A Redlands, Calif., man was arrested Saturday on suspicion of stabbing his girlfriend to death at a self-storage facility. Tommy Lee Mendivil, 45, is suspected of killing his live-in girlfriend during a fight at the facility on Friday afternoon. Pamela Nadine Kilpatrick, 35, was found near one of the storage units shortly after the attack and taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

Mendivil was tracked to Clovis, Calif., where detectives convinced him to turn himself in to local police. He was arrested on suspicion of murder, and police recovered the Pontiac minivan in which he was seen fleeing the self-storage facility in the 600 block of New York Street.
 
It is unknown why the couple was arguing or why they were at the storage facility.
 
Sources: CBS 2 Los Angeles, Arrest Made In Redlands Storage Facility Murder, San Jose Mercury News, Woman slain at Redlands storage facility, The Sun, Boyfriend held for fatal stabbing of his girlfriend

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Public Storage, a self-storage real estate investment trust, entered into an agreement to purchase 30 self-storage facilities for $189 million, subject to customary closing conditions, including debt assumption of up to $126 million.

All but two of the facilities are in Los Angeles and surrounding communities. The acquisition will expand Public Storage’s market presence in the communities by 20 percent. The other two facilities are in the Chicago area. The properties averaged just over 80 percent occupancy as of Jan. 31.

“This acquisition represents a unique opportunity to acquire well-located, urban-infill properties throughout the Los Angeles basin,” said David Doll, senior vice president. “These facilities complement our existing portfolio and will further enhance our market presence throughout this key market.”

The self-storage facilities will be rebranded Public Storage. The transaction is expected to close in stages during the next several months.

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Storage Pros Management LLC (SPM), a self-storage property-management firm based in Farmington Hills, Mich., has assumed management of two Spare Room facilities in Cedar Springs and Sparta, Mich. Totaling approximately 102,100 rentable square feet, the facilities offer small offices and outdoor parking spaces for rent in addition to self-storage. Under the new management, the sites will undergo technological and physical upgrades.
 
“We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to roll the operations of these two properties into our management platform, to implement expense control measures, extend office hours and engage in proactive marketing,” said Ian Burnstein, chief operating officer. “Both our client and SPM believe these properties have significant untapped potential.”
 
SPM manages 15 properties in Massachusetts, Michigan and Rhode Island. The facilities total approximately 870,000 rentable square feet, comprised of more than 7,200 units and 1,000 outdoor parking spaces for rent.

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U-Haul International Inc. released the results of its annual 2009 U-Haul National Migration Trend Report, which identifies the nation's top growth areas and destination cities.

The 2009 Top 50 U.S. Destination Cities Report was compiled from more than 1 million U-Haul truck transactions occurring during a recent 12 month period.

According to moving data reflective of nationwide statistics for 2009, Houston was in the No. 1 spot, moving up from second place, while Las Vegas was in second place, moving up from the No. 4 rank last year. Chicago climbed to No. 3 from No. 7 last year, while San Antonio ranked No. 4, moving up from No. 8. Austin, Texas, moved up to fifth place from the No. 9 last year.  Orlando, Fla.; Atlanta; Sacramento, Calif.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Denver rounded out the top 10.

The ranking reflects destinations for movers traveling more than 50 miles, and considers every city in the country, regardless of size. However, the data is not stated as a percentage of population and is not reflective of overall growth.

Report findings include: 

• For cities with more than with 5,000 families moving, Santa Monica, Calif., had the highest percentage of growth with 12.7 percent.
• Lancaster, Calif., ranked second in the highest percentage of growth with 10.83 percent; followed by New York City, N.Y., with 10 percent. 
• For states with 5,000 to 20,000 families moving, Vermont had the highest percentage, with a growth rate of 16.67 percent in 2009, moving Maine to second place after two years of ranking first.
• Toronto was the top Canadian destination city for the eighth year in a row, while Calgary came in at second for the sixth year in a row. Montreal took third, moving up from No. 4, with Edmonton dropping to fourth place from No. 3. 

The report, reflective of growth patterns of the United States during 2009, was compiled based on nationwide trends in states with more than 5,000 families moving in or out of the area. Growth cities were then determined by calculating the percentage of inbound moves vs. outbound moves for each area.”

Phoenix-based U-Haul has a network of more than 15,800 dealers in U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces. The U-Haul fleet encompasses 101,000 trucks, 76,000 trailers and 34,000 towing devices. The company also owns 35 million square feet of self-storage space at nearly 1,091 owned and managed facilities throughout North America. 

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The newly formed Japan Self Storage Association (JSSA) has entered an affiliation agreement with the national U.S. Self Storage Association (SSA), allowing the organizations to share benefits. JSSA Managing Director Tatsuya Saji and SSA President and CEO Michael Scanlon Jr. signed the documents last month during Saji’s visit to the SSA headquarters in Alexandria, Va.
 
The affiliation will provide JSSA members with access to SSA magazines and newsletters, which will be translated to Japanese by the JSSA. In addition, representatives of each organization will participate in the conferences and meetings held by the other.
 
The self-storage industry is still very small in Japan, according to Saji, who said there is only about 100,000 units total in the country. But the industry is growing, and Saji said it is important to consider the lessons learned in the United States.
 
Last year, Saji contributed an article to Inside Self-Storage magazine titled, “Self-Storage in Japan: Opportunities Exist in a Country Thirsty for Space,” an overview of the industry in Japan. The article indicated that Japanese residents long for additional space and privacy, a desire the burgeoning self-storage industry can fulfill.
 
In January, more than 60 Japanese self-storage professionals attended the JSSA’s first meeting in Tokyo.
 
Source: Self-Storage Association, Monday Morning Memo, April 5, 2010

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Self-storage facilities are different from many other businesses in their insurance needs. While the basic commercial insurance coverage for property and general liability is still important, several specific options highlight the unique requirements of self-storage.

One key distinguishing characteristic of this industry is the storage professional has a responsibility for customers’ goods and property as opposed to his own merchandise. Facilities that store other peoples’ property need specialized insurance solutions tailored to their situation. Here’s a short list of coverages every facility operator should consider.
 
Sale and Disposal Legal Liability

This coverage provides protection if a tenant defaults on rent and you need to dispose of his stored property. There could be a dispute if the tenant claims the goods were disposed of improperly—or if the wrong property was removed. This coverage will defend you against legal actions and pay damages (up to policy limits) as long as you are in compliance with lien laws applicable in your state or province.

Unlike in the United States, there’s a significant problem in Canada in that most provinces/territories have yet to establish appropriate lien-law legislation specific to the self-storage industry. As a result, facility operators are left to interpret other acts that are designed for related but not identical industries. At the time of this writing, there are steps being taken to remedy this situation in Canada, and we hope to see more specific lien laws for self-storage in coming years.

For risk-management and loss-reduction purposes, self-storage professionals should work closely with their insurance broker and lawyer to review their local lien laws and ensure the contract wording in their rental agreements is clear and consistent.

Also, there needs to be a standard internal procedure regarding notification and process of pending sales. Ideally, the procedure to be followed in the event of delinquency should be addressed completely in the rental agreement.
 
Operators Legal Liability

Another key coverage for self-storage professionals is operators’ legal liability. This insurance defends and protects operators from claims for goods that are lost or damaged while in storage. For example, a tenant may have valuable goods or property that has gone missing and initiates a lawsuit against your facility.

One particularly popular issue is water damage to contents that the tenant feels was the fault of the business. This coverage will provide legal-defense costs and damages for legal liability up to policy limits.

One good way to mitigate this risk is to actively educate and inform renters about tenant insurance. This broad form coverage allows tenants to cover their own property and goods for most losses at affordable rates and low deductibles. It’s an excellent way to avoid disputes and legal actions regarding liability for damaged or lost property.
 
Tenant Contents Abandonment

A third specialty coverage is tenant contents abandonment. This insurance is designed to handle proper removal and disposal of environmentally sensitive or dangerous substances deserted by a tenant. Again, this coverage will provide costs associated with removal and disposal up to the policy limits.

To reduce this risk, self-storage professionals should have standardized rental agreement language that prohibits storage of flammable, combustible, corrosive, toxic, unstable, explosive or poisonous materials. The agreement should also restrict activities of a hazardous nature, such as welding or woodworking.
 
Finding the Right Coverages

While these specialized insurance coverages are vital to self-storage facilities, owners should also consider comprehensive property, liability and crime-protection coverage tailored to their facility’s specific needs. Issues like crime, personal injury of tenants on site, and fire and water damage also need to be addressed through a comprehensive risk-management and loss-reduction program. This kind of program should be one of the value-added factors your insurance broker provides.

In fact, self-storage professionals should consider several factors when looking for the right insurance partner for their unique needs. These include: 

• Qualified assistance in evaluating exposures facing operators
• Advice on how best to manage risks from both physical facilities and through contracts
• A simplified underwriting process for securing quotes for coverage
• Broad coverages, competitive rates and low deductibles
• Services tenants can access to obtain insurance coverage on their unit contents
• Access to risk-control services to assist in mitigating physical risks on site
• Industry experience and expertise

Your self-storage facility is unique in its possibilities and risks. Your insurance solution should reflect that uniqueness and respond with a clear understanding of your exposures and specialized coverage that fully protects your facility.
 
Toby Struewing, a commercial account executive for Cowan Insurance Group, is a specialist in Canadian self-storage business insurance. To reach him, e-mail [email protected].

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As I write this article, the 2010 Winter Olympics are taking place in Vancouver―the biggest sporting event in Canadian history. The Vancouver Olympic Committee must have submitted an impressive presentation to the review board to illustrate that the city would be the ideal location. I wonder about the type of information they collected and how they got it.

Vancouver began its bid to host the games nearly 15 years ago. Country officials collected data for a long time to become the successful bidder. Would they have won if they hadn’t gathered sufficient information? Did other cities lose their bids because they were not as diligent? What does this have to do with storage?

A self-storage facility doesn’t really compare to the Olympics, but the process of winning the bid demonstrates how you too can effectively manage your time and gather data for greater industry success. This article discusses how and why you should be collecting information from tenants. To complete your due diligence, you’ll need to ask a lot of questions―and record all of the answers.

Record All Activity

I often hear managers talking about their net occupancy and how much revenue they’re bringing in, but this information has nothing to do with the future success of the company. The tenant you rented to today will eventually move out. You need to be concerned about how you’ll rent that unit again. What type of marketing will attract your next customer? What size unit will that customer need? Do you have all the features he wants?

Tracking this information can be difficult, and you’ll need to ask a lot of questions. This can be a challenging task but, if done accurately, it can bring many future rewards. For example, if there are plans for facility expansion, you’ll have a more accurate measure of what your unit mix should be. You’ll know what features are in demand, and how to improve your operation to be more appealing in your market. You’ll learn what marketing resources are effective, and see how efficient you and your sales staff are in closing prospects.

So many owners want to know when a manager rents a unit so they can compare it to how much they’ve spent on advertising. This allows them to estimate how much it costs to get that customer to call, and how many prospects are needed to justify advertising dollars. The problem is too many managers will not record all the activity. Some will only document the rentals or prospects who seem like they’re going to rent. The prospects who call and hang up after quickly getting a quote are rarely recorded. This negatively impacts facility data and may keep you from getting the “Olympic Games.”

As a manager, you need to record all inquiries. This will help you determine what needs to be improved to turn quick inquiries into greater prospects. Don’t be afraid to make notes for each caller. If one rushes you and quickly hangs up, make that note. At the end of each day or week, you can look at your notes and see how many customers let you sell your facility and how many got what they asked for and walked away. 

Collecting Data

What data do you need? You should get the prospect’s name and contact info (including an e-mail address, if available), what unit size he needs, what he plans to store, when he needs storage and for how long, and if he will need a truck or moving services. Most important, ask how the prospect heard about the facility. It’s not always easy to ask all of these questions, but the information is invaluable if you can collect it.

Don’t be afraid to show that you’re only closing 10 percent to 20 percent of prospects. What you should fear is a failure to collect accurate data. If you’re not successful with a good portion of phone calls, it could mean you need more training.

If your activity log shows you’re closing most prospects, the owner may not feel additional training and the associated cost is necessary. However, training could help you learn how to effectively record activity.

Proper tracking may be the key to smarter growth. Could your operation expand by 50 percent? As a manager of a successful facility, you can be the owner’s most valuable asset. If you can record detailed information and turn it into growth, your value will increase with the company’s. Now it’s starting to sound like something that may be worth your time and effort!

Cory Parrow is a manager with Your Storage Team, a consulting firm based in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. He has more than 13 years experience in developing and managing storage facilities. As a licensed realtor, he assists customers in acquiring new facilities and finding exit strategies when selling facilities. For more information, call 519.868.1982; e-mail [email protected].

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Capturing Self-Storage Customers on the Web

Today’s market is extremely competitive for existing self-storage operators, especially those with modern facilities opening in their neighborhoods. On June 8, Inside Self-Storage and Janus International will present a free, live webinar titled, “Renovating Your Self-Storage Facility: Measuring the True Impact on Occupancy, Revenue and Budget,” a guide to improving curb appeal and business operation to attract and satisfy more renters. Created for self-storage managers and owners, the online seminar will cover: 

• Why your competitor down the street may be attracting more renters than you
• The true cost of lowering rental rates to gain renters
• How you can increase your curb appeal without increasing your budget
• Step-by-step measures to safely replace older doors, even while units are occupied
• How reworking your unit mix can pay for itself in increased rentals of new sizes
• How upgrading your appearance can upgrade your profit
• How renovating your facility can lessen workers’-compensation claims and injuries
• A lender’s and appraiser’s perspective on the value of renovation 

The one-hour event will be presented by Jim Ponti, central-region sales manager for Janus International, and Chip Cordes, co-founder of Summit Construction Management Group.It will take place at 2 p.m. ET. To register for the webinar, visit www.insideselfstorage.com/webinars.
 
Janus is a manufacturer of commercial and industrial doors and building components for self-storage and other industries. Summit is a Clearwater, Fla.-based firm offering self-storage construction, management and consulting services to industry owners and investors.
 
ISS is a dynamic-services company that provides resources and services to the self-storage industry including a monthly magazine, bi-annual tradeshows, an information-packed website and educational seminars and materials. ISS is also the owner of the Self-Storage Training Institute (www.selfstorageeducation.com), an online education portal for managers and owners, and Self-Storage Talk (www.selfstoragetalk.com), the industry’s largest online community.

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