Join us as we look back on the last few months!
- Industry News: A focus on USC customers at the ISS show.
- What’s New?: USC is voted best portable storage unit.
- Customer Spotlight: Embracing Service-Centered “Ohana Storage”
- What Customers Say: Dan Postma, Hartley Turley
- Before You Go: Topics of interest for you.
Industry News
The ISS World Expo was bustling with a record number of attendees for both days of the event! From those starting their business from scratch to customers looking to expand, there are great resources and networking opportunities you can’t find anywhere else. Our booth featured our innovative all-steel, 24-minute assembly models. Visitors could walk inside each one and experience the craftsmanship for themselves. This year, we showcased the personalized options we offer by adding custom signage to the exterior of each container.
Our team preparing to greet all of the attendees!
Left: Vice President of Business Development, Sam Mishkin
Right: Director of Sales-North America, John Cooley
Catching up with customers (who are our friends) is a large part of the fun at ISS.
Visitors could walk inside each one and experience the craftsmanship for themselves. This year, we showcased the personalized options we offer by adding custom signage to the exterior of each container.
With our customers and USC Team spread all over the world, we are thankful to see each other in person at this Customer Appreciation Dinner at SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas. Left to right seated are: Sam Mishkin, John Cooley, George Johnson, Leslie Schnieders, Sam Schnieders, Jeff Von Schmauder, Ned Johnson, Will Nemiroff, Peter Nemiroff, and Clay Cooley.
What’s New?
The Inside Self-Storage “Best of Business” reader-choice poll, conducted annually since 2011, solicits online votes from industry professionals who elect their favorite product and service suppliers in more than 35 categories. Our customers have rated us best portable storage unit for the 14th year in a row!
Customer Spotlight: Smart Storage Solutions
Aloha! Today, we’re talking with Jeff Von Schmauder, owner of Smart Storage Solutions in the heart of Hawaii. Mahalo for joining us!
What prompted you to start the storage business?
The idea was born when I noticed a small community seemed to be having a lot of growth, but no one providing storage needs. I have always had a service mindset. With a background in combat medicine in the military, I have an innate impulse to problem solve. That trait has been the center of my career choices and personal endeavors. Everything we do at Smart Storage is to improve peoples’ lives.
Did you encounter any roadblocks in the beginning?
Of course! I compare starting a new business to building the plane as you fly it. There were challenges in every area from the building itself to hiring and training people, to marketing and realizing the competition, to navigating a global pandemic. My advice to someone starting out is to have a good plan and surround yourself with smart people. Many entrepreneurs think they have all the answers, but talking to others about best practices and asking for help will save you a lot of trouble.
What sets Smart Storage apart from other portable storage in your area?
We are not a one size fits all type of operation. We listen to our customers’ story and provide a tailored solution to what it is they’re experiencing. Sometimes traditional storage works while other situations require just a truck. We provide efficient and affordable moving and storage solutions to meet their unique needs. Customer service is a huge part of our business model. We know what we’re good at and we try to stick to that.
What made you choose USC?
We’d been contemplating portable storage for some time, and what I found with USC is that they had an earnest desire to see us succeed, not oversell us. There is a digital divide now between services and customers and I immediately noticed a strong connection with the care and follow up I received.
What Our Customers Say
“Future Storage invests in Universal Storage Z-Box® Containers, and so far they are perfect for our needs. Their service is also exceptionally responsive.” – Dan Postma, Future Storage
“I love these guys! I have purchased over 300 units and they work well!”
– Hartley Turley, Joseph City Storage
Before You Go
Come visit us in Booth 355 at the SSA Conference & Trade Show!
The Self Storage Association is made up of storage professionals from many areas: owners, operators, and managers of storage facilities throughout the world; vendors whose products and services are imperative for successful operations; developers who search for prime locations for storage and multi-use developments; and industry investors, educators, and legal experts. Each September, our attendees gather in Las Vegas for the SSA Fall Conference & Trade Show – the industry’s premier conference and largest pure self storage exhibition – designed for those who have made a major investment in the industry.
