Universal Management Co. (UMC), a Smyrna, Ga.-based provider of third-party management services for the self-storage industry, has merged with fellow management company RES Management to form Universal Storage Group (USG). The joint venture will work closely with clients, partners, employees and vendors during the transition, according to an announcement.

UMC provides services including staff training, operational consulting and more to self-storage owners and operators. RES oversees self-storage facilities and office complexes in North and South Carolina, acting as a gateway between daily operation and facility owners. The company offers budget analysis, marketing, employee relations and cost controls among its services.

UMC President and co-owner M. Anne Ballard, aka The Hat Lady, will serve as president of training, marketing and developmental services for USG. UMC Marketing Director Stacie Maxwell is now vice president of marketing for USG, overseeing the companys branding and design. She will also manage marketing-program planning and implementation, including all offline and online marketing for the companys portfolio of self-storage facilities.

Well-known for their expertise in the fields of self-storage management and marketing, Ballard and Maxwell will co-present a three-hour Marketing Workshop at the Inside Self-Storage World Expo in Las Vegas, the industrys largest conference and tradeshow. They will be joined in their presentation by Christopher Baird, CEO of Automatit Inc. The workshop will take place on April 5. Complete show details can be found at www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com.