very owner in the self-storage industry understands delinquencies and collections are part of the game. So how can you keep an open policy of welcoming customers of every walk of life while mitigating the risks and downfalls that accompany those unable or unwilling to stay current on their rents? A host of modern tech options can help, but for some managers and operators, the true key to success and financial balance might mean a change of perspective.

“We started with 10 trucks. I said, they’re going to be gone,” says Weissman. “It might be a month, it might be three, but they’re going to be gone. To make a long story short, one of the first trucks we rented for a $150 deposit out of Cincinnati ended up in Las Vegas. And that’s how we started taking credit cards at Public Storage. I’m indirectly responsible for credit cards being taken in the self-storage industry.”

Adding flexibility in payment methods was a major step in reducing collections. Today, those options include cash, check, credit card, Apple or Google Pay, Venmo or Paypal, and even payment via QR code/text at the facility gate when a security code triggers a locked unit. However, the biggest development in keeping customers current has been autopay.

“Autopay is definitely what we prefer,” says Natolie Ochi, president of SKS Management LLC, which has a portfolio with 28 facilities in California, Nevada, and Hawaii. “When it’s automatic, the customer won’t face fees or get behind. We try to keep our managers from spending that time on the phone, so we try to make it as easy as possible. If it’s not autopay, it is linking with a text to immediately pay, automated payment via the phone, click and pay in whatever method they want.”

With a larger percentage of units being rented online, capturing credit card information for autopay is common.

“I’m an advocate of ‘You have to sign out of autopay,’” says Weissman. “New customers go onto our website, enter a credit card to rent a unit, and get charged every month unless you ‘click here’ that you want to pay manually. It’s an assumed autopay, with an option to not autopay. Psychologically, most people don’t even notice. They just gloss over it and click, click, click, we’ve got it. A good facility is probably running 78 to 80 percent of their customers on some sort of autopay program, so you’re only dealing with payment collections for the other 20 percent. It’s also much easier alerting about rate increases, because it just gets charged on ACH or credit card every month.”

Pogoda Companies goes as far as including “percentage enrolled in autopay” as one of the five metrics for annual management bonuses.

“We’re relying too much on technology, instead of ‘Hey Joe, this is Randy; I don’t want to have to cut your lock and sell your stuff. Come on, do something here. Let’s figure it out,’” says Weissman. “Have that human touch, and remember this is a service industry where you can talk to the people straight up and find solutions.”

In such busy times, advance warning by text, email, or phone regarding impending late fees are usually well received, but tech can’t do it alone.

“Frontline employees or call center agents need to be well trained and show empathy in their voice,” says Ochi. “You can be firm, but at the same time you can also be kind. I recommend our managers help tenants work out some kind of plan rather than being very strict with the law (full payment or nothing). I want to empower them to make decisions within reason, and if they make a mistake, then ‘Gosh, that was a little too generous; next time don’t do that.’ We learn from it. I really hate it when somebody says, ‘I’m sorry. I have no authority; I just work here.’”

One-off situations can happen to anyone in life, but you don’t want to get taken advantage of or have your managers expending all their time on a handful of challenging tenants.

“You are doing them a favor by reminding them of the process and trying to find a way to get their goods back to them. Keep detailed notes in the management software of calls, including any reason they are telling you why they are not paying,” says Carol Mixon, president of SkilCheck Services, Inc., which manages storage properties; conducts feasibility studies; creates training, operations, and lien manuals; and operates a mystery shopping sales evaluation specifically for storage. “For example, we had a customer who was constantly going in and out of lien status, and the notes said that his mother had died and that was why he was paying late. However, according to our notes in the software, his mom had passed away six times in three years. That is a really good reason to keep copious notes.”

“Owners spend thousands and thousands of dollars on marketing, but they’re afraid to spend the money on collections,” says Weissman. “You could have a facility with 800 units rented, but if only 600 people are paying you, you have 200 units with people’s stuff in it that are handicapping you as an operator.”

Getting trouble tenants and their belongings out of your facility to make room for paying customers needs to take priority over any personal feelings of right and wrong or what seems “fair.” Negotiation, regardless of outstanding fees or owed rent, is a win if it helps attain that goal.

“The goal of an auction is not to make money,” says Weissman. “In every state, you have to give extra funds back to the customer or the state. The goal is to get your storage unit back and not pay to get the unit cleaned up. If you can cut a deal with a customer to leave that’s going to pay you more than what you’re going to get at auction, why wouldn’t you do that? I don’t think enough people work with a customer in that regard.”

The cost of clearing and cleaning a unit has to be factored into your decision process. Even extreme-sounding measures can make a lot of sense when you run the numbers in the name of maintaining a healthy business.

“Just waive the fees and get them out,” says Ochi. “There are many situations where you’ve already cut the lock and taken photos—you know it’s just junk. If nobody buys it, we have to call 800 Got Junk to take it to the dump; it’s just so expensive. Smarter to say, ‘Your stuff is important to you. Get it out; let’s call it a day.”

In some cases, even this generous move can be more of a problem than customers can handle. Two common qualms include “How can I move my things?” And “I can’t afford a rental truck.”

“In rare occasions, I have even said, this person’s such a problem we’ll just pay for their U-Haul truck,” says Ochi. “Get your stuff out. You just have to take the personal injustice. You think to yourself, I have to pay for them to get out when they owe me. But it makes sense in the long run because it would cost way more than $50 to $100 in labor and fees to haul that stuff out and take it to the dump.”

Accepting these kinds of out-of-the-box solutions might be tough to swallow at the time, but maintaining this fresh perspective will pay off when your storage facility is filled with reliable, stress-free, and paying customers.

torage doors are among the most frequently utilized components in any self-storage facility. Their extensive use, combined with various environmental factors, including extreme temperatures, mean it’s crucial that they be maintained to ensure a long, productive life.

One of the first things potential customers see when they enter your facility are your unit doors. That first impression could be the difference between that person signing a contract at your facility or going with one of your competitors. This means that the doors you have installed at your site are more than an operational necessity; they are a major element in the presentation and perception of your facility as one of the first points of contact for any customer.

Let’s take an in-depth look at storage doors: why it’s so important to take care of them, how to maximize their lifecycle, and what to do when they eventually need to be replaced. To do this, Janus International posed some questions to David Alexander, who leads the Facilitate® division at Janus International. He brings over three decades of experience in the overhead door industry, offering extensive expertise in door maintenance. His insights will underscore the importance of proper door care and provide comprehensive guidance on keeping them in optimal condition.

And let’s be honest, if the doors are covered in dust or grime, people might start wondering about the cleanliness of the whole place. They might not feel too confident about storing their stuff at a facility that doesn’t look well-kept.

Just like anything else you own, taking good care of your doors can make them last longer, which protects your investment.

But really, the biggest reason to keep those doors in top shape is safety. The last thing any owner wants is for a tenant to hurt themselves because a door is faulty. If a roll-up door is hard to open or close, too heavy, or has too much tension, accidents can happen. And that is not a situation a facility owner wants to put themselves or their tenants in.

First off, there’s weather and storms. Bad weather can damage even the strongest roll-up doors. Rain, hail, snow, and wind are obvious culprits, but you don’t even need a big storm for damage to happen. Just constant exposure to the sun, wind, and rain over time can really wear down your unit doors.

Then there can be damage due to attempted break-ins. Owner-operators are turning to smart solutions to improve safety and improve tenant satisfaction. Doors built with enhanced security in mind, like the NS series, offer peace of mind. Smart locks and access control systems make opening unit doors as easy as tapping a button on your phone and add an extra layer of security.

Motor vehicle incidents are another issue. Accidents happen, and sometimes those trucks end up backing into your doors. These mishaps are unavoidable but can cause a lot of damage.

Another issue is when the curtain comes out of the guides. Some facilities use door curtains to help with energy efficiency. The guides are the tracks the door curtain runs along. If not used correctly, the curtain can come out of the guides, which affects the door’s functionality. And if it’s positioned wrong, it could even injure someone.

Broken springs are something you will have to deal with sooner or later. No matter how strong your door is, at some point, broken springs become an issue. When springs break, opening the door becomes incredibly difficult, if not impossible.

Lastly, there’s general wear and tear. Like we talked about earlier, doors are one of the most used parts of any self-storage facility, so wear and tear will happen. But with regular maintenance you can help minimize this problem.

Now, if you’re dealing with broken springs, that alone may not mean you need a new door. However, if your door is over 10 years old and the springs are breaking, it can be a good idea to just replace the entire door.

There’s one situation that often gets overlooked when considering replacements, and that’s when your doors are significantly faded or just need an update. A lot of people think that a fresh coat of paint will make faded doors look new again. While paint can improve the appearance, it can actually do more harm than good and might even shorten the lifespan of your door.

Painting a roll-up door can void any manufacturer warranties. These doors are built to a specific weight, and adding anything extra, even just a few coats of paint, can change that weight since they weren’t designed to handle alterations. This could put extra stress on the springs and other components, potentially leading to failure and even injury.

Cleaning and maintenance around the facility can often be done without professional help. But walking your property regularly and fixing issues as they come up can be very time consuming. It takes you away from more productive tasks that could help grow your business. In these cases, getting help from a facility maintenance program can be incredibly beneficial.

Facilitate by Janus International is a comprehensive facility maintenance program that handles repair and maintenance needs, allowing owner-operators to focus on running their businesses. Whether it’s expert repair and replacement services or regular planned maintenance, Facilitate can take care of your to-do list so you can concentrate on growing your business. You can relax, knowing your site is regularly maintained and in good hands.

In addition, when you factor in the advantages of a trusted company such as Access Control Technologies, which can expertly integrate your site’s network to ensure that all of your smart technology works flawlessly, you have created a safe, secure, and easy-to-monitor environment that goes beyond your doors.

Speaking of doors, another way to upgrade your facility is by utilizing the strongest, most durable unit doors. The Janus NS+ Door and NS Retrokit both offer a strong and dependable solution, further securing the safety of your customers’ valuable possessions.

The last point to bring up is that your facility’s unit doors are the main interactive component for your tenants. It’s crucial that they are well-maintained, running at peak performance, and always looking good. All of these create a positive tenant experience, which leads to positive reviews and word of mouth. In reality, your doors help market your facility to potential customers, so whatever you do, don’t neglect them.

If you’d like to explore replacing your unit doors or utilizing the services of Facilitate, contact the professionals at Janus International by visiting www.janusintl.com/self-storage/facilitate.

ompanies invest millions of dollars in training each year. Yet, even after extensive education and successful performance in a classroom environment, many seasoned professionals struggle to implement new techniques. Why? The answer lies not in a lack of knowledge but in the power of habit.

Meet Lisa, a customer service manager with 15 years of experience. Despite her expertise, she finds herself stuck in a rut, unable to elevate her team’s performance. “We attend workshops and get fired up about new strategies, but within weeks, we fall back into our old routines. It’s so frustrating.” People like Lisa aren’t outliers. In fact, they are very often the norm.

The culprit is our brain. Neuroscience reveals that habits, both good and bad, are deeply ingrained neural pathways. These mental shortcuts allow us to navigate daily tasks efficiently, but they can also hinder growth and innovation.

This phenomenon is not unique to customer service. Across industries, from healthcare to finance, professionals find themselves trapped in difficult-to-break cycles of behavior. The brain’s preference for familiar patterns can be both a blessing and a curse. While it allows us to perform complex tasks without conscious effort, it can also make us resistant to change, even when that change is beneficial. So, how can we break free from this cycle and leverage brain science to create lasting change?

• Reverting to outdated business practices,
• Taking shortcuts under pressure, and
• Becoming overly comfortable with routine tasks.

Dedicate time to observing behavior. When do old habits emerge? What triggers them? Identifying these triggers is crucial to interrupting the habit loop. It’s important to note that triggers can be both external and internal. External triggers might include a ringing phone, a crowded queue, or a particularly challenging customer. Internal triggers could be feelings of stress, boredom, or even confidence that leads to complacency. By mapping out these triggers, you create a roadmap for intervention.

• Engage in positive self-reflection. Regularly remind yourself of the habits you aim to cultivate.
• Practice mindful pauses. When faced with an urge to react, take a moment to breathe deeply. This simple act can interrupt automatic responses.
• Modify the environment. Rearrange workspaces or introduce visual cues that reinforce desired behaviors.

The key here is consistency. Each time you successfully disrupt an old pattern, you’re laying the groundwork for a new, more beneficial habit. It’s like creating a new path through a field; the more you walk it, the more defined it becomes.

• Think about what should occur. Consider all options, not just the tried-and-true choice before responding.
• Embrace thoughtful pauses. Resist the urge to rush. Quality interactions often require patience and careful consideration.

This step is about actively choosing new behaviors that align with your customer service goals. It might involve implementing a new problem-solving approach, adopting a more empathetic communication style, or utilizing technology in innovative ways to enhance customer experiences.

• Engage in daily reflection. Allocate time each day to review customer interactions, identifying successes and areas for improvement.
• Acknowledge progress. Set achievable goals and recognize when they are met. Positive reinforcement can significantly impact habit formation.
• Establish accountability partnerships. Share objectives with colleagues. Regular check-ins can enhance motivation and commitment.

Consider implementing a reward system that recognizes both individual and team efforts in adopting new habits. This could range from public acknowledgment in team meetings to more tangible rewards for consistent improvement.

“It was challenging at first,” Lisa reflects, six months into her team’s transformation. “But now, our new approach feels second nature. Our customer satisfaction scores have never been higher.”

Understanding the science behind habits and implementing these strategies allows you to break free from old patterns and elevate your customer service to new heights. The result: happier customers, more engaged employees, and a stronger bottom line.

ort it out on your own,” is no longer an option for businesses when employees are in conflict. Management goals commonly include maintaining harmonious work environments that make employees happy and motivated, but how do you achieve this when people don’t get along? As teams grow and turnover happens, a variety of personalities and experiences become part of the landscape. In other words, conflict between people is inevitable. How do you, the manager, approach disputes between employees?

The answer lies in realizing how people perceive conflict with others is influenced by many factors, including personality and associatively what they have experienced throughout their lifetime. When you look at your business, is there someone who struggles with others? Perhaps you’ve noticed that what they expect from others is different than what they deliver? Until you think about who you are managing and what they have coped with throughout their lives, you will be unprepared. This is because how people interpret interactions, and conflict, depends on what they experienced in the past, before they met their coworker.

Is your business manufacturing, professional service, or retail? No industry is exempt. Jennifer managed a large coffee chain store. Taught to pay attention to dynamics, she observed how employees interacted and communicated. When two employees, Ted and Arlene, who often travelled to work together, became embroiled in a dispute over tips, Jennifer quickly intervened, reminding them of their friendship. Jennifer saw the ineffectiveness of this approach, noticing how Ted ignored Arlene while Arlene made jokes about Ted to another barista. Jennifer worried customers felt the tension. When the district manager, Lee, stopped into the café for a check-in, she immediately noted the friction. Lee met the employees independently and then jointly. Jennifer watched Ted and Arlene return to work, smiling and having light conversation.

When conflict happens, effective intervention is directed by empathy. How does your employee think about things based upon what you know about them and their life? For example, Lee knew that Arlene worried about income, so her intervention considered how Arlene needed to feel safe and secure that her finances would not be jeopardized.

Even with resolution, reinforce the collaborative direction of the company. If Mark felt angered by having to take calls for Jill when she took lengthy lunches, and Jill felt Mark’s tone was condescending, demonstrate your commitment to maintaining collaboration. For example, “I understand you can be great workmates. To address this problem, we have created a schedule for phone coverage that does not always rely on Mark and will be sending out a reminder to the team that lunches are within designated times.” In other words, make sure you close the loop!

elf-storage is a space that’s full of competitors. No matter the service or square footage a tenant may need, there’s always a long list of options. However, despite high-value features such as climate control, 24-hour access, or user-friendly mobile applications, there’s a basic element that makes all the difference: extraordinary customer service. This happens to be where our 2024 Manager of the Year winner, Mandy White, excels.

“My favorite part of the job is when people leave with a big smile and are 100 percent satisfied,” she states, with a beautiful Southern accent that lures you right in and makes you feel like you’re talking with a long-time friend. “I love people in general. I love to be able to help them out in any kind of way.”

This sentiment summarizes who White is at her core: a genuinely good person who wants to make sure that everyone is not only OK, but that they also feel valued and appreciated—something that has become rarer and noteworthy as so many things have become automated and devoid of personal touch.

But let’s backtrack a little by looking at her background, how she got started in the industry, and how she’s led All Self Storage to exponential growth.

“I got a softball scholarship to go to Chattahoochee Community College,” she recalls. “They didn’t have dorms, so I rented an apartment with three other roommates, and we had so much fun.” White loved the fact that the school was only an hour away from home, so that made the transition a lot easier. “Eventually, I got married and didn’t go back to school.” During that first marriage, she moved to Franklin, Ga.

Years later, after that marriage ran its course, she moved back to her hometown of LaGrange. Fate then intervened, ensuring that she’d end up with a much better match for her. She reconnected with her wonderful husband, Kerry White. “We’ve known each other since we were kids,” she says. “He was good friends with my brother, and he’d even sleep over while we were growing up.”

They rekindled their friendship over lawnmowers and gardening. “I’d go out and fertilize the yard to make it look green and pretty, and to make the grass grow quicker, and he’d ask me about it.” Those lawncare questions and red Solo cups of fertilizer in the rain led to marriage. “We’ve also adopted three fur babies,” she says proudly. “Bambi is a deer head chihuahua. When she runs, she hops like a little baby deer.” The couple also has Hazel, a dachshund, and Marley, a chihuahua mix.

Although she liked it, she started looking for a full-time position once the kids were old enough to stay home by themselves after school. That’s when a friend told her about All Self Storage.

“I went to a temp agency in town to ask about it, and they confirmed I’d be a good candidate. Then I came here, and they hired me immediately.” This was in July of 2015. By 2016, she was promoted to manager, and she loves it so much that she’s been there ever since.

White’s not the only one who’s thrilled that it worked out so well. Owners Lisa and Ken Boatwright are well aware of her drive, noting that she has been instrumental in their expansion from 63,279 square feet to 125,533 square feet, as well as their 90 percent occupancy rate. She has also increased their monthly collections by 26 percent since 2022. It’s like everything she touches turns to gold.

It’s not just getting customers in. Mandy wears as many hats as necessary to keep the business running like a well-oiled machine. She manages the day-to-day operations of the facilities. She does customer service, marketing, and social media. She makes sure everything is extremely clean. And she does it all because she thoroughly loves her job. She gets it all done by prioritizing, communicating well, and being committed. “Commitment is a big thing,” she says. “I also have a great assistant manager, Courtney Benson, who is a big help to me.”

White regularly reaches out to everyone she knows to make sure that all the pets get a loving home. Being a lifelong resident comes in handy. “I know a lot of people here in LaGrange, since I grew up here.” The fact that she’s so likable makes people more receptive to listen to what she has to say.

Additionally, All Self Storage has become involved with Empowerment 3D thanks to White. “This is such a great organization,” she exclaims. “They provide mentorship to estranged fathers and sons who want to rekindle their relationships.” Through her involvement, All Self Storage contributes financially to the mentorship program, which includes fun activities for the dads and sons to go on picnics, cookouts, and fishing trips. “It’s a great way to put families back together,” adds White. “They help these kids in their personal lives and with school.”

As if that weren’t enough, she regularly organizes food, clothing, and toy drives, taking care of the logistics and even of driving the trucks with donations herself whenever it’s been necessary, especially during disaster relief efforts like she did after a tornado in Albany, Ga. Whatever needs to get done, she’ll do it wholeheartedly and selflessly.

Getting close to tenants and establishing relationships with them is a big thing for her. She learns everyone’s names and greets them whenever they walk in. “They’re usually surprised that I remember,” says White, “and it’s hard to see them go when they stay with us for an extended period of time.”

As an example, she shares the story of a tenant who was deaf. Each time she’d come in to make her payment, White would draw a smiley face on the receipt. The tenant loved it and would specifically seek White when she would come to the facilities. This was a long-term tenant who eventually had to move away because of personal reasons. “When she left, I was in tears.”

She also advises building strong relationships within the community. “We’re big with the chamber of commerce. I like going to ribbon cuttings and other events.” And of course, she states that prioritizing customer service is always a must.

He also admires that she goes above and beyond what’s expected of her. “She’ll come in on Saturdays or Sundays to make sure that customers are OK. Even if she’s off, she’ll drive there to make sure that they got in and have everything they need. And if there’s a bad storm, she goes in to make sure there are no leaks. The property is also always so clean, regardless of whether she knows someone’s coming or not.”

His words were reminiscent of White’s own, since when asked what was the main key to her success as a manager, she answered, “I like to run the place like it’s my own.” That’s the pride she takes in what she does.

“Mandy cares about our customers and our business in so many ways,” says Lisa Boatwright. “Every customer loves her because she makes them feel like they matter.”

White explains that it all goes back to loving people in general and loving to help them. “I love to make people feel welcome, and exceptional customer service is the key to good reviews and customers staying here. It also keeps them coming back to us, even months or years down the road,” she says. “They remember. I’ve had tenants tell me that they come back because of how we treat them and our customer service.”

As soon as she got off that phone call, she celebrated with the Boatwrights and Benson. That’s another thing she highlights about her place of employment.

“Lisa and Ken have taken me in as family,” says White. “It’s a different atmosphere, I can tell you that. It’s loving and they help as much as I do. I just love it.”

That wasn’t her only brush with TV fame. The new Superman movie, with 90s heartthrob Dean Cain, stored the furniture they used in the film at All Self-Storage. Unlike the Lifetime movie, none of the actors got lucky enough to meet her, but the film crew most definitely got to experience the world-class service offered on site.

Just listening to her talk, it becomes clear that she has a big heart. Surely everyone who encounters her immediately notices this trait. It has been the common denominator throughout this entire story. What she finds most important in life is having quality relationships—with her beautiful family, her colleagues, her bosses, and her customers. And that’s precisely what makes White so memorable.

Dixon sums it up well. “She really deserves this award,” he says. “She’s been a delightful person to work with over the years, and I look forward to many more.”

The Boatwrights concur. “Mandy is more than just an employee to us. She is part of our family at work and in our lives. In our opinion, she is Manager of the Year every day of the year.”

f you’ve read the story about our 2024 Manager of the Year winner, you’re aware that while there are a lot of reasons she’s recognized, one of the main ones is her kindness. And fortunately for anyone who needs self-storage, there’s no shortage of that within the industry.

In this story, we’re showcasing the 2024 Manger of the Year first runner-up, Kyle Bland from Devon Self Storage. One of the things that becomes apparent as soon as you first talk to him is that he’s very much a people person: He not only listens to what you have to say, but he pays such close attention that he’s able to gauge what you need, sometimes even before you realize it. And that’s a skill that has helped him become essential to the success of Devon.

So, let’s look at what makes him so special and why it’s so difficult to pick only one winner for this annual award.

“I first worked with Northwest, and then with Delta,” he says. These jobs got him started into one of his favorite hobbies: traveling all over the United States. In fact, he’s visited all 50 of them. “Not all of them have been by flying. I’ve gone on major cross-country road trips and thoroughly enjoyed them.” The reason, Bland explains, is because they’ve allowed him to live in the moment. “We live in such a fast-paced world, and it’s good to take the time to be present and realize how blessed we are.”

He’s carried this positive outlook to all aspects of his life, including several career pivots. After the airlines, he worked in asset protection management, catching shoplifters. “I incorporate a lot from that experience in my everyday life, especially when it comes to active listening. Someone could be making the worst decision of their life, but you still listen and see their humanity. It teaches you to grow up.”

It is through these kinds of conversations that it’s easy to see why he’s so likable and such an asset wherever he goes.

So, he started looking for a job that would enable him to do just that. This is how he ended up applying to work at Devon Self Storage. “I knew nothing about the industry, but when I saw that it was a people-oriented company, I knew I could fit in.”

And fit in he does. “He’s an awesome employee,” says Rick Smith, divisional vice president and supervisor to Bland’s supervisor. “He has great energy, he’s always positive, and he’s been incredibly helpful and flexible in opening other properties. He’s also been instrumental in getting other divisions in our company up to speed quickly.”

He pretty much hit the ground running and hasn’t stopped since he was hired. Thanks to him, Devon has been able to successfully expand to Lafayette, La.; San Antonio, Texas; and Lawrence, Kan. Bland took the reins with onboarding new managers and integrating them seamlessly into the company. And as if this weren’t enough to keep him busy, he’s also branched out to ensure Devon is involved within their community.

For that reason, he started a coat drive. “It’s a win-win situation that serves multiple purposes,” he elaborates. “People need warmth for survival, and our coat drive helps people get it. Tenants who need to downsize donate coats to the drive, too; and it’s gotten a lot of positive attention from other local businesses that want to get involved.”

Word of mouth and social media posts helped spread the word, and they even get donors who walk into their facilities to donate coats. They also had coat racks donated by another local business, with zero advertising needed. It’s a clear example of how much can get accomplished when people with good intentions work together.

Bland is good at thinking outside the box as well. “The manager for the Missouri State hockey team came in once, needing storage for their team’s equipment,” he says. “I thought this would be a good way to work hand in hand with local universities, so I brought up the idea that we could advertise with them. We were able to work out a business agreement, and it’s worked out well. We’re the only self-storage being advertised in their arena.”

Smith is well aware of Bland’s results. “He’s really good at what he does. There have been people from four different regions in the company who’ve gone out of their way to tell me how helpful he’s been, how easy he is to talk to, and how they’ve learned about something because he’s shown them how to do it. He’s really helped in their own success,” says Smith. “In a short amount of time, he’s really made an impact, from the store level all the way up. It’s not a surprise that he’s the first runner-up. To me, he’s the winner.”

very common phrase that is often invoked by people of all walks of life is “Everything happens for a reason.” It’s a popular one because it tends to be true. Take this year’s Manager of the Year second runner-up, Darryl Bridges from Metro Self Storage, for example. He landed feet first into this industry, and it turned out to be exactly what he needed—in both his professional and personal life.

Everything that has happened from his youth until now has been a series of fortunate events that progressed organically to the beautiful life he has today with his wife and two children. Now, as the 2024 Manager of the Year second runner-up, he’s happy to share his story.

He also enlisted in the Army Reserves and went to basic training at Fort Dix, N.J., before being advanced to individual training school in Fort Jackson, S.C. He eventually ranked as an E-4 specialist and later received an honorable discharge after proudly serving his country for eight years.

In the 90s, he entered a radio contest to win some concert tickets. “I ended up winning,” he remembers fondly. But the biggest surprise came when the radio host told him that he had a great voice and that he should try to get a career in radio. “So, I decided to go to the Columbia School of Broadcasting.”

Although that was an exciting time in his life, he learned that what matters most in the radio industry is who you know, not what you know. Therefore, he applied for a job at Shurgard Self Storage in Maryland. “I did so not knowing that this would sort of change my life,” Bridges says. “I became fascinated with customer service and with the self-storage industry as a whole.”

Bridges verified and processed her credit, and now they’re married and have two kids. There was a lot more that happened in between, but it’s up to them to tell you that part of the story.

During his time in Lithonia, the average revenue per square footage increased by 93 percent and experienced a 37 percent revenue growth in the final year before its sale.

In April 2022, Bridges joined the Lawrenceville facility as property manager and was promoted to senior property manager for his district in December 2023. Since arriving, move-ins have increased 26.4 percent year over year. Autopays have also increased by 37.3 percent year over year; and revenue has increased by 12 percent. In the past 12 months, the average occupancy rate has been 91 percent.

He explains how, when he first started, he never imagined the wide range of adverse life circumstances that would bring tenants to seek self-storage. “I never thought I would be handling auctions, deceased tenants, and divorces.” And treating people well has made all the difference, since they always remember a kind heart when going through hardships.

He’s also quick to add how much he values the responsibility of managing a location. “I like that I’m part of the decision-making process; and I love knowing that I’ve helped someone who may be going through a difficult time in their life.”

Such words are evidence that, above anything else, being a genuinely good person goes a long way in the success of a business. Bridges may be the second runner-up, because all the nominees are so outstanding, but at the end of the day, they’re all winners.

Alejandra Zilak studied journalism, went to law school, and now writes for a living. She also loves dogs.

t was one of my first shifts as a new captain. I remember it well. We caught a call around midnight and arrived at the mouth of the driveway. From there, we could smell the fire and see the flames pouring from an open door at the back of the self-storage facility.”

It may sound like the beginning of one of his books, but Thad Diaz, a former firefighter who has since become a prolific author of Tampa, Fla.-based detective novels, is not weaving his latest tale. He’s recounting a self-storage fire that he helped put out during his 25 years serving with the Hillsborough County Fire Department.

“We laid a line from the road, had the next-in engine lay from the nearest plug, and then we called a second alarm,” continues Diaz. “All of our units carry K-12 saws, and we called for them to crack open storage doors on either side of the fire. Once inside, they attacked the flames with a large diameter hose. We established a fast water supply and put a good stop on it.”

Diaz says that the fire had been caused by people living in one of the units and overloading the electrical system.

While this type of situation is not normally described with the literary flair of a novelist, they have become all too common in self-storage. But illegal live-ins are just one potential cause of self-storage fires, which seem to be occurring with much more regularity and are posing a big problem to owners and the tenants who put their trust in them.

June 5, 2024: Storage Depot, Lebanon, Ore. Fifty-plus units are destroyed in an early morning fire. The cause: A man using a torch to smoke marijuana oil in his storage unit tips the torch, igniting items in his unit. The fire spreads to 50 more, destroying them all.

June 4, 2024: StorQuest Self-Storage, Arvada, Colo. A fire destroys 70 units and burns so intensely on the second floor that the roof collapses. Two firefighters are injured. The cause was undetermined.

May 20, 2024: Storage Rentals of America, Baton Rouge, La. A fire leaves nearly half of the units in the building damaged. Two firefighters are sent to a local hospital. The cause was arson.

May 6, 2024: Safeguard Self Storage, Plainview, N.Y. A fire breaks out on the fourth floor of the facility causing extensive damage. Faulty workmanship conducted on the building’s solar panels is suspected as the cause.

April 29, 2024: Extra Space Storage, Fremont, Calif. Heavy fire burns through the roof of the two-story facility destroying multiple units. The cause was an illegal live-in improperly using a small cooker in his unit.

Feb. 8, 2024: CubeSmart, Spring, Texas. More than 100 firefighters showed up to battle the facility fire, which burned for over 12 hours and left 25 percent of the facility in ruins, sending two firefighters to the hospital. The cause was undetermined.

Jan. 17, 2024: County Line Self-Storage, Greenwood, Ind. A blaze breaks out, damaging multiple units, seriously injuring one man and sending one firefighter to the hospital. The injured man had been smoking a cigarette while storing a propane tank in his unit.

Oct. 22, 2023: Stop and Stor, Sunset Park, N.Y. A fire causes significant damage and dozens of firefighters battle the blaze; one is taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. More than 300 defective e-bikes and dozens of batteries piled up inside two storage units were responsible for the conflagration.

June 14, 2023: Public Storage, San Jose, Calif. A fire engulfs the entire self-storage facility, burning it to the ground. Illegal fireworks ignited inside a storage unit.

May 26, 2023: CubeSmart Self-Storage, Bradenton, Fla. A large fire destroys 30 units and causes approximately $1 million of damage. A homeless man living in a storage unit accidentally set the fire.

May 18, 2023: Access Self Storage, Byfleet, England. Firefighters battle a blaze for three days and the entire facility is ultimately destroyed. Defective batteries in storage were the cause of the fire.

For one, the natural design of a self-storage facility puts it at risk; there are dozens, if not hundreds, of units nesting side by side or on top of one another. At the Texas CubeSmart fire, crews even stated that what made the fire so difficult to extinguish was having to break into each individual unit, either using bolt cutters or a saw to cut through the metal. “Firefighters also had to be careful since they did not know what was in each unit,” South Montgomery County Fire Asst. Chief Joseph Leggio said at the time.

Andy Bozzo, a 25-year veteran of the fire service profession, who has since developed Tablet Command, an emergency incident response and management software company designed to save lives, understands the challenges that fires in our industry present for firefighters. “Throughout my career, I’ve fought several fires in self-storage facilities,” he recounts. “They are often a labyrinth of hallways and passageways where egress points are limited; they can contain various hazardous materials, and the amount of stuff found in each unit, the fuel loads, can be high and volatile.”

Diaz further explains that there can also be access issues due to the narrow roads and tight confines of many self-storage facilities. During a fire, he says these issues need to be quickly identified and addressed before more units arrive on the scene and potentially block access for both engines laying in supply hoses and ladder trucks carrying elevated streams. “Water supply can be a problem too,” he adds. “Off-site hydrants might require long lays, and on-site private hydrants are often unreliable because of poor maintenance.”

“At one property, the spouse of a tenant set himself on fire inside her unit because he was so unhappy. I can’t imagine the unbearable pain he felt, yet he still managed to walk across the freeway to the hospital, the building burning behind him.”

According to Ballard, the fire destroyed the office, manager’s apartment, and multiple tenants’ units. Thankfully, the man survived, and the facility owners had taken out good property insurance that included replacement value and loss of use. In addition, almost all the tenants had insurance on their belongings. So, while it was a horrific thing, “it could have been much worse.”

Monica McMillan is the storage program manager with Universal Storage Insurance, which provides specially designed insurance products and comprehensive coverage for the storage industry. “In a lot of scenarios, damage to tenant goods that happens due to the fault of the owner, say a leaky roof that they failed to repair, is covered, and they are able to reimburse a tenant for damages,” she explains. “These scenarios are the reason you want to have a tenant protection plan in place. The tenants impacted may not always have coverage provided by the owners’ insurance, which is why they should have their own protection.”

She says that some homeowners’ insurance policies cover contents placed in a self-storage facility, but that only covers a percentage of tenants. More often, she’s seen facilities, especially larger operators and those with third-party management systems, offering forms of insurance to their tenants. “They make it easy. Most policies available through various markets offer coverage that is as simple as just checking a box to have insurance included with their monthly fee. There’s no additional bill to pay; it’s pretty inexpensive, and there’s no worry about the coverage lapsing while you are paying your monthly storage bill.”

McMillan says that while some smaller operators and independents may not be able to offer this, it is important to inform new tenants of their option to buy insurance through a provider on their own and provide phone numbers to push them into action whenever possible. “It’s so inexpensive that, unless the tenant is storing items of no value, it makes little sense for them not to get it. While the coverage depends on the value amount, insurances could be as low as $15 per month. On the high end, maybe $50 per month. I just wish my car insurance was that cheap,” she laughs.

Facilities that offer RV and boat storage should also consider other forms of insurance, as should those storing their vehicles. “There was a fire caused by an RV with a propane tank that exploded at one property, and it spread to a dozen other RVs nearby,” recalls McMillan. “This is the perfect scenario of when you need to have the proper coverage to protect your valuables. Most leases will have a limit of value you can store, and without additional coverage, you may be left without the correct replacement value.”

Ballard agrees it can be difficult to monitor the contents of a unit, but she has some tricks up her sleeve. “You may not know what every tenant is storing, but make sure tenants know and understand the rules about storing hazardous materials. When new tenants are moving in, casually inspect your property while keeping an eye on what they’re storing as you walk by.” With her trademark smile, she adds, “Maybe bring them a cold water bottle; that’ll get you in for a closer look.”

Diaz concurs. “Try to keep an eye on what’s being stored, enforce your rules, and make sure unused units are empty. Keep the place maintained, including the fire alarm, sprinklers, and on-site hydrants,” he says, “and keep access lanes clear and gates in working order to help firefighters if the worst does happen.”

“Prevention is a special discipline in our industry, and my education and experience in it is limited,” continues Diaz. “But the best thing I think any owner can do is contact their fire department’s prevention bureau. They are extremely knowledgeable and can offer an inspection and provide pointers.”

housands of atoms can be contained in an electric vehicle battery pack. If just one becomes unstable, it can lead to thermal runaway, a dangerous and potentially deadly exothermic chemical reaction.

“In layman’s terms, that EV battery is going to explode,” states Thad Diaz, a former fire captain from Tampa, Fla. “Most electric vehicles (EVs) are powered by lithium-ion batteries—the same type of rechargeable batteries in your laptop or phone but with significantly larger cells and a much higher voltage—and when damaged, they can ignite.”

Although headlines might lead you to believe EVs are blowing up every day, Motor Trend reports that they are no more likely to catch fire than any other car on the road (something the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also confirms). The outlet believes it’s mainly just news bias. “The vast majority of [car fires] never make the news. But if a Tesla or a Chevy Bolt catches fire? It’s probably on the front page nationwide and going viral online,” writes Motor Trend.

With that in mind, should businesses like self-storage facilities reconsider making room for EV stations on their property?

In May of that year, Access Self Storage in Byfleet, England, was destroyed due to defective batteries in storage. Firefighters battled the blaze for three days, but ultimately the entire facility was ruined. Five months later, a battery “bomb” went off at a Brooklyn Stop and Stor facility where several dozen defective battery-powered e-bikes were being stored. The facility was crippled for months, and one firefighter was sent to the hospital.

For this reason, Diaz says that some departments are just letting the EV burn if it’s not going to harm anything nearby. “Using tens of thousands of gallons of water to suppress the fire only to have it reignite is too wasteful,” he says. “Once the fire has burned itself out, the crew will usually remain on the scene to be sure it doesn’t reignite. But they’re not going to futilely fight a fire when it doesn’t pose a threat to another vehicle or building.”

Even after the EV fire is contained, Diaz says the runoff from the batteries could be toxic to the environment, firefighters, and locals. Just days after Diaz warned of this, on Sept. 27, approximately 33,000 pounds of lithium batteries inside a shipping container caught fire at the Port of Montreal. But the fire wasn’t the biggest concern for many. “Battery fires emit hazardous pollutants like hydrogen fluoride and small particles that can penetrate the lungs,” McGill University epidemiology professor Jill Baumgartner told CBC News. “Firefighters and first responders may want to begin monitoring their health.”

Martin Guilbault, division chief with the Montreal fire department, said that this was a first in his 32-year career, but he suspects this isn’t the last large-scale battery fire. “I would say that every fire department on the planet is concerned about these types of fires.”

For some, this build out has not happened quickly enough, which is why some believe EV sales are suffering. Fox Business writes that among car shoppers who say they’re “somewhat unlikely” or “very unlikely” to buy an EV, the lack of charging station availability was the leading reason (53 percent).

In response, savvy businesses have been installing charging stations on their properties, seeing it as a lucrative opportunity. EV Connect states that “EV owners were willing to pay up to $3 per hour for charging and 12 percent were willing to pay $4 per hour, even if it only costs them $0.75 per hour to charge at home.”

With these kinds of numbers, the installation of electric vehicle chargers could be an untapped stream of revenue for self-storage businesses as they tend to have the space and capacity to build charging stations. It can also be a good look for attracting potential tenants, who may view the facility as a good steward for the planet. But Diaz has concerns.

“EVs are a relatively new tech, and the codes always lag behind. I’ve seen enough reports of fires around the world to make me wary of having an EV in my garage. The batteries, especially if they’re damaged, present a potentially high fire hazard condition which is compounded when they’re at a charging station.”

Diaz’s concerns are not unfounded. A family connected to the self-storage industry recently lost their home to a fire after their Tesla Model X Plaid caught fire during Hurricane Helene. According to Morgan Hodges, executive vice president of Janus International, the car was parked in their garage during the storm. When six to eight inches of water entered the garage, the family raised the car, and even though it wasn’t plugged in at the time, it still erupted into flames. The family has shared a Nest video capturing the moment on camera.

Nine people were inside the house when the fire began, with at least two awake who quickly noticed the flames consuming the garage. Thankfully, everyone escaped safely, though the home was ultimately destroyed.

With that sobering thought, here’s a look at three charging station-related fires at home and abroad.

“No. 1 would be powering your battery with an incompatible or faulty charger or charging it at a higher current than it’s designed for. Either of these can cause a battery to become unstable. No. 2 would be some sort of physical trauma to the battery, caused by a traffic collision or maybe running over road debris which damages the pack. The vehicle owner may just assume the damage is cosmetic and not have the battery checked. When they go to charge it–boom. No. 3 is submersion in water,” he says, which was something widely reported during Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Helene. “In areas where flooding is common, a vehicle may sit partially underwater for a while. This is especially bad when it’s coastal waters, as the salt is very corrosive.”

EV FireSafe, an organization that provides free electric vehicle fire safety knowledge for emergency responders, reports that EV batteries begin to corrode after just five hours of submersion in saltwater. It further reports that following Hurricane Ian, many EVs remained partially submerged in coastal Florida waters, with the “salt” (technically sodium and chloride) corroding the lithium-ion batteries inside. Although 15 EV fires were reported, three incidents were confirmed with photos.

Zucker adds that it is unusual for tenants to carry liability insurance for self-storage, however, so they’d likely be uninsured, and the cost of repairs or damages would fall back to the facility operator under their liability or damage coverage.

In bigger loss cases, and Weissmann Zucker Euster + Katz has handled several of them, Zucker says the facility’s insurance carrier has paid for the damage and repairs but then sought subrogation against the liable tenant. “The tenant may then seek recovery against the battery manufacturer, but those claims are hard to prove.”

When it comes to charging stations, it’s a whole different ball game. “If a charging station fire were to occur, the cause of the fire would first need to be determined,” says Zucker. “Was it the vehicle, the battery, the charger, or the installer?”

Zucker says that one or all would be responsible for the blaze once the investigation had concluded, but presumably not the tenant/car owner and not the facility owner. “As the owner of an EV car, I like the concept of a charging station at a facility, and any risk can be balanced by sufficient liability coverage,” he says. “I guess the smartest thing to do is to not place the charging station right next to the storage buildings!”

Diaz acknowledges that although this may be the case, he’s still not a big fan. “Failure in cold weather, fires from saltwater submersion, and this charging station situation … I’ll personally never own one. But if you do, practice safety. If you suspect damage to the battery, always have a shop take a look at it. In other words, ‘check before you charge’ … I think there may be a public service slogan in there,” he laughs.

For facility owners, Diaz has further advice, and says that placement of charging stations is key. “I recommend isolating the stations, so if there is a fire, it can burn itself out without spreading. You should also leave the station uncovered; don’t put a roof above it or house it in any type of structure. Again, this will keep the fire contained to the one vehicle and stop the accumulation of toxic smoke. And be sure to have your electrical system checked out by a certified technician who can confirm that your facility is capable of managing the power of the charging stations.”

You’ve been armed with the facts. Now it’s up to you to decide whether to charge forward with EV stations or pull the plug.

s a young man in the early 90s, Chad Coker embarked on a series of Christian mission trips, not just to spread the good word but to help rebuild war-torn areas, assist with health care and construction efforts, and set up schools for children. His journeys took him from Southeast Asia to the Balkans, South America to the Caribbean. So, when he started in self-storage, he already had a world of experience under his belt.

“I helped repair huts that were the size of 10-by-15s,” says Coker, easily putting his past experience into self-storage terms. “I was ready for anything.”

After concluding his mission trips, Coker took on a series of jobs, from cashiering at a Christian bookstore to working as a data analyst at Experian. Each experience has lent itself to his self-storage career in one way or another, though his faith has always been a foundation.

“I don’t like to be overly preachy,” says Coker, “but I think my faith has always guided me in life and this business too.”

Coker quickly found success, and as the pandemic waned, he was offered an area operations manager position with the flagship NSA property. “I went from managing one facility to 10,” he says. “Then they bought three more properties, and suddenly it was 13 total. You could say I was sort of thrown into the deep end, but I was up for the challenge.”

To be successful, Coker says putting together a solid team was critical, and it was something he was tasked with almost immediately. Luckily for him, he had plenty of experience in that department, previously rounding up volunteer teams for his church. He also has his own philosophy on leadership, and it’s one that has served him well. “People often buy into a leader before a company’s vision. My job was to get them to buy into me, and then I could get them on board with the vision.”

To do that, Coker says it was a bit of a balancing act. “You can’t be everyone’s best friend, but you need to have a relationship with them,” he says. “Barking orders isn’t going to work, but going out for drinks with them every day isn’t a good look either.”

To avoid either scenario, his strategy was simply to bond over commonalities. “I’d learn things about them, and I’d share things about myself. That’s how we bonded and developed mutual respect for one another, which built a successful team.”

“Our two children came from bad situations, and we are just blessed to have them and happy to be providing them with a better life now,” says Coker. “The children we’re fostering also come from broken homes. The goal is to reunify some with their parents if things work out; otherwise, we may be adopting again.”

Despite all the good he does at work and home, Coker remains modest, waving away any praise. “Honestly, my wife is the superstar. She’s doing the heavy lifting raising the kids. I’m just keeping the roof over our heads with my self-storage work.”

It’s an impressive body of work from one very impressive man.