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Front cover photograph

shows contraband seized by HMRC

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http://www.askactive.com

http://smdsoftware.com

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http://www.basilfry.co.uk

http://www.steelstorage.net

Focus V1 2012_Layout 1 07/02/2012 16:28 Page 6

As I write this short editorial, while spending a few days in thesunshine in the Maldives, I have been wondering what 2012will bring to our industry. There is little doubt that 2011 wasnot an easy year for any business, and the signs are that2012 will be no easier. But, let’s pray for some sunshine.2012 for the UK includes the London Olympics and thehope that this exclusive world event will bring fortune andfun to the city, to the country and to us all.

In his first editorial the new Chairman of the US SSA, Patrick Reilly, challenged hismembers to embrace and engage the new tools required to do business on line.Self storage, he argued, is not “recession resistant” and every business must takea hard look at itself and make the necessary changes to ensure its viability. Herein the UK we have stayed with the line that “self storage is reasonably resilient toa recession”, which to date you have proved it to be. However, it is clear thatevery business will have to strive harder in the forthcoming months (and possiblyyears).

As you will have read in our monthly newsletters (and please do read them as theycover many important issues) the Directors and the Association have a numberof projects and reviews “on the go”; most of which we hope to finalise andintroduce to you in the Spring. Our pursuit of enhancing the benefits of yourmembership continues. Do use the Legal Helpline (free advice for a 15 minutephone call) advertised on 5, and please do not forget that Louis Hill ofSource PR is always happy to assist you with your local marketing campaigns.

This year’s European Conference and Trade Show (and the presentation of theAnnual Awards) will take place in Budapest on the 12th and 13th of September.Please put these dates in your diary now. More details will follow.

Meanwhile, may I encourage you all to complete the annual members’survey, which we must have by the 28th of February at the latest.

And, just to show that Head Office is also playing its part in charitable fundraising,here is a picture of Mary and me receiving a significant cheque for my maincharity, the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) The Soldiers' Charity, after our successfuldinner/dance in a local Care Home.

Rodney Walker

CEO SSA UK

2012 the Year of the Dragon…luck, mystery and unpredictability!! contents

SSA UK News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Company News . . . . . . . . . 10 to 13

• Storage King ends 2011 on a high• Safestore opens its 95th store• Big Yellow continues to grow

Community News . . . . . . . 13 to 15

• Red Self Storage• AS&D sponsors Heywood Rangers• Mike McCarthy says thanks!• Pound Gates embraced Movember

Company Features

• Boxing Clever! . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16• Eversley’s wartime secrets . . . . . .18• Mr Box Storage Containers . . . . .31• Kent Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33• Shurgard Europe’s new look . . . .36• Ashton Self Storage . . . . . . . . . . .39

Business News . . . . . . . . . . 22 & 23

Technology Features

• Self Storage Lifts . . . . . . . .25 to 28• Solar Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Employment Feature . . . . . . . . . .30

• Key changes for 2012

Security Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

• Bomb plot thwarted

Members’ Benefits . . . . . . . 42 & 43

Marketing Feature• A PR and Marketing Resource . . .44

To subscribe to the Focus and Self Storage Europe magazine, please contact:

Self Storage Association, Priestley House, The Gullet,Nantwich, Cheshire. CW5 5SZ

Tel: + 44 (0)1270 623 150Fax: + 44 (0)1270 623 471

e-mail: [email protected]

EditorialNews items and articles on all aspects of the self storageindustry are welcomed, and should be sent, together withphotographs if appropriate, to the editor, Stan McKerron:

e-mail: [email protected]

The SSA UK and FEDESSA, or any of itsagents/representatives/staff, cannot accept any legal

liability for the accuracy of the news items and articlescontained in the magazine, which have been obtained

and are reproduced in good faith.

AdvertisingPlease contact Stan McKerron:

48 Talbot Way, Stapeley, Nantwich, CW5 7RQ.Tel: + 44 (0)1270 624 622e-mail: [email protected]

7


http://www.storepak.co.uk

8

Self Storage Focus

2012 Dates

SSA UK NEWS

Focus Magazine Deadlines

The deadline for submitting Advertising Booking Forms, newsitems and articles for the next edition of Focus is Friday the23rd of March 2012.

Sue Brash

We are delighted to announce that Sue Brash gave birth to ababy girl Orla, weighing 5 lbs on Tuesday 29 November 2011.Sue will be on maternity leave until May 2012. All enquiries inher absence should be e-mailed to: [email protected]

New SSA UK Members

On behalf of the Directors and Members of the Self Storage

Association, we would like to extend a warm welcome to:

Associate Provisional Operator Members

• Durham Self Storage, Durham

• Economy Storage, King’s Lynn

• Need a Space Units, Faversham.

Full Operator Members

• BWI Storage, London

• Box Clever Storage, Cumbria

• Vauxhall Bondway Self-Storage, London

• Waveney Self Storage, Beccles.

23 FebruarySSA UK Meeting, London

25-27 April

SSA US 2012 Spring Conference & Trade Show

Orlando, FL, USA

17 May (TBC)South West Regional Meeting

4 June (TBC)North and Midlands Regional Meeting

7-9 AugustAustralasian Convention & Trade Show, Sydney, Australia

5-7 September2012 Fall Conference & Trade Show, Las Vegas, NV, USA

12-13 SeptemberEuropean Self Storage Conference, Budapest


http://www.poundgatesib.com/selfstorage

Self Storage Focus

10

COMPANY NEWS

Storage King ends 2011 on a high

Storage King ended a busy year of trading by completing on itssecond acquisition within 12 months, increasing its overallportfolio count to 25 stores. This additional store was finalisedin late December 2011 with the purchase of Red Self Storage inDartford (refer to the Community News item on Page 13), andit provided the perfect Christmas present for the Storage KingGroup, which is owned and operated by Betterstore Self StorageLimited.Located just off Junction 1b of the M25, the Dartford store iscurrently 50% occupied and once fully refurbished it will offer44,600 sq. ft. of net lettable space.

The site also boasts 7,500 sq. ft. of individual office space,which is available in a wide variety of sizes and has been usedin the past by a variety of businesses, such as call centres,retailers and local plumbers. Storage King plans to rebrand thesite with its signature crown in the first quarter of 2012.The store is well located for the Bluewater Shopping Centre andhas over 182,000 residential homes within the immediatecatchment area, reflecting the current customer split of 70%residential users and 30% business. Robin Greenwood, Storage King’s CEO, welcomed theacquisition, explaining that for the second time in 2011 StorageKing had demonstrated its commitment to purchasing qualityassets in the self storage sector. This second acquisition forStorage King is highly significant for the company’s futuregrowth: “We have ambitious expansion plans and theacquisition of Red Self Storage in Dartford will add tremendousvalue to our portfolio,” said Robin. This continued expansion issupported through the strong financial backing provided byCabot Square Capital.The first acquisition of 2011, Safebox Self Storage inCambridge, has now been fully rebranded. Work has started ona second building, which will add 28,000 sq. ft. of net lettablespace to the site. This makes Storage King Cambridge the

largest self storage facility in the city. Store Manager, CharlieSchneider, said: “We are eagerly awaiting the completion of thenew building and are already getting interest for units which isencouraging.”The existing Storage King owned portfolio increased its overalloccupied space by 40% in 2011, while at the same timeincreasing rates by 13%. These combined uplifts resulted in a69% improvement in revenues from the previous financial year,and reinforced the commitment and ability of the Storage Kingoperational team in building stronger occupancies.In 2012 Storage King is continuing to look for high quality, welllocated, freehold sites to expand its existing portfolio, and RobinGreenwood or Emma Chesterton Kay would welcomeapproaches from any existing self storage operators who areconsidering marketing their property in the near future.Storage King’s latest acquisition

Robin Greenwood, Storage King’s CEO

Storage King’s Cambridge facility

Do you have any Company News?If you have any news items about your company, such as awards

won, new appointments, retirements, results, new builds or openings, please e-mail them to Stan McKerron at:

[email protected]


http://www.eossecurity.com

12

ocus Self Storage Focus COMPANY NEWS

Safestore opens its 95th store

Safestore has opened its 95th state-of-the-art self storage facilityat Bounds Green Industrial Estate, Bounds Green Road, northLondon. The store, New Southgate, boasts free WiFi, a businesslounge with complimentary refreshments, plus mobile phoneand laptop charging hotspots. It also features archiving facilitiesalongside storage for both business and personal customers. Inaddition, travel agent style individual desks have beenintroduced and there is a fork lift truck entrance for ease ofaccess with bigger loads. Work started on the new Safestore store in April 2011 and wascompleted at the end of October 2011. During the build, theequivalent of over 65,995 wheel barrow loads of soil wasremoved from the site. Also, over 22 miles of electrical cableswere laid in the building and more than 3,000 relay/lightswitches were installed. The new store also has strong greencredentials, with PV cells on the roof generating electricity andair-to-air heat source pumps running the heating in thereception, kitchen, sign-up office and customer lounge. The PVcells generate power, but also offer CO2 reductions.Facilities include safe and secure rooms and the store launchedwith a special offer of storage from £3.99 per week for newcustomers and a service point to send parcels worldwide, plus afull range of boxes and packing materials on sale. For business

customers, there are larger business rooms with wider aisles anddoors available for easy access and a secure holding room whereSafestore accepts deliveries on behalf of customers. There arealso offices that can be let, with a separate secure entry-way.David Cox, Head of Sales and Marketing at Safestore,commented: “We have trialled a number of new features at ourNew Southgate store and the initial feedback has been verypositive. At a time when self storage is becoming more popular,as families and businesses look to use space more effectively intheir homes and workplaces, the new facilities create a moreattractive proposition for our customers.As part of this trial, staff members are now wearing new style namebadges, we have new store Point of Sale (POS), storemerchandise, packing materials and a “less is more” approach toour messaging throughout the store.”


13

Volume 1, 2012

Big Yellow continues to grow

Big Yellow, the United Kingdom’s leading self storage brand,reported strong results for the six months to the 30th ofSeptember 2011, driven by an increase in occupancy of250,000 sq. ft. across its 63 stores in the year, representinggrowth of 3,900 sq. ft. per store.Big Yellow’s store revenue for the six months increased by 7% to£31.9 million. The Group reported an adjusted pre-tax profit of£11.6 million for the period, up 20% from £9.7 million for thesame period in 2010.The Group has opened two stores so far this financial year, atEltham on the junction of the South Circular and the A20 inSouth East London, and in Stockport, Greater Manchesteroverlooking the M60 motorway.

The Group is currently constructing two further stores, at NewCross in South East London (due to open in February 2012) and

in Chiswick, West London, where a landmark store is being builtoverlooking the M4 flyover (this store is due to open in May2012).Executive Chairman, Nicholas Vetch, said: “This performancehas been pleasing, particularly in light of the continuingpressures on the consumer and muted economic environment,coupled with the historically low level of housing activity. Wehave clearly been assisted by our strong brand position, inparticular on line, and the focus of our stores in London and theSouth East, where overall revenue growth per storeoutperformed the rest of the portfolio.”He added: “All businesses will probably have to adapt to a slowgrowth environment for some years to come and while no doubtthere will be setbacks, we believe that Big Yellow can continueto make steady progress.” An interim dividend of 4.5p has been proposed, up from 4p lastyear.

COMPANY NEWS

Red Self Storage

A local charity “Stride 4 Life”, based at Darent Valley Hospital,was donated a storage unit free of charge by Red Self Storage,at its facility in Princes Road, Dartford. For the second yearrunning, the storage company collected Christmas presentsfor the children’s ward at the hospital.“Our contact at Stride 4 Life, Joan Warwick, briefed us againon the type of toys that could be donated. We informed ourstaff and all our customers that if they wished to participate tobring the gifts into our reception,” said Red Self Storage’smanager, John Reeve.“Thankfully, once again we had a marvellous response to ourappeal. The presents were collected and distributed at theWillow Ward’s Christmas party. This was the second time wecollected for the charity and we will continue on a yearly basiswith the hope of bringing some cheer to the sick children inhospital,” continued John. (Refer to the Company News itemon Page 10).

Big Yellow’s new store in Stockport

Big Yellow’s new store in Eltham

COMMUNITY NEWS

“Thankfully, once again we had a marvellous response

to our appeal…”


http://www.sjonescontainers.co.uk


15

Volume 1, 2012

AS&D sponsors Heywood Rangers

Active Supply & Design (CDM) Ltd. is proud to announce itscontinued sponsorship of local amateur football team, HeywoodRangers. Last season the players won the cup and finishedsecond in their local league, which allowed them the opportunityto step up a league for this season’s campaign.

Currently Heywood Rangers are top of a very competitiveRochdale Sunday league, having only dropped five points fromtheir first fifteen games. AS&D has enjoyed sponsoring variousother teams and events throughout its twenty year history and isa strong supporter of its selected charity, The Princes Trust, whohelped found AS&D in 1991.

Mike McCarthy says thanks!

Mike McCarthy (The Storage Centre, Leeds) says a big thankyou to everyone who helped him achieve his three goals for theevents that he entered to raise money for “Help for Heroes” and“Get Kids Going”. 1. By far the most important goal was to make a significant

contribution to the two charities and the people they support.Mike originally wanted to raise £5,000, but with the fantasticsupport he received he raised the target to £7,500 and thento £10,000. He is delighted that, with Gift Aid, he’s nowreached his target and thanks everyone for theiroverwhelming support, which is very much appreciated.

2. Mike wanted to take part in a team event and the JohnO’Groats to Land’s End bike ride was just the ticket. It wastough in parts, many parts; almost 900 miles in 8½ days! Itwas incredibly well organised, there was a fantastic teamspirit, a great group of people, 15 out of the 16 finished therace and the age range was early 20’s to mid-60’s. Theweight range was equally well spread!

3. The New York Marathon in November was a personalchallenge for Mike. His fervent wish was to complete themarathon in under four hours. Foolishly, as a 15 stone exfront row forward, who’s quite a social creature, he’s notyour typical marathon runner (built like a greased whippet)

and the time was ambitious! A call of nature after 800 yardsdidn’t help his cause. However, the marathon was excellent;there were 45,000 runners, 2.5 million people on the streets,live bands and crowds screaming support. It was a once ina lifetime experience that Mike would recommend.

Surprisingly, Mike managed to drag himself round the course in3 hours, 42 minutes and 40 seconds. Needless to say he wasdelighted, knowing that as his time was under four hours hewon’t have to do it again next year.Mike would specifically like to thank “Charlie” and “Stevo”, histraining partner on five consecutive Sundays; the banter wasgreat and the generous contributions from so many people werereally appreciated. Needless to say, Mike won’t be asking forsponsorship again in the near future!

Pound Gates embraced Movember

The Moustache Season begins: there may be many validreasons why a man would choose to grow a moustache, butthere is only one reason why most would do it – charity!Haven’t you heard of Movember? Movember is about raisingvital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostateand testicular cancer. Across Pound Gates the men (aka Mo Bros) cultivated a genuine100% face grown moustache for the 30 days of November, toraise awareness and funds for men’s health. Pound Gatesbecame walking, talking billboards for the cause. During themonth Pound Gates held cancer awareness seminars for all itsstaff. Female colleagues (aka Mo Sistas) helped with promotionand fund raising by bringing in and selling bacon rolls, cakes,flapjacks and more cakes, as well as sporting detachablemoustaches and dressing like men. Movember Mo Bros and MoSistas reached out to their clients, suppliers and contacts askingfor donations; either corporate or personal donations. To date their efforts have raised over £6,000 putting them in thetop 100 fund raisers in the United Kingdom. Visit the Movemberhome page via the following link and give your support:http://uk.movember.com/mospace/1379678/ On Friday the 2nd of December the whole company attended itsvery own Mo Party and awards ceremony. The ten categoriesranged from “Least Visible” to “Celebrity Lookalike”. The mostprestigious award this year, the Tim Foster Award for BestMoustache, went to Rob Thacker for his “Bandit Trucker”.

The Heywood Rangers team

COMMUNITY NEWS


http://www.chateauproducts.com

Self Storage Focus

Do you have any Community News?

If you have any news items about your company, such as charity

events, fund raising, sponsorship or supporting the community,

please e-mail them to Stan McKerron at: [email protected]

16

COMPANY FEATURE

Boxing Clever!

Fort Locks Self Storage, like many successful storage businessesaround the UK, operates storage units that are adapted fromshipping containers. The business is owned and run by AnniePoole, who was introduced to self storage by friends, theCaldwells, at Space Station. David and Jenny are two long term,loyal employees.

Drive right up to your storage unit!

The persistence of the lesser known “container” storage modeldemonstrates that it continues to provide a valuable service to arange of customers for whom a warehouse is less practical.

Key among these are removal men, who like the convenience ofDrive Up, where once-only handling is a big saving when off-loading a lorry. Other examples include those with heavyequipment, which needs to be forklifted into the storage unit; ordistributors, who use the storage unit as a hub for distribution ofcatalogues or stock to regional sales teams.

Proactive and professional

The business, based close to Banbury town centre, has acustomer profile which mirrors the industry (roughly 60%domestic and 40% business). A significant 60% of customersare referred via word of mouth, or repeat business. As with mostother operators, the importance of Yellow Pages is declining,

while the Internet is becoming increasingly important.

...continued on Page 17

5 Star accommodation for your belongings


17

Volume 1, 2012 COMPANY FEATURE

Fort Locks invested in a smart new website last year (visit:www.fortlocks-storage.co.uk), with all the gizmos (social media,video, etc.) and is working hard to ensure that it gets as high upthe rankings as possible. A Blimp is flown on fair weather dayswhich, along with road signage, attracts a lot of passing andlocal custom.Fort Locks places great store on customer service and enjoys agood rapport with its customers, while following a disciplinedsign-up procedure, capturing customers’ details, including twoforms of ID. Fort Locks Self Storage abides strictly to the SSA UK’s standardsand uses its Licence Agreement. Clearly this professionalapproach has helped over the years as it has grown, providinga strong degree of credibility and trust for customers, and it isproud to link its website to the SSA UK.

Container storage units – secure, clean, dryFort Locks’ storage units are manufactured to top industryspecifications, either Lloyds Register (LR) or Bureau Veritas (BV),for a long and testing life in service, normally shipping cargoaround the world. M&S, Sony and probably every blue chipcompany you can think of trusts its goods to this type of storagecontainer for the 5,000 mile journey from China to the UK!

Durable rubber seals on the double doors resist water ingress,while the doors themselves are made from rust-resistant cortensteel to ensure maximum durability. In addition, Fort Locksplaces its units on concrete pedestals to raise them aboveground level.

The treated marine ply floors are painted using heavy duty floorpaint, to ensure they are clean and hard wearing. Thecontainers also include ventilators at the front and inch-thickpolystyrene ceilings are installed to insulate the units, so that theyare 100% ready to store customers’ goods.Security is paramount and each storage unit has galvanised steellocking bars with lockable handles. Fort Locks goes the extramile by fitting a “lock box” to protect the padlock, for addedsecurity. Containers also provide their own security once in place, and ineight years of trading Fort Locks has never had a securityproblem. On a recent trip to New Zealand, David spotted acontainer being used as a bank; now, that’s how securecontainers are!

Drive up access at Fort Locks

Annie Poole, owner of Fort Locks Self Storage

Fort Locks Self Storage abides strictly

to the SSA UK’s standards and

uses its Licence Agreement.


18

Self Storage Focus COMPANY FEATURE

Eversley’s wartime secrets

Nowadays people search the Internet for storage facilities, butback in the 1940s they were scanning the skies for enemyaircraft. Hampshire based Eversley Storage has discovered thatits site once played a vital role in Britain’s wartime defences, asthe base for the 50th Searchlight Regiment. The site, located just off the A30 near Blackbushe airfield inHampshire, was ideally placed to intercept German bombers asthey headed towards London during WWII, or as they tried toknock out the air defences in southern England. The 50thSearchlight Regiment was stationed there, in what were at firstquite primitive conditions. The soldiers on the site, who had to sleep in tents, manned themassive 800 million candlepower carbon arc lights when theLuftwaffe attacked, and nearby guns had to shoot an average of20,000 rounds of ammunition into the sky before they hitanything. Michael Woolfson, MD of Eversley Storage, had the chance tochat with the daughter of Commander Nash, who lived oppositethe searchlight site and discovered more as he researched thetown’s wartime history. Commander Nash’s daughter lived withher parents at the time and recalled that soldiers would drop inat the farm, as it had just been connected to the National Gridand there was often the chance of a hot mug of tea.

As the war progressed, British and American scientists workedout how to synchronise the information from radar stations,direct searchlights with pinpoint accuracy and develop morepowerful “ack-ack” anti-aircraft guns. This made the Eversleysite even more important as the south of England became amassive staging post prior to the D-Day invasion.What would those brave servicemen and women have made oftoday’s storage units, packed full of furniture, memorabilia,antiques, musical instruments and many more bits and pieces ofeveryday life? The only visible reminder of Eversley’s wartime role is the lone“Thunderbox” latrine near the fencing; everything else hasvanished into history. However, if you ever drive down the A30,spare a thought for all those who manned the searchlightdefences at Eversley over 70 years ago.


http://www.pslimited.co.uk

http://www.radicalsys.com

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http://www.mezzaninefloorlifts.co.uk

http://www.mrbox.co.uk

http://www.unitedstorage.co.uk

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Volume 1, 2012 BUSINESS NEWS

Safestore’s third bi-annual index

74% of people in the UK believe that renovating or improving a property is a betteroption than selling in the current market, according to Safestore’s third bi-annual“Moving and Improving Index”, November 2011. The implication is that peoplefeel it is better to invest in improving their property in the hope that they couldcapitalise on the investment, should they sell in the future. However, looking at the indices from spring 2011 and last autumn, the indicationis that people are beginning to warm to the idea of selling. In November 2010,81% felt they should improve and not move and in the spring of 2011, 78% feltthat this was still their best option.The reasons why people can’t get on the housing ladder signalled one of thebiggest shifts in the study. The third index highlighted that lack of a deposit wasthe biggest reason for not being able to buy a house with 15% citing this reason(only 12% cited this in index one and two). The lack of available mortgages wasthe next biggest barrier with 9% citing this reason (9% in spring 2011 and 8% inNovember 2010). When looking at people’s intentions to move, in spring 2011 11% said theyintended to move within the next six months. The November index indicated 6%of adults had moved in the past six months. This is still in marked contrast topeople’s plans to renovate or improve their properties. In spring 2011, 41% saidthey planned to, with 39% having done so in the past six months. Currently 40%say they have plans to improve their homes in the next six months.When considering moving house, overwhelmingly respondents voted that de-cluttering (getting rid of unwanted clutter from around the house) was the mostimportant activity in helping to sell the house for the best price. 57% voted to de-clutter, 24% thought redecorating rooms was the most important activity, followedby 6% who thought mowing the lawn and tidying the garden would swing would-be buyers. The index also highlights that people still feel confused about the stability of thehousing market. 54% described themselves as having mixed feelings about it,which doesn’t differ significantly from the previous studies. With the currenteconomic climate, people are still unsure about whether prices will rise or fall. Key statistics from the third “Moving and Improving Index”• Would-be house owners appear to be financially pressed, earmarking lack of

a deposit (42%), inability to get a mortgage (26%) and lack of a suitablemortgage (8%) as reasons stopping them buying a house.

• 6% have moved in the last six months; 8% plan to move in the next six months.• 39% have improved their houses in the last six months and 40% plan to in the

next six months. De-cluttering is the most important activity to help housesellers get the best price according to 57% of respondents.

Peter Gowers, Safestore’s CEO, commented: “Our index shows that people aregradually warming to the idea of house selling; they still prefer to improve, but thisdemonstrates canniness in that investing in your property today could reap rewardsshould you sell tomorrow. Overwhelmingly, de-cluttering was chosen as the mostimportant activity for home sellers if they want to get the best price. Self storagecontinues to act as a bellwether for trends in the property market, as Safestorewitnesses a growth in customers storing goods while they sell or improve theirhomes.”


Volume 1, 2012

23

BUSINESS NEWS

Self storage leads to success

Anyone who has taken a business course may have studied a business model thatclaims doing just one thing, but doing it well, is the way to go. While there issome merit in that, there is another theory that successful businesses, includingself storage, have been known to embrace diversification.

Diversification is simply having your business involved in more than one thing; itcould be two, three or 100. The idea is not to have the success or failure of thebusiness predicated by the viability of a single product or service. However, on theflip side, diversify too much and your business may find that it does a lot of thingsreasonably well (but, who wants to pay for “reasonable”?)

It helps if the additional services or product lines are complimentary. For example,a number of self storage facilities in the US have partnered with movingcompanies, or developed that as a branch of their own business. Other businesseshave found success by adding self storage to their business.

Take McCarthy’s Removals in the UK. It entered the Self Storage Industry a coupleof years ago, after spending 40 years in the removals business. When it observedthe decline in the housing market, it knew it needed to diversify its business inorder to ensure its survival.

“Previously our business was firmly rooted in the housing market, and watching itsdecline, we realised the need to adapt our service to reflect the emerging storagetrend. Thankfully, while the housing market slowed, our storage facility has gonefrom strength to strength,” said Mike McCarthy, MD of McCarthy’s.

The family now has a 150,000 sq. ft. facility in Leeds, and has recently addedanother 30,000 sq. ft. facility.

“There is no doubt that our diversification into self storage has made the familybusiness, created more than 40 years ago, a very different operation. The storageindustry has weathered the current financial climate and is one of a few businessmodels to prosper despite the recession.”

In the US, diversification into self storage has led not only to more success, butrecognition from the White House. Meathead Movers started out in 1997 as away for some high school buddies to make some cash. Over a decade later it isstill going strong and has expanded into self storage as well.

It was recognised by the White House on its Empact 100 list, as a business thathas prospered during the current financial climate (with revenues of at least$100,000) and is run by managers under 30 years of age.





25

Over the last twenty years there has been a marked differencein the aesthetic appearance of self storage lifts. From the earlydays of robust, galvanized cold steel, manual door units,designed as warehouse work horses in the late 80s, lifts haveslowly developed, along with self storage, resulting in majorchanges to the physical appearance of lifts.

For example, many self storage operators now incorporate their“corporate identity”, in terms of colour schemes and interiorfinishes, into their lifts.

A few types of lifts are available to self storage operators to gainaccess to upper floors. There are two main categories: “GoodsOnly” lifts, designed under the EC Machinery Directive and“Passenger Carrying” lifts, designed under the EC Lifts Directive(also known as EN81).

The main difference between the two types is the need to “protectlife”. Hence, passengers are protected within the lift car by “safetygear”, which prevents the uncontrolled descent of the car. This isnot usually a requirement with “Goods Only” lifts.

“Goods Only” Lifts

There are also different types of Goods Only (GO) lifts. Firstly,there are the lightweight, mesh platform (or cage) types that arebased on lorry, rear-loading platform technology. Then thereare those that look like traditional lifts, but have a car heightrestricted to 1,200 mm (to stop passengers riding in the car)and the more modern “accessible goods only”, which have anormal height car and door to allow “walk-in” loading, andlook exactly like a traditional lift.

These GO lifts may or may not have “safety gear” protection,or “sinking car” arrest gear, depending upon the manufacturersinterpretation of the “machinery directive” rules and their viewson the owners ability to exclude passengers!

In other words, some manufacturers fit safety gear only if thereare passengers travelling in the lift car and others (includingDeSeM Lifts) build in life protection when people can physicallyaccess a static car during the loading operation. However, theprice you pay tends to control exactly what you get for yourmoney.

Some GO lifts have a car, which slides up and down in a fullyenclosed shaft, but do not have car doors fitted. These workwell if the users are careful when they load their goods into thelift. However, an incorrect load, or slipped stack can damagethe lift and mangle the customer’s goods (wardrobes alwaysseem to come off worse).

GO lifts should, by law, incorporate signs to warn peopleagainst travelling inside the car; insurers will not pay out if thesewarning signs are missing, ambiguous or defaced. All facilitiesthat operate GO lifts should ensure these lifts never carrypassengers, irrespective of them having car safety protection.

The biggest worry for a manufacturer or facility operator is theuncontrolled public use of GO lifts, particularly ones that areperceived as normal lifts. Even though there are no controlbuttons inside the car, this does not prevent unauthorised use bythe public, who can “cheat” the system using the landingcontrol buttons to transport illegal passengers.

Should anyone become trapped in a GO lift, their rescue canbe difficult. A lift engineer will always assume that a GO liftdoes not incorporate any safety gear and releasing a lift carstuck in a lift shaft can result in the uncontrolled descent of thecar, which could cause major injury to any illegal passengers.

Incidents of passengers getting trapped, although not common,can be very dangerous as a “stuck” car may drop at any time.

…continued on Page 27

Self Storage Lifts

Volume 1, 2012 TECHNOLOGY FEATURE


http://www.sentinelsystems.com


27

GO lifts have very little headroom to allow engineers top shaftentry, and the car roof is not designed to take the weight of anengineer. Also, going under a car is dangerous (because the carcan fall on those under it while they are trying to fit props).

A recent rescue undertaken by DeSeM Lifts took over five hours,despite the high calibre of the senior engineers who attendedand the utmost urgency of the situation.

DeSeM, unlike most of its competitors, has made a consciousdecision to base the design and construction of all its GO liftson its successful Liftmaster goods/passenger range, whichprovides full passenger and engineer protection. These liftsincorporate a standard hydraulic arrangement, which employssafety gear as standard via a restrictor valve built into the baseof the hydraulic lift rams on lifts with low floor to floordimensions, and instantaneous safety gear on multi-floor liftswith higher overall travels.

There is a “green” bonus with all hydraulic powered lifts,inasmuch as the lift car is only powered in the “up” direction;during “down” movements the oil pressure is released back intothe storage tank.

Types of Passenger Lifts

In order to avoid the potential hazards associated with GO lifts,you might think it prudent to install a passenger lift. Note,therefore, that the building regulations in Scotland and Walesnow require the first lift in a facility to be a passenger lift, and itis thought that England will shortly follow suit.

Traction – traditional technology with a counter-balanced, rope-hauled car. This type needs a motor room on top of the shaft;the dissipation of all loads is down through the building.

This type of lift is not preferred by most self storage operators,because of the stringent access requirements, the dissipation ofloads, local authority planning, etc.

Two trained people are required for passenger rescue.

Traction MRL – new technology; the same principles as fortraction, but the lift motor is in the shaft. This eliminates someof the problems mentioned previously, but there are somedisadvantages.

For example, a high strength support wall is required to carrythe “rucksack” type loads. Furthermore, the operatingmechanism incorporates high levels of internal protection and,being designed to carry passengers, it has many “fail safe”features which can stop the lift from working.

Trained engineers are required for passenger rescue and,despite many of the newer models having a Self Rescue System,some of these can be ineffective without proper maintenance.

Hydraulic Package Cantilever with Motor Room – wellestablished, especially the smaller size unit (1,000 kg or less,13 person). This design requires a strong shaft wall to absorbthe “rucksack” type loads, especially forces due to “free fall, fullload, car arrest” impacts. It is limited to no more than ten floorstravel, as with all hydraulic lifts.

Passenger rescue is simple and requires only one trained person.

Hydraulic Package Cantilever MRL – as previous cantilever lift.

Trained lift engineers are required for passenger rescue(remote/blind working).

Hydraulic Twin Ram with Motor Room – the most reliable lift dueto its simplicity and balanced car support (one ram each side ofthe car). There are no problems with structural design as it hasan “in house”, low level motor room; all the loads are supportedwithin the pit floor.

Passenger rescue is an extremely simple operation by a trainedperson in the motor room.

DeSeM is aware that most self storage operators regard lifts asa necessary “evil”, but that lifts are the very precious heartbeatof a facility.

A building’s footprint also has an impact on the choice of lift.GO lifts are usually found in smaller facilities, with less netlettable space, while large footprint, multi-floor facilities tend touse goods/passenger lifts.

DeSeM has installed passenger lifts in small, two-storey facilitiesthroughout the UK and the Channel Islands. In some casescustomers are reluctant to climb three sets of stairs.

…continued on Page 28

Volume 1, 2012 TECHNOLOGY FEATURE


http://www.simpson-packaging.co.uk

Self Storage Focus TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

Some clients install a twin shaft with a single lift and follow upwith a second lift later to reduce initial capital out-lay. Otherclients have a manual door lift, twinned with an automatic doorlift, to accommodate both long cargo loading times and quickuse retail customers.

Hydraulic lifts are thought by some to be slow in operation.However, when you consider the time it takes to load a lift, thetravel speed between floors becomes irrelevant. All DeSeM’slifts are designed to minimise the travel time between floors,without incurring extraneous cost for excessive speed.

Car speeds vary according to the number of floors and the traveldistance (0.25 to 0.63 m/sec); but, the travel time should neverexceed 30 seconds.

With short travel lifts, it is almost impossible to achieve the ratedspeed when you consider the time taken to accelerate and thendecelerate for floor arrival. So, why pay for faster travel speedsthat cannot be achieved in general use?

Lift Servicing and Testing

Lifts tend to be the one item in an operator’s schedule that donot get daily attention. However, most manufacturers will issuea daily check list, if requested, which will highlight the essentialchecks prior to daily operation. Generally, staff should check theoverall appearance and take the lift up to other floors to listenfor unusual noises. Car interiors and door tracks should also bechecked to ensure they are not damaged.

Most call outs are for door faults, so a quick inspection canidentify any obstructions or dirt, the removal of which shouldensure a trouble free day.

Lifts must be insured and in most cases the insurer will undertakea “thorough examination” of the lift annually or bi-annually(LOLER regulations). These examinations are useful, becausethey confirm the correct performance of the lift and ensure thatlifts are properly maintained.

Your insurer is often your “Competent Person” (CP) who carriesout the inspections required under the current legislation. ThisCP is your independent expert who advises you on all aspects ofthe lift installation and state of service, with regards tocompliance with and adherence to Health and Safetyregulations.

The CP is also responsible for specifying which of the statutory(SAFED) examinations should be undertaken on an annual, five-yearly or ten-yearly basis (your lift’s MOT). The checks to becarried out are at the CP’s discretion and the CP canrecommend inspections more or less frequently.

These “supplementary tests and examinations” are usuallycarried out by your normal service provider (the inspectors donot carry tools and only do visual inspections).

The servicing and testing of lifts is carried out to preventunexpected injury to passengers and damage to goods and toensure the equipment is not about to fail. Operators mustensure that passenger carrying lifts are maintained in tip-topcondition, particularly in these litigious times!

DeSeM designs and manufactures hydraulic goods/passengerlifts and GO lifts, especially for the Self Storage Industry, as wellas supplying and installing “package lifts”, including smallpassenger high-speed lifts, small goods and cargo only lifts anddumb waiters, to other industries.

28

Net LettableSpace

10,000to15,000 sq. ft.

15,000 to20,000sq. ft.

20,000 to45,000sq. ft.

50,000 sq. ft.and over

Over65,000sq. ft.

GO Lift 1 unit (2 floor) 2 units - - -

Goods/Passenger Lift or 1 if 3 floor or 1 2 3 3 or 4

Table 1 – Guide to lift choice

DeSeM Lifts has a vested interest

in all types of lifts used in self

storage facilities and recommends

installing DeSeM lifts “for an

uplifting experience”.


www.gliderolselfstorage.co.uk

The Government has confirmed that it plans to increase thequalifying period for claiming unfair dismissal from one year’semployment to two years’ employment, as of April 2012.However, it is unclear at this time whether the qualifying periodwill apply to existing members of staff, or only to those who joinan employer after April 2012.

Potentially, this is good news for any business, but what concernsmany employment lawyers is that it will have the unintendedconsequence of forcing employees to find other ways of claimingat tribunal, and the number of sex, race, age or whistleblowingclaims are likely to rise as a result.

However, according to the Government, this reform willencourage businesses to hire more employees. We are scepticalabout such claims, given that there is little or no evidence thatmoving the threshold has had any effect on job creation. Ofthe 236,000 claims lodged last year, less than 5,500 werepurely unfair dismissal claims; so, unfair dismissal claims are notthe issue, despite what Dr. Cable and Mr. Osborne have said.

There are some other tribunal reforms that are of interest (andpotentially of more benefit to employers):

Deposit orders at the tribunal – currently, if a tribunalconsiders that all or part of a claim (or a response) has littlereasonable prospect of success, it can make an order requiringthe party to pay a deposit of £500 or less as a condition of beingpermitted to continue taking part in the proceedings.

The government has confirmed that the amount of deposit ordera tribunal may order will increase as of April 2012 from £500to £1,000.

Costs awards – currently, a tribunal can order one party to paythe other party’s costs (in limited circumstances) up to amaximum of £10,000. The government has confirmed that, asof April 2012, the maximum costs a tribunal may order oneparty to pay will increase to £20,000.

The annual review of tribunal award limits has taken place, andas of the 1st of February 2012:

1. The maximum unfair dismissal award will increase from£68,400 to £72,300.

2. The maximum limit on a week’s pay (for the purpose ofcalculating entitlement to redundancy pay or the basicaward) will increase from £400 to £430.

Statutory payment rates – the Government has announcedthat as of April 2012, the following statutory payment rates willapply:

a. Statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay – the weeklyrate of pay will increase from £128.73 to £135.45.

b. Maternity allowance – the weekly rate will increase from£124.88 to £135.45.

c. Statutory sick pay – the weekly rate will increase from £81.60to £85.85.

In addition, the Government is consulting about:

1. Reform of tribunal fees – at present no fee is required.

It is believed that fees may act as a deterrent against the morevexatious claims.

2. Penalties for employers who breach employment rights.

The government proposes to impose financial penalties of up to£5,000 on employers who lose their case at the employmenttribunal.

3. “Protected conversations” between employers and staff.

Can we be frank with employees? In reality what is beingproposed may well create problems, but let’s see what theGovernment has to say once it has formulated its proposals.

4. Review of the ACAS Code of Practice.

The Government has confirmed that it intends to seek views in2012 on introducing a “simpler, quicker and cleaner dismissalprocess”, which would potentially involve altering the ACASCode of Practice.

We promise better information when the Government has firmedup its proposals.

It is clear that 2012 is likely to be a “big” year for EmploymentLaw as far as UK businesses are concerned, and we shall do ourbest to keep you informed.

Finally, please don’t forget Pensions Auto-enrolment. Startingin October 2012, all employers in Great Britain will be requiredto automatically enrol eligible employees (“jobholders”) in apension scheme. Auto-enrolment will cover most employeesabove the age of 22, as well as temporary and agency workers.Probably not a reason for panic, as those employers with fewerthan 50 employees have until May 2015 to comply. However,the Government anticipates that “half of all workers will still beautomatically enrolled before the end of this Parliament”. Onceemployers become subject to the duties, they will also berequired to make minimum pensions contributions for eligibleemployees.

If you need help, or would like to attend a workshop onpensions enrolment, please e-mail:

[email protected] or Tel: 01483 411 480 (Mob: 07557 366 513).

30

Employment law – key changes for 2012By: Tim Randles (Associate - Penningtons Solicitors)

Self Storage Focus EMPLOYMENT FEATURE

Tim Randles (Penningtons Solicitors)


Volume 1, 2012

Mr Box has supplied storage containers to self storage operatorsfor over ten years, and in that time has supplied over 70 differentsites throughout the UK and mainland Europe.

Most customers are start-up operators and as with any newenterprise cash flow is important. Therefore, most begin byrenting a few containers and then add additional units asbusiness grows. Later, they usually buy the containers outright.

Customer sites vary in size from as little as 20 containers with thebiggest having over 500, and a few operating from multiplelocations.

Containers are designed for a hard marine environment; theycan carry up to 30 tonnes of cargo stacked nine high on a ship’sdeck, pitching in heavy seas. As such they are over engineeredfor domestic storage, but being mass produced (there areapproximately 30 million in the world) they are relatively cheap,very durable and easily transported.

95% of all new containers are manufactured in China. They areconstructed from anti-corrosive steel, have marine grade paint,rot proof wooden floors and they are vandal proof. They arealso self supporting, so require little in the way of foundations,and can be easily re-sited if required. This means that whensetting up a containerised self storage site, the amount ofinvestment required in terms of ground works, and fencing isminimal.

Mr Box has adapted the standard container design specificallyfor the Self Storage Industry and supplies units with additionaluser friendly features, such as sealed wipe clean floors, multiplewater tight baffled ventilators (to prevent condensation), highmounted door handles (for ease of use), and a double skinnedlock box with anti-jemmy lugs; this design is ideal for selfstorage.

Containers are available in four standard sizes: 8, 10, 20 and40 foot long. The most popular sizes for storage purposes arethe 10 and 20 foot units, as well as multi-compartmentcontainers. These containers are adapted from standardcontainers, that have been subdivided into four or eight

individual storage units. Each compartment has its own lockabledoor, and is equipped with a ventilator. The doors are steel rollershutters and are designed to operate easily, but are also highlysecure. This type of unit offers great flexibility and normallyattracts a better return than standard containers.

Mr Box is sometimes asked to supply second-hand containers,but advises against it. These containers tend to be ex-marineusage, 10 to 15 years old, and have carried various cargoesaround the world. During this time they obviously degrade andeven if refurbished do not represent a good long terminvestment. Therefore, it is recommended that operators usenew containers and equip their sites with containers of a uniformcolour and design.

Delivery is made using Hiab trucks (trucks with on-board cranes)from a network of depots throughout the UK. The Hiab trucksoffload the containers at site and position them as required.

Mr Box also assists in site planning, and provides Terms andConditions that customers can use to rent the containers to theirself storage customers. Finally, Mr Box offers marketingassistance and lists all its customers on its Mr Store website(http://www.mrstore.co.uk/), which helps to find clients for theirsites.

Mr Box Storage Containers

31

COMPANY FEATURE



Hosting four major universities and a number of colleges, Kent’sentrepreneurial spirit is unrivalled by its neighbouring counties.And, the number of new start-ups and Small and Medium-sizedEnterprises (SMEs) means that more businesses are seeking localstorage facilities.

With the South East and London boasting more businesses thanany other region of the UK, Kent Space is ideally situated forwelcoming new and established businesses to its facilities.Having opened in early 2008, Kent Space Self Storage andBusiness Centre is now home to 36 serviced offices and over450 self storage units, all of which benefit from 24/7 access.David Stock of engineering company, Compere Systems, basedin one of Kent Space’s serviced offices, said: “Kent Space is atrue partner, listening to our needs, providing a superior productand constantly looking to develop and improve its business.”

It is true that most businesses, small, medium or large, requiretheir working environments to be dynamic and full of life;businesses do not want to bring potential clients into a cold, dulland uninspiring workplace. Manager at Kent Space, SuzanneKnowles, is proud of the atmosphere they have created: “Thebuilding is always full of life and vitality, whether it be storagecustomers coming and going, visitors popping in and out of theoffices, or companies holding training sessions. We are alwaysmeeting new and interesting people and we continually try to

provide our clients with a friendly, inspiring and professionalworking environment. The variety of businesses residing at KentSpace also makes it a great place for clients to network andshare skills and expertise.”

Being located between Dover and London is also an addedbenefit for visitors and clients alike. The handy motorway linksmean that accessing Kent Space is quick and convenient.

Being the leading business space provider in the Kent region iswhat Kent Space constantly strives for, through meeting all of itsclients’ needs and rising to the occasion when faced with achallenge.

As both the Self Storage Facility and Business Centre continue togrow, the variety of clients coming in and out of the buildinghighlighted the demand for something more than storage oroffice space. Having identified this need, and being keen toincrease its range of services, Kent Space decided to provideindividual mail boxes. The demand for mail box services in Kentseemed to be great, with many individuals choosing to have theirmail redirected to Kent Space during house moves, or whilemoving abroad. It has also proved popular with smallbusinesses that need a professional postal address, as well asinternational businesses needing a local presence; with over 200mail boxes in place they are proving to be very popular.

Kent Space is continually striving to introduce new and excitingservices for its customers, enabling it to maintain its position asKent’s leading Self Storage Facility and Business Centre.

Manyrevenhighlyof EuspeciaEuropadvanprofit Originto offewithoUK FSlets oand thigheA maconcedifficuconceare nregulato truOperafter the inthey hWith sadvanhelp ycost-smakindamainsurapolicyfor thoThe fo

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33

Bra

Volume 1, 2012

Kent Space

COMPANY FEATURE


http://www.store-it.eu

http://www.desem.co.uk

34

Advertorial

You may be interested to have an insight into the section of theutility industry relevant to non-domestic properties, includingstorage facilities and all types of commercial property. We arefrequently told that utility suppliers could do more to produceclear notice letters and customers can overlook some vitalcontract dates. Various things, such as how the utility supplierstime the letters, their appearance (sometimes a bit like junk mail)and each supplier having different timings to each other, canmean that a customer can overlook the renewal letter. But, therenewal letter is not as important as the speed of a customer’sresponse.Wrapped up in a renewal notice letter is the “Window ofTermination” during which a customer can give notice that theywant to change suppliers. The window is generally about 30days long, but it opens and closes many months before thepresent contract ends and each supplier times it differently intheir contract. It can be complicated and confusing.Even if a customer wants to stay with the current supplier, Noticeof Termination still has to be given by the customer, or theirbroker, to the supplier at a particular time and in a particularway. Once the Termination Notice is given, all is good, thecustomer or broker has time and flexibility on their side to thinkabout organising a new contract.However, miss the Termination Window and whatever thecustomer does next is irrelevant, because the supplier willdefinitely “roll” the customer from the current contract straightinto a new one or two year contract. It’s perfectly legal, as theroll over facility is in the original contract the customer signed.The rates detailed in the renewal letter are the “roll” rates andthey will be enforced if the customer does not terminate bothcorrectly and within the window. “Roll” unit rates can be 50 to150% more than normal rates and are completely avoidable.A further problem arises if the customer does correctly terminate,but does not put a new contract in place. Then, the currentcontract will stop at the end date, the current supplier willcontinue to supply, but only on out of contract rates (typicallyup to 30% higher than contracted rates).

Why use a broker?When you already have a lot of work to do, all this can beexpensive to get wrong. Getting these dates right is essentialand can be aided by using a broker. The first function of abroker is getting the crucial dates for each contract logged. FullPower Utilities (FPU) has direct access to its own accountmanagers at each supplier and can get this information quicklyand easily. We cannot stress strongly enough how important thisfirst step is.

If you want help, use a Premier broker that doesn’t charge andhas whole market quoting, as part market may well miss out onthe best prices. Most people think there are eight or ninecommercial suppliers in the UK. However, there are 24 andamong the smaller suppliers, some of which only work throughbrokers, are some very good niche offers. Prices may changeweekly, if not daily, so customers cannot possibly go to the wholemarket, then produce a spreadsheet of all the variations, makecomparisons, select a contract and arrange the paperwork. So,we suggest using a broker that can do it for you.Full Power Utilities’ service is UK-wide and free to customers, asall suppliers pay a commission if chosen, allowing FPU to becompletely impartial. FPU’s customers include Sony, DominosPizza and Coffee Republic as well as factories, warehouses,managing agents, restaurants and veterinary practices.

Contact: Juliette Stone, Senior Broker, Tel: 020 8952 0125or e-mail: [email protected] or

visit: www.fullpowerutilities.com

Inside Story – How to play the Utilities GameThis article was written by David Cooper, Director of a

UK-wide Premier Utilities Broker


35


http://www.stormansoftware.co.uk

http://www.spacewise.co.uk

During 2011, Shurgard Europe undertook a thorough analysisof its corporate identity with the aim of aligning its visualstandards with the company’s values, features and benefits,performance and service quality goals. Together with its Londonbased brand and design consultancy and Brussels basedcommunication agency, this reflection on the Shurgard brandand corporate identity resulted in a new concept of integratedbrand communications. This has led to a focus on the buildingson one hand and marketing communications on the other.

Frank Boot, Vice President Sales andMarketing Shurgard Europe,explained: “When we opened ourfirst store in the Brussels region in1995 and expanded into six otherEuropean countries, with the first UKstore opening in South Croydon,London in 1999, we fully integratedour stores in the environment. Weused sober colours with adominance of beige for thebuildings and burgundy red andblack in the logotype. Our most

distinctive element of the buildings was the lighthouse, whenbuilding permits allowed us, which houses the store’s office.Over time, in an increasingly competitive market and in line withour approach to put the customer at the heart of our activities,we understood that we had to better exploit the potential of ourbuildings. Our buildings are probably the most prominent andimportant vehicle of our brand and we had to build powerful,engaging and consistent communications.”

Frank continued: “Our stores, together with our people, play acrucial role in contributing to the overall customers’ experience.Therefore, it is vital that they are not only as visible and as easyto find as possible, but also that they are welcoming and simpleto navigate and use when our customers arrive. Hence, ourexternal signage is used to signpost our stores from afar, toattract passing trade and welcome visitors upon arrival. Thestore’s offices are important multi-functional spaces: they are awelcoming point for our customers, where they can learn aboutShurgard’s products and services from our staff, the retail spacefor our packaging merchandise, which customers may beinterested in on its own, or as an add-on to the core business ofselling storage space. Furthermore, they serve as an office forour staff.”

Using a “less is more” approach, Shurgard has modernised andsimplified its logotype, building on the distinctive “red box” inits brand name, but dropping elements such as the descriptorline, strap line, photographic symbol and elliptical frame, to beable to communicate to customers across Europe in alllanguages, seamlessly. The external signage is aimed atincreasing Shurgard’s high street presence and is complementedby more welcoming interiors, with an emphasis on improvedinterior signage. The result is stores that are more attractive toprospective customers and easier to navigate for existingcustomers.

The Shurgard Camberley store served as one of the pilots forthe rebranding project. Roll-out across Europe will take placegradually with 10 to 15 stores selected for rebranding in 2012.

Shurgard’s UK, Dutch, French and Swedish websites havealready benefited from its new look and feel and the othercountries will follow shortly. Marketing and sales collateral willbe brought up to the new standards during 2012. This is anexciting phase in Shurgard’s development and will result in aprominent, customer-friendly store portfolio across all seven ofthe European countries in which Shurgard operates.

Shurgard Europe - new year, new look and new corporate identity

us

Frank Boot

Shurgard’s rebranded Camberley store

36

Self Storage Focus COMPANY FEATURE

“Our stores, together with our people, play a crucial

role in contributing to the overall customers’

experience…”


37

EMPLOYMENT FEATUREVolume 1, 2012


http://www.globalstoragesystems.co.uk

Advertorial

Salary Exchange was established to compliment the workcarried out by Team Rewards, who have been a market leaderin Employee Benefits for over ten years.

Salary Exchange has successfully forged valuable relationshipswith both clients and trade associations within the private, publicand third sectors. The ability to tailor our solutions to reflectboth employer and employee requirements is key to ourapproach, success and exemplary client retention record.

What Makes Salary Exchange Different?

Unlike many benefits platforms, the Salary Exchange Platformcan be tailored to best fit the needs and requirements of yourorganisation and employees, but without the huge costs oftenassociated with such a solution. In fact, for many clients, theplatform and its benefits can be implemented at no cost to theemployer, yet can impact positively and significantly on companyobjectives including recruitment, staff retention, motivation,health and wellbeing, and employer image.

Effectively the modular design of our platform means that you asthe employer are not confined to a set package of benefits. Ourclients have complete control and optimum choice in selectingthe exact mix of benefits which are perfect for their organisation,ethos, demographics, culture and business objectives.

Our clients can choose one or more of the exciting andinnovative benefits on offer including:

Salary Sacrifice Initiatives

➢ Computers*

➢ Mobile Telephones*

➢ Childcare Vouchers

➢ Bikes to Work*

In addition, we also offer a range of voluntary benefits

➢ Everyone Benefits (including Voucher world): 1000’s ofEmployee Lifestyle Discounts

➢ Lift Share Scheme

➢ Health Cash Plan*

➢ Gym Scheme

➢ Long Service Awards

* Please note: we do not charge for any administration/servicecharges for these initiatives.

While you may have some of these initiatives in place at themoment, we do offer very competitive rates for those SSA UKmembers who wish to move to Salary Exchange.

SSA UK members are entitled to discounted rates on a numberof employee benefits. For more information and to see howmuch you and your employees can save, please contact SalaryExchange on: 0333 2000 104 or e-mail:

[email protected] quoting SSA.

38


39

Ashton Self Store, Tameside’s state-of-the-art self storage facility,opened its doors to customers in August last year. Situated closeto the town centre of Ashton-under-Lyne, owned by MillbrookInvestments Ltd. and operated by the Kingston Business Centre,the opening of the facility concludes phase one of a £4mdevelopment programme.

The Group has now successfully commissioned three self storesin as many years; Ashton joins sister stores in Scotland and theChannel Islands.

Phase one involved the construction of a three-tier mezzanine,installed by Bradfield Storage Handling and the fit-out, byKuboid, of 15,000 sq. ft. of units in sizes ranging from 15 to 150sq. ft. over two floors. The access control system was suppliedand fitted by Knighthood Security, using its Bearbox system. Agoods/passenger lift was installed to all floors by DeSeM Lifts.

The initial take-up rate is extremely encouraging and work is nowset to finalise the upper floors during 2012, which will create20,000 sq. ft. of lettable unit space. Planning is also under wayto extend the facility into additional areas on site, with theobjective of being in position to offer gross circa 50,000 sq. ft.

The successful launch and reaction from customers, despite theeconomic climate, has led Ashton to bring forward the expansionplans to early 2012. The whole team of group personnel andoutside contractors have worked extremely hard to meet thetimetable and produce a superb facility that feedback shows

favourable comparison with the best.

The facility is managed by Peter Jones ( 0161 830 0031) andhis assistant Tracey Walker, with additional staff being recruitedthis year. Peter, who came originally from the banking sector tojoin this predominantly family-run business, has been involvedfrom the very early planning stage and is eager and confident tocontinue with the next stage of development.

Millbrook Investments Ltd. and Kingston Business Centre Groupthank everyone involved in the completion of phase one andcontinue to move forward to completing the full developmentprogramme. The total available ground area for developmentextends to some 40,000 sq. ft. and includes refurbished officesand general warehousing.

Volume 1, 2012

Ashton Self Store

COMPANY FEATURE


Self Storage Focus TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

Despite the reduction in the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT), there are stillsound financial reasons for installing solar panels on the roofof your storage facility.

Stephen Davies, Director at The Green Electrician which is oneof the UK’s leading Solar PV specialists, explained further:“Everyone knows one thing is true in the self storage industry;every inch of space counts. From a suitcase sized locker thatcan keep a few belongings safe, to a unit stacked with bulkyfurniture, the storage facility owner knows that maximising therevenue from each available storage unit is crucial; storing freshair doesn’t pay the bills.

But let’s think outside the box, if you’ll pardon the pun. Everthought how much electricity you could generate from your roofspace, not only saving money on your monthly bills, but earninga few extra pounds from the FiT?

The fact is, many storage facilities are perfect for this type ofmicro-generation scheme, with large, gently sloping roofs,space for the inverters and located on industrial estates whereplanning issues are less complex than in residential areas.”

Doing the maths

“Like any business decision, installing Solar Photo-Voltaic (PV)panels is an investment in the long term future of your company,so it’s worth taking time to consider the overall benefits.

Our sample case study is based on a 50 kWp system, using260 PV panels, installed on a south-facing roof with a 30degree pitch. That would generate about 43,000 kWh peryear, which equates to FiT revenues of £6,536 (given a tariffrate of 15.2p per kilowatt).

But that’s not all. We calculated that the typical saving on yourfacility’s electricity bill would be £1,935 a year, assuming21,000 kWh less power was purchased at 9p per kWh. It’salso worth considering that the unit price of electricity is likelyto rise over the 25 year minimum lifespan of your Solar PVpanels. And, the more expensive your electricity becomes, themore you will save via your micro-generation scheme.

In terms of exporting power back to the National Grid, we havecalculated that 21,500 kWh could be sold back to the Grid at3.1p, or £666.50 over the year, which is a very handy incomestream.

The cost of installing the panels is around £80k and the returnon investment in the first year would be £9,137.50, whichequates to 11.4% (much better than is currently offered by theHigh Street banks). Don’t forget that the 15.2p FiT payment isindex-linked and guaranteed for 25 years, so this really is auseful investment in reducing the overheads within yourbusiness long term, with a potentially large profit available onceinstallation costs have been recouped.

Naturally, each Solar PV installation is slightly different. So, tomake the right decision, an on-site survey is imperative toaccurately measure the roof area, gauge the roof pitch, itsstrength and the available space beneath the roof for invertersand associated cabling. It pays to have every aspect of the job

professionally assessed and make sure you use a Micro-generation Certification Scheme (MCS) accredited installationteam.

The performance of the panels is another factor to consider. Ifyou are fitting products with a potential 25 year lifespan, it isprudent to use top quality, industry-leading brands with credibledata on both PV panel and inverter performance as an integralpart of the package. It’s also worth asking your installer howlong the job will take and how much disruption there may be toyour business operation. You will also need to make sure yourinstaller has experience of large installations.

The recent changes by the government to the feed-in-tariffscheme have made the industry leaner, rather than just greener.Going for Solar PV now means choosing high quality, highperforming products, working with professional installers andcarefully considering the long term benefits to your business.”

Solar can significantly brighten up your storage facility’s bottomline. For more information, e-mail:

[email protected] or call: 0845 643 2528.

Solar Panels

40

…there are still sound financial reasons for installing solar panels on the roof of your storage facility.


Operation Crevice was a landmark police and security servicecounter-terrorism investigation into an al-Qaeda-linked bombplot in the UK. The international conspiracy to build anddetonate bombs, made from ammonium nitrate fertiliser, wasthwarted after police arrested the plotters.

However, it was during the covert police investigation, andprior to the arrests, that detectives received an important callfrom vigilant staff at Access Self Storage in Hanwell, westLondon. Staff had become suspicious about the 600 kg offertiliser, which the plotters had left untouched in one of theirrented units for three months at a cost of £200 a month. Thefertiliser was probably only worth about £100.

Police moved in and photographed the fertiliser in the unit.Then they substituted it with an inert substance, which they didwith such expertise that one of the suspects did not notice thechange when he later visited the unit and marked the fertiliserbag. Police also used an undercover policewoman posing asa receptionist at Access. She rang the man who had rented theunit and queried an overdue rental payment.

It was just weeks later in March 2004 when police feared thatthe suspects, who were under surveillance, were getting closerto mounting their attack and arrests were made, both in theUK along with a man in Ottawa, Canada.

During the year-long trial at the Old Bailey the jury was toldthat the suspects had been heard discussing possible targets,such as a nightclub and shopping centres (all crowded placeswhere the loss of life and destruction could have beenmassive). The jury also heard prosecution evidence from a USwitness about his contacts with the defendants and their plans.

The case marked a new stage in understanding the threatposed by al-Qaeda to the UK. The investigation also showedthe links that the men had with al-Qaeda in Pakistan. Most ofthem had attended a terrorist training camp in Pakistan in2003, and were taught how to make explosives; some hadbeen involved in extremism as far back as 2001.

Police said the men were not a group of youthful idealists.They were trained, dedicated, ruthless terrorists who wereobviously going to carry out an attack against the British public.

Operation Crevice was a landmark case for a variety ofreasons; in particular, the scale of the investigation that wasneeded to gather the evidence to bring the men to justice. Thethreat posed by the men demanded an unprecedentedresponse from the police, the Metropolitan Police Service’sAnti-Terrorist Branch, forces in Bedfordshire, Surrey, Sussex andThames Valley and the Security Service.

At the time of the investigation it was the largest counter-terrorism operation ever seen in the UK. The success wasachieved through close co-operation and sharing ofintelligence between the UK, Canada and Pakistan. It was thefirst time since the terrorist attacks in America on 9/11 that theUK had seen a group of British men intent on committing massmurder against their fellow citizens.

In April 2007, at the end of the year-long trial, five men agedbetween 23 and 35 were convicted of conspiracy to causeexplosions likely to endanger life. They were all jailed for life.Three of them were ordered by the judge to serve a minimumof 40 years and two to serve a minimum of 35 years.

Operation Crevice paved the way for a closer workingrelationship between the police and the self storage industry.The Metropolitan Police Service’s Operation Sterling works inpartnership with the Self Storage Association UK to raiseawareness around all security issues.

Advice and further information is available from PC JaneKilduff or DC John Carson on: 0207 230 1145 or by e-mail:[email protected]

Volume 1, 2012

Self storage company staff thwarts bomb plot

SECURITY FEATURE

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42

Self Storage Focus MEMBERS’ BENEFITS

SSA UK Membership: What are the Benefits?

Networking and Meetings

One of the most valuable benefits of SSA UK membership isaccess to the contact details of fellow members and suppliersand their expertise on all aspects of the construction andoperation of self storage facilities. This is particularly useful forthose just setting out in the industry. Free regional meetings andnetworking events, plus the Annual European Conference,provide on-going opportunities to discuss and share ideas withindustry professionals and to benefit from others’ experiences.

FREE Licence Agreement

Once approved as a Full Member, operators have access to aFREE Licence to Store Goods (i.e. a contract with terms andconditions) which represents a huge cost saving. Members can

also be reassured that this Licence has been developed and hasbeen used by most members over many years. In 2012, theLicence is being refined to meet the changing demands of thisgrowing industry.

SSA UK Accreditation

All Members receive an SSA UK Membership Certificate and forFull Operator Members, the use of the SSA UK logo on theirwebsites, signage, stationery, etc. Customers will know that theywill be receiving a first class service from those membersdisplaying the SSA UK logo. Details of Full Operator membersalso appear on the “Locate a Store” facility on the SSA UKwebsite.

Communications

The SSA UK has a number of ways of communicating with itsmembers, including:

• A website, with a dedicated “Members Only” section

• Regular newsletters, offering the latest industry informationand advice

• FREE quarterly copy of the SSA UK’s Focus magazine; theonly self storage magazine in the UK and Europe

• Security Bulletins to alert members about incidents, as andwhen they occur.

Research, Studies and Projects

Since 2006, the SSA UK has carried out an annual survey of itsmembers, offering a very valuable insight into the self storageindustry in the UK. In 2011, the survey report was produced inassociation with Drivers Jonas Deloitte and has benefited fromtheir analysis of the factors relevant to self storage in the UK.

“We have benefited hugely from being members of the SSA UK,especially as a small, independent operator. Attending conferences has given us

access to a network of suppliers who are able not only to perform certain specialist tasks with agreat deal more experience of the sector than we have, but who are also able to advise us informally to

help shape our decision making as the business grows. It is also a good opportunity for members to meetother operators and to share experiences, with everything from the current trading environment to dealing

with difficult clients or security risks being discussed on a regular basis. Being able to use and displaythe SSA UK logo is also of significant commercial benefit, helping customers to choose an

independent operator with confidence.”

Frederic de Ryckman de Betz, Attic Self Storage

• Networking

• FREE Licence Agreement with Terms and Conditions

• SSA UK Accreditation

• Communications

• Research, Studies and Projects

• Membership Support Services

• Advocacy and Government Relations

European Self Storage Conference 2011, Portugal


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Volume 1, 2012 MEMBERS’ BENEFITS

Data for the 2012 survey report is currently being collected.

Throughout 2012, SSA UK will continue with a number ofsmaller projects to improve the support and advice that theyprovide. Current projects include:

• Communication - improving how the Associationcommunicates with its members

• Data protection - considering the legal implications anddeveloping advice, including the impact on the LicenceAgreement

• Security - developing advice, improving the use of SecurityBulletins, and speeding up the reporting process.

Membership Support Services

The SSA UK Head Office team are able to answer most queriesfrom members and if they can’t, they will put you in touch withsomeone in the industry who can. Members also have accessto all SSA UK guidelines and support on issues such asinsurance, late payers and lien (non-payment) procedures, firesafety and security. It is always on the look-out for further newbenefits. The SSA UK also provides members with access to:

• FREE legal and PR Helplines (see the following pages)

• Utility savings through the Spiral Group

• StorePAK retail products (boxes and packaging) throughSmithpack.

Advocacy and Government Relations

The SSA UK has built a close working relationship with manygovernment bodies and agencies and is a member of the BritishProperty Federation and the Trade Association Forum. TheAssociation works with HMRC, the London Metropolitan Police(MPS), the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and theUK Border Agency to develop specific security guidance, tailoredto the self storage industry (expected to be 2012). In 2011, thefirst Self Storage Security Conference was jointly hosted by theSSA UK and the Specialist Crime Directorate of the MPS. Theevent was prompted by an increase in the number of securityand criminal incidents in the industry over the previous fewmonths and a particular concern about fraud.

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“Smart Storage has been a memberof the SSA UK since opening its first store in 2005.

Membership has assisted us on a number of levels. It hasprovided a forum to meet numerous contacts within the industry,

including suppliers and operators, the opportunity to attend industryspecific training courses and invaluable industry data through the annualindustry survey. However, one of the main benefits is the credibilitymembership provides when marketing and selling our business to our

customers.”Jon Wyles Managing Director,

Smart Storage Ltd.“Store & Secure has

benefited in the past year as anSSA UK member. We are a relatively

new company within the marketplace andaffiliation as a member enhances our reputation

and gives us credence that we do things “the right way”.An association with the SSA UK gives us industry recognition and

one that we are proud to be associated with.” Lucy Maidman Facility Manager,

Store & Secure

Security Conference, July 2011What do our members think?


In today’s challenging economic conditions, it pays to haveprofessional Marketing and PR advice on hand to raise yourcompany’s profile and attract new customers.

SSA UK member research clearly shows that industry awarenessis one of the key drivers for people signing up for self storage.Source PR has been assisting the Self Storage Association withraising the profile of the industry and working to help position theAssociation as the official “voice of the industry” with the UK’smedia.

This work has helped secure coverage for the SSA UK and thewider industry in a range of high profile media outlets from theBBC to the Mail on Sunday.

How Source PR can help you

We can help you too. As a benefit of being a member of theSSA UK, we are on hand to offer you free advice on yourmarketing. We can help you identify good stories within yourbusinesses; for example, charity fundraising for local goodcauses or new business wins or contracts, right through to newsite openings or sponsorship initiatives.

Marketing and PR is all about effective communication andusing the right channels to reach target audiences. It pays tocelebrate good news and spread the word. The team at SourcePR is on hand as a free resource to members to help with pressreleases, choose the right media outlets and distribute pressreleases to the relevant magazines or newspapers.

We have the contacts

Nowadays, the media is fast moving, so speaking to the rightcontact and meeting a deadline can make all the difference ingetting coverage. Additionally, ifs members need some adviceon speaking to the print media, or if they are being interviewedlive on radio or TV, the Source PR team can help.

Of course, there is another side to communication, which ismore internal, especially with an association or trade body.Members of the SSA UK can also keep up to date via theAssociation’s electronic newsletter and Focus magazine.

As well as containing economic news, industry developmentsand advice or opportunities for members, there is also anopportunity for members to share some of their news or excitingnew projects with the industry. Members with something to shareare also encouraged to contact the team at Source PR.

To take advantage of Source PR’s marketing resources to raiseyour business profile and maximise your opportunities, get intouch with Source PR on: 01270 781 315 or e-mail:

[email protected] or visit Source PR’s website:http://www.sourcepr.co.uk

A PR and Marketing Resource – maximising opportunitiesBy: Louis Hill (Director, Source PR)

Louis Hill

44

Self Storage Focus MARKETING FEATURE

…it pays to have professional Marketing

and PR advice on hand to raise your

company’s profile and attract new customers.


45

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front cover photograph shows contraband seized …front cover photograph shows contraband seized by...

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