Looking back on 2021, it was a big year that will linger in our consciousness for many years to come. The year started off with the insurrection at the US Capitol, which stunned the world. Vaccines, as well as booster shots, were injected into arms around the globe. The year ended with a surge of Omicron infections as well as the passing of beloved comedian Betty White at age 99, just weeks before her 100th birthday. We don’t mean to be a downer, but before we talk about all the good brought about in 2021, it felt necessary to mention a couple of the lower points, too.
At Security Public Storage, we continued working together in new ways to improve operations and make the storage experience as smooth as possible for our customers. Not only that, we were active in our communities, unveiled new murals and, as always, look forward with hope.
2021 Highlights at SPS
As the pandemic raged on, we realized that, while some customers felt comfortable coming in for a tour in person, others preferred not to, so we began offering personal real-time video tours of storage units. Our teams’ FaceTime video tours helped customers find the right rental unit in a way they found comfortable and convenient, without them having to visit the facility in person until they were actually ready to move their possessions into storage.
In December, the results of the Solano County Times-Herald’s Best of 2021 winners were announced, and we were very excited to be named Best Storage Company in Vallejo! The list of best businesses is voted on by readers, making us the local’s choice for best self storage in Vallejo. We are honored to take home the title for the 9th consecutive year and thank everyone who voted for SPS Vallejo in this prestigious poll.
Mural Madness
In 2021, we dedicated two new murals at our self-storage facilities in San Francisco and Santa Rosa, California. The San Francisco mural depicts the vibrant culture of the Hayes Valley neighborhood we call home. Since unveiling the mural at the beginning of 2021, it has become a popular destination for senior portraits and selfies.
In April, we debuted our expansive new mural at SPS Santa Rosa, illustrating many of the amazing people, goods and services the city is known for, including a whole section dedicated to Charles Schultz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip. We were so thrilled by the enthusiastic reception of the Santa Rosa community. People loved watching the progress as they drove to work each day. It truly went viral, even prompting coverage from The Press Democrat.
Property Improvements
With more than 50 self-storage facilities throughout the West Coast and Washington DC metro area, property improvements are always in the works. As a company, we were able to update signage at our San Pablo facility, add a golf cart in Fresno at our Marks Avenue location. Many other locations, including Daly City, San Mateo and Vacaville, got fresh updates with new paint, new pavement and new signage.
On April 8, we celebrated the opening of the new drive-up storage units at our Sacramento location on Franklin Blvd. These outdoor, drive-up storage units added much more rentable storage spaces so we can better serve our Sacramento customers.
SPS Opens 51st Location in City of Industry
SPS started nearly 40 years ago with one storage facility in Modesto, California. We have grown so much over the years and happily added our 51st location in City of Industry. SPS City of Industry features all ground-level, drive-up storage units with individual alarms. This location also has a selection of parking spaces available for boat and RV storage. As with all of our facilities, we have worked on upgrading this location to meet our 5-star standards.
Care for Community
Being active and caring members of our communities is very important to us. We love volunteering, hosting food drives, mingling with other businesses at Chamber mixers and, of course, gathering Toys for Tots donations.
In May, some of our team members participated in Red Nose Day 2021, which is an annual campaign supporting programs that address the immediate needs of children in poverty, and foster long-term change. In the past, donations were made at local Walgreens’ locations, but for the past two years have been virtual. Many of our team members donated to this cause, unlocking their digital red nose and sharing selfies on social media.
At the end of June, we joined The Lodge at Glen Cove, a local senior living community in Vallejo, at their Summer Kickoff Carnival to help raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. The carnival had fun activities for the whole family, including a dunk tank. We had a booth at the event and had so much fun meeting new people and handing out SPS swag.
In July, we hosted a Chamber of Commerce mixer at our Manteca location, which allowed us to connect with individuals in our local community. The mixer has coffee, donuts, prizes and great company.
Toys for Tots Collects Record Number of Toys
SPS participated in the US Marines’ Toys for Tots donation drive for the 24th consecutive year. This is the 7th year that all of our storage locations took part in the donation drive, and it was far and away our best year yet! It warms our hearts to see the generosity and caring nature of our team, our customers and our communities. We collected 4,113 toys to help area children enjoy a happy holiday, 1,026 more toys donated than in 2020. We even had a customer in Daly City donate 529 toys! It was a very happy holiday thanks to your donations.
Looking Forward to 2022
We’re a few weeks into January and feeling positive about the year ahead. The past two years have been a challenge for all of us. Pandemic fatigue may be strong, but we have high hopes for 2022. You can expect more community, more murals, and more Self Storage with a Difference™ from SPS in 2022. Thank you for trusting us for your self storage needs year after year. We couldn’t do what we do without you. Cheers to 2022!