SD Storage of San Diego, which operates 13 self-storage facilities in California and Utah, has changed its name to Stor’em Self Storage. The driving factor behind the name change was the company’s expansion into other markets, according to Roy Clark, president and CEO.

“We have been operating as SD Storage for almost 30 years, but as we acquired properties outside of San Diego, the need for a new brand name became necessary,” Clark said.

As the company continues to grow through acquisitions and development, the need for a consolidated brand became more important, Clark added.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for our customers to find and interact with us. A consolidated brand coupled with our marketing efforts helps us achieve that goal,” he said.

Stor’em Self Storage is a third-generation, family-owned and -operated company with more than 30 years of self-storage experience. It operates nine storage facilities in California and four in Utah.

Self-storage operator Wilson Storage recently opened its third facility in Melbourne, Australia, in the suburb of Rowville. The facility at 31 S. Corporate Ave. features ground-floor units, Wilson Cellars wine storage, and security features such as intercoms and video cameras.

Wilson Storage also operates two properties in Cheltenham, one of which offers boat storage. The three facilities have been strategically placed in Melbourne, according to a company press release.

Wilson Storage is owned by Wilson Group. Founded 50 years ago, it offers

parking services, professional security and patrols, property management, and technology solutions. It has branches throughout Asia Pacific.

A fourth whale is being added to an iconic ocean-themed mural outside Planet Self Storage in Boston’s South End. The giant painting was in the news last summer after a new residential development obstructed its view to motorists traveling along the Southeast Expressway. The new addition will face the former site of the “Boston Herald” Building, which now houses Ink Block, a new residential and retail space.

The original artwork of three killer whales splashing in the surf was painted on the multi-story self-storage building in1998 by artist Ron Deziel. It became a landmark for motorists and brought notoriety to the storage business.

Ink Block developer National Development commissioned graffiti artist Tyson Andree to add the fourth whale to the mural. Andree is spray-painting the sea mammal on a 15-foot-high-by-68-foot-long section of the storage facility’s northern wall that was previously yellow and a “a bit loud for a residential community,” said Bryce Grefe, an owner of Storage Investment Management Inc. (SIMI), the self-storage management firm that operates the property.

The addition to the mural is loosely based on Andree’s 2014 work called “The Sole Controller,” which is hanging in Ink Block’s lobby. The artwork will show an abstract sea mammal, a departure from the original mural’s literal depiction of whales, according to the source. It will be connected to the neighborhood through its aquatic subject matter as well as by the way it references the kind of art that would have been seen there in ages past, Andree told the source.

Art is being integrated into the design of Ink Block on every level, Ted Tye, managing partner at National Development, wrote in a blog post on Ink Block’s website. “We are honored to be able to support the work of an artist like Tyson, as we share a passion for this creative neighborhood, which attracted us to invest here in the first place.”

Although Planet Self Storage lost a lot of drive-by visibility following last year’s new housing construction, the business wasn’t adversely affected, Grefe said. Rather, the new residences brought the facility new customers.

Planet Self Storage operates several facilities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

SIMI offers facility-management and consulting services in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Its principals also own self-storage facilities.

 

Real estate developer Brad Tidwell received unanimous approval from the city council on April 20 for a special-use permit to build a drive-in self-storage facility in Burleson, Texas. The 100,000-square-foot facility, proposed for the corner of Miles Avenue and Southwest Wilshire Boulevard, will be the first in the area with the drive-in concept, according to the source.

The permit was granted following a public hearing. Though residents expressed no opinion on the development, council members had some concerns about how the facility’s lights might affect nearby homes along Vaden Avenue. The city’s planning and zoning commission, which unanimously recommended the council approve the permit, stipulated that light from the property can’t be allowed to bleed into the nearby home-property lines, the source reported.

Tidwell proposed adding a “live screening” of bushes and natural vegetation rather than a masonry wall to shield residents from light emanating from the 30-foot-tall facility, according to Bradley Ford, Burleson Director of Development. Although Mayor Ken Shetter had concerns about landscape upkeep, Ford assured the council the special-use permit would require Tidwell to maintain and replace vegetation as it dies, the source reported. Tidwell also suggested restricting the property’s operating hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Tidwell has been involved in numerous real estate developments in Texas. In 2010, he and several partners converted a former Walmart store in Longview, Texas, to self-storage.

Update 4/23/15 – Investment Real Estate LLC (IRE) has hired Erin Rogers as executive assistant to John Gilliland, president and CEO. She will be responsible for the daily operation of the office, event organization and execution, and travel arrangements for executives and sales staff. Rogers will also assist with projects on the brokerage side of the business including feasibility studies, offering memorandums and proposals. She replaces Jess Dubbs, who was recently promoted to director of marketing.

Rogers’ professional background is in sales and marketing. She held several positions, including management, during nearly 10 years at event-planning company National Conference Services Inc. Her responsibilities included hiring, training and managing new employees, and she was responsible for more than 33 percent of the company’s overall revenue from 2006 to 2009, according to the release.

“I am excited to work with an energetic and strong individual,” Rogers said. “The position offers a great opportunity to excel at my favorite activities: travel plans and event preparations. My past work experience has certainly prepared me to handle anything that comes through the doors at IRE.”

Rogers has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from the University of Tennessee. She is also a certified life coach and LesMills BodyCOMBAT instructor.

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4/17/15 – Investment Real Estate LLC (IRE), which provides brokerage, construction, development and property-management services to the self-storage industry, has promoted Jess Dubbs to director of marketing. Dubbs was hired by the company in April 2013 as executive assistant to John Gilliland, president and CEO. The position included some marketing projects. After her first two years, it became clear she would be more valuable to Investment Real Estate Group of Cos. (IREGC) if she was working on marketing activities full time, according to a company press release.

In her role, Dubbs is responsible for IRE’s traditional and digital marketing, including but not limited to blog development, branding, copywriting, e-mail marketing, graphic design, photography, social media, video, and website design and maintenance. She coordinates the company’s trade, community and facility events. She works closely with the company’s brokerage division on marketing and proposal design. She also works with district and property managers on business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing efforts.

“I am excited to be moving into marketing full time! I have loved my job since my first day with the company, but marketing and design are my true strengths and where my passion lives,” Dubbs said. “I am eager to hit the ground running and put my years of training and experience to work, and help drive a larger [return on investment] through new and exciting marketing efforts.”

Dubbs has more than 15 years of experience in design and marketing in the corporate and private sectors. She owned and operated a freelance business focused on graphic and multi-media design. She also boasts a vast amount of knowledge in digital marketing, print and traditional marketing, according to the release. Her past positions include director of production, graphic designer, marketing and map design manager, preflight specialist and senior graphic designer.

Dubbs is also an avid and professional photographer. In addition to shooting portraits and weddings, she photographs and sells nature prints, focusing mainly on birds and landscapes.

Dubbs is a member of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Self Storage Association Young Leaders Group and York County Economic Alliance.

IRE has provided brokerage, construction, management and development services to self-storage owners and investors since its inception in 1998.

Update 4/23/15 – Gateway Self Storage owner Hoyt Denton could face more serious charges from a Sullivan County, Tenn., grand jury after a preliminary hearing on Tuesday. The proceeding included testimony from the alleged victim in the sexual battery and kidnapping case stemming from an incident at the Kingsport storage facility in March.

At the beginning of the hearing, Assistant District Attorney General Dennis Brooks requested Denton’s charges be elevated to aggravated sexual battery, attempted aggravated rape and kidnapping. After hearing testimony, Judge J. Klyne Lauderback bound the new charges to the grand jury, which will determine if Denton will be indicted on the more serious charges.

In addition to providing details of the alleged attack, the woman told the court she suffers from necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating bacteria, in her right foot, which requires her to use a cane 85 to 90 percent of the time, the source reported. The woman said she needed self-storage because she is going through a divorce and didn’t have enough room in her apartment to store all of her belongings.

Photos of the woman’s incident-related injuries, taken by the victim’s daughter, were entered into evidence.

An arraignment date of June 12 was set in criminal court regarding the new charges.

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3/23/15 – Hoyt Denton, who owns Gateway Self Storage in Kingsport, Tenn., and is a public official in Kingsport and Sullivan County, has been charged with sexual battery and kidnapping following accusations that he sexually assaulted a female tenant in her unit on March 8. Denton was arrested on March 20 and released the same day after posting a $10,000 bond, according to the source.

The victim told Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) deputies that Denton, 73, first made inappropriate comments to her while showing her available storage units on March 7 at the facility on Gale Avenue. The woman apparently returned the next day to fill out rental paperwork. While she was unloading belongings from her car, Denton allegedly entered the unit, shut the door and started to sexually assault her, according to a SCSO press release.

The woman, who is disabled, told Denton to stop, screamed for help and crawled to the unit door, but was unable to open it, the source reported. At that point, her attacker stopped his assault and opened the door, according to the release. The victim then fled the scene in her vehicle.

Denton is vice chairman of the Kingsport Regional Planning Commission and a member of the city’s Historic Zoning Commission. He also has a seat on the Sullivan County Planning Commission. He is a former alderman and once ran for county mayor, the source reported.

"Hoyt is a long-time friend and this is very difficult for him, his family and, of course, the victim,” Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable told the source. “I'm sure he'll do the right thing as far as his participation on the committees. The right thing will be for him to step aside until he's had a hearing. I have full confidence in the justice system."

"The charges against Hoyt are very serious in nature, certainly,” added Kingsport Mayor Dennis Phillips. “They are uncharacteristic of the Hoyt Denton I have known for years. My prayers are with the families."

Following Denton’s arrest, Sullivan County District Attorney Barry Staubus told the source he would file a motion to recuse his office from the case because Denton is a key witness against the driver in a DUI case in which a man Denton was riding with was killed. A district attorney pro-temp would be assigned to prosecute the assault case, the source reported.

Denton is scheduled to appear in court in Bristol, Tenn., on March 31.

Your Storage Space, a self-storage facility in Frome, England, recently celebrated its one-year anniversary and expanded to a second floor. The facility added 106 storage units, four offices and an elevator. Frome Town Mayor Peter Macfadyen officially opened the expansion last month.

Your Storage Space is in Wallbridge Mills, a series of converted mill buildings at the confluence of the River Frome and Rodden Brook. The mills are at the end of The Retreat, a single carriageway road off the A362 Wallbridge Road, east of Frome town center. It includes housing and small workspaces on former railway land.

Your Storage Space is Frome’s first purpose-built self-storage business, according to the source. Using the slogan “more space for your place” and launched by Richard Evans and Fraser Thomson, the facility is open 24 hours a day. The office space can be rented with furnishings and includes access to a shared kitchen. The property also sells moving and packing supplies.

Lawai Cannery Self Storage & Warehousing in Kalaheo, Hawaii, hosted a garage sale on April 19 to benefit the Kauai Robotics team. About two dozen vendors participated in the event, according to facility spokesperson Lorna Santos.

The robotics team raised money to fund the construction of a robot and cover travel expenses for next year’s program, according to team chairperson and committee member Erin Rynda. The program’s 20 students hope to participate in a regional competition in Australia. The team is based out of Island School, a private, independent institution on the island of Kauai.

Earlier this year, the robotics team competed against 48 others in a regional tournament in Central Valley, Calif., finishing in the quarterfinals. It was the only out-of-state team and was featured on local TV, Rynda said. Although the students participated in another tournament at the University of Hawaii, they weren’t advanced to the national competition.

During the garage-sale event, funds were also raised for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life, an annual event in which 4 million people from more than 20 countries raise funds and awareness to save lives from cancer. Chimes Lauame, owner of MCS Grill in Hanapepe, Hawaii, and her mother, Debbie Akana, sold cookies and bread pudding to support the cause.

Lawai Cannery Self Storage has hosted several garage sales over the years to help local charities and other organizations. The facility is owned by SuperSpace Storage, which operates 45 facilities in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Utah and Texas.

Self-storage operators in Wrexham, Wales, are working with local police in a program called Operation Fetch, which uses detection dogs to sniff out counterfeit and non-duty-paid cigarettes as well as hand-rolling tobacco. The initiative is part of a government-funded program, according to the source.

The recent, day-long operation was facilitated by North Wales Police, which deployed three dogs from Wagtail UK, an organization that trains dogs and dog teams for the detection of cadavers, cash, drugs, explosives and firearms, hydrocarbons, illegal immigrants, and tobacco, according to the company website.

“Counterfeit and other illegal tobacco does great harm in the community. Its cheapness and ease of supply are particularly attractive to young people and others on low incomes, and it eliminates the price incentive for existing smokers to quit the habit,” councilmember David A Bithell told the source. “I’m delighted to see tobacco-detection dogs being put to such great use in sniffing out this significant threat to health.”

The self-storage operators who participated openly allowed their facilities to be searched, but no illicit tobacco was discovered, the source reported.

“Now [that] relationships have been developed between law-enforcement agencies and the self-storage industry, we will continue to work together to protect consumers, legitimate retailers and businesses by clamping down on the storage and supply of illegal products,” Bithell said.