CEO’s Report

Some of the most visible and significant changes to the self storage industry over the past 10 years have been in facility design and construction.

When we surveyed our design and construction providers in 2020, already more than 60% of facilities being built were more than two levels and operators were trending towards staging developments in line with occupancy growth.

Makala Ffrench Castelli

CEO SSAA

In 2021, the SSAA Industry Snapshot highlighted the unprecedented amount of supply forecast over the next few years, underpinned by strong industry fundamentals. More than 75 facilities were proposed or under development in metro markets last year and we understand the count continues to climb as we push into 2022.

This year, we’re seeing some new facilities set to reach heights of more than five or six levels, a wide range of expansion projects underway and more mixed-use developments, as featured on pages 16 and 24. I’m looking forward to seeing what other trends the design and development questions in State of the Industry 2022 will unearth later this year. In this edition we talk to people at the forefront of design, construction and customer experience – three aspects of self storage that are now more connected than ever. From local insights to global ones, it’s clear that customer experience is now top of mind for owners and operators alike.

The industry continues to attract new interest, so for our growing number of provisional members we feature a selection of articles for those contemplating their first facility. There’s much to consider and it’s a delight to be part of an industry that generously shares its experiences.

I hope this edition provides some inspiration for your next self storage project. l