The bluebird is often associated with happiness and harmony. This feathered friend is viewed as a symbol of hope, renewal, and love in the folklore of many North American indigenous peoples. It’s also popular in sales circles, with professionals referring to great and often unexpected opportunities as “bluebirds.”
It’s a fitting name, then, for Canada’s very own Bluebird Self Storage. The business, co-founded by Jamie Bennett, Jennifer Smeeton, and Reade DeCurtins, prides itself on keeping customers satisfied and secure, and for Jason Koonin, CEO of Bluebird Storage Management, the opportunity to come aboard landed in his lap quite unexpectedly.
Together, this quartet has triumphed by turning Bluebird into the first coast-to-coast self-storage brand in Canada.
They say a well-crafted story is like a jigsaw puzzle where every piece is essential. For Bluebird Self Storage to take flight, four distinct pieces needed to come together.
In 2000, Bennett and DeCurtins partnered up, turning their attention to Toronto, Canada. “Working in Canada was a bit like going back in time,” laughs Bennett. “Not just because I was born there, but because it was a chance to correct mistakes I’d made with some of my U.S. properties.”
The self-storage industry in Canada being so nascent at the turn of the millennium also added to the ‘back in time’ feeling for Bennett. “Whereas we were shoehorning facilities into cramped markets in the U.S., there was room to breathe in Canada. There were so many undersupplied areas in which to develop, it was like being a kid in a candy store.”
“Jamie was looking to increase the profitability of his storage development company. In doing so, he needed sophisticated financial advice,” says Koonin, who began consulting on projects by performing the underwriting and forecasting of lease ups. Very quickly, Koonin recognized self-storage as a huge opportunity. He put together a business case for starting a property management company and suggested to Bennett that they go for it. He was onboard with the idea, as was Smeeton who helped transition the company into property management. From there, Bluebird Storage Management was hatched. And since then, the company has continued to spread its wings across Canada.
Steve Forbes of Forbes Magazine once famously said, “Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business." So, when it came to creating a brand, Bennett, Smeeton, and DeCurtins put a lot of thought into it.
“The Bluebird branding began in 2015,” explains DeCurtins, who has always enjoyed the creative and retail innovation aspects of the business. “I pulled out my sketch pad and colored pencils, and began thinking about a catchy character. I think the final product is now the most recognized and engaging self-storage brand in Canada.”
“So many self-storage names are related to security, and they all have logos with locks, lions, gorillas, or iron bars… Nothing distinguishes them from one another,” adds Bennett. “And while security is important, it’s just one aspect of the business.”
The logo isn’t the only differentiator, of course. Bennett says the Bluebird brand also is reflective of the culture of caring it has fostered with tenants, employees, and charities alike. “We just do things differently at Bluebird,” he concludes.
DeCurtins agrees, mentioning that Bluebird’s branding has helped the company win over municipal planning staff and customers alike. “The branding and general retail appeal in the self-storage world is very uninspiring, which is strange considering the huge rewards we’ve enjoyed with Bluebird. Our retail areas are warmer and more inviting than typical self-storage rental offices. People love our home organization products, water bottles, and especially our colorful branded socks. We can’t bring enough of them to trade shows. I believe that they are officially a thing now,” he laughs.
'Location, location, location' is a mantra that many industries live by, and self-storage is no exception. But like a lot of things Bluebird does, it takes an unconventional approach to site selection. “You have to understand that in Canada, there are not a whole lot of facilities to buy, at least not where we want to be,” says Bennett. “So, you have to build. And Reade is brilliant at finding the right sites and breaking ground.”
DeCurtins says that if he sees a site that is zoned industrial or outright permits self-storage by right, he’s typically not interested. “That’s low hanging fruit,” he explains. “I am looking for ultra premium retail sites with extremely high-barriers-to-entry. The exclusivity of our sites is a competitive advantage and helps to ensure long-term success.”
To ensure locations fit with the brand’s vision, DeCurtins created the company’s proprietary “Bluebird Site Selection Criteria,” an evolved version of what he once used for those Fortune 500 retailers. He’s also assembled an army of preferred brokers that he’s cultivated relationships with across Canada for nearly 25 years. “Many of the brokers I work with are off the radar and are especially adept at knocking on doors and finding off-market deals,” says DeCurtins. “Brokers that simply shuffle real estate listing flyers around are a dime a dozen and are not going to lead to the most exclusive self-storage sites.”
Ultimately, DeCurtins maintains that he’s not shy about pursuing sites that others would claim impossible to get entitled. He’s even put together a ‘brag book’ that’s quite thick. “In other words, when a city planner or neighborhood leader is initially opposed to our use, we can typically ease their concerns by showing them a lengthy and varied catalog of prior industry-leading Bluebird builds,” he says. “They are often shocked to see how architecturally attractive Bluebird Self Storage locations are. We’ve also aesthetically integrated ourselves into so many mixed-use developments in the U.S. and Canada that they recognize we can adapt to fit in just about anywhere.”
If a bluebird is a harbinger of good things, the Bluebird Self Storage company excels in that regard, giving back to the community while encouraging others to do the same.
“For Bluebird, it’s not all about the bottom line,” explains Denee Burns, Chief of Staff for the company. “Jamie and Reade bring the construction and development background to the table, Jennifer excels at due diligence and finance, and Jason has a handle on the analytics. That’s a winning combination right there. But then you add in that layer of heart and caring about people that they have. That really sets them, and Bluebird, apart.”
Some of Bluebird’s charitable endeavors are at the corporate level, while employees may choose to support local charities and nonprofits as well. Bluebird supports over 65 different charities in one way or another, and is donating roughly 165 units (18,000 sq ft) on a near-permanent basis across its portfolio.
The company’s deepest partnership is with Shelter Movers, a national charity providing moving and storage services at no cost to individuals and families fleeing abuse. “Partnering with Shelter Movers was just a very natural fit for us,” says Koonin. “They have a dire need for space, and if there's one thing storage companies have, it’s space.”
"This collaboration is truly a win-win,” says Marc Hull-Jacquin, Founder and CEO of Shelter Movers. “We receive the donated resources needed to move thousands of women and children out of abusive households, and Bluebird is able to show its customers, investors, staff, and vendors that they take corporate social responsibility seriously.”
As Bennett alluded to, Bluebird has fostered a caring environment that extends to both tenants and employees. One way that the company shows it values its tenants is by not participating in shady pricing games. It’s something that Koonin in particular is passionate about. “Operators offering super low prices and then raising them in a few months, that doesn’t sit well with us,” Koonin says firmly. “These businesses are not thinking of their tenants like real people – people that have to plan for expenses, people that may be using storage because they’re going through a tough time.”
Koonin believes this bait-and-switch tactic is shortsighted, and that’s why Bluebird offers a “365 Day No Rent Increase” guarantee. It's even put into the leases. “Customers know what to expect with Bluebird, and while they may pay more upfront, there’s a lot of value in knowing your rate won’t change for a year. People are willing to pay for that peace of mind.”
The frontline staff is just as important to Bluebird. “We’ve taken corporate culture to the next level,” says Bennett. “We have the most supported, happiest, and engaged store managers in the industry. We have none of the issues attracting or retaining talented team members that others in the industry struggle with.”
Adds Koonin, “There are labor shortages in parts of Canada, and it can be hard to find good employees. I think that’s why some companies are trending toward remote management, but this is not the Bluebird way. We are a company built on customer service. We want the best people working at our sites. And we’ll do what we need to do to find them, nurture them, and retain them.”
To bring in the talent, Bluebird offers monthly incentives to employees who are able to rent more units or grow the facility’s revenue. The company also holds holiday parties and pancake breakfasts, brings employees together in Calgary for Stampede, and hosts bi-weekly calls so employees can get to know one another. “When they know they’re not alone – that there is a team that cares alongside them – they become more engaged,” states Koonin. “We have employees who look after each other and will cover nearby sites if somebody’s out sick or on vacation.”
Bluebird believes in empowering its staff by allowing them to adjust prices based on their knowledge of their inventory and local market dynamics. “Again, they’re on the frontlines. Often, they know best,” Koonin says.
“We listen to our employees, welcome their thoughts, and often put their ideas into action,” adds Smeeton. “I know at other places employee input can be swept under the rug, or people are simply told ‘no.’ That’s not how we do things. Sometimes the best ideas come from the most unexpected places.”
Because of the way Bluebird treats and empowers its employees, and thanks to its charitable deeds within communities, there is now a waitlist of people looking to be hired, many trying to make a switch from the competition.
“When others are struggling to keep their doors open due to staffing shortages and we have a waitlist… well, I’d say we’re onto something,” says Koonin with a smile.
Is Reade DeCurtins, co-founder of Bluebird, willing to share his “secret sauce” that helps him find the perfect sites? He’s able to offer a taste. “Start by identifying underserved submarkets within your target market,” he says. “At Bluebird, for example, I’m not going to spend time looking at any site that doesn’t have more than 60,000 people around it and less than four square feet of self-storage per capita within a 5 km radius of the subject site.”
DeCurtins also suggests not letting individual real estate listings that pop up initiate the process of focusing on and analyzing potential locations. “Again, start by identifying the underserved submarkets or hot spots within a city and drill down from there.”
Lastly, he recommends not putting the value of website traffic over drive-by traffic. “Web searches are an increasing driver to self-storage locations, but drive-by traffic remains the largest driver and will remain critical even as web-based sourcing continues to grow. Always look for sites with maximum traffic exposure.”
Brad Hadfield is the website manager and a news writer for MSM.