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ISS Blog

Feedback From Mobile Attic

Article-Feedback From Mobile Attic

After posting yesterday's blog entry, "Industry in a Box," I received a well-constructed message from Ben Terrell, a member of The Mobile Attic, a reputable mobile-storage company. He agreed to share his comments with our readers. Keep in mind, my questions to the self-storage industry were:

  • How is mobile/portable storage affecting your business?

  • Is the added exposure good for the storage industry as a whole, or is mobile detracting from your tenant base?

  • Is anyone offering BOTH services?


Here is Ben's response:


I was perusing yesterdays Storage Speak blog entry, Industry in a Box, and thought I would chime in on how fantastic a complement mobile storage can be to traditional self-storage. Some operators may view mobile storage as fierce competition, while others (namely 11 of our 40 locations) have embraced it.

 
Those that choose to go beyond the If you build it, they will come mentality can reach a wide variety of customers who might otherwise be slightly out of reach. Those customers might include single mothers without access to a truck; people involved in remodeling projects who want their materials readily accessible; customers requiring on-site records storage; or people enduring fire- and water-damage situations. A few of our multi-tasking locations also offer rental-truck services and full-service shipping. Yes, there are many ways to increase your bottom line and provide a one-stop shop for most any customer.

 
The Mobile Attic offers this complementary service in such a way that you dont lose the identity in which you have undoubtedly invested a lot of time and money. A storage location can put its own phone number on its mobile-storage containers, controlling customer service by dealing directly with the customer. We apply small-business practices in most areas of our operation because we realize the majority of our business comes from previous customers.

 
The traditional storage owner also experiences fewer barriers to entry with this model because our containers are weather-proof and designed to sit outside. No costly warehousessimply use the available space adjacent to or already within your site.

 
Growth is also easier to control through mobile storage. Instead of erecting a building of several hundred individual units (and hoping they fill), buy 30 or 40 containers at a time; let the demand fuel your growth.

 
Three final things:

  • Dont go the way of the dodo or the dino.

  • Dont panic.

  • Give Mobile Attic a call (I would be reprimanded if I didnt say it!).

There are still plenty of territories and opportunities available to bask in the sun shining on mobile storage. However, dont sit there and wave as the wagon passes you by.

 
Ben Terrell
The Mobile Attic
866.874.8474
[email protected]

Pogoda Cos. Changes Headquarters

Article-Pogoda Cos. Changes Headquarters

Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Pogoda Cos., the state's largest self-storage operator and broker, will relocate to larger offices on Aug. 22. The move provides almost 40 percent more space for the growing firm’s headquarters, according to company President Maurice Pogoda.

The new address is 30301 Northwestern Highway, Suite 400, Farmington Hills, MI 48334. The phone and fax numbers remain the same: 248.855.9676 and 248.855.0170, respectively. 

Pogoda also recently launched an upgraded website, www.pogodaco.com, which includes information about the company's management, brokerage and consulting services, along with employment opportunities and company news from its offices in Michigan and Ohio. The site also offers tips for choosing a property-management company.

Founded in 1987, Pogoda Cos. serves the self-storage and manufactured-housing industries through its Pogoda Group Inc. and Pogoda Management Co. divisions. In addition to its headquarters, it has offices in Dayton, Ohio, and Grand Rapids, Mich. It is one of the largest storage operators in the United States, with approximately 3 million square feet of space under management in 38 storage facilities.

ISS Announces Sponsors for Vegas Expo 2007

Article-ISS Announces Sponsors for Vegas Expo 2007

Inside Self-Storage (ISS) has announced the sponsors of its 16th annual Las Vegas Expo, which will take place at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Feb. 20-23. Industry support of the event is stronger than ever, with new sponsors, exhibitors and attendees signing on to participate each week. General expo sponsors include Digitech International Inc., The Parham Group, Sentinel Systems Corp. and U-Haul International Inc. The following companies have chosen to sponsor specific event activities:

  • Epic Doors and Mako Steel Inc., co-sponsoring the ISS Evening Cocktail Reception.
  • Rib Roof Metal Systems Inc., sponsoring the Developers' Seminar.
  • DBCi, sponsoring the ISS Golf Classic.
  • Chateau Products Inc. and Janus International, sponsoring the grand-opening ceremony for the exhibit hall.

The ISS Vegas Expo is recognized as the largest tradeshow for the self-storage industry. For information regarding available sponsorship opportunities, contact Danica Cullins at 480.990.1101, ext. 1200; e-mail [email protected]. For show details and registration information, visit www.insideselfstorage.com/expo.

ISS Blog

Industry in a Box

Article-Industry in a Box

This week's self-storage news includes several items regarding a touchy subject: mobile (or portable) storage. I say touchy because the jury is still out on whether this is a fantastic ancillary service to complement self-storage or a fiersome competitor snatching potential business.


But there's no doubt the offering is taking the country by storm, and "standard" storage operators everywhere will need to contend with this player in their markets. The industry now has its own association, the Mobile Self-Storage Association, spearheaded by President Randy Weissman. And one of our competitors, the Mini-Storage Messenger, has even launched a dedicated magazine for this niche.


If you read today's news feed, you'll see two stories highlighted: one regarding the expansion of SMARTBOX into the Jacksonville market, the other about the snowballing success of PODS, Portable on Demand Storage. The former now has franchises in four states, the later in 45. PODS is even planning to move into Canada and Australia. As you can see, this is not some fly-by-night service that will fade into the dawn. The sun has risen, and it seems to be shining brightly on mobile storage.


So tell me, all ye storage operators ... How are you feeling about the arrival of this "new child"? How is it affecting your business? Is the added exposure good for the storage industry as a whole, or is mobile detracting from your tenant base? Is anyone offering BOTH services? If so, please tell us about it. Inside Self-Storage is currently working on its October issue, which focuses on ancillary products and services. I'd love to include some feedback regarding portable storage when we post this issue to the website on Oct. 1.

 

PODS Blossoms to $200M Annual Company

Article-PODS Blossoms to $200M Annual Company

Former firefighter Pete Warhurst started his career in self-storage with a traditional facility in Pinellas Country, Fla. But his claim to fame is PODS, Portable on Demand Storage, now a $200 million per year mobile-storage company serving the residential market.

Launched in 1998, PODS now has franchises in 45 states, and will soon expand to Canada and Australia. The company boasts 2,500 pickups and deliveries per day of its 8-by-12 or 8-by-16-foot contrainers. Built of heavy plywood over steel framing, they can withstand 110-mph winds and hold more than 3 tons of goods (they're moved via a specially engineered hydraulic lift system).

While PODS certainly has made a name for itself, it is only one of many companies offering mobile-storage services. The company has approximately 150 competitors of various sizes, including Mobile Attic and Door-to-Door Storage.

Is there anything to stand in the way of PODS' snowballing success? Perhaps only a few municipalities and neighborhoods that have attemped to pass laws or create rules against putting moble-storage units in residential streets and driveways.

Thankfully, the industry has its own supporting organization, the Mobile Self-Storage Association (www.ms-sa.org), lead by President Randy Weissman. The group's goal is to "facilitate and foster an atmosphere of cooperation between independently owned and operated mobile-storage businesses" as well as "bring awareness, education, integrity, peace of mind and value" to the customers the industry serves.

SMARTBOX Brings Portable Storage to Jacksonville

Article-SMARTBOX Brings Portable Storage to Jacksonville

SMARTBOX, a provider of portable storage for commercial and residential use, is expanding to the Jacksonville market. The company also offers SMARTCARE, a service alternative for long-distance moving.

People all across the country are turning to portable storage to meet their storage and moving needs, said Michael Lowe, president and CEO. Were here to bring our easy-to-use storage solution to Jacksonville.

SMARTBOX containers are 8 feet long, 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide. They can hold the contents of up to one and a half rooms and are delivered directly to customers doors. Users pack and load the boxes at their convenience. When theyre done, they call the company to pick up the boxes and deliver them to one of its warehouses or another location.

Based in Richmond, Va., SMARTBOX has franchises in Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina and Virginia. For more information, visit www.smartboxusa.com.

Storage Delivers 'Hot' Returns for Australian Investors

Article-Storage Delivers 'Hot' Returns for Australian Investors

Self-storage is the latest enterprise to deliver rental returns to small Australian investors, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. Hot on the heels of boutique property plays such as car-parking spaces, ATMs and telecommunications dishes comes the storage facility. A "guaranteed" high return of 8 percent and exciting prospects for capital growth almost sounds too good to be trueespecially for a property segment in its fledgling stage (by U.S. standards). Australian storage has been around for 30 years, but now the small investor can enter this market by investing in a property trust or buying a single-strata facility.

Future's Bright for U.K. Storage

Article-Future's Bright for U.K. Storage

Britain's storage industry has doubled in size since 2002 and now generates an income of £310 million a year, reported The Manchester Evening News in July. According to the Cheshire-based Self Storage Association, more than 2,000 employees operate more than 100 companies around the country.

But the association believes the market is still in its infancy. Chief Executive Rodney Walker said, "While it's unlikely the British market will reach the levels of penetration achieved by U.S. operators, there is growth potential." The nine biggest companies, including Safestore, Big Yellow, Space Maker and Lok'N'Store, control almost 50 percent of the British market.

New Website Provides Free Access to State Self-Storage Lien Laws

Article-New Website Provides Free Access to State Self-Storage Lien Laws

After prodding by Guy Denos of California Storage Auctions, a publisher of self-storage auction information, and requests from many self-storage owners and managers, industry professional Ron VanVarden of Stockton, Calif., has launched a new industry resource, the Storagelaws Network, found at www.storagelaws.net. The website provides free access to information regarding state self-storage lien laws. 
 
VanVarden initially created the website for the internal use of a self-storage company that operates in California and Nevada. When the website was picked up by search engines, what was meant for internal company use became a very busy website, he said.
 
There has not been a no-cost, one-stop resource for locating state lien laws for the self-storage industry. Just look on eBay, and you can find storage facilities from California to North Carolina selling whole units or piecing out units. So many facilities make their own rules--it puts the whole industry under scrutiny, VanVarden added.

The Storagelaws Network experienced a major upgrade over the last year, including the addition of modified fonts to make it easier to view the web pages on PDAs, Macintosh computers and Unix/Linux systems. In addition, font-size control was added on the state pages, which allows site visitors to adjust the size of the law text. The website also includes an RSS feed.
 
For more information, call 209.466.4444; e-mail [email protected].

ISS Blog

Lookin' for laws in all the wrong places ....

Article-Lookin' for laws in all the wrong places ....

... But not for much longer! Need information on your state's lien law? Ron VanVarden has just done you all a nifty favor and compiled all the state statutes in one place. The new Storagelaws Network at www.storagelaws.net is a free resource, so take advantage. That's not to say you shouldn't consult your legal counsel, particularly if you're drafting or modifying your facility's rental agreement--this you should always do. But if you just want to peruse your local guidelines, this is a good place to start.

Speaking of rental agreements, it's not too late to register for Tuesday's Legal Learning webinar, which focuses on how to go about making minor and major changes to your lease. It also will address clever ways to get tenants to cooperate with the transition process. This is essential, as some changes will require customers to come into the office and sign a new contract. This free online event takes place on August 8, 11:30 a.m. ET. All you need to participate is a phone and a computer, so join us. You'll find registration information at www.insideselfstorage.com/webinars.

To those of you who have asked: Yes, I did survive last weekend's trip to San Diego with the in-laws. I got to spend a whole 20 minutes on the beach, which was a disappointment; but we did manage to take a lovely gondola ride through the Coronado Cays (the sunset was stunning). LegoLand, as predicted, was tedious and horrifying; but there were a few cool sights:

Pirates are always a good thing ... These guys are part of the new "Splash Battle," which looked really exciting in the brochures but, in reality, was totally lame. (The sign was sweet though! Arrrrrgggh!)


 

There were also some amazing Lego creatures in the "Enchanted Forest." Theses were a few of my favs:

Finally, I was groovin' on some of the fantasy pieces, like the ever-popular Harry Potter and Witch's Brew!

This weekend, I'm looking forward to something resembling rest and relaxation. But I'm sure I'll spend many hours reading through self-storage lien laws. Won't you?

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