The Latest Industry News

For Immediate Release
April 6, 2015 

Technology Expert Mike Parks To Deliver Napa Keynote Speech

Anyone who doesn’t think technology is rapidly changing needs only to think back to the 1990’s when the only thing a cell phone could do was make or take a call. And anyone who doesn’t think data matters isn’t keeping up with its roll in setting the future of the self storage industry. The good news for those attending the California Self Storage Association’s 3rd Annual West Coast Self Storage Owner’s Conference May 13-15 in Napa is that the event’s keynote speaker, Mike Parks, is an expert in both technology and data.

Parks, the Chief Deliver Officer of Systems in Motion, will be delivering a presentation titled “How Technology and Data Will Change the Storage Industry Over the Next Five Years” on Thursday, May 14 at the Westin Verasa Hotel, site of the CSSA gathering. Parks will provide valuable insight into strategic role data will play in the self storage business as the industry shifts to a digital customer acquisition model.

Today and tomorrow’s technology will be very data driven and will likely rely on standards that are not yet available in the industry.  Parks will explain how important these standards are and who should be creating them.  He will touch upon the importance of data ownership and access, as well as the importance of sharing data among different systems.

“I am excited to get the opportunity to learn from Mike Parks at the CSSA Napa workshop,” said Robert Chiti, President and CEO of OpenTech Alliance, Inc. “His insight into data ownership and access will be very valuable to self storage operators and vendors alike. Renting self storage units online is the next big shift to hit the self storage industry, but experts like Mike have seen this same shift in other industries years ago.  I greatly look forward to his speech.”

Previous to his role with Systems in Motion, Inc., Parks served as the Chief Information Officer of NorthPoint Communications Group, Inc. He also has worked as the Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Bank where he headed the bank-wide integration efforts for the merger of Norwest and Wells Fargo. Parks previously served as Senior Vice President with SABRE Decision Technologies, a unit of AMR Corporation. And he also held a number of senior management positions with American Airlines, most recently as Vice President of Information Systems.

Not only is the West Coast Self Storage Owner’s Conference one of the most popular events on the CSSA calendar thanks to its locale (Napa is hard to beat) but also because of the top-notch quality of its speakers.

“We love putting this event together because we know our members enjoy coming to Napa,” said Erin King, Executive Director of the CSSA. “But we also know they want interesting and informative presentations, so bringing in speakers like Mike Parks is crucial to achieving that goal. We feel sure attendees will come away from Mr. Parks’ speech enlightened and more prepared for the future.”

To attend the 3rd Annual CSSA West Coast Self Storage Owner’s Conference get your registration forms from the CSSA on its website (www.californiaselfstorage.org) or call 909-912-1962. Please make sure that you book through the CSSA room block by contacting the hotel directly at 1-888-627-7169. Registration cost: $200 for Owner members / $650 Vendor Member. Non-members pay the price of admission plus appropriate membership costs.

 

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Westwood, KS, April 7, 2015 — storEDGE, the leading provider of technology solutions for the self storage industry, introduced the storEDGE Rental Center, enabling operators to provide 24-hour renting services and ultimately secure more rentals, improve operating efficiencies, and increase operating income.

The storEDGE Rental Center is an add-on to the storEDGE Management Suite. It allows renters to view and rent available units, manage account settings, schedule move-outs, and enter into legally binding rental agreements — all without the need for staff involvement. Dirk Wakeham, CEO of storEDGE, commented, “The storEDGE Rental Center is a natural extension of our platform, which combines the marketing and management functions necessary to operate storage facilities through a single solution from a single vendor.” This service is designed to meet the rising need for a platform that allows storage operators to manage all aspects of their facilities, from lead generation to rent collection.

As a browser-based, cloud-hosted solution, the storEDGE Rental Center can run on any device, including an iPad. “Customers can use their computer, smart phone, or tablet to secure their rental, which is a feature increasingly in demand for millennials,” said Wakeham. This capability improves lead conversion rates, enhances the accuracy and completeness of rental agreements, and increases operational efficiency. More information about the storEDGE Rental Center can be found at www.storEDGE.com/rental-center and at booth #617 at the ISS World Expo.

About storEDGE

The storEDGE platform, by Red Nova, is a comprehensive suite of web-based solutions designed specifically for the self storage industry. With the tools provided by storEDGE, storage operators now have a competitive edge in boosting rentals, tracking leads, managing operations, and maximizing ROI. Together, our experience in online marketing and our knowledge of the industry is what makes our technologies — and your storage facility — succeed.

Alhambra, CA – March 20, 2015
A-1 Self Storage, the premier provider of self-storage in Los Angeles County, California, announced today the official ribbon cutting ceremony with the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce was held on March 10, 2015. This state-of-the-art self storage facility opened on February 24, 2015 and is located at 2300 Poplar Boulevard, Alhambra, CA.

The event was attended by Cecilia Garcia, Alhambra Chamber Ambassador, Dr. Steve Placido, Alhambra City Councilman, and Frank Chen, Alhambra Chamber of Commerce Immediate Past President.

“We are very excited to be a part of the diverse and vibrant Alhambra community,” said Brian Caster, President and CEO of A-1 Self Storage. “Thank you to the community members and town officials who made our Chamber ribbon cutting ceremony a success.”

To learn more about the newest A-1 Self Storage location in Alhambra, visit our website at http://a1stor.co/A1Alhambra.

About A-1 Self Storage:
A-1 Self Storage is one of the leading providers of storage units in California, with 8 self-storage locations in Los Angeles County. A-1 Self-Storage is the Self-Storage division of the Caster Companies, a third generation family owned company headquartered in San Diego, California serving local communities since 1959. The Caster Companies specializes in acquisitions, development, and management of A-1 Self-Storage. Our real estate portfolio includes over 5 million square feet in real estate properties, including 48 self-storage locations with over 33,000 customers. It is one of California’s largest independent self-storage and car storage owner/operators.

CONTACTS:
Cori Garrod | A-1 Self Storage | (800) 219-4854 x 122| press@a1storage.com | www.a1storage.com
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Richardson, TX – March 6, 2015: XPS Solutions has announced the new promotion of one of their veteran employees, Michael Roberts. Formerly Vice President of Business Development, Roberts is now Executive Vice President of Business Development and Operations.

With 17 years of previous sales management experience, Roberts became a valuable asset for XPS Solutions when he joined the team eight years ago, and has since been an integral part of business development. From managing daily business activities and sales, to furthering the vision and execution of company expansion, Roberts has made fundamental contributions to XPS Solutions that have helped shape the organization into the industry leader it is today.

“Michael knows the self-storage industry,” says John Traver, Chief Executive Officer of XPS Solutions. “He knows what works and what doesn’t, and is able to critically analyze exactly what independent self-storage owners need to succeed and grow their business. His knowledge and experience are essential to our team as we continue to innovate the solutions we offer to our clients.”

Roberts’ promotion is the result of big advances at XPS Solutions. In June 2014, the company moved headquarters to expand their space and capacity by 50 percent. The state-of-the-art XPS facility in Richardson, Texas, is the Centralized Sales and Support Center for thousands of independent self-storage sites, and facilitates business growth within the self-storage industry. XPS Solutions has also unveiled a new product suite featuring unique programs that enable Big Data collection and analysis, enhanced prospect conversion rates, and complete call and web lead coverage.

For more information, visit www.xpsusa.com, or call (877) XPS.USA1 with specific inquiries.

WORLD RECOGNITION OF DISTINGUISHED GENERAL COUNSEL:
STEVEN M. GLICK
UPON HIS RETIREMENT AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT,
CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER
& CORPORATE SECRETARY OF PUBLIC STORAGE
(2010 – 2015)

Tuesday, March 10, 2015, 8:30 – 10:45 A.M. (8:00 Registration)
Gibson Dunn Conference Center, 333 South Grand Ave., Los Angeles

There is no fee to attend and continental breakfast will be served.
Two hours of California CLE credits will be provided.

General Counsel are more important than ever in history. Boards of Directors look increasingly to them to enhance financial and business strategy, compliance, and integrity of corporate operations. In recognition of our distinguished Guest of Honor’s personal accomplishments in his career and his leadership in the profession, we are honoring Steven M. Glick, General Counsel of Public Storage during 2010 – 2015, with the leading global honor for General Counsel. Public Storage is a real estate investment trust that primarily acquires, develops, owns and operates self-storage facilities. It is one of the largest real estate companies and landlords in the world. (The national and worldwide operations are described further below.) His address will focus on key issues facing the General Counsel of an international business during the course of his legal career including 16 years of practice in Europe. The panelists’ additional topics include international business & law; mergers & acquisitions; intellectual property; tax strategies; and litigation. The transcript of this event will be made available worldwide in electronic copy.

The Directors Roundtable is a civic group which organizes the preeminent worldwide programming for Directors and their advisors including General Counsel.

GUEST OF HONOR: Steven M. Glick Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary, Public Storage (2010 – 2015)

DISTINGUISHED PANELISTS:

Mark Pecheck Partner, Gibson Dunn LLP

Michael Quigley Partner, Kim & Chang (Korea)

Joshua Zielinski Partner, McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP

John Marzulli Partner, Shearman & Sterling LLP

Jack Friedman (Moderator) Chairman, Directors Roundtable


REGISTRATION: To register, log on to our Website www.directorsroundtable.com and click on "Current Events and Registration". To contact us, call Karen Todd at (727) 493-2067 or e-mail to Jack Friedman, Chairman of the Directors Roundtable, at karen.f.todd@gmail.com.
Directors Roundtable is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. This activity has been approved for 2.0 hours of general MCLE credit.

Public Storage,a member of the S&P 500 and FT Global 500, with a market capitalization of approximately $35 billion, is a real estate investment trust that primarily acquires, develops, owns and operates self-storage facilities. The Company has interests in approximately 2,250 self-storage facilities located in 38 states with almost 150 million net rentable square feet in the United States and 188 storage facilities located in seven Western European nations with approximately ten million net rentable square feet operated under the “Shurgard” brand. [The Company also owns a 42% common equity interest in PS Business Parks, Inc. (NYSE:PSB) which owns and operates approximately 30 million rentable square feet of commercial space, primarily flex, multi-tenant office and industrial space.]

Walnut Creek, CA  March 2, 2015

Storage Pro continues to grow with 6 new management accounts bringing its total to 40 locations owned or managed.

Storage Pro Walnut Creek, CA is pleased to announce 6 new management accounts in Antioch, Pittsburg, Martinez, San Leandro, Fairfield, and Truckee. Storage Pro continues to grow with 40 locations owned or 3rd party managed.

Steve Mirabito, President, states , “Our years of experience constantly improving results of our properties has been recognized by owners. We have shown substantial increases in the performance of new properties. We continue to look for additional assets in California and other Western States that would benefit our management company program.”

Steve is past President of California Self Storage Association industry trade association and is a frequent speaker on industry panels. Storage Pro was founded in 1990 in Stockton, CA.

Richardson, TX – February 25, 2015: XPS Solutions is innovating yet again, and has launched a new Competitive Market Audit program. The XPS Marketing Team has been hard at work conducting Self-Storage Market Research Audits in a variety of areas, and is making the data discoveries available to self-storage proprietors for free.

Independent site owners will now have the opportunity to access valuable R&D findings specific to their facility. The market data will help site owners know if their marketing strategy is actually translating to rental conversions, and how their self-storage site directly compares to the competition. 

In addition to the launch of this comprehensive audit program, XPS is continuing to provide turn-key solutions for site owners looking to grow their self-storage business. With their state-of-the-art Centralized Sales and Support Center, XPS is able to provide complete call, web lead, live chat, and pay-by-phone coverage, while minimizing cost and maximizing quality.

One of the newest ways XPS is helping independent self-storage proprietors increase show and rental rates is through Prospect Conversion, a program that provides a unique system where every prospect gets followed up on, no matter what. “We’ve discovered that most independent self-storage sites don’t have a follow-up strategy,” says Michael Roberts, Executive VP of Business Development and Operations at XPS Solutions. “Considering how incredibly competitive this industry is, that’s shocking.”

John Traver, CEO of XPS Solutions, goes on to add, “The fact is, one and done selling doesn’t work most of the time. In order to get your share of the market, you have to be following up with your prospects. If you don’t, you’re leaving rentals on the table for your competitors.” The Prospect Conversion program leverages professional contact systems to capture self-storage shoppers that are not a first call or visit close and increase rentals.

To support the launch of these latest XPS programs and solutions, XPS has created a brand new website that can be found at www.xpsusa.com. Self-storage site owners are now able to submit their general company information via this website to find out their qualifying status for access to free site-specific Competitive Market Audit findings.

For more information, visit www.xpsusa.com, or contact Michael Roberts (mroberts@xpsusa.com; 972.865.4312) with specific inquiries. 

Alhambra, CA – February 24, 2015: A-1 Self Storage, the premier provider of self-storage in Los Angeles County, California, announced today the opening of its newest self-storage location in Alhambra, CA. This 105,033 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility offers 744 storage units and is located at 2300 Poplar Boulevard.

Featuring 24 hour video surveillance, coded keypad entry, and cylinder locks, this brand new facility offers the very best in security. Access to the facility is available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; some of the longest access hours in the area. Wide loading/unloading areas with easy building access were designed to make moving quick and convenient. This facility is centrally located near the Costco/Target Shopping Center, providing affordable self-storage to businesses and residents in the western San Gabriel Valley including Alhambra, Monterey Park, South Pasadena, and San Gabriel.

“We designed this property to offer the very best self-storage experience possible,” said Brian Caster, President and CEO of A-1 Self Storage. “We wanted to add value to the neighborhood with the right kind of storage at the right price. We are excited to be a part of the Alhambra community.”

A-1 Self Storage is scheduled for an official ribbon cutting ceremony with the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce on March 10th at 11 a.m. We encourage businesses and residents of the city of Alhambra to join us for this brief ceremony and refreshments. Facility tours will be available to the general public following the ceremony.

To learn more about the newest A-1 Self Storage location in Alhambra, visit our website at http://a1stor.co/A1Alhambra.

About A-1 Self Storage:
A-1 Self Storage is one of the leading providers of storage units in California, with 8 self-storage locations in Los Angeles County. A-1 Self-Storage is the Self-Storage division of the Caster Companies, a third generation family owned company headquartered in San Diego, California serving local communities since 1959. The Caster Companies specializes in acquisitions, development, and management of A-1 Self-Storage. Our real estate portfolio includes over 5 million square feet in real estate properties, including 48 self-storage locations with over 33,000 customers. It is one of California’s largest independent self-storage and car storage owner/operators.

CONTACTS:
Cori Garrod | A-1 Self Storage | (800) 219-4854 x 122| press@a1storage.com | www.a1storage.com

Westwood, KS, February 2, 2015 — Meet storEDGE, the new brand name for the family of management and marketing solutions from Red Nova Labs, Inc. The storEDGE brand, formerly known as StorageAhead (WebWorks, WebReady, StorageFront, StorageHounds), encompasses Red Nova’s entire platform of integrated products for the self storage industry.

 

The release of this new branding is the latest in a series of strategic moves the company has taken to transform Red Nova into the leading technology provider in the industry. In the past several months, Red Nova sold its StorageFront and StorageHounds lead aggregation sites to StoreLocal, launched hundreds of new marketing websites, doubled its investment in facility management software, and is repositioning itself under one consolidated name.

 

“We’ve taken on this significant transformation because we want to further emphasize the benefits of our integrated marketing and management solutions for self storage,” said Dirk Wakeham, CEO of Red Nova. “Our platform is the only 100% cloud-based solution designed for self storage operators of all sizes. It combines an operator’s online marketing presence and facility management functions into a single platform, allowing operators to move seamlessly from reservation to move-out using a single solution from a single vendor.”

 

Red Nova has developed storEDGE as a unifying brand under which its existing products can fall. This move will reinforce the company’s vision to deliver an integrated solution for the self storage industry.

 

“As much as I love my closet full of StorageAhead swag, it was the right time to make the change,” Dan Miller, Founder and President of Red Nova, said. “We are investing heavily in our technology and wanted a brand that better showed the depth and capabilities of our platform.”

 

For more information on the storEDGE platform, visit storEDGE.com.

 

About storEDGE

The storEDGE platform, by Red Nova, is a comprehensive suite of web-based solutions designed specifically for the self storage industry. With the tools provided by storEDGE, storage operators now have a competitive edge in boosting rentals, tracking leads, managing operations, and maximizing ROI. Together, our experience in online marketing and our knowledge of the industry is what makes our technologies — and your storage facility — succeed.

Janus International Group, LLC 135 

Janus International Blvd.

Temple, GA 30179

Phone: 770.562.2850

Fax: 770.562.1991

Contact: Leeann Fleming

marketing@janusintl.com

www.janusintl.com

Janus International Group, LLC Hires Bagley as Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Temple, GA – January 16, 2015) Janus International Group LLC, a manufacturer of steel roll up doors and building components designed for the self storage, industrial and commercial door dealer markets hired Terry Bagley as Vice President of Business Development. 

Bagley has been involved in the self storage industry for 14 years in various capacities. Previously, Mr. Bagley was the President & CEO of Centershift, Inc., an innovative and leading rental management and point-of-sale software solution to the self storage industry. He also set the strategy and led the successful acquisition of Hi-Tech Smart Systems RentPlus management software and customer base in 2011.

Mr. Bagley currently serves on the national (and international) Self Storage Association (SSA) board of directors and is the Co-Chair of the Utah Technology Council (UTC) Public Policy committee.  Previously he served on the Board of Centershift, Inc. (2005-2013), the Utah Self Storage Association Board of Directors (2007-2010). In 2012, Mr. Bagley was appointed to a two-year term on the Utah State Board of Education Nominating & Selection Committee by the Governor of Utah.

Mr. Bagley also speaks at industry trade shows/conferences and he is a frequent editorial contributor to industry trade publications and magazines, including the SSA Globe, Inside Self-Storage, and Mini-Storage Messenger.

Before entering the self storage industry, Mr. Bagley spent almost 20 years in the technology industry in various leadership positions in business development, sales and marketing and management  for both private and publicly traded companies that included 3Com (acquired by Hewlett-Packard), US Robotics and Megahertz.

Mr. Bagley earned a bachelors degree in Accounting from Brigham Young University as well as an MBA from San Jose State University. He has also attended post graduate training courses in various business-related subjects, including executive education courses from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife and family.

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Janus International Group is a global manufacturer of roll up doors, as well as a provider of self storage solutions.  Headquartered in Temple, Georgia, Janus has eight U.S. locations, including the United Kingdom and a joint venture in Mexico.  Janus is owned by Saw Mill Capital located in New York.  For more company information, visit our website at www.janusintl.com.