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Self-Storage Employee in Baton Rouge, LA, Arrested for Assaulting Elderly Tenant

Article-Self-Storage Employee in Baton Rouge, LA, Arrested for Assaulting Elderly Tenant

A self-storage employee in Baton Rouge, La., has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a 73-year-old male tenant on June 1 inside the facility’s office. According to a police report, Christian Eugene Gill, 51, yelled at and assaulted the customer when he entered the office around 3:30 p.m. to pay his bill at Baton Rouge Mini Storage, 7649 Airline Highway.

The victim told police Gill shouted obscenities at him and said, “Look at the sign, only one person at a time.” He approached the victim and threw a clear liquid in his eyes, which temporarily blinded him, according to the police report. Gill then pushed the victim, who fell to the ground, and began to punch him with his fist in the face and body.

The victim told police he lost consciousness during the attack and suffered multiple cuts on his arms and a large wound on his forehead. The police report doesn’t state when or how the assault ended, but does note the victim refused to be taken to the hospital, the source reported. Several witnesses corroborated the victim’s accounting of the assault, according to the police report.

The victim later positively identified Gill as his attacker in a six-person lineup, the source reported. Gill was arrested on July 16 and charged with second-degree battery and crimes against the elderly. He posted the $12,500 bond and was subsequently released from the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

A representative of Baton Rouge Mini Storage declined to comment when contacted by WAFB 9 News.

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Carroll Cos. to Open New Bee Safe Storage and Wine Cellar in Raleigh, NC

Article-Carroll Cos. to Open New Bee Safe Storage and Wine Cellar in Raleigh, NC

North Carolina real estate developer The Carroll Cos. is breaking ground on a self-storage and wine-storage facility in the Wakefield neighborhood of Raleigh, N.C. The new Bee Safe Storage and Wine Cellar, located on New Falls of Neuse Road in the community of Maystone at Wakefield, is expected to open later this year. It is the company’s first storage facility in the area.

The three-story building with a modern brick façade will include 280 units for traditional self-storage and nearly 60 climate- and humidity-controlled units for wine storage. Staff will accept wine deliveries on behalf of traveling customers.

Carroll Cos. has also been busy building apartment communities in “the Triangle,” aka The Research Triangle, an eight-county region anchored by several of the state’s universities, the cities of Durham and Raleigh, and the towns of Cary and Chapel Hill. The company is in the process of building five multi-family projects in the area valued at more than $200 million, according to the source.

Carroll Cos. currently operates one Bee Safe Storage facility in Greensboro, N.C., and is planning to build five new Bee Safe sites in the Triangle over the next 18 months, company president Roy Carroll told the source. The existing facility offers climate control, wine storage, packing and moving supplies, free use of moving truck at move-in, acceptance of business deliveries, recorded video surveillance, shipping and postal services, a loading dock, and covered unloading zones.

Roy Carroll is the founder, CEO and chairman of Carroll Cos., one of North Carolina’s largest owners of multi-family properties. Known for its luxury single- and multi-family developments and mixed-use urban centers, the company has branched into industrial, commercial and office developments, including self-storage.

Several years ago, the company started “Building an End to Diabetes,” an ongoing benefit program committed to diabetes research. Since its launch, the campaign has donated more than $600,000 to the cause, raised through new-home sale proceeds. Carroll and his team are working to package the program so other U.S. builders can participate.

The Carroll Cos. includes Alaris Homes, which builds single-family residences; Carroll Campus Development, which builds campuses; Carroll Commercial Construction Co., specializing in commercial construction; Carroll Investment Properties, which builds multi-family homes; Carrolland Corp., a land-development company; CIP Construction Co., specializing in residential construction; RE Carroll Management Co., which manages properties; and Park View Development Corp., which builds luxury homes.

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Public Storage Buys South DeBary Self-Storage in FL for $3.7M

Article-Public Storage Buys South DeBary Self-Storage in FL for $3.7M

Real estate investment trust Public Storage Inc. recently purchased South DeBary Self Storage in DeBary, Fla., for $3.7 million. The seller, Maryland-based Dinwiddie Enterprises Inc., bought the property in September for $2.1 million, according to the source.

The property at 51 Spring Vista Drive sits on 3.75 acres along U.S. Route 17/92. It is comprised of eight buildings containing 435 units. Initially built in 2001, it was expanded in 2005.

Dinwiddie President Patricia Bowditch confirmed to the source that the DeBary site is one of many facilities the family-owned company sold to Public Storage. Dinwiddie has also owned storage properties in Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia, though it is unclear if the company still owns or operates any of those assets.

In May, Public Storage released a prospectus announcing the sale of 10 million shares of preferred stock. According to the source, the sale was intended to raise funds for the $266 million acquisition of 30 self-storage facilities, including 19 in Florida, three in Maryland, six in North Carolina and one each in New Jersey and Virginia. The seller was undisclosed.

Before purchased by Dinwiddie, the DeBary property was named Springview Self Storage and owned by Winter Garden, Fla.-based Grant/Louetta Self Storage LP, a subsidiary of Obladt Investments LLC in Waller, Texas.

As of October, Dinwiddie operated self-storage facilities through its property-acquisition and management division, Veritage Management Inc. The company operated 21 self-storage facilities encompassing more than 1.6 million square feet in Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia. Based in Columbia, Md., the company also has an office in Melbourne, Fla.

Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage has interests in 2,202 self-storage facilities in 38 states, with approximately 141 million net rentable square feet. Operating under the Shurgard brand name, the company also has 188 facilities in seven European countries, with approximately 10 million net rentable square feet.

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Uncle Bob's Self Storage to Hold Car-Racing Simulation Challenge in Chesapeake, VA

Article-Uncle Bob's Self Storage to Hold Car-Racing Simulation Challenge in Chesapeake, VA

An Uncle Bob's Self Storage facility in Chesapeake, Va., is hosting a contest in which entrants will have the chance to compete in a life-size car-racing simulator. The initial racing trials will be held on Aug. 16 and 23, 1 to 3 p.m., at 517 Volvo Parkway. The eight racers with the fastest time will move on to the final simulation race on Aug. 30, also at the storage site.

To enter, participants must complete an online form via the registration page for AM radio station 850 WTAR, the campaign co-sponsor. Each trial has only 20 spots. Racers will be included on a first-come, first-served basis.

The top eight contestants will win general-admission tickets to the Virginia 529 College Savings 250, a NASCAR Nationwide Series stock car race, Sept. 5, at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va. They’ll also compete for the grand prize: two VIP tickets for pit-pass-level seating for the Virginia 529 race as well as the Sprint Cup Federated Auto Parts 400, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race also held at the Richmond Raceway, on Sept. 6. The ultimate winner will also receive two-nights of hotel accommodations in Richmond. All prizes are courtesy of Uncle Bob’s Self Storage and AM 850 WTAR.

The final racing-simulation event will be open to the public and hosted by K&N Pro Series star Daniel Suárez, who will also sign autographs. Racing fans can watch the contestants compete and enter to win general-admission tickets to the Virginia 529 race.

Suárez competes in the NASCAR Toyota Series for Telcel Racing and in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for Rev Racing. A native of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, he made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut in 2011 at South Boston Speedway.

Uncle Bob’s Self Storage is owned by Sovran Self Storage Inc., a real estate investment trust that acquires and manages self-storage facilities. The company operates more than 500 facilities in 25 states.

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Self-Storage Software Provider E-SoftSys Releases Version 4.0 of e-CRM Module

Article-Self-Storage Software Provider E-SoftSys Releases Version 4.0 of e-CRM Module

E-SoftSys, a provider of self-storage management software, has released version 4.0 of e-CRM, its customer-relationship-management module. The new version incorporates several new features and integrates with the company’s Call Tracker module. Product enhancements include: 

  • Constant Contact e-mail marketing integration that allows the export of e-CRM contact data
  • Integration with the Call Tracker module, which allows users to initiate calls to prospects or tenants as well as record calls
  • Enhanced “e-mail drip” campaign functionality that sends automated messages to tenants at various stages, such as after move-in, upon receipt of payment, after move-out, etc.
  • A Comprehensive Truck Reservation module that can track vehicle availability and offer reservations while customers reserve/rent a unit
  • An improved collection-calls function that can send e-mails to past-due tenants using pre-defined templates
  • Comprehensive reporting on leads and lead-to-rental conversions
  • The ability to maintain a trail of all e-mail communication sent to tenants and prospects
  • An interface to QlikView, a third-party business-intelligence and analytics software that performs data analytics and spots trends
  • The ability to view tenant alerts such as upcoming rent raises, blacklisted or delinquent tenants, etc.
  • Enhanced demographics tracking 

e-CRM generated more than 200,000 leads for self-storage operators in 2013 through inquiries and reservations, according to a company press release. This year, the program has generated more than 280,000 leads for several multi-facility operators, the company reported.  

E-SoftSys, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and ISO 9001:2008 certified company, provides software products for the self-storage industry, including Self Storage Manager and e-CRM. The company also offers add-on modules such as the INSOMNIAC kiosk interface, online payments, online reservations and rentals, the QlikView Business Intelligence and Analytics interface, and the iPad/tablet-based Site Audit and Walk Through Application.

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Absolute Storage Management Releases Second-Quarter 2014 Operating Results

Article-Absolute Storage Management Releases Second-Quarter 2014 Operating Results

Self-storage property management firm Absolute Storage Management (ASM) has released its operational results for the second quarter that ended June 30. As of June, the company’s same-store property pool was comprised of 42 properties. To avoid inflating the results with lease-up properties, the analyzed list is comprised of stabilized self-storage facilities with complete prior-year data.

At the 42 properties, total income increased 10.2% year over year. The company said this was largely due to an overall increase across all income categories including rent, late charges, administrative fees, retail sales and insurance income, as well as a decrease in discounts. Square-foot occupancy increased 4.9 percent from 2013 to 2014, a result of increased leasing activity and decreased turnover, according to the company. In addition, street rates increased 2.9 percent over last year’s results.

“Operating fundamentals remain strong in a majority of our trade areas. We are very proud of our results,” said Michael Haugh, president. “However proud we may be, we strive to seek places where improvements can be made. Despite our strong revenue growth, the properties that are lagging in performance generally are more challenging due to their physical locations. We are very encouraged by the progress that the Internet has provided these locations. We expect continued improvement at these locations as we deploy several new Internet strategies the second half of 2014.”

Founded in 2002, ASM owns and manages self-storage facilities throughout the Southeast, operating more than 80 properties in 13 states. The company is actively seeking to add additional properties to its portfolio through traditional third-party management relationships and joint-venture/acquisition opportunities. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., it has regional offices in Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; and Jackson, Miss.

ISS Blog

The Benefits of Converting Your Self-Storage Customers to Automatic Bill Pay

Article-The Benefits of Converting Your Self-Storage Customers to Automatic Bill Pay

By Amy Campbell

While you won’t see me standing in line outside a retailer to grab the latest gadget, I do appreciate the convenience technology has ushered into my life. Yes, glitches, viruses and frozen screens are aggravating, but the benefits far outweigh the hassles.

One major benefit technology has brought to my life is the ability to pay my bills online and even set text or e-mail reminders for bill due dates. Not only do I relish these capabilities, I also appreciate companies that allow me to set up payments on automatic bill pay, commonly called auto-pay. Talk about the ultimate convenience. It’s easy, saves time, helps my credit score (because I’m never late), and even saves money since I’m not buying stamps or envelopes. It’s also eco-friendly because I elect to receive “paperless” statements.

For self-storage operators, auto-pay is, by far, their best source for obtaining on-time payments. It helps alleviate many of the biggest hassles that go along with operating a storage facility—namely late payments, collection calls and lien sales. Plus, customers on auto-pay generally don’t think about paying that bill every month or scrutinize the dollar amount they’re paying too closely. Because it becomes “just another bill,” many will also stay longer. Adding a rental increase also becomes easier for tenants enrolled in an automatic-payment system.

Self-Storage Talk Member GNCS Liz asked fellow operators if it was appropriate to tell customers they must sign up for auto-pay if renting a unit for more than one month. She also suggested offering a small discount of 5 percent to entice customers to the service. While some operators didn’t think forcing tenants to sign up for auto-pay would be a good policy to institute, a few liked her notion of offering a discount to encourage participation. Several community members said they tell their customers participating in auto-pay is a “no late-fee guarantee” and it seems to be working for them!

So how can you take advantage of auto-pay at your storage business? First, make sure you know how to set it up in our management software. Most programs include this feature. If you don’t know how to use it, ask your software provider.

Next, tell every one of your tenants, not just those who are new to your storage business. You could even kick off a mini-marketing event: “Sign up for auto-pay and get 5 percent off this month’s rent!” To sell the service, tell your customers the benefits. Use the “no late-fee guarantee” speech. Tell them how convenient it is to enroll. Also, be sure to alleviate their fears about any risks by letting them know your software program meets Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). You can read more about protecting your customers’ data in this article.

Offering and promoting auto-pay to your tenants will take a little work up front, but will lead to big payoffs in the long run. Ultimately, the service should reduce your collection calls and lien sales, as customers on auto-pay will always make their payments on time. Plus, it’s another great service and a wonderful convenience you can offer your tenants.

Do you offer automatic bill pay at your facility? Share your insight below or on Self-Storage Talk.

Content Strategy for Self-Storage Operators: Why You Need One and What to Do

Article-Content Strategy for Self-Storage Operators: Why You Need One and What to Do

By Jon Wyles

I recently attended a great presentation by business-growth strategist Bosco Anthony about content strategy—the planning, development and management of content, in writing or other media, about your business. So what’s this all about, and why would I want to spend an evening learning about it?

We’ve seen a massive shift from outbound to inbound marketing in all industries, including self-storage. The challenge is how to get your prospects to engage with you. People are far more likely to do business with you if they get to know, like and trust you. Then, when they have a storage requirement, they will (hopefully) rent a unit from you. Your other audience—the search engines—also placing an ever increasing importance on unique and relevant content.

I heard a great quote during Bosco’s presentation. Question: “Do you know the best place to hide a dead body?” Answer: “On the second page of Google.”

How true! Do you ever go to the second page when you do Google searches? Your fight is not just for the best physical location in town, it’s for dominance on the first page of Google search results for relevant keyword terms. This is the battle ground for customer inquiries, and without having a cohesive content strategy, you will lose.

But it’s not just about producing quality, relevant, original content for your self-storage audience, it’s about distribution. You need to make sure your content is going to the right people and places, which isn’t as easy as it sounds. It takes planning and execution as well as consistency.

There are numerous platforms and outlets for your self-storage content. Use the ones that reach your audience most effectively, the ones that they use. For example, LinkedIn can be effective in driving self-storage inquiries. There’s no point to engaging with people who are unlikely to use your storage facility or posting content that will never reach your target market.

But don’t forget the people who may influence probable users, such as your local realtors. By the very nature of self-storage, local engagement is the key. There are various strategies to achieve this so you’re not just applying a scattergun approach and hoping for the best. Here are a couple of ideas for building your own content strategy.

Take Time to Plan

To be effective, you need to engage with your audience on a regular basis, and the content needs to be interesting and informative. This takes time. Just to come up with topics to write about takes planning, and then you need to do the actual writing!

Ideas will come to you at any time, so make note of them. If you don’t, you’ll invariably forget what they were. Allocate time for your research and the actual writing. Do it regularly so people engage and start to know, like and follow you.

Determine Your End Goal

Ask yourself what you’re trying to achieve and put a strategy in place to reach your goal. If you’re looking to get people to call you, include your phone number in the post. If you want people to sign up for a newsletter, tell them how they can register. Whatever the call to action is, make sure the reader can execute it.

Most important, include a link to your website in everything you post. This is for the search engines and will help drive up your ranking.

Results take time, and you may need to make adjustments along the way. However, if you’re persistent and follow your content strategy, it will be the gift that keeps on giving!

Based in Vancouver, Canada, Jon Wyles is the founder of Smart Storage Ltd., which operates five self-storage facilities in England, and a consultant who helps self-storage businesses in Asia, Canada, Europe and the United States with their marketing. For assistance with your content strategy, contact Jon at 604.628.1749 or [email protected]. Learn more at www.simplystorageexpert.com.

Police Apprehend Armed, Potentially Suicidal Man at Fall River, MA, Self-Storage Facility

Article-Police Apprehend Armed, Potentially Suicidal Man at Fall River, MA, Self-Storage Facility

After some pursuit, police apprehended an armed and potentially suicidal man yesterday evening at the Self Storage Solutions facility in Fall River, Mass. The unidentified, 29-year-old Swansea, Mass., resident was found on the rooftop of the building at 609 Davol St. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to Charlton Memorial Hospital, where his condition is being evaluated, according to the source.

Around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, the Fall River Police Department was contacted by Swansea, Mass., police, who were investigating a report of a potentially armed and suicidal male subject, according to Fall River Police Lt. John DeMello. Swansea officers said the man was headed to Fall River driving a gray 2005 Honda Accord.

FRPD tracked the man via his cell phone and followed him to several locations before finding him at the self-storage business. Officers wearing protective entry gear from the department’s Emergency Services Unit responded, followed by detectives from the Major Crimes Unit, according to the source. At about 7 p.m. they were observed collecting evidence from the scene, including what had appeared to be a shotgun.

No injuries were reported during the incident, though police at the scene said they heard a firearm discharge in the immediate area, DeMello told the source.

A man who identified himself as one of the owners of the storage facility told the source the subject is a family member who had experienced a nervous breakdown and is “just under stress.” He confirmed that police negotiators were able to calm his relative.

Criminal charges are pending further investigation, according to police.

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Self-Storage REITs to Release 2Q 2014 Financial Results, Conference Calls Announced

Article-Self-Storage REITs to Release 2Q 2014 Financial Results, Conference Calls Announced

The four U.S.-based self-storage real estate investment trusts (REITs)—CubeSmart, Extra Space Storage Inc., Public Storage Inc. and Sovran Self Storage Inc.—have announced when and how they will reveal their earnings statements for the fiscal quarter that ended June 30.

CubeSmart

CubeSmart will release its financial results for the quarter and six months that ended June 30 after the market closes on Aug. 7. An accompanying conference call will be held at 11 a.m. ET on Aug. 8. A live webcast of the conference call will be available from the investor-relations page of CubeSmart.com. The dial-in numbers are 877.506.3281 for U.S. callers, 412.902.6677 for international callers and 855.669.9657 for Canadian callers. To avoid delays in joining the call, participants can pre-register at http://dpregister.com/10049388.

After the live webcast, the call will remain available on CubeSmart's website for 30 days. In addition, a telephonic replay of the call will be available through Sept. 7. The replay dial-in number is 877.344.7529 for domestic callers, 412.317.0088 for international callers and 855.669.9658 for Canadian callers. The conference number is 10049388.

CubeSmart owns or manages 546 self-storage facilities across the United States and operates the CubeSmart Network, which consists of more than 800 additional self-storage facilities.

Extra Space Storage Inc.

Extra Space will release its financial results for the quarter and six months that ended June 30 after the market closes on July 30. The company will host a conference call at 3 p.m. ET on July 31 to discuss the results. Hosting the call will be CEO Spencer Kirk, along with Scott Stubbs, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

During the call, company officers will review performance, discuss recent events, and conduct a question-and-answer period for registered financial analysts. All other participants will have listen-only capability.

The phone number for the call is 877.546.5020 for U.S. callers and 857.244.7552 for international callers. The participant passcode is 30927147. The conference-call playback, which will be available through Aug. 5, will be accessible at 888.286.8010 in the United States or 617.801.6888 internationally. The participant passcode is 90650322.

The conference call will also be available on the investor-relations page of ExtraSpace.com. Those who wish to listen online should visit the website at least 15 minutes before the event start time to register and install any necessary audio software. A replay of the call will be available online for 30 days.

The full text of the earnings report and supplemental data will also be available on the company website immediately following the earnings release to the wire services on July 30.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Extra Space owns or operates 1,071 self-storage properties in 35 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico. The company’s properties comprise approximately 715,000 units and 79 million square feet of rentable space.

Public Storage Inc.

Public Storage will release information about its first-quarter earnings on July 31. A conference call is scheduled for Aug. 1 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the results.

For the live conference call, the domestic dial-in number is 866.406.5408. The international dial-in number is 973.582.2770. The conference ID is 71621154. The live webcast will be available through the investor-relations page of PublicStorage.com and will be accessible on demand until Aug. 15. For the conference-call replay, the domestic dial-in number is 800.585.8367, the international number is 404.537.3406, and the conference ID number is 71621154.

Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage has interests in 2,202 self-storage facilities in 38 states with approximately 141 million net rentable square feet. Operating under the Shurgard brand name, the company also has 188 facilities in seven European countries, with approximately 10 million net rentable square feet.

Sovran Self Storage Inc.

Sovran will issue its quarterly results after the market closes on July 30. The company will conduct a conference call to review the financial results on July 31 at 9 a.m. ET.

The call can be accessed at 877.407.8033 within the United States or 201.689.8033 internationally. Management will accept questions from registered financial analysts after prepared remarks. All others are encouraged to listen to the call via webcast from the investor-relations page at UncleBobs.com. The webcast will be archived for 90 days. A telephone replay will be available for 72 hours after the meeting by calling 877.660.6853 and entering conference ID 13586701.

Sovran operates more than 500 facilities in 25 states under the Uncle Bob's Self Storage brand name.

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