight and advancement of WWG’s third-party management program, generating new business for the company’s portfolio of self-storage assets, as well as ongoing management of strategic partnerships.

Sells has 18 years of experience in the storage industry. Her various leadership roles have spanned many aspects of self-storage development and operation including risk management, human resources, investor relations, finance and acquisitions.

Before joining WWG, Sells was the director of third-party management for self-storage real estate investment trust CubeSmart, where she was responsible for sales and asset management for the company’s specialized program. Prior to that position, she was the vice president of franchise/third-party management programs for Storage USA.

“Tracy’s proven success in third-party management and firsthand experience within all facets of the industry makes her not only a valuable asset to our third-party management program, but to all of our company’s operations,” said WWG President and CEO Bill Hobin. “We’re looking forward to the insight and leadership she will bring to our team, and the support she will provide to our third-party owners and investors.”

Founded in 1994 and based in Santa Monica, Calif., WWG is a privately held real estate company that develops, acquires and operates self-storage facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, South Carolina and Texas.

CubeSmart, a self-storage real estate investment trust, has opened its 23rd location in New York City. The new facility, which is also the company’s 11th in the Bronx Borough, will feature indoor, climate-controlled units. Customer-service amenities will include access to labor assistance and customized storage options such as individual lighting, electricity, automatic door openers and video monitoring.

The facility at 1235 E. Tremont Ave. will also target business customers by offering free WiFi, a workspace, document shredding, package receipt, and item retrieval and shipping.

"Our new East Tremont location nicely complements our existing Bronx footprint and further solidifies our position as the storage provider of choice for New York City residents,” said Christopher Marr, president and CEO. “We are excited to make our unique storage and logistics solutions even more convenient for the East Tremont and surrounding neighborhoods and look forward to serving these new CubeSmart customers."

CubeSmart owns or manages 538 self-storage facilities across the United States and operates the CubeSmart Network, which consists of more than 800 additional self-storage 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.

A woman was allegedly imprisoned and beaten for two days at an Atlantic Self Storage facility in Jacksonville, Fla., before she escaped on Sunday and was rescued by passersby. The unidentified victim apparently escaped when her captor fell asleep. Two witnesses driving by the property saw the victim naked and bloody outside the facility, and stayed with her after calling 911.

"We drove by the storage unit and observed what we thought was a homeless person," witness Justin Dhaemers told the source. "We decided to turn around. We were wrong. She was a badly beaten lady, very unrecognizable, like out of a horror story. It was unbelievable."

Police have arrested Haywood West, 38, and charged him with felony battery causing great bodily harm, permanent disability or disfigurement, and false imprisonment. A second suspect was questioned by authorities but has not been charged. The victim’s daughters told the source their mother was friends with West.

The victim was transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, including extensive bruising and bite marks. Her daughters said doctors told them their mother may be permanently blind. The woman was expected to have surgery early this week.

Daughter Mandy said her mother was nearly unrecognizable. “It was not like my mother was laying there. It was like something off TV or something," she said. "It wasn't like her at all. Her face was basically mangled and beaten in."

Among the largest business concerns of self-storage operators is protecting their assets from risk and exposure to liability. Facility owners and managers looking to bolster their risk-management strategies will find information at this year’s Inside Self-Storage World Expo, March 30-April 2, in Las Vegas.

The Limiting Liability education track on April 1 will include three seminars. The first, at 8:30 a.m., will focus on the differences between tenant-insurance and tenant-protection (warranty) plans. Attorney Jeffrey Greenberger, a partner with Katz, Greenberger & Norton LLP, will moderate this panel discussion on “Contents Coverage,” examining the pros and cons of both types of plans, which products can be offered in what states, coverage exclusions, and revenue possibilities for operators.

In the 9:45 a.m. session, “Social Media and Online Marketing: Avoiding Exposure and Mitigating Risk,” Mike Schofield, president and CEO of MiniCo Insurance Agency LLC, will discuss some of the pitfalls and potential legal risks self-storage operators face when using social media and other online marketing techniques to promote their facilities. The seminar will also examine the importance of ongoing employee training and how operators can monitor their online presence.

At 11 a.m., Greenberger and Dan Kryzanowski, key account manager with SpareFoot, will lead a discussion on “Self-Storage Disaster Recovery and Social Media.” The seminar will examine the types of disasters that could strike a self-storage business and how facilities can be affected. It will cover how operators should communicate to customers during such instances and what legal actions they may need to take after a catastrophic event.

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. Five add-on workshop options are also available, focusing on day-to-day management, development, 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.

Eastland Storage in North Versailles, Pa., celebrated its grand opening on March 21. The self-storage facility, which was converted from an existing building at 836 East Pittsburgh-McKeesport Blvd., includes 99 storage units ranging in size from 25 to 150 square feet. Amenities include a kiosk and free use of the facility’s moving van for new customers.

The building once housed Michaels Associates, a company that distributes educational books. Owner Greg Michaels told the source he downsized the book business several years ago due to market changes, and consolidated the North Versailles location with one in Monroeville, Pa. After researching the industry, he decided to convert the building he’s owned since 2002 to self-storage. The property was home to a furniture business before Michaels purchased it.

Development began about a year ago after Michaels attended industry tradeshows and met with vendors, according to the source. He also consulted with township officials on the demographics of the area and determined self-storage would be a good fit for the existing structure. The building is considered a landmark due to its proximity to the now-empty Eastland Mall, Michaels said, and the demographic study revealed a large elderly population and an abundance of apartment residents in the area.

The conversion was financed through Clearview Federal Credit Union of Moon Township, Pa.