U.K.-based Safestore Holdings PLC has submitted an application in Leeds, England, to demolish a structurally unsound building and replace it with a seven-story, 95,000-square-foot self-storage facility. Supported by financial-advisory firm Deloitte LLP, the operator told the city council the project will “deliver a new building that will positively transform the site, reflecting and complementing the wider pattern of investment and regeneration that has taken place around the Bridge Street area in recent years,” according to the source

The existing six-story structure, commonly referred to as Baker House, is bounded by New York Road as well as Bridge and Trafalgar Streets. Built between 1920 and 1930, it originally served as a showroom and service garage for Ford Motor Co. The city changed the zoning in 1987 to allow for distribution and storage. The building was closed in January due to concerns about its structural integrity, the source reported.

Founded in the U.K. in 1998, Safestore operates 120 self-storage facilities, including 44 in London and 26 in France. Its wholly owned properties comprise more than 5.6 million square feet of storage space, while its entire portfolio serves approximately 55,000 customers.

Source:
Insider Media, New Self-Storage Facility Plans Lodged

Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc., which operates more than 1,300 self-storage facilities across North America and frequently recycles existing structures for its new locations, has purchased the former Eagle Electronics building in Colorado Springs, Colo., for conversion to self-storage. The property at 4725 Centennial Blvd. is near the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Built in 1998, the building contains a mix of lofted and acoustical-drop ceilings as well as two dock-high and three drive-in doors. It has two additional tenants, Thin Metal Parts and Peak Analysis & Automation Inc. Both have six years left on their leases, according to a source.

U-Haul Moving & Storage at Mountain Shadows is currently operating from a temporary showroom, offering moving and packing supplies, trailer and truck rental, and U-Box portable-storage containers. Plans are underway to convert the 80,259-square-foot building into an indoor facility containing 400 climate-controlled units.

“Colorado Springs is booming, and U-Haul needs to follow suit,” said Dave Hellmers, president of the U-Haul Co. of Southern Colorado. “We chose this area of town because of the strong technology presence and the proximity to the Air Force Academy. We want to be part of this community for years to come.”

Established in 1945, U-Haul owns more than 44 million square feet of storage space. The company’s corporate sustainability initiatives, which support infill development to help local communities lower their carbon footprint, has led to dozens of conversion projects in recent years.

Sources:
PR Newswire, U-Haul Facility to Address Self-Storage Demand in Colorado Springs
LoopNet, 4725-4755 Centennial Blvd.

The Jenkins Organization Inc., a Houston-based developer and operator of 52 self-storage facilities in five states, has promoted Nedra Price from area manager to district manager, effective Aug. 1. Price joined Jenkins Organization six years ago as an assistant manager and covered multiple locations. She’s been an area manager for three years, and has also held positions on the company audit and training teams.

Earlier this year, the company hired Courtney Jenkins as director of marketing. It has also opened several new locations in Texas in recent months, including Murphy Self Storage in Murphy, and ATX Storage and Lakeline Storage in Austin.

In addition, Jenkins Organization has three acquisitions, seven new developments and five expansions underway, all in Texas and slated to be complete within the next year. The projects total more than 1.2 million square feet of storage space and represent a $125 million investment, according to company officials.

Formed in 1989, Jenkins Organization has an ownership and management portfolio comprising more than 3.5 million square feet of storage space in Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

The key to self-storage door maintenance is prevention. Site managers who stop damage before it happens will help sustain a facility’s curb appeal and the quality of their property. Consider the following to keep the exterior and mechanics of your unit doors in top shape. Plus, find out when it’s best to let a professional make repairs.

Cleaning

First, you need to think outside the box—literally. Proper door service starts outside the roll-up door. Most paint damage comes from dirt kicked up from cars and driveways. Storage facilities in high-traffic locations, or on major roadways, expressways or freeways are more susceptible to the higher loads of dust and grime.

Avoid using a blower to clean driveways and doorways, as it forces dirt onto door surfaces and could even push it into the units. For example, it’s clear in the following image that a blower was used by all the dirt on the door ridges.

Take a moment on your next facility walk-through to look at the base of your door guides to determine if you have a dirt problem. If so, there’ll be piling inside the guide, as shown in the image below. If this is what you see, you need a street-sweeping program. Look for a company that specializes in self-storage maintenance and request vacuum service only. Again, you want to eliminate the use of blowers at your site. A blower just throws debris into the air, while a vacuum removes it.

When a tenant vacates a unit, it’s the perfect opportunity to clean the door, inside and out. Using a Shop-Vac, sweep the inside of the door curtain with the vacuum brush to remove all loose debris, and then vacuum the felt strips to remove all dust.

You may even want to wash the door, particularly if you’re in a dusty area or someone has been using a blower on your site. To do so, you’ll need a bucket or hose for water, dish soap, a very loose long-bristle brush, rags or sponges, and patience. Start from the inside, with the door open 24 inches off the ground, and clean the top of the door coil that contains the springs. Next, close the door completely and wash from the axel to the ground. Apply moderate water pressure to your felt strips to force out all dust. Step outside the unit and repeat, top to bottom. Leave the door in the closed position for proper drying.

If you’re cleaning with an eye toward restoring the door finish, it’s important to wash the inside of the door before you start. Check with your coating supplier as to the proper cleaning products for your choice of finish.

Inspections and Minor Repairs

Once the unit has been washed, cleaned and dried, it’s time for an inspection. Look at the door mechanics: felt strips, springs, axles, guides, mounting plates, fasteners and the bottom seal.

First, check to ensure the felt strip is still attached to the inside of the curtain. Reattach it if you find it loose, or replace it if it’s missing. Order a roll ahead of time so you have it on hand, and use 3M Super 77 Spray Glue. The felt strip is important to keep doors in mint condition and maintain curb appeal.

Next, perform the following:

• Use a spray silicone lubrication and lightly coat the springs. Rusty springs lead to friction and drag, causing door chatter.
• Use a Q-Tip to force a pea-sized amount of grease at each axle pivot location, and inspect the axle for galling and abrasion. This will look like a shining ridge or divot going around the axel surface (see the image below).
• Check to see if the nylon guide strips are in place. If they’re missing, install new ones, as these are important for proper door function.
• Wipe guides from top to bottom to remove grease and debris. You should never lubricate door guides! Clean guides will maintain a clean door.
• Apply a small amount of dry silicone spray to the latching mechanism.
• Inspect the curtain for minor dents that can be removed with a three-quarter-inch, plastic, electric, ninety-degree sweep and small hammer. This will keep doors from cracking.

The door should now operate in tip-top condition. If you don’t feel comfortable performing these tasks, arrange for a training program from a repair company that specializes in roll-up doors.

When to Call a Pro

If you find inconsistencies in your door components such as scrapes, bending, tears or broken springs, a professional door company needs to step in, as there are hidden energies in rolling-door components. For example, springs carry hundreds of pounds of energy to assist the customer with raising or opening the door. If the spring isn’t broken, it’s under tension.

To identify a broken spring, look for inconsistent spacing between the coils. Never touch a door spring or remove any spring or head-plate fasteners. It’s very dangerous. Not being educated in this type of repair could cause injury or death. In-house spring repairs by an unlicensed door technician create liability exposure for the facility owner, whereas using a licensed, bonded and trained door company adds coverage. Remember, most of this work occurs on a ladder, creating additional risk of injury.

A professional door technician will be able to supply various spring sizes to meet your needs. If not, keep an inventory of springs at your facility to be ready for door repairs.

After looking at the springs, check head-plate mounting fasteners to ensure the plates are securely attached to the wall. If not, again, it’s time to call a pro.

If you don’t know who to call, do some research. Contact your door manufacturer to see if it has a local technician or installer-referral program. If you have a good relationship with other storage operators in the area, ask who performs their repairs. Hiring a local company can help keep down service costs. Commercial door companies are willing to do repairs, but they find it a hassle and often charge a small fortune.

Remember, happy self-storage doors make for happy customers and facility owners. Follow the above advice to keep your doors clean and working properly.

Mark Pickard is the CEO of Keepster Protection, developer of the Keepster Pro, a device for self-storage unit doors that provides a safeguard for latch, header and door protection. Mark has worked in the self-storage industry for 35 years, and currently operates a maintenance company representing 300-plus facilities in Southern California. For more information, call 951.206.4831; visit www.keepsterpro.com. 

Public Storage Inc., a self-storage real estate investment trust (REIT), has acquired Sentry Self Storage in Houston. Built in 2006, the facility at 707 Maxey Road comprises 104,024 square feet of storage space in 941 climate-controlled and drive-up units. It sits on 5 acres.

The seller and the buyer were represented in the transaction by Hugh Horne, principal of Carmel Storage Capital, and Bill Bellomy and Michael Johnson, brokers with Bellomy & Co.

Public Storage also recently opened a new facility in Puyallup, Wash., a suburb of Seattle. It also expanded an existing location in Milpitas, Calif., adding more than 700 interior, climate-controlled units to its property at 1080 Pecten Court. The site now offers more than 1,200 units.

Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage has interests in 2,615 self-storage facilities in 39 states, with approximately 171 million net rentable square feet. Operating under the Shurgard brand name, the company also has 223 facilities in seven European countries, with approximately 12 million net rentable square feet.

Headquartered in Coral Springs, Fla., Sentry manages more than 30 properties in several states, and works with 14 ownership groups.

Formed in 2016 and based in Los Angeles, Charmel Storage is a commercial real estate advisory firm focused on self-storage capital transactions.

With offices in Atlanta, Houston, and Austin, Texas, Bellomy & Co. focuses on the sale of self-storage, industrial, office and retail properties nationwide.

Claudia Villa, manager of Kanab Mini-Storage in Kanab, Utah, was recently featured in the “Southern Utah News” (SUN) for her professional side gig: a sewing business she operates out of one of her facility’s units. The seamstress and costume designer specializes in cosplay and custom pieces, according to the source.

After moving to Kanab to care for her ailing sister, who was battling breast cancer, Villa rented a unit at 772 E. Chinle Drive to store her belongings, the source reported. When the owner asked her to manage the facility, she decided to set up shop there.

It isn’t clear how long ago Villa left Phoenix, where she resided for 40 years and ran her own costume-design shop, Phoenix Cosplay. For more than 25 years, she sewed for individuals as well as the Phoenix Theater, where she created costumes for productions including “Annie” and “The Wizard of Oz.”

Villa told the SUN that sewing has always been her passion. “My mom taught me to sew when I was young, and I just always enjoyed it. I had the ability that if someone told me what they wanted as a costume or outfit, I could come up with a pattern in my head and then create it,” she said.

With five sewing machines, Villa also does custom embroidery, wedding gowns and alterations. She’s even designed items for Imlay Canyon Gear in Mount Carmel, Utah, which makes gear for exploring desert canyons.

Since moving to Kanab, Villa is once again involved in the local arts scene. She designed and sewed costumes for the movie “The Attic Door,” a 2009 psychological thriller filmed at Kanab Heritage House Museum, where she also works part-time. In addition, she recently produced costumes for the play “Mary Poppins” at the Kanab Area Community Theater.

Source:
Southern Utah News, Storage Shed Seamstress

Whether you’re looking to buy, sell or simply maintain your self-storage property, understanding the factors that determine real estate and business value is an important part of your investment. Written by valuation experts Michelle Gigowski and Timothy Moffit, “What's It Worth? Making, Managing, and Measuring Value: Self-Storage Facility” applies theory to help owners and investors understand how value is made, managed and measured within the self-storage asset class.

The authors have experience as educators, analysts, appraisers and turnaround consultants, which enables them to help readers connect the dots between valuation theory and practice. Topics covered in the book include facility financial statements, external and internal value drivers and destroyers, valuation creation and facility-turnaround tips, 10 reasons to buy self-storage, valuation approaches and models, and more.

Published by Value It Press, the book is part of a “What’s It Worth?” series authored by Gigowski and Moffit. Additional titles examine valuation for mobile home parks and self-serve car washes.

Visit the ISS Store for full product details.

StorageMart, which operates more than 200 self-storage properties across Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, has made three leadership appointments to help manage the company’s growth strategy during the next two years. It promoted Alain Gingras and Shawn Twenter to senior director of operations and information-technology (IT) manager, respectively. It also hired Clint Hall to serve as director of projects and metrics, according to a press release.

The moves were made in anticipation of growing the company’s portfolio to more than 300 facilities by 2020. "The secret to success is surrounding yourself with great people. StorageMart has the best people, and these new positions and promotions are well-deserved, and position our company for growth," said Cris Burnam, president. "Human capital is perhaps the most under-utilized tool in business. When people enjoy what they do, they innovate and deliver great service. You've got to have great people."

Gingras was promoted from senior regional vice president of operations. As senior director, he’ll be the primary point of contact for all StorageMart locations. He’ll also serve as lead on special operational projects.

Gingras has been in the self-storage industry since 1993 when he became general manager of Forteresse Self Storage. After a two-year stint with Apple Self Storage as director of operations, he joined InStorage LP in 2007 as regional director of operations. He was serving as vice president of sales and marketing for InStorage when it was acquired by StorageMart in April 2009. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and economics from Université du Québec in Montréal.

Twenter was promoted from his role as senior applications developer. In his new role, he’ll oversee StorageMart’s IT project management and support at the company’s headquarters in Columbia, Mo. Prior to joining StorageMart, he served as a principal database programmer analyst for the University of Missouri. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Central Missouri State and an MBA from Columbia College.

Hall fills a newly created role. He has experience working in the insurance industry where he specialized in data evaluation, process improvement and project management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Truman State University and an MBA from the University of Mississippi.

Founded in 1999 and based in Columbia, Mo., StorageMart is privately owned and operated by the Burnam Family, which has been in the storage industry for three generations. Its portfolio consists of more than 16 million square feet of storage. It serves more than 75,000 self-storage customers, and operates in Chinese, English, Punjabi, Quebecois French and Spanish.