If you have anything you no longer need stuffed in a closet, one of the best ways to get it out of your life for good and make some money is to rent a storage unit. Storage units in merrill wi rentals are surprisingly common and there are all sorts of storage facilities in our vast country, each with its own unique history. Today, we want to introduce you to ten people who’ve changed the storage industry and made it what it is today.
1. William Peene (1934-2006)
William Peene is a pioneer in the storage industry. He was the man behind the concept of the self-storage facility, which allows renters to self-manage their storage unit and readjust their belongings as they need within 24 hours. Before this, people were forced to pay a fee for renting a locker and having it emptied out when they had to leave.
William Peene’s success with this concept is due to its low cost and flexible access for tenants. It was his innovation that created the modern age of self-storage.
2. Bob Burns (1927-)
Bob Burns is another man who’s changed the storage industry in a big way. He is credited with creating the first self-storage facility—the rent-to-own model. This concept allows people to purchase a storage unit at a discount and make monthly payments on it. If they don’t want to continue to own it, they can sell it for more than their original purchase price, but if they want to make use of its space after that, they simply pay their monthly installment but keep the property.
Burns’ first self-storage facility was created on Venice Beach because at that time, access to affordable storage was not easy for anyone in California. Thanks to his forward-thinking concept, this is no longer a problem for people in the state.
3. Earl Frank (1921-)
Earl Frank was a man who’s been dubbed “Mr. Self Storage” because of his success with creating and owning self-storage facilities worldwide. He started out as an operator of a WWII bomb shelter business before deciding to get involved in the storage market. He created the first all drive-in facility, further developing the self-storage model that William Peene had begun.
4. Evelyn Byrd (1912-)
Evelyn Byrd is a pioneering woman in the storage industry who, along with her husband, created several self-storage facilities in the South. She was ahead of the curve when it came to developing the self-storage model into what we see today—she even created the first temperature-controlled storage facility.
5. Jurgen Spitz (1930-)
Jurgen Spitz is a German executive who’s responsible for getting self-storage units into Europe and turning Germany into one of the biggest storage markets in the world. He came up with one of the most innovative methods of marketing that every self-storage facility owner uses today: he turned storage facilities into outdoor billboards.
He convinced German customers that, if they rented a storage unit to store their belongings, they would know where to find them no matter where they moved. Customers were reassured that they could always access their storage space and it would look exactly the same as when they left it.
6. Melinda Rogers (1955-)
Melinda Rogers is one of the most important figures in the storage industry of today. She is responsible for creating the first online storage unit reservation system and has directed efforts towards securing environmentally-friendly practices in warehouse spaces—this is especially important considering some people store hazardous materials like chemicals or flammable items in their units and it’s essential to keep these safe from harm.
7. John W. Warner (1918-1989)
John Warner is a man who’s probably most famous for creating the first self-storage facility in his garage! He devised many popular self-storage business methodologies and formed the storage industry’s first professional organization, the International Self Storage Association (ISSA), where he served as president for 13 years.
8. Herbert Lister (1914-2000)
Herbert Lister was an American entrepreneur who created the first specialty storage rental company in 1955, which specialized in tiny storage units that were usually used for model trains or radio equipment. His business model was extremely successful and led to the creation of a large, national chain of storage units that’s still popular today, known as Uncle Bob’s Self Storage.
9. Sam Ziv (1956-)
Sam Ziv is credited for creating the first drive-up storage facility and branching off into a self-storage empire that includes over 3,000 facilities worldwide. He has also created several companies within the industry, including two portable storage companies and a mobile app to make searching for storage units even easier than before.
10. Jesse Starnes (1960-)
Jesse Starnes is another man who’s contributed to shaping the modern self-storage industry as we know it—particularly in Texas. He is famous for his willingness to create self-storage facilities without doors, a concept that made it easier for people to access their belongings.
Summary:
As you can see, the self-storage industry is in a very good state thanks to the work of many visionaries. If you’re looking to start your own storage business or find out about storage units for sale, follow this link for more information.
