By Dillon Barron

s self-storage owners and operators look toward 2027, the challenge is familiar: maximizing asset value while controlling expenses. Construction costs remain elevated, labor shortages continue to impact project timelines, and customers still expect facilities to look clean, modern, and secure.

The good news is that improving an aging facility does not always require a major capital investment. In fact, one of the most cost-effective improvements available today is often hiding in plain sight: replacing old, worn, and failing roll-up doors.

For many operators, door replacement offers an opportunity to dramatically improve curb appeal, enhance customer satisfaction, reduce maintenance costs, and extend the life of existing facilities at a fraction of the cost of major renovations.

As facilities enter another year of heightened competition, smart maintenance decisions may deliver a better return on investment than expensive expansions.

When prospective renters arrive at a self-storage facility, they make judgments long before speaking with a manager or signing a lease. The condition of the facility immediately influences perceptions of security, cleanliness, and professionalism. Faded paint, dented panels, rust, and damaged doors can create an impression that the property is aging or poorly maintained.

While owners often focus on large-ticket investments such as office renovations, fencing upgrades, or technology enhancements, storage doors represent a significant portion of what customers actually see. A facility with hundreds of units may have hundreds of opportunities to make a positive first impression. Conversely, every damaged or worn door can become a visual reminder that maintenance has been deferred. Replacing aging doors can provide an immediate transformation that modernizes an entire property without altering the facility footprint.

Many operators delay door replacement because existing doors are still technically functional. However, the true cost of aging doors extends well beyond whether they can still be opened and closed.

As doors age, maintenance requirements often increase significantly. Operators may encounter:

• Misaligned tracks,
• Damaged springs,
• Bent panels,
• Failing latches,
• Rust and corrosion,
• Increased service calls, and
• Difficulty operating doors.

While individual repairs may seem relatively inexpensive, the cumulative cost over time can add up quickly. Maintenance teams can find themselves repeatedly addressing the same issues, diverting resources away from other critical facility improvements. In many cases, operators are spending money to maintain equipment that has already exceeded its most productive life cycle. Door replacement shifts the focus from ongoing repairs to long-term reliability.

Unlike many facility upgrades that are largely aesthetic, new storage doors provide benefits across multiple areas of operation.

First, they help improve occupancy by enhancing curb appeal. Prospective customers often associate newer-looking facilities with better security and professionalism.

Second, replacement doors may reduce ongoing maintenance expenses. Modern door designs frequently incorporate improved materials, finishes, and construction methods that are resistant to corrosion, fading, and wear.

Third, new doors can improve operational consistency. Fewer service interruptions mean less frustration for tenants and less demand on facility staff.

The result is a relatively straightforward improvement that can generate operational savings while supporting revenue growth. For operators preparing capital improvement budgets for 2027, that combination can make door replacement one of the most attractive maintenance investments available.

Not every market supports significant expansion projects. In mature markets especially, many operators are focused on maximizing performance from facilities they already own.

That reality has shifted attention toward asset preservation. Replacing aging doors allows owners to refresh facilities without the disruption or cost associated with major redevelopment efforts. Rather than spending millions on expansion or reconstruction, operators can often achieve meaningful improvements through targeted upgrades that address highly visible and heavily used components.

Doors fall squarely into that category. They represent one of the most frequently operated pieces of equipment on self-storage property. Every rental cycle creates wear. Over years and decades of service, that wear inevitably accumulates.

A disciplined replacement strategy helps facilities maintain a modern appearance while avoiding the operational risks associated with aging infrastructure.

While appearance and maintenance costs are important, security remains one of the primary concerns for self-storage customers. Storage doors serve as the primary barrier protecting customers’ belongings. Worn components, damaged locking mechanisms, and deteriorating materials can create vulnerabilities that affect customer confidence.

Upgrading older doors provides an opportunity to improve both real and perceived security. Customers notice equipment that appears solid, well-maintained, and professionally installed. Facility owners benefit from the confidence that comes with modern construction standards and dependable performance. In an industry built on trust, these factors continue to influence customer retention and long-term facility reputation.

As facilities evaluate replacement options, maintenance requirements have become an increasingly important consideration. Operators are asking more questions about long-term ownership costs rather than focusing solely on upfront purchase price.

The most successful investments are often those that deliver value year after year through reliability, appearance, and reduced maintenance demands. Many operators have found that selecting doors engineered for durability and lower maintenance can significantly reduce lifecycle costs.

For example, Central States’ Sentry™ line of doors has gained attention among facility owners because of the innovative design that extends optimum door life while also eliminating some forms of annual maintenance. These product enhancements can help support long-term maintenance goals while preserving facility appearance.

Just as importantly, modern door systems can often be installed as part of phased improvement strategies, allowing owners to spread investments over time while steadily improving facility performance.

The self-storage industry has always rewarded operators who take a long-term view of asset management. As facilities age, strategic maintenance decisions become increasingly important in protecting profitability and competitive positioning.

While large-scale redevelopment projects will continue to play a role in some markets, many owners will discover that smaller, targeted investments can generate impressive returns. Door replacement is one of those opportunities.

It improves curb appeal, enhances customer confidence, reduces maintenance demands, and extends the useful life of existing assets, all without the expense and disruption of major construction projects.

For operators building maintenance budgets for 2027, the question may not be whether aging doors should be replaced but whether continuing to maintain outdated doors is costing more than they realize.

In an industry where every dollar matters, replacing old doors can be one of the simplest ways to give a facility new life while protecting long-term profitability.

By Giselle Aguiar

Google Business Profile (GBP) is the primary digital gateway for modern renters and the most critical asset for local customer acquisition.

To dominate local search, you must understand Google’s evolution from a keyword index to an “AI Librarian.” In the old era, Google worked like a library’s paper index by matching a single word to a card. Today, it functions as both a sophisticated librarian that reads full sentences and sentiment and an enthusiastic “town guide.”

Think of your GBP as a “digital storefront window” on a digital street. If the display in a physical window never changes, the town guide assumes the shop is dormant or closed. However, when you regularly publish fresh GBP posts, the town guide gains the confidence to enthusiastically point visitors toward your business. Regular posting (updates, offers, and events) signals to the algorithm that your facility is active, organized, and ready for recommendation.

• Traditional Search is focused on matching individual words and keyword density.
• Modern AI Search interprets natural language, analyzes photos via computer vision, and assesses entity trust and neighborhood sentiment.

According to Statcounter, as of June 2026, Google has over 91 percent of the global search market. Bing follows behind at a mere 4.68 percent. According to Google, in the U.S., AI Overviews appear roughly 50 percent of the time in search queries. That’s a 10 percent increase in the last year.

They also stated that Google AI Mode searches have surpassed 1 billion monthly active users globally and are doubling queries every quarter since its launch in March 2025.

To ensure the AI Librarian cites your facility in conversational results, implement these four technical rules.

AI engines prioritize direct facts over marketing fluff. You must place essential data in the top 30 percent of your post content.

• Weak – “We are the absolute best storage company in town. We love our customers and offer amazing rates for everyone!”
• Strong – “Our climate-controlled 10-by-10 units in downtown Dallas maintain a constant temperature between 60 degrees and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. No security deposit required for new renters.”

Google uses AI to verify your location through visual context. Avoid stock photos of boxes or locks. Upload authentic photos featuring recognizable local landmarks. For a Chicago facility, this means photos with the Navy Pier or the city skyline in the background.

• Strategic Tip: Rename your image files before uploading to include localized keywords, such as self-storage-near-navy-pier-chicago.jpg.
• Be location-specific in your photo and post descriptions.

The AI Librarian uses structural attributes to answer complex queries. Check your profile every 90 days to ensure all fields are mapped, specifically:

• Security – Keypad entry, gated access, security cameras, etc.
• Accessibility – Wheelchair-accessible entrances, ground-level units, etc.
• Amenities – Climate control, on-site moving supplies, etc.

Categorize your content under Google’s official post types to streamline the AI’s retrieval process.

• Unit Features – Highlight specific square footage (e.g., 5-by-5 versus 10-by-20) and explain how climate control protects delicate items from humidity.
• Trust Signals – Post photos of new security upgrades, such as upgraded corridor lighting or 24/7 gate monitors.

• Localized Incentives – “First Month Free for residents near Local Landmark Name.”
• Bundle Packs – Promote “Moving Starter Kits” including boxes, bubble wrap, and tape to increase ancillary revenue.

EVENTS (TIME-BOUND ACTIVITIES)

• Community Involvement – Highlight local sponsorships or charity drives at the facility.
• Facility Tours – “Open House: Walk through our new temperature-controlled wing this Saturday.”
• Think FAQs – Forget keywords. Think Frequently Asked Questions.

With paid search costs (PPC) climbing to an average of $58.21 per user, GBP posts are your most cost-effective (FREE) alternative.

• Antidote to High Ad Spend – Regular posting builds organic authority, reducing your reliance on expensive Google Ads. Needless to say, keep track of your competitors and match or beat what they’re doing. If they are doing Google Ads, you should too.
• Increased Conversion Rate – Avoid the “zero-click” search phenomenon. Let customers find your pricing and features directly in GBP posts without ever having to visit your website.
• Frictionless Lead Gen – Strategic call-to-action (CTA) buttons like “Book” or “Learn More” target mobile users, who represent over 50 percent of online leases, at the exact moment of high intent.

This year and beyond, the goal is no longer just “ranking” for a keyword; it is “recommendation readiness.” As I wrote in a previous article, Google Maps is now an AI-assisted local decision engine that asks why your business is the best answer to a complex customer problem. To stay competitive, storage operators must move from maintaining a “static listing” to managing an “active digital storefront.” Fresh, fact-dense content and verified local trust signals are the key to success. If you aren’t posting, you aren’t visible. Move your profile from a dormant record to an active asset today.

• Updates – Highlight specific features or moving tips, such as explaining how your climate-controlled units protect sensitive items like leather furniture during humid summer months. These can be blog posts or image posts. Set up a tool like Dlvr.it to automatically share your blog posts to your GBP.
• Offers – Share limited-time promotions with precise pricing, dates, and redemption steps, like offering the first month free on a 10-by-10 drive-up unit when reserved online. Make sure to include a clear call-to-action button, such as “Book” or “Get Offer,” that links directly to your reservation page so customers can rent a unit immediately.
• Events – Announce community activities, seasonal events, and auctions. Include all pertinent information.

Like I’ve covered in my past articles, instead of just matching keywords, AI looks for trustworthy “fact density” to answer specific customer questions about pricing, current promotions, or unique facility features. Furthermore, when you post regularly, it sends a strong signal to Google that your business is actively managed and reliable. Thus, this increases your chances of being recommended by the AI over competitors with stagnant profiles.

Nevertheless, GBP is not social media. It’s strictly business related. Google will remove posts that are not relevant to your business. For instance, if a regular customer’s kid makes the honor roll, skip GBP. Save posts like that for Facebook and Instagram. Also, don’t publish the same thing over and over again. GBP isn’t like a social media feed that includes other people’s content. It’s yours alone.

You should aim to post about once or twice a week. Consistently posting sends a strong signal to Google that your business is active and engaged. However, be careful not to over-post, as doing so can push your most valuable offers out of view for your customers.

By the way, did you know you can now connect your GBP to your Google Analytics account? Go to Settings, then Product Links, and look for Google Business Profile and follow the instructions to link it.

As always, if you need help with any of your digital marketing, feel free to book a free discovery call, so we can brainstorm some ideas.

By Alex Burke

very vendor in self-storage right now has an AI pitch. Some of them are genuinely useful. A lot of them are not. And if you are an operator trying to figure out which is which, the noise level is high enough that it is easy to either dismiss all of it or believe too much of it.

Neither of those responses serves you particularly well. So here is an attempt at a more grounded take on where AI actually stands in self-storage operations today, what is working, what is oversold, and how to tell the difference.

AI products available today range from genuinely useful to barely functional, and distinguishing functionality not always a straightforward task. A lot of what is being sold right now will not survive the next few years. The companies building real products will outlast the ones selling a story, but we have not fully sorted that out yet.

What that means in practice is that the fear of being left behind and the fear of getting burned by a bad product are both reasonable concerns to have simultaneously. You should not ignore AI because some of the vendors are questionable. You also should not sign contracts because someone told you the world would pass you by if you didn’t.

The right posture is somewhere in the middle, which is not the most exciting advice, but it is the accurate one.

Most AI use in self-storage today is fairly unglamorous, which is exactly why it works. It’s used for writing emails, summarizing reports, drafting communications, pulling data from multiple property management systems, and organizing it into something readable. These are not headline-grabbing applications, but they are the ones that are saving time.

At STORE, the most meaningful near-term application has been on the reporting side. Instead of having people spend hours pulling delinquency data, leasing activity, and performance numbers from different systems, we built an internal platform that does the extraction and formats the output. Work that used to require several people now requires a fraction of that. The underlying data is the same. What changed is how long it takes to get from raw numbers to something an owner can use.

That is the honest version of the force multiplier argument—not that AI replaces people but that it handles the time-consuming mechanical work so the people can focus on the judgment calls that require a human.

AI-driven marketing is probably the biggest area of overpromising right now. There is a whole category of vendors selling the idea that AI can handle your marketing campaigns end to end: generate the content, target the audience, optimize the spend, close the loop. Some of these tools have useful features. None of them replace the thing that makes marketing in self-storage actually work, which is specificity.

Marketing a self-storage facility is not like marketing a consumer product. You are trying to reach a specific person in a specific geography who has a specific need, often right now. Generic AI-generated content, targeted at a general audience, is not the right tool for that. If anything, the self-storage industry has a dual marketing challenge that most sectors do not: You are selling to owners and to consumers at the same time, and each requires a different voice and a different approach. That is a judgment problem, not a volume problem, and AI does not solve judgment problems.

There is also a whole cottage industry around something called AEO, which is pitched as the AI equivalent of search engine optimization. The idea is that you can make your facility more visible in AI-generated responses the same way SEO makes you visible in search results. This is largely not how it works. AI language models are built on the same underlying web content that search engines index. There is no separate lever to pull. Any vendor selling AEO as a distinct service is, with very few exceptions, selling you SEO with a new label on it.

One place where AI is doing something genuinely interesting, and where it can also go wrong, is rate management. The big national operators have been running algorithmic pricing for years. The results are, to put it diplomatically, mixed. Some of that is a product problem. Some of it is a philosophy problem.

An algorithm that is optimizing purely for revenue extraction will raise rates on good long-term tenants at intervals that feel arbitrary and sometimes are. California has already passed legislation limiting how aggressively operators can raise rates on existing customers, and other states are watching. The operators running black-box pricing systems that nobody inside the company can fully explain are going to have a harder time adapting to that regulatory environment than operators who have kept a human in the loop.

The better use of AI in rate management is as an auditor rather than an autopilot. It can flag when a rate increase might cost you a tenant who has been reliable for two years. It can surface patterns in the data that a human reviewer might miss. But the decision about what to do with that information should stay with a person who is accountable for the relationship with that customer.

If you are an operator evaluating AI tools, the most useful questions to ask are not about the technology. They are about outcomes.

What specific decision does this tool improve? How do you measure whether that improvement is happening? Where does it fit into our existing workflow, and what does it change for the people using it? If a vendor cannot answer those questions clearly, that is important information. Features and automation and AI buzzwords are not what you are paying for. Outcomes are what you are paying for, and any tool that cannot tell you what outcome it produces probably does not produce one.

A secondary question worth asking is how much effort it takes to get the tool working. If onboarding takes longer than the time the tool will save you in the first year, the math does not work. A lot of AI products in the market right now are technically impressive and practically burdensome. You want the opposite.

The near-term future of AI in self-storage is probably less about flashy applications and more about what happens when AI tools can actually work with your company’s own data. The technical term for this is retrieval augmented generation, which is a way of giving an AI model access to your specific documents, your operating history, your lease data, and your financials, rather than just the general knowledge it was trained on.

When that capability matures, an operator will be able to ask a question like what is driving the performance gap at this facility compared to last quarter and get an answer that is grounded in actual property data rather than a generic response. That is when the reporting and decision-making applications get genuinely powerful. We are not fully there yet, but it is close enough to be worth understanding now.

In the meantime, the operators who will get the most out of AI are the ones who treat it as infrastructure rather than magic. Use it to handle the mechanical work. Keep humans accountable for the judgment calls. Ask hard questions of vendors and ignore anyone who tells you the tool will run itself. It won’t. But it will make the people running your operation meaningfully better at their jobs when it’s used well, and that is worth quite a lot.

By Patrick Moody

here are currently more U.S. self-storage facilities than Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Subway locations combined (more than 51,000 facilities according to the Self Storage Association). That means serious competition for operators.

Add to this a low housing inventory that has homeowners staying put, and you have strong potential for a move-in slump.

In today’s business and financial climate, tenant retention needs extra attention. Fortunately, your current tenants represent tremendous revenue opportunity.

But before you consider how to keep tenants on property, think about why they might vacate and address those issues. That may be half the battle won.

“Most of the move-outs I see aren’t about price, they’re about friction,” says Melissa Huff, COO and co-owner of Lighthouse Storage Solutions. “The customer got a surprise fee, nobody answered the phone when they had a problem, or the property looks like nobody’s touched it in weeks.”

Also remember: Some tenants will leave no matter how buttoned up your business is.

“The goal is not to prevent every move-out,” says Jared J. Mastroianni, COO of modSTORAGE. “People finish a move, sell a home, settle an estate, or simply stop needing storage. A good retention program separates natural departures from avoidable ones.”

So, focus on what you can control: See what other operators are doing, figure out what you can do better, and make changes.

You may already know your own site shortfalls. But in this competitive industry, that’s just a starting point.

“You all sell storage,” says Sarah Beth DeFazio, Universal Storage Group’s vice president of sales and development. “You are the differentiator. Be the professional in your market. Know your property inside and out. Know your competitors inside and out. You can’t answer a comparison you’ve never done.”

How do you get to know your competitors that well? Stop by with a pizza at lunchtime one day and chat. You’ll soon know just about everything of value about them.

Industry authorities agree that prioritizing customer service is about the best way to keep tenants around. If you’re not playing your customer service A-game, it’s time to step it up.

To start, answer the phone. Be there for tenants and prospects. And whether they’re on the phone or in the office, really listen to what they’re saying.

“Delivering excellent customer service alongside high standards at the store level makes it significantly easier for customers to choose to stay for one more month,” says Guy Middlebrooks, executive vice president of operations for CubeSmart Self Storage. “Friendly, service-oriented, and responsive store and sales center teams truly set you apart.”

Huff notes that customer service is about people, not features or amenities. “Automation has changed this business for the better but hasn’t replaced the manager,” she says. “Tenants want a personal experience [especially] when things go sideways. That’s the moment a good manager earns another 12 months of rent.”

For new tenants, an exceptional service experience includes some hand-holding that makes them feel valued and validates their choice:

• Showing them to their unit,
• Staying with them as they inspect it,
• Explaining how the gate and smart locks work, and
• Pointing out security cameras.

For long-time tenants it means providing a consistent quality of service and offering someone who’s ready to leave some options. Could they manage in a smaller unit? Focus on addressing the specific needs you’re not meeting.

“A downsized rental keeps 100 percent of a smaller monthly rental rate, instead of 0 percent of a bigger one, and keeps a customer who now sees you as being on their side,” says Huff.

Superior customer service works best in combination with other retention-boosting practices.

It costs nothing—and saves you money later—to set expectations with customers about the contract, due dates, late fees, and potential future rate changes on day one. Suprises can scare them off.

“The rental conversation is the whole ballgame,” says Huff. “Three extra minutes at the counter prevents a year of arguments that make people leave.”

Eventual rate increases are a fact of life for every business, so how do you handle that sensitive topic down the line?

“Everybody understands that expenses go up,” Huff says. “What people don’t like is being blindsided.”

Notify every tenant of an increase in writing with the required notice. Maintain a consistent increase interval, when possible. If you delay increases and then hit tenants with a large hike, even with notice, you’re going to see many move-outs.

Conduct customer surveys and keep an eye on Google reviews. If you see any recurring themes, you probably have some real issues that need attention, not just a dissatisfied tenant or two.

“Most operators read those reviews defensively instead of reading them as data,” says Huff. “Learn from the data and make improvements.”

Mastroianni adds, “Track why tenants leave, not just how many leave. The manager should also mark whether the cause was reasonably preventable.”

Review the information monthly by facility and tenant tenure. Assign an owner, set a correction date, and check whether the pattern continues. This needn’t be a complicated dashboard, but a simple checklist of problems you can actually fix.

DeFazio recommends not waiting until move-out day for surveys. “Do an entry survey and ask why they chose you,” she says. “Do an exit survey and ask what changed. Most operators guess about their differentiators. Your customers will tell you if you ask.”

While automation can’t replace human assistance, technology remains a crucial part of the picture.

“Meeting customer expectations regarding technology, such as Bluetooth-enabled access, a user-friendly online rental and payment system, is essential in today’s environment,” says Middlebrooks.

Cameras, door alarms, and smart locks are expected features that will help you seal the deal. They make tenants feel secure. The most sophisticated technology isn’t always what keeps them around longer, though. A feature as common as autopay is a top retention tool.

“A tenant on autopay doesn’t drift into delinquency, doesn’t get overlocked, doesn’t get embarrassed, doesn’t get to the lien stage and just walk away,” states Huff. “Push autopay adoption hard. It’s the cheapest retention tool in the business.”

A pleasant environment also encourages tenants to stay. Everyone likes a clean, bright, and well-maintained facility.

“That means the office, the hallways, the restrooms, the grounds, the units themselves,” Huff says. “Burned-out bulbs and an overflowing dumpster tell your tenant you’ve stopped caring, and once they believe that they start shopping.”

Occasionally walk around your property just to see what needs fixing or cleaning up. Then, have a friend—a fresh set of eyes that won’t easily overlook any issues—do the same thing, and compare notes.

Financial incentives can give tenants the wrong expectations, damage the relationship, and hurt your bottom line. Often, they simply don’t work.

“Financial incentives like account credits or free rent usually do not effectively encourage longer stays,” says Middlebrooks.

If there’s a service or condition problem, a discount isn’t the solution, according to Huff. “If people are leaving because the property is dirty or the manager is short with them, a rate concession buys you a month and solves nothing,” she says. “Fix the actual problem.”

There are exceptions, though.

“A discount can be useful when it’s targeted, time-limited, and tied to a defined situation, such as a short-term hardship or a unit-size mismatch,” notes Mastroianni.

Is it unwise to give anything? Not necessarily. Consider rewarding longtime and referring customers. These incentives cost far less, if anything, and feel more personal than discounts:

• A free lock,
• Free moving supplies at move-in (or move-out),
• One free month at a milestone, and
• A handwritten thank-you note.

“We pay $100 cash to anyone who sends us someone who rents,” says DeFazio. “That’s a better use of $100 than shaving $12 off a rate for somebody who was going to stay anyway.”

The “formula” for improved self-storage tenant retention isn’t new—it’s a renewed focus on customer service coupled with other common-sense practices. Get your team and facility in shape, then keep them that way. It takes discipline, but the ROI can be considerable. Make current tenants feel welcome, safe, respected, and informed to extend leases and avoid chasing move-ins when the market just isn’t there.

By Jared Mastroianni

portfolio can look manageable on a map and still be unmanageable on a Tuesday morning.

That is the blind spot in many discussions about self-storage management style. The decision is often framed around facility count: One manager can cover three sites, five sites, perhaps more if the technology stack is strong. But doors do not create the daily operating burden, exceptions do. A gate that will not close, an access complaint tied to the wrong tenant record, a promised callback without an owner, and a delinquency workflow that stopped midway all compete for the same limited resource: verified managerial attention.

The better question is not, “How many facilities can one person manage?” but rather, “How much unresolved work can the operating model safely absorb before important signals lose ownership?”

An oversight load test helps answer that question. It is a practical method for selecting among on-site, hybrid, and remote management based on the character of the work, not a universal staffing ratio. The method does not predict injuries, losses, or financial performance. It makes the conditions that consume attention visible before an operator expands a manager’s span of responsibility.

Two five-site portfolios can require very different management models. One may have stable access systems, a reliable local maintenance network, clear escalation paths, and low exception volume. The other may have frequent gate incidents, inconsistent vendor response, active customer commitments, and systems that report activity without confirming the physical result.

Both have five facilities. Only one may be suitable for centralized remote management.

Technology can reduce repetitive work, but it can also move work out of sight. An automated notice may send successfully while the account remains unresolved. A work order may show “complete” while the physical condition has not been independently read back. A dashboard may display 10 normal sites and one red exception, yet the red exception may require three phone calls, a local dispatch, a customer update, and a second inspection.

That is why the unit of management capacity should be the open operational obligation. An obligation remains open until the required action, evidence, and communication are complete, not merely until a task changes status.

This emphasis is consistent with established control principles. The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s 2025 Green Book treats internal control as a management process for effective operations, reliable reporting, and compliance. OSHA’s recommended safety practices call for defined responsibilities, proactive hazard control, and evaluation of whether controls remain effective. Ready.gov places communications, recovery, and continuity planning inside business preparedness. NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 separates governance, detection, response, and recovery rather than treating an alert as the end of the work. None of those sources sets a staffing ratio for self-storage. Together, they support a useful operating premise: responsibility, observation, action, and verification should remain connected.

The test begins with one card for the manager’s current span. It contains six fields. These are not performance claims or industry benchmarks. They are an authored management tool that an operator can adapt to existing policies and response targets.

• Open exceptions by consequence – Count unresolved safety, security, access, customer, maintenance, payment, and data-quality exceptions. Separate routine issues from those that could cause harm, lock out a customer, or leave a facility unable to operate normally.
• Time sensitivity – Identify which facts or conditions become less reliable with age. A gate photo from yesterday, a unit-status readback from last week, and a current customer access problem should not share the same clock.
• Verification effort – Record what is required to prove the result: system receipt, camera review, local inspection, customer confirmation, vendor documentation, or a second-person check.
• Commitment load – List promises that the operation has made to customers, vendors, and employees, including the owner and due time. An unanswered promise is operational work, even when no alarm is flashing.
• Recovery dependency – Note whether closure depends on local labor, a vendor, another platform, a credential holder, or a physical part. A remote manager cannot directly complete work that requires hands on site.
• Interrupt density – Measure how often the manager must abandon planned work to handle new events. A manageable queue can become unsafe when interruptions prevent deliberate follow-through.

The card should be reviewed at a defined cadence and whenever the portfolio changes materially. A new acquisition, access-system conversion, staffing loss, severe-weather event, or vendor outage can alter the load without changing the facility count.

The output is not a single score. It is a load pattern. That pattern helps operators choose and adjust the management model. The table is a decision aid, not a declaration that one model is superior. A sophisticated operator may use all three across one portfolio: a flagship urban location may need on-site service; a small, stable property may work well remotely; a group of facilities may use a hybrid regional manager with scheduled visits and contracted local response.

The test can also reveal that the current model is correct but the span is too broad. In that case, the answer may be to reduce the number of obligations carried by one manager, not to replace the model.

Consider a fictional eight-site portfolio managed remotely by one regional operator. On Monday morning, the dashboard shows 18 open items. Twelve are routine tenant-document corrections with named owners and two-day response targets. Three are maintenance tickets awaiting scheduled vendor visits. One is a gate-close failure reported overnight. One is a customer access complaint after a unit transfer. One is a promised refund update due that afternoon.

The raw count is 18. The oversight load card tells a different story.

The gate failure is high-consequence, time-sensitive, and dependent on local inspection. The access complaint requires a current account readback and customer confirmation. The refund is not technically complex, but it is a live commitment with a deadline. The maintenance tickets are controllable if vendor appointments and follow-up evidence are visible. The document corrections are routine unless they begin to age.

The immediate issue is not that eight sites are too many. It is that three different types of work require near-term attention and two require evidence the remote manager cannot create alone. If local inspection is dependable and the gate event has a named incident owner, the remote model may remain appropriate. If the manager must personally locate a vendor, reconstruct the transfer, and remember the refund while new interruptions arrive, the model has exceeded its safe oversight capacity for that period.

The responsible response is temporary and specific: assign local verification, place the customer commitments on a visible clock, defer noncritical planned work, and review whether the portfolio needs hybrid coverage until the load returns to normal. The operator should not turn this fictional example into an industry threshold. Its value is in showing why a small number of consequential obligations can matter more than a large number of routine tasks.

An oversight load test is most useful when leadership defines stop conditions before adding another facility or removing local coverage. Examples include:

• No high-consequence exception may remain without a named owner and next action;
• A physical or access change is not closed until the required readback exists;
• Customer promises must have an owner, due time, and completion record;
• Local response dependencies must have a tested primary and backup route;
• One manager should not remain the sole coordinator for simultaneous high-consequence incidents; and
• Recurring aged work should trigger a capacity or process review, not repeated deadline extensions.

Those red lines are internal management choices. They should reflect the operator’s actual policies, legal obligations, insurance requirements, and risk tolerance. The important point is to establish them before a busy week tests the system.

On-site, hybrid, and remote management are not identities. They are operating designs. Each design determines who can observe a condition, who is authorized to act, how the result is verified, and how unresolved work is escalated.

The strongest model is therefore not the one with the fewest people or the most software. It is the one that keeps consequential work visible and owned while preserving enough capacity for the next interruption.

Counting facilities is easy. Governing obligations is harder—and far more useful. Before expanding a manager’s portfolio, run the oversight load test. If the organization cannot name the open obligations, their owners, their clocks, and the evidence required to close them, the next facility is not the only risk. The current management model is already asking attention to cover what the operating system cannot yet prove.

By Brooke Adams

wenty years ago, a successful self-storage entrepreneur facing his own battle with cancer had a vision. What if the industry he helped build could become a powerful force in the fight against a disease that touches nearly every family?

That entrepreneur was Barry Hoeven, founder of Westport Properties and US Storage Centers. Diagnosed with kidney cancer, he understood firsthand the urgency of advancing research, developing better treatments, and giving patients more options. Hoeven also understood the power of business relationships and the remarkable generosity of the self-storage industry.

In 2007, Hoeven founded Kure It Cancer Research with a clear mission: Fund innovative research for underfunded cancers and help promising scientific ideas move forward.

What began as one man’s determination to make a difference has grown into a national cancer research funding organization supported by business leaders, storage operators, industry associations, and corporate partners.

As Kure It prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary in January 2027, we have an incredible story to share, and the self-storage industry helped write it.

Over nearly two decades, Kure It has invested more than $11 million in cancer research, funding 77 projects addressing 28 types of adult and pediatric cancers. Those investments have contributed to 142 scientific publications and supported promising work at leading cancer research institutions across the country.

Behind those numbers are researchers who could pursue ideas that might otherwise have sat on a shelf waiting for funding.

Kure It occupies a unique space in cancer research philanthropy. We focus on high-risk, high-reward projects, particularly early-stage research that has scientific promise but may not yet qualify for traditional government or institutional funding.

We call it seed funding.

Think about what it takes to launch a new business. Before there is a proven product, substantial investment, or measurable revenue, someone must believe in the idea and provide the resources to get started.

Cancer research works much the same way.

A scientist may have a compelling hypothesis, but without initial funding to gather evidence, test an approach, or demonstrate early results, that idea may never advance. Kure It helps bridge that critical gap.

Our goal is to move quickly, invest strategically, and give researchers the opportunity to generate the early evidence that will attract larger grants and additional investment.

It is a funding model that aligns remarkably well with the entrepreneurial mindset of the self-storage industry.

While Kure It’s roots are firmly planted in Southern California, our funding reaches far beyond California.

At City of Hope Orange County, Kure It committed $550,000 to research focused on improving early detection and screening for stomach and pancreatic cancers. These are diseases where earlier diagnosis can make an enormous difference, yet effective screening options remain limited.

Pancreatic cancer, in particular, is often diagnosed after the disease has advanced. Supporting scientists who are working to identify cancer earlier is one way Kure It hopes to help change that reality.

Our national investments also include a $250,000 grant supporting Dr. Dizman’s research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, made in honor of NeSSA leader, Charlie Fritz, and a $200,000 grant supporting Dr. Eng’s work at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

Kure It has also invested $1 million in an endowed chair in genitourinary oncology at the University of California, Irvine, establishing a lasting commitment to research and scientific leadership.

Most recently, our 2026 fundraising efforts have highlighted pediatric leukemia research at City of Hope, including the work of Dr. Adam de Smith, whose research explores the earliest origins of childhood leukemia.

Each project is different, but they share a common need: resources to advance research that could ultimately lead to better prevention, earlier detection, and more effective treatments.

One of Hoeven’s greatest achievements was recognizing that the self-storage industry could provide something especially valuable to cancer research: a sustainable source of funding.

That vision helped inspire Round Up For Research, a program that allows participating storage customers to contribute through small, recurring donations.

Individually, these contributions may seem modest. Collectively, they have become extraordinary.

To date, Round Up For Research has raised $7 million for Kure It Cancer Research.

That is millions of dollars generated through everyday business operations, supported by facility managers, team members, storage customers, and companies that believe in making a difference.

US Storage Centers and Westport Properties have been instrumental in building this program and demonstrating what is possible when philanthropy becomes part of a company’s culture.

And the generosity extends well beyond one organization.

Partners like Charity Storage, Late 2 Lien, Storage Solution, Cubby, and Absolute Storage Management are among the companies helping expand Kure It’s reach. Industry associations, including the California Self Storage Association (CSSA), Northeast Self Storage Association (NESSA), Arizona Self-Storage Association (AZSA), and Tennessee Self Storage Association (TNSSA), have also helped strengthen relationships and introduce our mission to new audiences.

This is an industry built by entrepreneurs, innovators, and people who understand the value of relationships. Competitors come together, share ideas, support one another, and frequently rally around causes larger than their individual businesses.

Hoeven recognized that spirit nearly 20 years ago. Today, we continue to see it in action.

Anniversaries are wonderful opportunities to celebrate the past, but I believe their greatest value comes from asking what we want to accomplish next.

This year, we introduced “Building for the Future,” a strategic partnership initiative designed to expand Kure It’s funding capacity, strengthen relationships across industries, and build a larger, more sustainable network of supporters.

At the center of this campaign is our “Community Blueprint,” a visual representation of the businesses, foundations, research institutions, and community leaders helping shape the future of cancer research.

The concept is simple: Important things are built with vision, planning, resources, and people willing to invest in the outcome.

The Blueprint recognizes those partners while inviting others to take their place in what we are building together.

We know the impact that storage operators can make through Round Up For Research. Now imagine expanding participation among management companies, software and CRM providers, developers, construction companies, vendors, and industry associations.

And imagine pairing that growth with new corporate partnerships, family foundations, and philanthropic leaders from outside the storage industry.

This is not about replacing the partners who helped build Kure It. It is about honoring their commitment by inviting others to join them.

Today, Kure It directs approximately $1 million a year toward cancer research. As we look toward our next chapter, I keep coming back to one question: What if we could grow that to $3 million, or even $4 million?

That would mean more projects funded, more innovative ideas tested, and more scientists working on underfunded cancers getting the seed funding they need. It is an ambitious goal, but we are not starting from scratch. We have nearly 20 years of experience, a proven funding model, exceptional research partners, and an industry that has already shown it is willing to lead.

Barry Hoeven started with a simple question: What could the self-storage industry accomplish if it decided to take on cancer?

Nearly 20 years later, we have the answer: more than $11 million invested, 77 research projects, 142 scientific publications, and $6.8 million raised through Round Up For Research—one small donation at a time.

Hoeven was right about this industry.

To our longtime storage partners, we thank you. You built this.

To everyone else, consider this your invitation. Whether you operate one facility or hundreds, build them, finance them, or write the software that runs them, there is a place for you in what comes next.

Going from $1 million a year to $4 million will not happen by accident. It will happen because companies decide to be part of it.

Every breakthrough in cancer research starts as an idea someone was willing to fund. The next one could start with you.

Let’s build the next 20 years together.

By Andrew Pope

StorageCafe survey of more than 1,400 Americans found that lack of space—not moving—is now the leading reason people rent a unit. More than one in three respondents said clutter at home regularly overwhelms them. About one in four Americans currently uses self-storage, while another one in four is actively searching for a unit online.

Demand is strongest among people living in mid-size homes: 37 percent use self-storage, compared with 22 percent of those in smaller homes. Four in five renters visit their unit at least monthly, suggesting that storage units function as an extension of the home rather than simply a place to keep forgotten belongings.

Gen X leads all generations in current use at 35 percent, while Gen Z has the lowest rate (13 percent) but the highest future intent: Nearly one in three non-users plan to rent a unit. Hybrid workers also lead all work arrangements in current use at 34 percent, as their homes serve simultaneously as offices, living spaces, and storage areas. Meanwhile, self-storage searches across the 150 largest U.S. cities rose 23 percent year over year in 2025, nearly triple the 8 percent growth recorded in 2024.

Mortgage rates averaged 6.6 percent throughout 2025, which gave homeowners with lower existing rates a strong reason to stay where they were, even when their homes no longer matched their needs. New construction is not necessarily closing the gap. Homes are becoming more expensive while delivering less square footage, a trend some analysts have described as housing shrinkflation. Buyers who can afford to enter the market may still find that the available home offers less room than expected.

In this housing context, a household may need another bedroom, a dedicated office, more room for children, or somewhere to put years of accumulated belongings. Moving could solve the problem, but higher home prices, mortgage rates, and transaction costs make an upgrade difficult.

A storage unit offers a pointed solution: While it does not add living space, it can relieve pressure inside the home without forcing the household into an unaffordable property.

The issue is not even confined to smaller places. In fact, the survey shows that 37 percent of people living in mid-size homes use self-storage, compared with 22 percent of those living in smaller homes. Therefore, more space does not eliminate storage demand; it may even make households more open to buying new belongings, supporting additional family members, or taking on new responsibilities.

Plus, homeowners are already more likely than renters to use self-storage, at 29 percent compared with 21 percent. They also have stronger future intent. Thirty-six percent of homeowners plan to use self-storage, compared with 15 percent of renters.

The two groups face different pressures. Renters are more likely to focus on the immediate cost of a unit. Homeowners are more likely to be managing long-term accumulation and the limits of a property they cannot, or do not want to, replace.

Self-storage is also becoming more deeply integrated into household routines.

Four in five current users visit their units at least once a month, while 28 percent visit weekly. These customers are using their units as parts of their day-to-day lives, rather than a place you leave and forget your belongings for months on end.

Four-person households are the most frequent visitors, with 52 percent making weekly trips. Renters visit more often than homeowners, too. The survey found that 36 percent of renters visit weekly, compared with 25 percent of homeowners.

The stored items help explain these frequent visits: seasonal belongings, clothing, furniture, sporting equipment, and household overflow rotate between the home and the facility as needs change throughout the year. To operators, this means that customers who visit once a year have different expectations from those who use a facility as an additional room. Access, location, security, hours, and ease of entry become more important when storage is part of ordinary household life.

Remote and hybrid work have continued to intensify the pressure on residential space, too. Hybrid workers have the highest current self-storage use among work arrangements at 34 percent. Their homes may need to serve as offices, living areas, and storage spaces at the same time.

See Storage Use by Work Setup chart.

Meanwhile, fully remote workers currently use storage at a lower rate (28 percent), but they show the strongest future intent. Forty percent say they plan to use self-storage. Only 8 percent have used storage in the past, compared with 11 percent of hybrid workers and 14 percent of on-site workers.

Therefore, while hybrid workers have already crossed into active use, fully remote workers may represent a future source of demand as permanent home offices continue to compete with household space.

Of all age groups, Gen X has the highest current self-storage use rate at 35 percent.

This demographic data hints at the space pressures facing households that support children, adult children, and aging parents, since more people under one roof means more belongings competing for the same closets, rooms, garages, and spare corners.

See Self-Storage Across Generations (Present) chart.

Gen X also shows strong demand for larger units. A 10-by-20-foot unit appears in 27 percent of Gen X responses, while a 10-by-30-foot unit appears in 6 percent.

The demand is consistent with households managing belongings across multiple generations: One home may contain children’s furniture, aging parents’ possessions, seasonal equipment, and the accumulated contents of a household that has not yet reached a stable configuration.

See Self-Storage Across Generations (Future) chart.

Gen Z presents a different opportunity: Only 13 percent currently rents a unit, the lowest rate of any generation, but 32 percent plan to use self-storage in the future (nearly one in three respondents).

Gen Z is also the most space-starved and clutter-overwhelmed generation. Its future intent is more than double its current use, which suggests that storage is already part of how many younger adults think about housing, even before they become customers.

For this younger group, homeownership competes with rent, student debt, and everyday expenses. Many young adults are building full lives in smaller apartments while waiting for a more affordable opportunity to buy. A storage unit can help manage the interim: It can hold belongings between moves, support a smaller apartment, or accommodate items that do not fit in a first home.

Furniture is the most stored item, appearing in 22 percent of responses, which shows the basic mismatch between household belongings and available square footage.

Clothing ranks second, at 15 percent, and is especially prominent among residents of studios and one-bedroom residences, where 21 percent identify clothing as a stored category, compared with 7 percent of residents in four-bedroom homes. For smaller households, the unit can function as an overflow wardrobe.

Affordable pricing is the leading feature Americans look for when selecting a storage unit. After all, a storage unit may help a customer avoid moving into a larger home, but it still has to fit within the household budget that made self-storage attractive in the first place.

See What Americans Demand From Their Storage Facility chart.

The survey points to a self-storage industry serving more than movers and transitional households.

Homeowners are using storage to remain in homes that no longer provide enough room. Renters are using it to manage smaller apartments and frequent moves. Gen X is storing belongings associated with multigenerational households, while Gen Z is preparing for a housing market in which additional space may remain difficult to afford.

Hybrid work is increasing pressure inside the home. Clutter is making the shortage more visible. Rising search activity shows that consumers are actively looking for solutions.

The broader shift is clear. Self-storage is becoming part of how Americans make existing housing work.

As moving becomes more expensive and homes become less spacious, the storage unit is no longer only a temporary holding place. For a growing share of households, it is the additional room they cannot afford to build or buy.

BY AARON FARNEY

f you pay for Google or Meta ads, the report you get back probably leads with cost per lead. That number is close to useless for a storage business, and budgets allocated on it flow to exactly the wrong campaigns more often than most owners realize. The only acquisition number that should drive a decision in this industry is cost per move-in.

I ran facilities for 13 years before I moved to the systems side, and the gap between those two numbers (per lead and per move-in) is where I watched ad spend quietly leak out of otherwise well-run operations, not because anyone was careless but because the report ended one step too early.

A lead is not revenue—a move-in is. Between the two sits a chain: A click becomes an inquiry, an inquiry becomes a conversation, a conversation becomes a reservation, and a reservation becomes a tenant paying rent. Every link loses some people, and the losses are not spread evenly across campaigns.

Cost per lead measures the first link and stops, so a campaign can look cheap while producing inquiries that never become tenants, such as tire-kickers, people in the wrong part of town, or someone comparing prices for a move that is still three months out. Meanwhile, a different campaign looks expensive on the same report while quietly producing the customers who show up, rent, and stay.

Nobody wakes up wanting self-storage. Something happened in their life that forced the decision. The person who searched “cheap storage near me” and the person who searched your neighborhood by name and looked at your rates before calling are in different places in that decision. The first report treats them as identical. Your bank account does not.

Two search campaigns, same facility, same month: The numbers are illustrative, but the pattern is one I have seen repeat across markets.

Campaign A targets “cheap storage near me.” Spend is $600; it generates 100 leads, and cost per lead comes out at $6. On the agency dashboard, it is the star.

Campaign B targets “storage units” plus your city or neighborhood, and the landing page shows a price. Spend is $570; it generates 30 leads, and cost per lead is $19. On the same dashboard, it is the campaign someone will suggest cutting.

Now follow both to the rental record. Campaign A’s bargain hunters convert at 4 percent. That is four tenants, mostly in the smallest units. Cost per move-in is $150. Campaign B’s inquiries convert at 20 percent (six tenants). Cost per move-in is $95.

Judged on cost per lead, you move budget from B to A and feel good about it. Judged on cost per move-in, B is producing tenants at roughly two-thirds the cost. And in my experience, the gap widens from there because the customer who searched your location and saw a price before picking up the phone tends to stay longer than the one who searched “cheap.”

It’s the same ad account and same month but opposite decisions. That is what reporting on the wrong number does.

One more thing to notice in the example is that Campaign A’s four tenants took the smallest units; Campaign B’s six did not, so even cost per move-in undersells the gap. The number an owner actually wants is revenue per move-in by campaign. Ask yourself these two questions: What did we pay to acquire this tenant, and what is that tenant worth in rent over the time they stay?

John Reinesch, who owns facilities and runs the self-storage marketing agency StorIQ, says, “Even cost per move-in is only half the equation. The bigger opportunity is lifetime value. There’s a practical floor to how cheaply you can acquire a tenant, but there’s much more room to increase what that tenant is worth. If one operator can profitably acquire a tenant for $500, while a competitor can only afford $250, they can bid more aggressively and capture more demand.”

That is the part most operators never get to, because they are still arguing about cost per lead. Once you have cost per move-in wired up, lifetime value is one more column, and it is the one that decides who wins the auction for the next customer.

It is rarely malice. It is visibility. Your agency can see the ad account and the web form fills. They cannot see inside your property management system, so they cannot see who actually moved in. They report what they can see, and the chain ends at the lead.

That produces an optimization loop pointed at the wrong target. The agency tunes campaigns to make leads cheaper, which usually means more bargain hunters, which pushes the real number the wrong way while the reported number improves. Everyone looks at the chart, the chart looks better every quarter, and the facility is paying more per tenant than it was a year ago.

Fixing that is on the operator, not the agency. Nobody else can connect your spend to your tenants, because nobody else has both halves of the data.

At a single facility, this is a few hundred dollars a month pointed at the wrong keywords. Across a portfolio it is a systematic bias in how acquisition budget gets allocated, repeated every month at every site, compounding for as long as the report stays the same.

It also distorts the numbers people use to value an operation. Marketing cost per move-in, multiplied by average length of stay and rental rate, is the closest thing this industry has to a true customer acquisition economics figure. If the input is cost per lead instead, every downstream calculation about marketing efficiency inherits the error. An owner comparing two managers, two markets, or two agencies on lead metrics is comparing them on something that does not predict rent.

The fix is configuration work, not a capital project. It comes down to three links.

Tag the source on every inquiry. Where did this person come from—which campaign, which channel? Add Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) parameters on web forms, tracking numbers on phone lines, and channel tags on chat and text. If your inquiries already land in one place, this is a settings exercise. If they are scattered across five inboxes and a voicemail box, fix that first. It is the same plumbing problem in a different jacket.

Carry the tag through to the rental record. When the inquiry becomes a tenant, the source needs to ride along into the property management system or be joined to it later in a report. This is the link almost everyone is missing, and it is the cheapest one to build. Most modern platforms have a field for it. It just sits empty.

Report spend against move-ins by campaign. Once the tag reaches the rental record, the chart your agency already sends becomes a chart worth reading: dollars in, tenants out, campaign by campaign. Add length of stay and you have revenue per campaign, which is the number that actually belongs in an owner’s monthly pack.

The usual objection is that most inquiries come by phone and phone leads cannot be traced. They can be traced. Campaign-level tracking numbers have been available for years, and the cost is trivial next to the ad budget they are measuring. The second objection is that the PMS cannot take the data. However, in almost every case, it can. Someone just has to decide the field matters.

Once it is wired, it runs on its own. Every future ad dollar gets judged against the truth instead of a proxy.

Ask your agency this week: “What is our cost per move-in by campaign?”

A good agency will tell you they need move-in data from your side and offer to help build the link. Keep them. An agency that responds with a better-looking cost-per-lead chart has told you something useful too.

If the answer is a shrug, you have just found wasted spend without opening a single report. Right now you do not know which half of your budget is working. Neither does anyone else.

From the beginning, Janus founder David Curtis built the company around a simple idea: create a self-storage door that solved the problems operators and installers were experiencing in the field. In solving for challenges like damage during transit, springs that rusted or failed, and lengthy, difficult installations, the Janus International Model 650 was born.

The Janus Model 650 door quickly became the most installed roll-up door in self-storage, and it remains so today. Purposefully designing doors for easier and faster installation, better performance over time, and less susceptibility to shipping damage established an early philosophy at Janus: Listen to the industry, solve practical problems, and build better solutions specifically for self-storage.

Building better product was only part of the equation. Janus also recognized that even the best door delivers limited value if a customer cannot get product delivered where they need it, when they need it, and installed quickly and professionally. As the industry expanded, Janus built the infrastructure to grow with it, supporting customers with unit layouts, dedicated project managers, superior manufacturing capability, experienced install crews, and industry-leading warranties.

That approach became an important differentiator. In a market where manufacturers often try to compete primarily on producing the lowest-cost door, Janus has remained focused on the total value of the project. Reducing material or manufacturing costs can create tradeoffs elsewhere, from installation time and durability to service requirements and long-term operating costs.

It may have been easier for Janus to build a door that would only hold up for a few years in the field, but the Janus team felt that their customers deserved more than that—they at least deserved the option to buy doors that would perform for decades (30,000 cycles) in the field.

For Jackson, that broader view of the customer relationship has remained central as Janus has grown. The goal is not simply to sell what a facility needs today but to understand where the industry is heading and build the products, services, technology, and infrastructure customers will need next. It is the same principle that led Janus to rethink the self-storage door more than two decades ago—and one that continues to guide the company as the industry enters its next era.

“Innovation has always started with listening to our customers and understanding the problems they need us to solve,” says Jackson. “That was true when Janus developed its first door, and it’s still how we think about the business today.”

As self-storage grew from a largely fragmented business into an increasingly sophisticated global asset class, Janus grew with it. The same customer-driven approach that shaped the development of the Model 650 became the foundation for expanding the company’s manufacturing footprint, product portfolio, and geographic reach. For Jackson, scale has never simply meant getting bigger—it has meant building the capabilities to support self-storage customers wherever their next opportunity takes them.

Janus expanded its manufacturing presence across the United States, including operations in Georgia, Texas, and Arizona, helping the company increase capacity while remaining closer to customers and projects across key markets. At the same time, the Janus footprint extended well beyond the U.S., with operations and customers across Europe, Australasia, and, most recently, an expanded presence in Canada. That reach has allowed Janus to support everyone from independent owner-operators to some of the largest self-storage owner-operators in the industry.

As Janus expanded into a truly global self-storage solutions provider, Jackson remained focused on ensuring that growth strengthened the company’s connection to the industry rather than distancing it from the customers who helped build it.

“Scale matters because our customers need to know we will be wherever they need us,” he says. “As we’ve grown, we’ve remained steadfastly committed to listening to our customers, understanding their challenges, and responding with solutions that make their businesses better and help drive the industry forward.”

The product portfolio progressed alongside that footprint. What began with a better roll-up door expanded to include swing doors, lockers, complete interior hallway systems and an increasingly broad range of door solutions, including the 750 and 850 wind-rated models and the NS Series, which was designed to make the door secure and more robust against common break-in methods.

“As our customers in Texas and Florida saw a need for wind-rated solutions, we quickly responded with our 750 and 850 door models,” says Jackson. “Similarly, as owner-operators recently began reporting more sophisticated break-in attempts, we built our NS Series for both new construction and retrofits to help protect against those attempts. Our view is simple: Our products need to work.”

Each expansion—geographically and in product development—reflected the same underlying objective: Understand what customers need to build and operate better facilities and develop the products and infrastructure to deliver it at scale.

That focus on solving customer challenges would eventually push Janus far beyond its origins as a door manufacturer. As self-storage matured, the needs of owners and operators began changing. New development remained important, but existing facilities were aging, technology was reshaping operations, and owners were looking for new ways to improve revenue, modernize properties, and maximize the value of the real estate they already owned.

“We responded to the changing needs by expanding our capabilities around the entire lifecycle of a self-storage facility,” says Jackson. “First with our R3 Program and again with our Nokē Smart Entry platform.”

During the economic downturn in 2008 to 2009, self-storage owner-operators began focusing less on new development and turned their attention to their existing portfolios. A recurring need emerged during this time: aging properties (many of which were 20-plus years old) needed higher quality, better functioning doors to improve the safety, security, and aesthetics of the facility. It was from this owner-operator need that the Janus R3 Program was born.

The development and evolution of the R3 Program (Restore, Rebuild, Replace) created a more comprehensive approach to facility improvement. What began with replacing aging doors grew to encompass hallway reskins, unit remixing, office remodels, building renovations, and MASS relocatable storage. Rather than approaching each improvement as an isolated project, R3 gave operators a way to rethink underperforming properties more holistically, improving appearance and functionality while creating opportunities to add rentable space and generate additional revenue.

“Developing the infrastructure needed to successfully do full-scale door replacements and provide renovation services for aging self-storage facilities is no small task. In order to perform at a high level with minimal operational disruption, we invested significant resources into building out a team of site auditors, estimators, project managers, and specialized installation crews,” Jackson says. “Today, we’ve replaced millions of doors across thousands of facilities because of our team’s high level of industry expertise paired with the investment we made to enable full scope redevelopment solutions.”

A decade later, another shift was beginning to reshape self-storage. Operators were looking for better ways to secure individual units while also reducing the operational burden associated with traditional locks, keys, and overlocks. Janus saw an opportunity to apply the same philosophy that had driven its physical products for years: Listen to the challenges operators were experiencing and invest in a better solution.

From there, the Nokē Smart Entry System by Janus International was born. With Nokē, Janus helped pioneer the move toward smart security at the individual unit level. By bringing smart locking technology directly to the unit door and connecting it to a broader smart entry platform, operators gained greater visibility and control across their facilities while tenants gained a simpler, more seamless way to access their units.

But Jackson and the Janus team saw the potential for the technology to go much further than replacing a traditional lock. Smart locking technology could become the foundation for a more connected, automated facility. Operators could remotely manage entry, automate access based on a tenant’s account status, better understand activity across a property, and reduce many of the manual processes traditionally associated with facility management.

That vision has continued to drive investment in Nokē. What began as a better way to secure and access an individual storage unit has evolved into a growing ecosystem of smart locks, smart keypads, keyless facility entry points, connected sensors and cameras, mobile applications, and integrated cloud-based management portal. As the industry looks toward increasingly remote and centralized operating models, Janus continues to invest in developing technology designed not only to improve security but to help operators simplify operations, create better tenant experiences, and uncover new opportunities to generate revenue.

“For us, smart locking technology was never just about eliminating the traditional lock and key,” says Jackson. “We saw an opportunity to connect the entire facility and give operators tools that could drive revenue while lowering operating costs. As technology continues to advance, the opportunity to use automation, data, and intelligence to make facilities more efficient and more profitable only gets bigger.”

At the same time, Janus saw an opportunity to bring that same customer-focused approach to another critical part of the development process: the building itself. As development costs increased and projects became more complex, owners and developers needed solutions that could help them build more efficiently, maximize the potential of each site, and create long-term value without compromising quality.

Janus expanded its building capabilities around that need, bringing together design, engineering, manufacturing, and construction expertise to provide more efficient, value-engineered solutions for self-storage developments of virtually every shape and size. From traditional single-story facilities and large multistory developments to conversions, expansions, and more complex site configurations, Janus works with customers early in the process to identify opportunities to optimize building design, unit mix, materials, and constructability.

That ability to engage earlier allows Janus to look beyond individual components and consider how the pieces of a project work together. By combining deep self-storage expertise with building systems, doors, hallway systems, smart technology, and installation capabilities, Janus helps developers reduce complexity, identify efficiencies, and make informed decisions that support both the economics of construction and the long-term performance of the facility.

Just as importantly, Janus has built these capabilities to scale across North America. Whether a customer is developing a single facility or executing a multi-market development program, the goal is the same: Deliver a consistent, efficient, and value-engineered approach that helps turn a development opportunity into a successful operating asset.

Taken together, these investments represent a significant evolution of the Janus story. The company that began by asking how it could build a better self-storage door is increasingly asking a much bigger question: How can we help our customers build, renovate, and operate better self-storage facilities and portfolios?

For Jackson, answering that question means continuing to invest ahead of where the industry is going by developing smarter products, creating more efficient building solutions, helping operators transform existing facilities, and advancing smart security technology that can fundamentally change how the next generation of self-storage facilities are developed and operated.

More than two decades after Janus opened its doors, the company looks very different than it did when Jackson joined in 2002. Its reach is global. Its capabilities now span roll-up and swing doors, hallway systems, single-story and multistory buildings, building components, relocatable storage units, renovation solutions, and smart security and locking technologies. But through each stage of that growth, Jackson believes the principle behind the business has remained remarkably consistent: Stay close to the customer, understand the challenges facing the self-storage industry, and invest in the people and capabilities needed to solve them.

That starts with having the right people in the right seats. As Janus has expanded, the company has continued to invest in teams with deep expertise across self-storage, from engineering and manufacturing to estimating, project management, installation, technology, and customer support. For Jackson, having that experience throughout the organization is critical. It allows Janus to understand not only the product it is providing but how that product fits into the larger realities of developing, renovating, and operating a self-storage facility.

That industry specialization matters. Rather than taking products or technologies designed for other markets and attempting to adapt them to self-storage, Janus has consistently worked in the opposite direction: Start with the needs of self-storage and build around them. The Model 650 was purpose-built to address the challenges of self-storage doors. The R3 Program was developed in response to the needs of aging facilities and existing portfolios. Nokē was built around the opportunity for smarter unit-level security and facility automation. And Janus’ expanding building capabilities are designed around creating more efficient, value-engineered self-storage developments.

Different challenges have required different solutions, but the process has remained the same: Listen first, invest in understanding the problem, and then build the teams, products, and infrastructure required to solve it.

There is also a simpler commitment behind that philosophy: getting the job done. For customers investing millions of dollars in a new development, renovating an operating facility, or implementing new technology across a portfolio, execution matters. Products must arrive. Projects need to stay on track. Installations must be completed with minimal disruption. And when challenges inevitably arise, customers need a partner willing to take accountability and work through them.

That sense of responsibility has helped Janus build relationships that extend across projects, portfolios, and decades. And as the industry enters another period of change—driven by evolving development economics, increasingly sophisticated operators, greater automation, connected facilities, data, and AI—Jackson sees Janus’ role much as he did at the beginning: Listen closely, invest around the need, and help move the industry forward.

Nearly 25 years into Jackson’s career at Janus, that may ultimately be the common thread connecting every chapter of the company’s story. Janus has grown from a better self-storage door into a global provider of self-storage solutions, but its ambition has never been simply to sell more products. It has been to build what the industry needs next—and to have the people, expertise, and commitment to deliver it.

“At the heart of Janus is a commitment to putting customers first, working as a trusted partner to deliver high-quality, innovative solutions while holding ourselves accountable for every commitment we make,” says Jackson. “We strive to make doing business simple and bring the expertise, bold thinking, and global capabilities needed to support our customers wherever they are and wherever their businesses take them.”

You’ll notice we’ve done things differently. Rather than set up booths in a traditional grid, we’ve divided the floor into zones—each with its own activation. (You need to try the golf simulator.) At the center of it all is the networking StorageLife Clubhouse, where you can step away from the hustle and bustle to have more meaningful conversations. We’ve also designed THE Show so there’s no overlap between trade show hours and sessions; you don’t have to choose between valuable content and important floor facetime.

See the full trade show and conference map by downloading the mobile app or by visiting the official event website.

THE Show is built around four essential pillars of the self-storage industry: Operations, Data, Development, and Investment. Operations focuses on the strategies, technology, and best practices that keep facilities running at peak performance. Data delivers the insights and intelligence operators need to understand the market and make informed decisions. Development covers everything from site selection and construction to design, financing, and the challenges of bringing new facilities to market. Investment examines acquisitions, capital, valuations, and the financial forces shaping the industry. Together, these four pillars offer a comprehensive view of self-storage for independents, top operators, and all the companies serving them.

More than 70 industry experts and influential voices address those four pillars, from self-storage veterans to nationally recognized thought leaders. They bring insight, fresh perspectives, and ideas you can put to work as soon as you return from Atlanta.

Mark Durden-Smith is one of Britain’s most sought-after television and corporate presenters. Mark served as a regular anchor for ITV’s Rugby World Cup 2015 coverage and the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races. Outside of sports, he has presented some of the UK’s best-known programming, including the flagship daytime show This Morning and the travel series Wish You Were Here.

A versatile and accomplished host, Mark is a trusted choice for a wide range of organizations and events, many of which invite him back year after year. His clients include Samsung, Adobe, Nestlé, Jet Airways, and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. MSM is thrilled to join the roster and welcome Mark to THE Show!

You don’t want to miss these keynote addresses. Here’s who’s on deck.

You’ve been to conferences before where you had a question—just not time to ask it. At THE Show, when the speaker is done talking, the conversation isn’t over. That’s why we’ve created the Speaker Post Game. Right across the hall from our four pillar session rooms, the Post Game is a room set aside for follow-up with our speakers. You don’t have to hope for an accidental hallway encounter. This is a room designed for discussion. You won’t find it at any other self-storage show!

For day-to-day focus, head to The Manager’s Office. It is a dedicated learning space designed for the people on the front lines of self-storage. Sessions feature practical operations and sales training and focus on the real-world skills managers use every day, from improving the customer experience and increasing rentals to strengthening facility performance.

It’s hands-on, actionable education designed to help managers sharpen their skills and solve everyday challenges.

The Deal Room connects self-storage buyers, sellers, investors, and dealmakers in a dedicated space where properties and portfolios are presented and sales and acquisitions are completed.

Powered by TractIQ’s industry data and market intelligence, The Deal Room is where handshakes happen, whether you’re looking to buy, sell, or simply see what’s moving in the market.

Gain new perspectives by talking with your peers! THE Show offers dozens of focused, small-group roundtables covering the issues affecting self-storage today.

This is your chance to exchange ideas, share experiences, and hear how others are tackling the same challenges you face. These candid, peer-to-peer conversations are designed to involve everyone at the table.

THE Show is thrilled to be supporting the Atlanta Mission as its official event charity. The non-profit started in 1938 to help people displaced by the Great Depression, and it is now the city’s largest and longest-running provider of services for those experiencing hunger and homelessness. Travis Morrow, CEO of MSM, says the non-profit was a perfect fit for THE Show. “Many self-storage operators have had the difficult task of removing homeless individuals and even families from units they’d been living in,” he says. “Atlanta Mission offers these people an alternative and a chance to rebuild their lives.” Sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees have been encouraged to donate financially and/or bring in-kind items such as an extra professional outfit, which will help Atlanta Mission clients for job interviews as they move forward. If you’ve brought an extra outfit or other item, please drop it off at one of the donation drop-points. Thank you for your generosity!

Three days, more than 70 speakers, big names, big ideas, and a whole new self-storage ballgame—welcome to the big leagues. Welcome to THE Show.

BY BOBBI ALVINO

f your property has the wrong mix of storage units, you’re leaving money on the table. Too many large units can sit empty for months. Too few smaller units can cause you to miss steady demand from renters who want affordable space. When your unit mix doesn’t match your market, profitability suffers.

StorSuite’s strong third-party management team can make a real difference. They can help you build a smarter unit mix strategy based on local demand, pricing opportunities, and long-term revenue goals.

Instead of guessing what renters want, StorSuite uses data, expert insight, and forecasting to shape a property that performs better. The right unit mix doesn’t just fill units. It supports higher occupancy, stronger growth, and more dependable cash flow.

Unit mix is the combination of sizes and types of space you offer at your property. This includes traditional unit sizes, drive-up access, climate-controlled units, parking, and specialty storage options.

When your mix isn’t working, you can run into the following problems:

• High vacancies in unit sizes with low demand,
• Missed rentals because your most requested sizes are always full,
• Lower average revenue per square foot,
• Increased discounting to fill slow-moving spaces, and
• Reduced flexibility as market demand changes.

A profitable unit mix helps you match supply to demand. That creates a better customer experience while improving revenue and operational efficiency.

Before you adjust unit mix, it’s essential to have a clear picture of what your local market can support. Reliable information is the foundation of a smart strategy.

• Market Study – A market study shows what renters in your area actually need. It looks at competition nearby, population trends, household density, new development, and local business activity. It identifies which unit sizes are most common and where supply gaps exist. This is critical because your property should reflect your local market, not a generic self-storage model.
• Expert Advice – Data is important, but experience matters too. An experienced third-party management team can interpret market conditions, identify revenue opportunities, and spot operational risks. For example, an expert may see that a market appears oversupplied in larger units but still has room for premium climate-controlled small units. That kind of insight can help design a profitable strategy.
• Forecasting – A good unit mix plan should not only fit today’s demand but should also account for future changes. Forecasting helps you prepare for shifts in renter behavior and expectations, seasonal demand, economic conditions, and new competition. With the right forecast, you can make the right decisions before it’s too late.

Self-storage demand continues to change. You’ll be in a better position to grow revenue if you respond strategically.

Consider the following trends when developing unit mix:

• Strong demand for smaller, lower-cost units;
• Continued interest in climate-controlled storage;
• Rising value of vehicle, RV, and boat storage in the right markets;
• More customer focus on convenience and access; and
• Greater need for flexibility in how space is used and priced.

These trends are not the same in every location. That is why third-party management is so valuable. A management team can track your market, compare your performance against local demand, and recommend adjustments that make financial sense.