NEW BUSINESS SP OTLIGHT : Arkansas Self Storage Lowell LLC
Posted on Sunday, July 20, 2008
LOWELL — Providing extra space for residents and businesses means Arkansas Self Storage Lowell LLC employees have a lot of options to discuss with potential customers.
The two most common questions are the availability of climate-controlled storage and the size of the units, Carla Butler, 46, said. She and her husband, Danny, 51, manage the approximately 150, 000-square-foot facility on 10 acres on the north side of Lowell.
The climate-controlled units are preferred by some customers, not necessarily because of the kinds of items they store but for comfort when accessing the items. William Sweetser, president and a co-owner of the family business, built the facility with 35 percent of the 900 units having climate control. That feature had proved popular at the Arkansas Self Storage location in Fayetteville built in 2002.
The Lowell facility offers 19 sizes of units, from 5-by-10 feet, about the size of a tall walk-in closet, up to the largest, which can fit a vehicle. The largest units are at the back so customers can back straight through the roll-up doorway.
Electricity in some units allows for recharging vehicles or tools. Customers can rent numbered, extra-wide parking spaces for large boats and tractor-trailersize vehicles inside the fenced area. Customers often forget the advantages of the tall ceilings that allow space to be used efficiently, Carla Butler said.
The Butlers are certified as professional managers by the Self Storage Association after traveling for classes, passing exams and taking continuing education courses.
The company’s Web site (www. arkansasselfstorage. com ) gives tips about packing and getting access to items in storage. Customers who will need to search for items in the unit may want to leave aisles among the stacks. Heavy-duty shelving and packing supplies are available.
Utility carts and a moving van for local use are also available to customers. The staff will sign for package deliveries.
Lights at the units are motion activated, and indoor and outdoor surveillance cameras let the staff monitor areas.
The facility is brick with stone pillars and a wrought iron fence in front. All driving surfaces are paved. When a customer enters his number at either of the gates, a log of entrance and departure times is recorded as an added security feature.
It’s actually cheaper to rent storage space than to build more space into many houses or businesses, Butler said. It’s possible to downsize to a smaller house and cut expenses by using storage units.
“I think storage is just kind of a standard today. It’s changed so much,” Butler said.
DETAILS LOCATION: 510 N. Bloomington, Lowell PHONE: (479 ) 659-0333 HOURS: Office, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays; units, 6 a.m. to 10 p. m.; 24 / 7 access available with access code OWNERS: William Sweetser and other Sweetser family members PRODUCTS / SERVICES: Storage unit rental, shelving and packing supplies TYPE OF BUSINESS: Storage START DATE: January START-UP FUNDS: $ 5 million construction FUNDING: Would not disclose If you recently opened a business or know of a new business in the area, please call Sue Morris at (479 ) 770-8468 or e-mail smorris@arkansasonline. com
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online