ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 11, 1996 TAG: 9604110082
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
Not many people go into business by accident.
But Jerry Ferguson did.
His company, Ferguson Transfer & Storage - one of the area's oldest companies - branched into self-storage miniwarehouses because of a fluke.
Jerry Ferguson, president, said that in 1983 his company's ad in the telephone directory's Yellow Pages was listed under "storage" instead of "moving."
As an indication of the popularity of self-storage units, Ferguson said storage customers began appearing almost immediately.
"We started getting calls about storage within 24 hours after the phone book came out," he said.
The company's officers decided to get into the business and constructed the first of its self-storage units. It now has 50 of them at the company's headquarters at 202 12th St. N.W.
The popularity of self-storage units is growing.
James T. Yaun, president of First General Services of Roanoke, is getting into the self-storage business because of an apparent shortage of units. Yaun and several of his partners are constructing a complex on Shenandoah Avenue in Roanoke next door to his First General Services offices.
He said he has seen the popularity of self-storage units increase in recent years from his vantage point of helping people in emergencies when their homes are damaged by fire, flood or some other disaster.
Yaun, an insurance repair specialist, said people in those situations often must move out of their homes and store undamaged possessions.
One of his services, Yaun said, is to help people find storage space, and he sensed a shortage when he had to spend increasing time locating empty units.
A check with managers of self-storage complexes in the Roanoke Valley indicates that more than 90 percent of units stay occupied.
Reasons for the growing popularity is the accessibility and relatively low rent of units.
Renters can have access to the units almost around the clock.
Rents are fairly standard. The smallest unit with a floor space of 5 by 5 feet rents for about $27 a month. The largest unit, about 15 by 40 feet, usually costs about $250 a month.
More than two dozen self-storage complexes have opened in the Roanoke Valley since Economy Storage Mini Warehouse built its first unit 19 years ago at 3434 Salem Turnpike N.W.
Dorothy Causey, the unit's first manager, said it was owned by several businessmen who eventually sold the business to U-Haul.
Self-storage complexes have grown into sophisticated storage spaces that offer more than a box with a lock as they did in their early years.
Today they offer a variety of sizes and services.
Some complexes have outdoor storage for vehicles and boats. Some have electrical outlets in the units.
Nearly all are fenced and lighted, and the renter keeps the key. Some have resident managers and 24-hour, seven-day access.
Also available at most units are packing boxes and other moving supplies. And a few complexes offer climate-controlled units for storage of sensitive materials that need a constant temperature and low humidity.
Household furnishings, however, are the main items stored in the units, complex managers said.
The reasons for renting units vary, but the main ones seem to be people moving from houses to smaller apartments; having to move out of houses during repairs; and storing possessions of an estate.
Ferguson said the 10-by-12-foot size is the most popular for household goods because it will hold furnishings from about three average rooms.
Managers also said the units are occasionally used to store merchandise, such as tools, car parts, manufacturers' samples or musical instruments.
The average length of time units are used by a single renter is four to six months, the managers said.
All of the complexes have prohibitions against storing perishable items, drugs, chemicals or explosives.
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