Industry News

Success stems from support

Mt Barker U-Store-It manager Mark Callins claimed the manager of the year and facility of the year awards at the 2019 Self Storage of Australasia Association Awards of Excellence in Cairns.

By Josh Teakle

Supporting and engaging with the local community has helped Mark Callins turn a “simple business” into a national award winner.

The Mt Barker U-Store-It self storage facility claimed two awards at last month’s 2019 Self Storage of Australasia Association Awards of Excellence in Cairns, including Manager of the Year and Facility of the Year.

“It is a simple business, but with a lot of businesses there is an opportunity to do it as best as you can,” Mr Callins said.

“There is a great sense of pride about being a part of the Hills community and we tried to ‘plug in’ with the Mt Barker business group, we sponsor about 15 community sporting clubs, Lions Clubs and we can provide a leg up with charities or someone that has a need.

“We deal with people who are in stressful situations, some are in relationship breakdowns, some are moving house, so there is an opportunity to help people when they’re under some stress.

“That’s when we can step up if needed.”

The facility has about 350 undercover storage units, a free move-in truck and a community board room, and Mr Callins said there was plenty of space to expand.

The Mt Barker U-Store-It business opened its doors about 18 months ago and Mr Callins took on the managing role, after spending the last 12 years in the automotive industry. “The business’ values are closely in-line with my own values,” he said.

“For U-Store-It to go out of metropolitan Adelaide and into a regional area is very new and it is evident that there is a lot of loyalty in the Hills.

“If we were going to be successful here we had to engage with the community.

“The awards highlight that we have done a good job with that.”

General manager Andrew Eastwood was thrilled with the result and said while Facility of the Year was an overall award, it all came back to the work of Mr Callins.

“There are a lot of parameters of winning such an award from customer service, site presentation and the displays, so when you look at it 80% of it comes back to Mark and the team,” he said.

“It is extremely rare to win two awards and we are very fortunate for it and to win the Facility of the Year is the pinnacle.

“What Mark and the facility has won – in what is a regional town on a national stage – is unique.

“There are numerous examples as to why Mark has 50-plus five-star Google ratings – he waits back for the truck if there is a difficult circumstance, or he will let someone in early if they need it, and that is what goes the extra mile.

“People don’t remember the units, features or benefits, they remember how they were treated when they came and went.” Congratulations again to Mark Callins U-Store-It Mt Barker who was awarded the Manager of the Year Award and Facility of the Year at our recent Self Storage Association of Australasia 2019 Awards of Excellence. Mark was unable to be there on the night but luckily for him the team had him on Facetime when the Awards were announced so he and his family could find out his success live. Afterwards there was a fantastic write up in The Mt Barker Courier and it is good to see the community supporting their local businesses.

Congratulations to Roshni Vastrad, Project Manager at

R6 Digital and Joel Harding, Jane Sullivan will draw readers into a nostalgic trip through their

Director at Crafted Media on favorite memories at her book release event in the Stirling Library. their marriage in August in A look back in fondness By Anna Christian Brisbane. They married the best way possible with a big Ms Sullivan’s process for the bibliomemoir included noting Indian wedding. Roshni & Joel met just over Cosying up with the latest adventure at bedtime and sneakily reading well into down all the books she could remember reading between the age of seven and 11 and what she remembered of them. two years ago in Brisbane through mutual friends. Joel, the night by torchlight under the covers are memories that resonate with many who were She then tracked down copies and re-read the books to find that much of what she remembered a business owner and film director, had always dreamed of marrying someone with a huge culture, and little did he know he would end up integrating into the beautiful indian culture. Roshni and Joel had a mix of a western and avid readers as children. Author Jane Sullivan dressed as Alice from Lewis Carroll’s tales for a school parade and tried to enter another world by getting into a cupboard in the attic, just as C.S. Lewis’ Pevensie family began their journey. Her bibliomemoir Storytime – a was wrong and – to her shock – that she now thought Enid Blyton’s writing was terrible. The response from readers of Storytime has brought up some titles which Ms Sullivan had never heard, but had featured in readers’ memories, and also many unexpected similar Indian wedding at Brisbane City Hall, followed by a recounting of the books she read experiences. reception at Howard Smith Wharves. Hundreds of relatives flew interstate and from overseas and it was a week to be remembered. The half Bollywood, half Australian wedding, was full of colour, light and dancing. Roshni has been with R6 Digital for 13 months, a as a child and the impact they have had on her – will be the subject of a book release in the Stirling Library which will take visitors on a nostalgic journey through these memories. The book uses her most memorable childhood reads to develop a theory as to what children need from a book to feel a thrill from reading. Worried “The one I was most worried about was the chapter on Little Women because I really didn’t like it at all when I read it and it’s a fairly popular book,” she explained. “But some people have said that they felt the same way about it. Digital Marketing firm in Brisbane who are service “The idea crept up on me gradually because I thought I’ve “I’ve had a few people say that they read my book all in one members of the SSAA. She has worked closely with the SSAA on the website refresh, new member’s been reading books and writing about them all my life but none of the books I’ve read as an adult sitting because they couldn’t put it down and other people say they read a bit before they go to portal, and ongoing marketing and IT needs.have made as much of an impact as those I read as a child,” Ms bed each night. “People have been very As an aside, Roshni mentioned if anyone Sullivan said. “I’d read a few bibliomemoirs generous and warm in response.” An “in conversation” event needs spreadsheets, run sheets or templates she but hadn’t read one that was with Adelaide author Peter managed to pull off the large scale wedding planning about children’s books so I thought that was a gap that Goldsworthy will be part of the book release, which will be held in eight months and would be happy to assist.needed to be filled.” on September 20 from 6.30pm.

NATIONAL DRAGON BOAT RACING WINNER

In December 2018 Ray Curran from Storage King Balmain was selected to represent Australia as a member of the ‘Aurora’s National Dragon Boat Racing Team in the Senior ‘C’ Division (over 60 yrs) at the World Nations Dragon Boat Championships. These which were held in August 2019 in Pattaya, Thailand.

Ray was selected as the Male Captain for the Aurora Senior C’s and from his six events in Thailand he won two Gold, one Silver and three Bronze medals and the Senior C Team podiumed in all events entered. This was his 3rd World Championships having competed in 2015 in Welland, Canada (one gold, four silver, one bronze), 2017 in Kunming, China (medalled in all events but no gold sadly).

Ray has had an amazing time with Dragon Boat racing, as he started at the end of 2006 and has represented three States (SA, NT and NSW) since then. He has also represented Australia in the World Police and Fire Games in 2007 (Adelaide – Gold), 2009 (Vancouver), 2011 (New York) and 2013 (Belfast). The awards continue as he also competed in the World Club Crew Championships in 2008 (Penang), 2010 (Macau – Gold), 2012 (Hong Kong – Gold) and 2014 (Ravena, Italy).

CONGRATULATIONS TO JACKSON RUSSELL NEW ZEALAND AS THIS YEAR MARKS 175 YEARS OF PRACTICE

Founded in 1844 by Englishman Frederick Ward Merriman, the firm officially changed its name to Jackson Russell in 1864. Over the years they have grown from humble beginnings, to take pride of place in the centre of Auckland, in Shortland Street. Jackson Russell has evolved into a modern legal firm where its present day teams specialise in their respective fields and provide a collaborative approach to achieve optimum client service and works closely with the SSAA.

VALUATIONS | SELF STORAGE | PROPERTY CONSULTANCY

Malcolm Collins FAPI MPINZ Collins & Associates undertakes valuations, catchment studies, operational and benchmarking reviews and property research using over 25 years worth of in-house data covering the self storage industry nationally. We work in all sectors of the market including regional and country centres. Our personal, direct and engaged advice to clients produces bankable results for first mortgage security lending, public prospectus, asset value and purchase or sale negotiation purposes. Our well researched reports provide business background understanding and lending comfort to individuals and institutions utilising our experience.

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