Active Supply and Design mark 20 years in business, celebrating with guests including family, friends, clients and even local celebrities.

Active Supply and Design, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of self storage facilities, is celebrating 20 years in business this year.

On Saturday 2 July, over 100 guests converged on Hampton Hall in Cheshire to celebrate the occasion.  The guest list included many of the company’s clients, local celebrities, family, friends, directors and staff. The evening started with a champagne reception and included presentations to directors and staff in recognition of their hard work and long standing commitment to the company.

Andrew Donaldson founded the company in 1991 to specialise in the shelving and racking business. It was not until 1998 that Andrew branched out into the self storage market. Richard Allen, the company’s sales and marketing manager said that the diversification came quite by chance when the company was asked to quote for a mezzanine floor installation in London when the self storage business in the UK was in its infancy. “We still do some industrial fit out now but since then we have concentrated mainly on the self storage market,” he said.

The company didn’t remain just a supplier to the self storage industry, it built its own stores as well.  Andrew developed two self storage companies – Storage World and Rent-a-Space – which he subsequently sold to the UK’s largest self storage company Safestore. Today Andrew is a joint owner of Big Storage, with Paul Fahey of P. Fahey & Sons Removals, which includes one of the UK’s largest self storage facilities.

Today the company’s management and operational team consists of Gareth Williams, Scott Woodcock, Martyn Dickinson and Richard Allen. The management is backed up by an experienced design team that has the ability to help customers make the best use they can of available space and so ensure the maximum returns.

Over the last 20 years the company has built its reputation by supplying much more than just the facilities.  A major part of the company’s activity is helping companies make informed judgements about whether they should choose self storage as a business proposition, and if their current premises are suitable.  Richard explained that self storage might not be appropriate in every case.

“First we do a feasibility study that looks at the building, its location, its access, and its overall suitability as a self store,” he said. “The study also considers the demographics of the area, average incomes and the local competition.  There’s no point in us building a facility that will fail, we’d rather people be successful and come to us for the fit-out of their subsequent phases.”

Despite the obvious help that is out there, the moving industry in the UK has not wholeheartedly adopted the concept of self storage.  Many perhaps see the investment as unaffordable or over see self storage as competition to their main storage business.  “But we see many removers taking their customers’ belongings to be stored at self storage facilities,” said Richard.  “This can easily be turned round to their advantage if self storage was available at their own sites. It should be seen as just an extension of what they are doing already.”

It has always been said that the most important aspect of a self storage facility is its location.  However, now that most people do their shopping on the Internet, the visibility of the store is less important than it used to be.  “Also more people are becoming familiar with the idea of self storage so being right on the main road is less important.”

Many people might be put off by the dominance of giant facilities such as Big Yellow and Safestore, but Richard says there is still plenty of room for expansion in a market that is far from saturated. Even with the rise in the popularity of self storage in recent years he estimates that there are only  about 700 companies in the UK.  “Competition is not a bad thing, there is still room for lots of expansion in the industry and it raises the profile of self storage for all.”

The removals industry needs to look seriously at self storage and realise that this is the best possible add-on to their current business.  It dovetails with it so perfectly, creating revenue and a constant flow of business that movers have just not been used to.  “Clients have often told me that it’s only the self storage business that has kept them buoyant through the recession,” said Richard.

But the recession now does seem to be over in the self storage business.  All the major suppliers have posted good results this year compared with last and Lok ‘n Store has seen an increase in its profits by over 95% in the second half of 2010. 

Nobody would suggest that the up-front investment in self storage facilities in inconsiderable but it can, and usually is, done is bite-sized stages with the business only converting as much of its warehouse to self store as it can afford.  As one section is filled, so more can be added.  With an average return of around £25/sq ft/annum it doesn’t take long to get the money back.  Richard says that most facilities will pay for themselves in three years and it’s all profit from then on. 

Active Supply and Design has enjoyed its success over the last 20 years, through good times and not so good.  As the recession slips into distant memory, its looking forward to even greater success in the future.

 Left to right: Andy Atack, Andrew Donaldson, Greg Dale, Gareth Williams, Brendan Oldfield,

Lorna Taylor, Martyn Dickinson, Elaine Mellor, Scott Woodcock, Richard Allen and Mark Holme.