STEER TO SUCCESS
AI And Autonomous Processes Boost Profits The RV and boat storage industry has a treasured history of a personal cus- tomer service touch, sharing tales of a good morning fishing or a unique mountain campsite scored with a view of antelopes at sunrise. However, there are certain areas that can be helped by automation and even artificial intelli- gence. Cutting back on man hours by employing tech that can do the job just as well, if not better and more effi- ciently, can net extra profits and make installing the programs a wise invest- ment to consider. “Criminals think breaking into RVs
is a good opportunity,” says Young. “Typically, nothing of value is stored inside—we recommend that in our rules and regulations—but it can create a stressful situation for the tenants. We have motion censored lighting, 24-hour camera surveillance, and in some locations electric fencing.” Opting for 24-hour camera surveil-
lance that feeds to an outside source can offer better protection than a human patrolling the facility or employ- ing canine guards, but no reasonable security solution is perfect. However, automated security has now reached the next level, with AI analysis helping fine-tune risks and determining legiti- macy of alerts. “It’s a fine line that we have been
walking; we could give you Fort Knox, but your rent’s going to be four times as much,” says Jurjevich. “However, the AI camera systems that are out there are excellent. And they’re getting better all the time. This gives you lots of opportunities to have a facility moni- tored in a less expensive way. The cameras are all passive until they detect something and then they zone in on that object or person. Say some- body hopped the wall; the cameras autonomously start focusing on that. They send alerts to your managers or a monitoring center. In some, you can get on a speaker and address the intruder, ‘Hey, we see you in the facil- ity. We’ve called the police; the police
20 Self-Storage NOW!
are on the way.’ Ten years ago, that wasn’t available.” Outside of security, many other
managerial tasks can also be auto- mated for efficiency. “Setting up a company to manage efficiently is really important, says Wojtaszek. “We basi- cally took the technologies and pro- cesses that we had used when we were managing the data center busi- ness and just deployed that to this asset class, which is traditionally somewhat antiquated. We have auto- mated our phone systems, checkout systems, online account management.” Automating aspects that don’t
affect a direct customer relationship can free up time to add that personal touch back in a more meaningful way than running a credit card or updating an address. “It’s so much more fun doing this
business than my last company that I built because everyone is storing all of their great memories that they made or they’re going to make in the back of our shop,” says Wojtaszek. “When customers come back from a camping trip or fishing trip, they just want to chat with you about it. It’s just a really feel-good type of business. I didn’t expect this going in—how many cus- tomers want to talk to you about what they did. It’s great to be part of it and using automation can give you the time to let them share.”
Keeping It In the Family Founding and operating a family business can be challenging and rewarding. The RV and boat storage industry seems to lend itself well to the concept. “I have worked with my dad, Scott
Ramser, since I was 16,” says Young, “I started as a site manager at the first RV and boat facility we built ground up in Santa Ana, Calif. I came back one summer in college, and we did a conversion together in Brea, Calif. The storage industry is so dynamic, and it has taught me how to wear many hats. I love this industry and working with my family.
One of my most fond memories is sharing an office with my grandfa- ther for over 10 years until he passed away in 2022. Experiences like mine are extremely special.” Young adds, “I have met many
multi-generational families in this industry; they are hardworking, dedi- cated people. This industry offers so much! My youngest sister Claire started working for us in 2023 as well. Working with family can at times be tricky, but you have full buy-in because of personal investment and willingness to do whatever is needed.” That buy-in and sense of dedica-
tion, as well as responsibility, runs both ways. “My kids were living in New York, but during COVID they started working remotely and hang- ing out down in Florida and Texas with us,” says Wojtaszek. “I started up this business, and my older son was interested, so he quit his job in New York. I’ve been really blessed to start this business with my son, but over the last two years, all the other kids joined. So, I have all four of my kids, a son-in-law, and a nephew who have joined me. I told my wife, if these kids are going to leave their careers, then what I owe them in return is something really great. So, my goal here is to build a huge business. I’m looking at build- ing a $7 billion to $8 billion busi- ness because I think there’s abso- lute demand for this. We can absolutely do it, but at a personal level, I have people who left good careers to buy into this thing along- side me. I have a sense of responsi- bility to make sure the reason they left their careers was a good one. I’m pretty fortunate. You don’t get to spend this much time with your kids when they’re older. And I do, which I feel pretty blessed by.”
Sascha Zugar has nearly two decades of experi- ence as a freelance journalist writing for national magazines, including The Washington Post, LA Times, Christian Science Monitor, National Geographic Traveler, and others.
SECOND QUARTER 2024
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