The Latest Industry News

Press Release

Richardson, TX, June 29th 2012  

XPS Solutions has added another successful offering to its suite of self storage outsourced solutions.  This time, it has rolled out an outsourced pay-by-phone solution powered by XPS’ proprietary ECHO platform and integrated with the property’s site management system. 

The XPS Pay-by-Phone solution is a turn-key solution for independent small to mid-sized self storage operators allowing their business to collect rental payments from tenants securely by phone. Benefits of implementing this solution are many, including freeing the property management personnel from the phones to process payments and reducing the risk of fraudulent activity that happens when credit card numbers are exchanged over the phone.  But the icing to the cake may be the fact that new revenue is being generated for each property by the incremental service fee the property can choose to levy for use of this service to its tenant.  Each property can choose whether or not to add a service fee as well as control the amount of the charge.  XPS went the extra mile and integrated with Site-Link, Centershift, QuikStor and Domico.

Pay by Phone, the first of its kind in the industry, is an Integrated Voice Response (IVR) system that allows tenants to make secure payments over the telephone through a voice prompted teller.

"XPS Pay-by-Phone enables the inde­pendent operator to follow the strategy of the REITs by deploying a turn-key, secure payment processing system for rental payments.  The goal is to reduce collections while providing better customer service.” said John Traver, CEO of XPS Solutions. 

XPS Solutions enables small to mid-sized independent operators with competitive solutions to compete for tenant market share.  "XPS knows that in the current economic climate, every prospect counts and that a self storage company needs to be quick to adapt to changing customer needs such as these.  That’s been our vision here and we continue to work close with our clients to meet their ever changing needs.” added Michael Roberts, Vice President of Business Development for XPS Solutions.

XPS Solutions provides best-in-class call center that also offers web solutions. The XPS suite of products captures and tracks new leads, lead sources and receives payment transactions through the use call center, web platform and IVR tools.  XPS is integrated with most site management systems.

For inquiries please contact Michael Roberts @ Mroberts@xpsusa.com 972-865-4312.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Temple, GA – June 26, 2012)  Janus International Corporation has announced a strategic business alliance with Self Storage Equipment Financing, an Atlanta, GA-based company specializing in the financing of removable storage equipment such as doors and hallway partitions.

Numerous owners and developers have stalled their plans for renovation, conversion or new construction due to unreachable upfront investments. In today’s banking environment, conventional routes to cash may be either unavailable or too costly. Self Storage Equipment Financing offers an alternative, with low down payments, affordable monthly payments and low interest rates. At the end of the term the equipment is yours.

"We see aligning with Janus International as a win-win for owners and developers who need new storage materials to remain competitive, but need a resourceful method of financing,” states Self Storage Equipment Financing principal David Dixon.

As the leading supplier of roll up doors and self storage building components, Janus vice president of sales Ramey Jackson is optimistic about the alliance. "By offering our customers a new method of financing their doors and components, we foresee a benefit to the self storage business across the board. The easier it is for storage owners and developers to build, the greater the impact on the entire industry,” says Jackson.

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Janus International is a leading manufacturer of rolling sheet doors and building components for the self storage, commercial and industrial markets.  Headquartered in Temple, Georgia, Janus has five U.S. locations as well as joint ventures in the U.K. and Mexico.  For more details, visit our website at www.janusintl.com.

Self Storage Equipment Financing specializes in financing of removable equipment in the self storage marketplace. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, their principals bring years of experience in the construction and management of self storage facilities nationwide. For more details, please visit www.storageequipmentfinancing.com.

San Diego, CA – June 15, 2012 – A-1 Self Storage, the premier provider of self storage in California, recently acquired 1.6 acres of raw land in San Juan Capistrano, CA and announced their plans to build a new 72,000 square feet facility with over 500 storage units on the property. San Juan Capistrano is located in South Orange County between Mission Viejo and San Clemente. The property is immediately adjacent to the I-5 freeway, off of San Juan Creek Rd to Valle Rd. The all-cash transaction was made with a private individual for an undisclosed amount. This new A-1 Self Storage location will also feature a 24/7 Rental/Payment kiosk and is expected to open in Fall 2013.

"A-1 Self Storage is proud to become a part of the San Juan Capistrano community and we look forward to serving the storage needs of local residents and businesses in the near future” said Brian Caster, President and CEO of A-1 Self Storage.

A-1 Self Storage is looking throughout California to purchase raw land, existing facilities, projects in fill-up and projects that are entitled but not built. If you have any of these opportunities, please contact Bryan Underwood via e-mail: bunderwood@castergrp.com or call: 800-219-4854 ext 164.

To find an Orange County A-1 Self Storage, please visit: http://www.a1storage.com/self_storage/Orange_County_CA/a-1_self_storage

Or to find an A-1 Self Storage location near you, please visit:  http://www.a1storage.com/self_storage/locations

About A-1 Self Storage:

 

A-1 Self Storage is one of the leading providers of self storage and car storage in California with 8 locations in the Orange County area and 41 locations statewide. A-1 is the Self Storage division of the Caster Companies, a third generation family-owned company headquartered in Southern California since 1959. The Caster Companies specializes in acquisitions, development and management of A-1 Self Storage, A-1 Car Storage and other commercial properties in California. Its Real Estate Portfolio includes over 4 million square feet in real estate properties. It is one of California’s largest independent self storage and car storage owner/operators in California.

 

CONTACTS:

Fran Laporga-Ching

A-1 Self Storage

(619) 287-8873 x 141

press@a1storage.com

www.a1storage.com

For Immediate Release

Contact: Erin King, Executive Director

Phone: (949)783-4130

E-mail: erinking.cssa@gmail.com

California SSA Announces Update on AB 2540

Proposed Sales Tax No Longer A Threat To Self-Storage Operators

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA —June 7, 2012 — The California Self Storage Association (CSSA) has announced that Assembly Bill 2540 is no longer a threat for self-storage operators. The CSSA and the national Self-Storage Association (SSA) had joined forces to fight the bill, which proposed a 7.5 percent excise tax that would be applied to storage use or consumption in the state effective January 1, 2013.

"We are grateful to the SSA for partnering with us to fight this proposed legislation and are happy to report that the bill is no longer a threat to our industry,” says Erin King, CSSA Executive Director. "The general issue of the proposed sales tax is not going away, but at least for this year, it is dead.”

The proposed bill, the result of a bi-partisan group in the California legislature that has been working on an expansion of sales tax in the state to include services, would have required a two-thirds vote in both houses. "The bill just didn’t go anywhere,” explains King, who says that the CSSA will continue to monitor any proposed taxes that may be introduced.

A similar case was introduced in South Dakota in January—Senate Bill 142—which would have impose a 4 percent sales tax on the gross receipts derived from self-storage unit rentals, and a 4 percent privilege-use tax on the rental payments for use of the property. The bill was killed in the South Dakota Senate earlier this year.

For more information about the CSSA and its efforts, please visit www.californiaselfstorage.org.

About The California Self-Storage Association
Founded in 2002, the California Self Storage Association (CSSA) is the state not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to serving the California Self-Storage industry including owner-operators, facility managers and industry vendors. The CSSA represents some 450 direct member companies that own and operate over 1,200 facilities in California. CSSA direct members range from individual facility owner-operators to multiple-facility operations, to the industry's largest publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

For Immediate Release

Contact: Erin King, Executive Director

Phone: (949)783-4130

E-mail: erin.king@cssaweb.com

California Office of the Courts to Educate Small Claims Courts about Lien Sale Amendment

CSSA Contacts Courts after Members Are Turned Away

    

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA — May 17, 2012—The California Self Storage Association (CSSA) is pleased to announce that the Judicial Council of California's Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has agreed to work with its education division regarding the authority provided to small claims courts by the recent amendments to Code of Civil Procedure section 21710. This will include but not be limited to placing information about the amendments in training programs and educational materials for small claims judicial officers and temporary judges.

 

The CSSA contacted Judicial Council of California on April 2, 2012, after receiving reports that many small claims judges and commissioners in California were unaware of their expanded authority to hear self-storage lien suits as dictated by AB 655. Enacted in 2010, AB 655 includes amendments to Business and Professional Code sections 21705(b) and 21710), which clarify that California small claims courts have jurisdiction over and the authority to grant judgments on contested self-storage liens.

 

In a letter dated May 4, 2012, Anne M. Ronan, an attorney with the AOC, agrees that effective January 1, 2011, parties may file in small claims court to enforce liens under the Self-Service Storage Facilities Act, and states that she will work with the AOC's Education Division to make sure that small claims courts' judicial officers are better educated about the changes.

 

"When we heard from our members that they were being turned away when taking their Declaration in Opposition to lien sale cases to small claims court, we knew that we had to take action,” says Erin King, CSSA Executive Director, adding that it was clear that some of the courts had not yet received the communication on the new legislation. "We will be loading a copy of the response letter into our online store so that our members can print it and take it with them to court. We recommend this letter be a part of any legal documents being taken to small claims court.”

 

While Ms. Ronan states that the AOC may not offer any legal advice, she does note that parties in small claims actions may seek a review of a courts action via a writ to the court of appeal or, under Code of Civil Procedures section 116.725, may move to set aside and vacate a judgment on the grounds of an incorrect or erroneous legal basis for the decision.

 

For more information about this and other CSSA initiatives, please visit www.californiaselfstorage.org .

About The California Self-Storage Association
Founded in 2002, the California Self Storage Association (CSSA) is the state not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to serving the California Self-Storage industry including owner-operators, facility managers and industry vendors. The CSSA represents some 450 direct member companies that own and operate over 1,200 facilities in California. CSSA direct members range from individual facility owner-operators to multiple-facility operations, to the industry's largest publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

 

For Immediate Release          

Contact: Erin King, Executive Director                                  

Phone: (949)783-4130

E-mail: erinking.cssa@gmail.com

 

Lobbying Firm Hired to Fight 7.5% Excise Tax on Storage

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA —April 16, 2012 —The California Self Storage Association (CSSA) and the national Self-Storage Association (SSA) have joined forces to fight a proposed tax being considered in the California legislature this spring. If passed, the 7.5 percent excise tax would be applied to storage use or consumption in the state effective January 1, 2013.

Combining their efforts to fight the proposed tax, the CSSA and SSA have hired a lobbying firm, the efforts of which have already seen positive results. Lobbyists have received assurances from at least one influential legislator that self-storage rents are not a service that he believes are being considered in Assembly Bill 2540. The bill is the result of a bi-partisan group in the California legislature that has been working on an expansion of sales tax in the state to include services.  A two-thirds vote is required in both houses for the sales tax to be applied to some or all services.

"We will continue our lobbying efforts to work with the legislature in California to protect the interests of the self-storage industry in our state,” said Erin King, Executive Director of the CSSA. "We will continue to keep our members informed on the status of this bill.”

In a similar case, Senate Bill 142 was introduced in South Dakota in January. If passed, the bill would have impose a 4 percent sales tax on the gross receipts derived from self-storage unit rentals, and a 4 percent privilege-use tax on the rental payments for use of the property. The bill was killed in the South Dakota Senate earlier this year.

Visit www.californiaselfstorage.org  for more information on the CSSA and its efforts.

 

About The California Self-Storage Association

Founded in 2002, the California Self Storage Association (CSSA) is the state not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to serving the California Self-Storage industry including owner-operators, facility managers and industry vendors. The CSSA represents some 450 direct member companies that own and operate over 1,200 facilities in California. CSSA direct members range from individual facility owner-operators to multiple-facility operations, to the industry's largest publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

Phoenix, AZ, March 05, 2012 --(PR.com)-- The new book "Greetings from California: Best Practices of the California Self Storage Association" is now available for purchase from MiniCo Insurance Agency, LLC. The book features a unique collection of self-storage insights and knowledge from members of the California Self Storage Association, which counts among its members some of the most experienced operators, property managers and marketing experts in the self-storage industry.

Aimed at prospective and current self-storage owners, operators, managers and developers, Greetings from California includes information on a wide range of topics from this highly respected group of professionals.

Working Together
· Erin King, California Self Storage Association
· Karen Jones, KureIt!

Operating for Success
· Joe Robinson, Extra Space Storage
· Steve Mirabito, Storage PRO Management
· Mike Schofield & Keith McConnell, MiniCo Insurance Agency LLC
· Harmon Wasserman, Westport Properties
· John Cardoza, Storage Auction Experts

Technology Tools
· Larry Rolando, OpenTech Alliance
· Nick Bilava, USStoragesearch.com
· Ajay Prasad, GMR Web Team
· Tron Jordheim, PhoneSmart
· Markus Hecker, SMD Software-SiteLink

Acquisitions & Sales
· Peter Ingersoll, Safe Harbour Equity
· Jim Stevens, Extra Space Storage
· Dean Keller, Bancap Self Storage Group

Financial Facts
· Eric Von Berg, Newmark Realty Capital
· Doug McCarron, Holliday, Fenoglio Fowler LP

Visit www.ministoragemessenger.com to purchase Greetings from California for $29.95 plus shipping.

MiniCo Insurance Agency, LLC, publishes the "Mini-Storage Messenger,” the leading monthly trade magazine covering the global self-storage industry. Other publications include the "Self‑Storage Almanac,” "Self-Storage Canada,” "Self‑Storage Now!,” "Mobile Self-Storage Magazine,” and the "Self‑Storage Buyer’s Guide.”

About MiniCo Insurance Agency, LLC
MiniCo Insurance Agency, LLC, was founded in 1974 as a provider of specialty insurance products and publications for the self-storage industry. Today the company is a full-service managing general agency offering multiple specialty property and casualty insurance products for a variety of unique industries and exposures. MiniCo Insurance Agency, LLC, the parent company of MiniCo Insurance Agency of Canada, Incorporated, is a member of the Aran Insurance Services Group.

For More Information
Mini-Storage Messenger – www.ministoragemessenger.com
California Self Storage Association – www.californiaselfstorage.com

NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Newport Mesa Self Storage for Sale in Costa Mesa, California

February 29, 2012:   Bancap Self Storage Group, Inc., the "#1 Self Storage Broker in California,” recently announced that it has begun marketing and sales activities for the lender owned self storage property known as Newport Mesa Self Storage in the city of Costa Mesa, California.   The firm was selected as the exclusive listing broker for the Orange County facility.     

 Newport Mesa Self Storage is a three-story self storage property located on Newport Boulevard in the city of Costa Mesa in Orange County, California.  It is currently operating under the Storage Direct trade name. The property is located on a busy frontage road with freeway visibility along the busy 55 (Costa Mesa) Freeway.  This freeway is the main connection between Newport Beach and the rest of the Orange County metropolitan area.

The project contains approximately 37,870 net square feet of storage space in 480 rental units. The property is currently at 62% occupancy by unit count and 72% occupancy by rentable square footage.  Economic occupancy currently stands at about 65% of the gross potential rental income.  As the average occupancy in the area is approximately 90%, it appears this property has significant upside potential to increase value with higher occupancy and income.

"There have been very few storage properties available for sale in Southern California and especially in Orange County,” said Dean Keller, President of Bancap Self Storage Group. "This is a rare opportunity to purchase a well located facility in a very desirable market, with tremendous upside potential.”

Costa Mesa is well known for its retail (including the renowned South Coast Plaza), higher education (including Orange Coast College and Vanguard University) and its arts and entertainment (including the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.)  The city is ideally located with close proximity to commercial, industrial and residential districts around the Orange County / John Wayne Airport area.  It is also closely associated with its coastal neighbor, the world famous Newport Beach.

 

The property was recently obtained through foreclosure and the foreclosing lender/owner is represented by LNR Partners, LLC as the special servicing agent for the note-holders.  LNR Partners has engaged Platinum Storage Group to provide professional property management services for the property.   LNR has previously engaged Bancap Self Group as its exclusive broker – most recently in the sale of the Casino Self Storage property in Moorpark, California.

Bancap Self Storage Group is the top selling broker of self storage facilities in California with over $900 million in completed sales.  The company has specialized exclusively in self storage properties for over 25 years.  The firm has recently brokered several lender-owned "REO” properties, as well as several first-class high occupancy properties that were very profitable.  The firm has also facilitated numerous self storage portfolio sales in the state. 

For more information contact Dean Keller, President of Bancap Self Storage Group at (949) 888-5355 or visit the company web site at www.bancapselfstorage.com

Contact: Dean Keller

Phone (949) 888-5355

Fax (949) 203-6105

Email: DKeller@BancapSelfStorage.com

Bancap Self Storage Group, Inc.

30021 Tomas Street, Suite 245

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

www.bancapselfstorage.com

6^th Annual Event Focuses on Navigating Through 2012

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. —February 29, 2012 —The California Self Storage Association (CSSA) has announced that former San Francisco Mayor Willie Lewis Brown Jr. will be a key speaker at the 6^th Annual Northern California Owners Symposium on Tuesday, April 17, 2012. Brown will speak about the California government and its fiscal challenges at the event which is expected to draw nearly 200 attendees.

Brown served as a two-term Mayor of San Francisco from 1996 to 2004. He was also a legendary Speaker of the California State Assembly from 1980 to 1995 and is widely regarded as the most influential African-American politician of the late twentieth century.He has been at the center of California politics, government, and civic life for four decades, and heads the Willie L. Brown, Jr., Institute on Politics and Public Service, where this acknowledged master of the art of politics shares his knowledge and skills with a new generation of California leaders.

Held at The Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, Calif., the event partner for the 6^th Annual Northern California Owners Symposium is Colliers Valuation & Advisory Services ( www.colliers.com/globalvaluationadvisory). Other speakers at this year's event includes Spencer Kirk, CEO of Extra Space Storage (www.extraspace.com), KC Conway, MAI, CRE, executive managing director of real estate analytics at Colliers Valuation, and employment law specialist Lisa Barnett Sween, a partner at Lewis, Beisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP ( www.lbbslaw.com).

"We are proud to have The Honorable Willie Brown as one of our speakers at the 6^th Annual Northern California Owners Symposium,” says California Self Storage Association Executive Director Erin King. "We look forward to hosting this full-day event that will feature compelling ‘need to know' sessions by noted industry experts who will focus on what every self-storage owner and operator needs to know to successfully navigate through the challenges of 2012.”

For more information about the 6^th Annual Northern California Owners Symposium or to register for the event, please visit www.californiaselfstorage.org or contact the California Self Storage Association at (949) 783-4130.

About The California Self-Storage Association
Founded in 2002, the California Self Storage Association (CSSA) is the state's not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to serving the California self-storage industry, including owner-operators, facility managers, and industry vendors. The CSSA represents some 450 direct member companies that own and operate over 1,200 facilities in California. CSSA direct members range from individual facility owner-operators to multiple-facility operations, to the industry's largest publicly traded real estate investment trusts (REITs).

For Immediate Release    

Contact: Erin King, Executive Director                                  

Phone: (949)783-4130

E-mail: erinking.cssa@gmail.com

 

Powerful Program Focuses On Navigating Through 2012

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. —February 16, 2012 —The California Self Storage Association (CSSA) is pleased to announce its 6th Annual Northern California Owners Symposium at The Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Tuesday, April 17, 2012. The event partner is Colliers Valuation & Advisory Services (www.colliers.com/globalvaluationadvisory).  The full-day program will feature compelling "need to know” sessions by noted industry experts who will focus on what every self-storage owner and operator needs to know to successfully navigate through the challenges of 2012.

This year’s program includes a self-storage industry update by Spencer Kirk, CEO of Extra Space Storage (www.extraspace.com), the second largest real estate investment trust (REIT) and the second largest operator in the U.S. A dynamic session will also be presented by noted economist KC Conway, MAI, CRE. Currently the executive managing director of real estate analytics at Colliers Valuation, Mr. Conway is perhaps best known for his role as key player at the Federal Reserve where he briefed Chairman Bernanke, the Board of Governors, Federal Reserve district bank presidents, and real estate industry groups on market conditions and burgeoning issues during the 2008-2009 Financial Crisis.

Also speaking is employment law specialist Lisa Barnett Sween, a partner at Lewis, Beisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP (www.lbbslaw.com), where she has represented employers in all aspects of employment law and litigation including state and federal employment harassment and discrimination litigation and wrongful discharge litigation.

"The 6th Annual Northern California Owners Symposium will feature some of the most powerful speakers we have ever had the privilege of presenting,” says California Self Storage Association Executive Director Erin King. "Moreover, this event will allow area operators and professionals to attend dynamic educational programs without ever having to get on a plane.”

The Owners Symposium was created by the CSSA to bring Northern California self-storage professionals together in a forum that would provide both compelling content and invaluable networking opportunities. With growing attendance every year, this year’s event should draw nearly 200 attendees.

For more information about the 6th Annual Northern California Owners Symposium or to register for the event, please visit www.californiaselfstorage.org or contact the California Self Storage Association at (949) 783-4130.

About The California Self-Storage Association
Founded in 2002, the California Self Storage Association (CSSA) is the state’s not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to serving the California self-storage industry, including owner-operators, facility managers, and industry vendors. The CSSA represents some 450 direct member companies that own and operate over 1,200 facilities in California. CSSA direct members range from individual facility owner-operators to multiple-facility operations, to the industry's largest publicly traded real estate investment trusts (REITs).