Fire officials have determined it was a flaming Volkswagen Beetle that triggered a fire that destroyed three units and caused smoke damage in others at a self-storage facility in Flagler Beach, Fla.

Fire erupted at Eagle's Nest Storage on April 6. Further investigation has revealed tenants who owned the car had been in the unit working on it. When they tried to start it, the car caught on fire. Local Fire Chief Don Petito told the source the car had been smoldering for a while before the larger fire was noticeable and the fire department was notified. Calls actually came from the Publix grocery store across the street.

No one was injured and no other businesses were affected. The cost of damages has not been determined, and the state fire marshal is still investigating. Flagler Beach is located about 20 miles north of Daytona Beach on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

Police in Irwin, Pa., are investigating a recent theft of about $3,300 worth of goods from a unit at a self-storage facility.

The theft occurred sometime between March 31 and April 11 at Conley Self Storage. Stolen items included: a grinder and polisher, an electric drill, a Rotary-laser level, a circular saw, and other tool, plus a reciprocating saw, a framing nailer, a 42-inch flat-screen TV, a Dell computer, a Nintendo DS, a Playstation Portable and video games.

Irwin Police Chief Joseph K. Pocsatko told the source the facility will receive extra patrol attention. He was unaware of any previous thefts happening at the facility. Pocsatko did not reveal how the suspect was able to break into the unit, though he did tell the source customers place their own locks on units.

Conley Self Storage is direcly adjacent to the Conley Inn, which is a hotel- and extended-stay property. Irwin is a small town located 21 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

U-Store-It Trust, a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the self-storage industry, intends to release its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2011, on May 5. An accompanying conference call will be held at 11 a.m. ET on May 6.

A live Web cast of the call will be available online from the investor relations page of www.ustoreit.com. The dial-in numbers are 877.317.6789 for domestic callers and +1.412.317.6789 for international callers. After the live Web cast, the call will remain on U-Store-It website for 30 days.

In addition, a telephonic replay of the call will be available until June 5. The replay dial-in number is 877.344.7529 for domestic callers and +1.412.317.0088 for international callers. The reservation number for both is 450096.

U-Store-It is a self-administered and self-managed REIT that owns or manages 451 self-storage facilities across the United States. The company also and operates the U-Store-It Network, which consists of approximately 750 additional self-storage facilities.

Operating profit for U.K.s Lok'nStore is up by 95% to £857,300 in the six months ending January 31.

Revenue rose by 4.5 to £5.42 million, while group earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization increased by 17.7 percent to £1.71 million.

"In the first half of this year revenue, EBITDA, profit before tax and cash have all increased, evidencing the attractions of the self-storage sector and Lok'nStore's position within it, said CEO Andrew Jacobs. "We are delighted with Lok'nStore's strong performance in the first half of this year following last year's robust growth.

By E. George Johnson

Self-storage has evolved from the basement and attic, to remote mini warehouses, to mobile or portable storage. As the mobile market has gained tractionand market sharein the industry, it makes sense that traditional self-storage operators would take the opportunity to evaluate augmenting their facilities with a mobile component.

Portable self-storage is still a relatively young concept. It was created primarily to add convenience for the storage customer. The storage bin, or in this case the portable container, is brought to the renters home or business for the customer to pack at his convenience. Eliminated are the trips to the fixed facility to unpack goods, which might have included hiring a moving company or renting a truck.

For self-storage operators, there are several investment opportunities when it comes to portable storage, including onsite portable containers and pickup and delivery of portable containers.

Onsite vs. Pickup and Delivery

If a facility operator has space available, inside or outside, he can augment his facility with the placement of portable containers and charge rent at a figure close to that of traditional storage units. Customers would bring their goods to the facility and unload and store as with the current structure, however, some components of convenience could be added. The renter could drive right to his unit and unpack. Or the portable unit could be brought to a convenient spot within the warehouse for unloading and loading. This would require a forklift with the capability of handling the loaded containers.

Operators can migrate even further into the portable-storage arena by incorporating delivery and pickup of the portable container at the renters location. This means additional investment in employees, including drivers and delivery personnel, trucks to accommodate delivery and pickup, warehouse space, and a forklift. It also creates another revenue stream with delivery and pick-up charges and, possibly, a premium for the portable component.

This enables an operator to become a fully integrated storage provider with static portable and incorporate the moving element. If goods are stored in a portable container and arrangements have been made with a moving provider, this can be an added service and revenue stream. There are companies that will provide the moving service to operators and the containers for these transactions. The operator would receive fees based on the initiation of the action and amount to be moved.

The quickest and easiest way to incorporate the portable element into an existing self-storage operation is to purchase or lease portable containers and place them in available space within the facility. This can create a rental stream rather quickly, and the cost per square foot vs. a build-out is substantially less. Building codes and regulations and permits would also not be required. Instant self-storage becomes a reality as soon as the containers are placed and customers start renting. Flexibility is a key element here as well. If the space is needed for another reason, the containers can be moved. Also, if business slows or becomes less than expected, theres a secondary market for selling the containers, so an operator doesnt have to worry the investment will be a complete waste.

Making the Investment

There are a number of factors an operator must analyze before adding the portable component to an existing storage business. Obviously, knowing ones market and the storage saturation level is key. Another important factor is finding out if there are existing portable providers already offering the full service of delivery and pickup, or even moving services. If there are already several portable-storage providers in the market, this may not be a good investment for the operator at this time.

The biggest determining factor, however, is the investment required and probability of potential financial returns. If an operator has an established storage operation in one or several geographic locations, then knowledge of the market and experience within the industry is already there.

Investments in portable containers can be easily researched and determined depending on the number of containers and relative costs. The key question then becomes if the operator can purchase and place portable containers easily and quickly to attract customers. If so, it may warrant a closer look at this financial investment.

E. George Johnson is a principal with Universal Storage Containers. Headquartered in New Canaan, Conn., the company specializes in manufacturing portable, foldable storage containers for various storage and moving industries worldwide. For more information, call 800.385.0755; e-mail [email protected] ; visit www.universalstoragecontainers.com .

U-Haul Moving and Storage Fargo, N.D., 1436 Main Ave., is offering 30 days of free self-storage to all residents who have been affected by recent floods in the area. In addition, the company can provide assistance with U-Box Portable Storage, a service wherein the customer fills up U-Boxes at his own convenience to be stored in U-Hauls secure warehouse, or has U-Haul deliver them to a destination of his choice.

"These floods have caused tremendous damage throughout our community," said Shawn Odden, president. "I hope this effort will provide assistance to families that need a helping hand.  We will continue to help our friends and neighbors in this time of need."

Customers can also take advantage of U-Hauls Take a Box, Leave a Box Program, in which customers shares used, recyclable boxes.

Established in 1945, U-Haul has a network of more than 16,300 locations throughout the United States and Canada. The company offers more than 36 million square feet of self-storage space at nearly 1,100 facilities throughout North America.

U-Haul was founded by a Navy veteran who grew up during the Great Depression. U-Haul now operates a Sustainability Program, with a commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle. The companys green efforts include fuel-efficient moving vans, moving-box recycling, moving pads made from discarded material, and packing peanuts that are 100% biodegradable.

A thief broke into several storage units and vehicles at Budget Self Storage in Charlotte, N.C., last week, according to police. A story on WBTV reported the perpetrator damaged a fence to enter the back of the secure lot, and then broke into seven self-storage units and six vehicles. Approximately $1,500 in damage was caused to the facility and the vehicles.

The self-storage facility is located at 2527 Little Rock Road.

Budget Self Storage has 10 facilities throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Five men were killed in an explosion at a business-storage facility in Waikele, Hawaii, on April 8.
Firefighters responded to HIDC Small Business Storage to put out a reported car fire. When they arrived, flames seemed to have ignited fireworks, which the local fire department had authorized in the past to be stored at the facility. Investigators have yet to determine an official cause of the accident.

Four men in their 20s and one man in his 50s were killed. Six men in all were at the scene. KFVE-TV reported the men may have been workers for Donaldson Industries, the company leasing the underground storage space. Donaldson Enterprises is an ordnance-demolition company, and the men were working at the storage bunker when the fires broke out. According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, authorities plan to investigate the company and its safety practices to learn more about what happened during the explosion.

HIDC Small Business Storage is composed of 130 underground storage bunkers that have been converted into small warehouses. Waikele is located on the island of O'ahu.

Two men in Alamogordo, N.M., were indicted by a grand jury April 4 on 16 felony counts stemming from a residential break-in and self-storage burglaries.

Police said Arthur Velasquez Jr., 40, and Ethan Sheppard, 24, broke into 11 self-storage units at Shuttle Mini Storage, 1901 Cuba Ave., between Feb. 25 and Feb. 26, and stole items, including power tools, jewelry and fishing tackle.

The men were arrested Feb. 26 at a mobile home at Tensley's Mobile Home Park, where the stolen goods were also recovered. Police said it appeared the men broke into the mobile home to store the stolen property. The owner of the mobile home was in jail at the time.

Velasquez and Sheppard are each charged with one count of third-degree felony residential burglary, 11 counts of fourth-degree felony non-residential burglary, one count of fourth-degree felony larceny over $500 less then $2,500, one count each of fourth-degree conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to commit larceny over $500, less than $2,500, and fourth-degree receiving stolen property.