S-Men

S-Men

One of the summer's hottest entertainment phenomena, X-Men: The Movie,opened in theaters in July. The film is about a group of children born with an added"X-factor" attached to their genetic code, allowing them to performextraordinary feats, such as telekinesis, the ability to fly or shoot laser beams out oftheir eyes, etc. Shunned by society as "mutants," the members of this unusualbreed are taken in by an understanding doctor who trains them to use their powers for theforces of good. And, of course, there is a villain, Magneto, hell-bent on destruction, anda psuedo-hero, Wolverine, who becomes the center of the plot.

The point of all this? Aside from applauding the movie's showcase of some amazingspecial effects? This month's cover story, "Space-Age Designs," addresses thenecessity of constructing self-storage buildings for a new era. The astounding growth thathas been witnessed in the self-storage market over the past 30 years--particularly themost recent decade--has created both an environment of competition as well as a need foradvanced building technology. According to Michael Parham, the next logical step in theevolution of the self-storage product comes in the area of design, with attempts todevelop the most economical, marketable facility.

What willultimately articulate the extraordinary from the mediocre in self-storage will be thoseall-important X-factors--or S(torage)-factors, if you will: Economic land coverage,maximized land utilization, flexible unit mix, maintenance-free building components, anduser-friendly driveways, parking, hallways and unit placement are sure to become thedeciding factors in determining facilities' success. As market competition intensifies andland costs rise, developers--the S-Men--will think toward these mitigating factors.

Also in this issue, Bret Ellis outlines the three key components to the construction ofa successful self-storage project, highlighting some of the major steps in the process andoffering some inside tips on proper documentation, working with architects andcontractors, communication in the field and more. You'll find information on the potentialand possible pitfalls of a recent industry trend: mobile storage. And R.K. Kliebensteinand Neal Gussis share their expertise, where they answer the question, "What to dowhen lenders disappear?," addressing an issue that effects development across theboard.

Whether you're a developer investigating new self-storage projects or an establishedoperator contemplating improvements to your facility, keep an eye out for those S-factorsand their patrons of justice. It just may be you they save someday.

Best regards,

Teri L. Lanza
Editor
[email protected]

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