Archive for August, 2007
he National Football League (NFL) is kicking off its 42nd season this September with a star-studded roster that includes the likes of Peyton Manning, Randy Moss and Tiki Barber. If 42 seasons seems like a long time, consider that containerized storage has it beat by nine years.Even though containerized storage is 51 years old, sports franchises aren’t ready to retire this veteran player just yet. That’s because portable storage containers can help professional sports teams out of a space crunch, offering additional square footage to store equipment, balls, bags and whatever else star athletes at any level of the game – from pee wee to pros – may need in a hurry.
“Portable storage has been serving the needs of the sports industry for years,” said John Finnessy, CMP, Executive Director the National Portable Storage Association, or NPSA, a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry. “When it comes to seasonal sports, universities, amateur and professional teams alike rely on portable storage containers to keep equipment safe, dry and in good shape until it’s time for the next championship run.”
Click here to read the rest of this story.
August 29th, 2007
Five years after the Enron and WorldCom financial accounting scandals sparked regulations known as Sarbanes-Oxley, or SOX, records management is still a hot topic. That’s because of the challenges that go along with the requirement to store mountains of data. That challenge will become a $1.3 billion industry by 2008, according to Forrester Research.
Although digital solutions are making inroads to the records management business, copies of old-fashioned paper documents are still necessary in many cases. What’s more, the CD-ROMs, data backup tapes and other storage media must also be stowed away for safekeeping and easy retrieval. That can be a costly proposition, but it doesn’t have to be.
“Even if you are only paying $10 a square foot for office space, spending it on a room full of filing cabinets can add up to a hefty investment in a hurry,” said John Finnessy, CMP, Executive Director the National Portable Storage Association, or NPSA, a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry. “You can reduce your on-site storage costs and use that space for revenue-generating activities if you leverage portable storage containers to store your records.”
Click here to read the rest of this release.
August 24th, 2007
With a heat wave bringing triple-digit temperatures from the plains through the Southeast, air conditioning is hardly a luxury. It’s a necessity, as unbearable climates land scores of people in the emergency room with heat exhaustion and heat strokes. Portable storage vendors are ready with climate-controlled, AKA, air-conditioned units.
“Portable storage isn’t just hot metal boxes anymore. Today’s technology makes room for powerful air conditioning units to keep the contents of the unit cool, whether those contents are people or perishable items,” said John Finnessy, CMP, Executive Director the National Portable Storage Association, or NPSA, a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry.
Click here to read the rest of this story.
August 16th, 2007
Selfstoragedeals.com launched a program to charge self-storage facilities a discounted fee for leads, and a flat “Pay Per Move In” rate when the lead results in an actual client. “Some self storage facilities were concerned about buying leads without testing the quality first,” said Colin O’Brien Lead Salesman for Selfstoragedeals.com. “So to soften the blow, we are now offering them the option to pay heavily discounted rates for leads, and then a flat fee when a lead results in a move in.”
Leveraging the Internet is the right way for the self-storage industry to go. I’m not sure why we don’t see more of it. This is clearly the future and those who become familiar with the ways of the Net today will be positioned for today and the future. I am not specifically endorsing this site as I have not used it, but many people have and it’s worth checking into.
The website creates sales leads by allowing potential customers to log on and fill out a self storage quote request form. In this form customers specify the needed self storage unit size and the storage start date. Once the potential customer has entered their contact and location information, the website instantly forwards the lead to the storage facility that services the zip code specified.
Click here to visit the site.
August 15th, 2007
Hillary Kramer discusses Public Storage stock. “The past six months have been brutal for Public Storage Inc. (NYSE: PSA), which has seen its stock price lose about 35%; it’s now trading below where it was 12 months ago. The company’s net income in 2006 was well below what it was in 2005, after a few years of steady growth, and the first two quarters of 2007 haven’t been much better. Net income in the second quarter was down nearly 25% from the second quarter of 2006, and for the first six months it is down nearly 50% from the first half of 2006. No wonder investors have been worried.”
Would you invest in Public Storage? Is there an advantage to being an industry powerhouse? Or are market conditions changing? What’s your take? Does Public Storage need a new strategy?
Click here to read the rest of Hillary’s views.
August 13th, 2007
In case you wondered, big media is following big storage.
AMERCO, parent of U-Haul International, got some ink in the form of a press release posted on CNNMoney. The company reported net earnings for its first quarter ending June 30, 2007, of $38.5 million, or $1.93 per share, compared with net earnings of $52.2 million, or $2.50 per share, for the same period last year. That’s not a particularly shiny, happy report, but at least the head honcho got an opportunity to get his plan out.
“Our team is focused on improving operations for future growth and profitability. We have implemented a rate system as well as a new repair diagnostic system. We expect to see a positive impact from both of these initiatives. I am obviously disappointed with the results for the quarter. Self-storage continues on plan through expansion at existing locations, development of new properties and growth of our self-storage affiliate program,” stated Joe Shoen, chairman of AMERCO.
For better or worse, self-storage will get more and more attention. Shoen spun the poor earnings report news like a veteran. The rest of the industry should follow his lead: honest, upfront, and with a clear vision for the future.
August 10th, 2007
AuctionSound has signed with Add It to create a network of independently owned eBay Drop Off Stores inside self storage facilities across the United States.
“This agreement is a formalization of AuctionSound’s core business strategy of creating mutually beneficial industry solutions to leverage innovative online services,” Matthew Brown, President of AuctionSound commented. “We feel that the self storage industry is a perfect fit for the eBay drop off business. There are over forty thousand self storage facilities in the U.S. and this industry is a great fit for this solution.”
By adding eBay services to their existing business, self storage owners can capitalize on existing customers, drive walk-in traffic, and offer an alternative way for tenants to pay rent. The service may also increase the self storage owners’ revenues from delinquent unit auctions while taking advantage of existing real estate and labor.
This is a sign of the self-storage times. Ebay drop off sites are gaining momentum in an increasingly competitive industry. I expect to see more of this as the market matures, along with additional creative ancillary services that will morph the self-storage facility of old into a modern plaza, of sorts, with all-you-can-need storage and more.
August 8th, 2007
School may be out for summer, but a new semester will begin in just weeks - and school overcrowding is still making headlines. In fact, overcrowded schools continue to be a major national problem, according to a study by the Neighborhood Capital Budget Group, despite a public sector effort to build more facilities.
“Studies show unpleasant consequences from overcrowded schools, including a negative impact on student learning,” said John Finnessy, CMP, Executive Director the National Portable Storage Association, or NPSA, a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry. “Portable storage can offer solutions that help students realize a better tomorrow.”
Indeed, portable storage containers can be transformed into temporary classroom facilities complete with carpeting and air conditioning. With ramps, steps, safety rails, furniture and fixtures, the portable storage unit serves as a foundation for solving the overcrowded school problem.
What’s more, the containers are inexpensive, making it an economically viable alternative to building new facilities for temporary enrollment overloads. Alternatively, the containers can be used as mobile classrooms that travel from school district to school district for special educational events. In any case, the containers can be stripped and used for traditional storage of athletic equipment and other items if permanent facilities are built.
“Portable storage continues to demonstrate its flexibility to solve the space needs of many industries,” said NPSA Operations Manager Joel Rathbone. “Portable and temporary classrooms kill several birds with one stone: they alleviate large expenditures in the school budget, offer storage space for records and equipment, and, most importantly, help make sure students have every opportunity to learn in a quality environment.”
August 6th, 2007
There’s an interesting editorial in The Boston Globe this week. The headline reads, “Don’t blame cost of self-storage as cause of homelessness.”
I like the headline. It’s provocative. I’d be robbing from the author to even summarize or comment on it. Click here to read Alex Lekas’ comments for yourself.
August 3rd, 2007
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