I believe we can call yesterday's luncheon a success! However, if you left the meeting with thoughts of the beach and a longing to see the ocean... it's completely understandable! I apparently forgot to send everyone the memo that we were having a 'Summer in March' themed event!

Seriously, you guys were champs yesterday! Your great attitude and understanding with the AC issues during the meeting were very much appreciated. 

Hats off to Mark Shirey for the wonderful presentation! You saved the day!

Congrats to the TNSSA 2014 Manager of the Year Award Winner, Donna Porter and runner-up, Kelly Zimmerman! Fantastic work, ladies!

Looking forward to seeing everyone in Knoxville on May 19th for our 2nd Quarter Luncheon and Round Table Discussions!

Data has been released from the 2015 Self Storage Almanac regarding the square footage of self-storage per person. The information is rather interesting, especially when you consider that our very own Knoxville, TN made the top 5!

Check out this article from The SpareFoot Blog for more info.

During these cold snowy months, what safeguards do you put in place to ensure that the units in your facility aren't being used as temporary shelter for the homeless? 

Earlier this week at a Colorado facility, two homeless men were sadly killed by what investigators are referring to as a "warming fire" inside a storage unit. Full story can be found here.

I'm hoping that your contract specifically states that habitation of the units within your facility is prohibited. But the bigger question is, what are you doing to make sure that those rules are being followed? Are vacant units kept locked? Do you walk your grounds periodically throughout the day? Do you actually keep an eye on your camera system to watch as people come and go during business hours? Are the hallways to your climate controlled buildings locked after hours? 

Homelessness is a sad and very serious issue. It may be tempting to turn a blind eye to those seeking shelter during these cold, snowy winter months. But I assure you, this is not a good idea. Our facilities are not built to be habitable. As you can see, the results can be deadly. Be vigilant. Know what is happening at your property at all times. 

As most of you will remember, we tackled the huge task of updating our 30 year old lien laws back in 2011. One of the items we were successful in changing was the newspaper lien notice requirements from two notices to one. 

It looks as though the proposed lien law changes from the New Mexico SSA has caught the attention of the newspaper industry within the state. 

Click here for more details by John Egan on The Storage Facilitator blog.

Everyone has heard about the couple from Marietta Georgia that was recently murdered after responding to a Craigslist ad for a classic car. 

Here is a story that hits even closer to home. Nashville to be exact. A TNSSA member received a call from a manager in one of their Nashville locations about an apparent Craigslist scam. Read her story below:

This is the email I received from one of my managers yesterday. We are in Nashville, TN so this could happen anywhere...

I just got a call from a lady that said she is buying a car from Craigslist and was told it is parked here in parking spot 31. She lives 3 hours away from here. She was told by these scammers, that Amazon has the car wrapped and ready for shipping once the payment is made, so she could not even see the car. I told her about the couple from Marietta Georgia and told her to report them and DO NOT DRIVE OR MEET ANYONE! What has this world come to? Oh, and in parking spot 31, there is a boat and it is NOT for sale! 

Please share this with everyone you know in our industry. I was floored and wanted to pass along...... 

Be alert! Keep a watchful eye on your property and tenants! This situation in Nashville could have ended very differently!

~Melissa

March 11-13, 2015 

Gaylord National Harbor

Register Today!!

Two big events are just around the corner with SSA! 

29th Annual Executive Ski Workshop ~ January 19-22, 2015

2015 SSA Spring Conference and Trade Show ~ March 11-13, 2015

Check out the list of upcoming events here!

Check out the great Legal Seminar Promo that U-Haul Self Storage Affiliate Network has e-blasted to their contacts!

If you haven't registered for the Legal Seminar there's still time! Pre-register and pay online for a discount!

Can a K-9 Unit really improve security at your facility? We'll be having this discussion and more at our 6th Annual Legal Seminar on October 14th in Murfreesboro. Make plans now to attend this day-long event! 

Click here for early registration and save!

To read more about the idea of K-9 units at your facility check out the link for the article from the selfstorage.com blog below. 

Can a K-9 Unit Improve Security at Your Storage Facility? 

On May 4^th, 2014, Stephanie Tharpe received an email she had been hoping for.

“Congratulations!  

Your speaker proposal for the 2014 SSA Fall Conference & Tradeshow entitled ‘Manager Incentive and Retention’ was accepted as a Concurrent Session by the SSA Education Committee.”

Stephanie stated “I was thrilled. I would love nothing more than to represent the owners and managers of our great state of Tennessee. Our Association is growing and offering so much to our members. I am delighted at this opportunity.”

Stephanie has been in the moving and storage industry since 1996. She joined A+ Storage of Tennessee, LLC in 2010 as a site manager and was promoted in 2013 to full time District Sales Manager.

Her accomplishments include serving as a Moderator for Self Storage Talk (SST), the industry’s largest online community.  She has been a featured blogger for Inside Self Storage (ISS) and a contributor for the Tennessee Self Storage Association Newsletter. Stephanie was in the top three submissions for the “Best in Self Storage” Marketing contest in 2009 and was featured in the ISS Magazine.

In 2012 Stephanie was honored by the Tennessee Self Storage Association (TNSSA) as its Manager of the Year. And in 2014, she was a featured speaker at the ISS World Expo sponsored by Inside Self Storage in Las Vegas.

The accomplishments of her staff include Betsi Jackson, Manager of A+ Storage Fortress, who was named the 2013 TNSSA Manager of the Year.  J.B. Sills, Manager of A+ Storage in Spring Hill, won a contest sponsored by Chateau Products and Virgo Publishing for his community service. He was awarded a free trip to Las Vegas for the Spring ISS Trade Show in 2014.

In 2010 she implemented an Annual Award Ceremony for her staff. With 16 years in the industry; her passion is to focus on the accomplishments, education and needs of property managers.

The 2014 SSA Fall Conference is September 9 – 12, 2014 and will be held at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.  There are currently early bird discounts being offered. Visit http://www.selfstorageevents.org/index.php to register.  Details of Stephanie’s Session time and date will be in our next newsletter.