Barham Self Storage Company Profile

hen Craig Huebler and Gayle Huebler visited Barham Self Storage in Santa Rosa CA to learn more about an on-site management position, they both had a very good feeling about the place. They liked Sonoma County, the storage facility, and especially the owner, Edward Tolleson. Ed is a warm and caring man who had just renovated his property from a low-key storage yard into a professional self-storage facility with 415 self-contained, well-built units. Craig Huebler liked Ed's business philosophy and his concern for his customers, but Craig especially approved of the secure units and the wide rows Ed had designed for Barham Self Storage. As a seasoned self-storage manager, Craig had seen too many cars, trucks and semis become hopelessly trapped in the narrow rows that plague so many self storage customers. At Barham, two Mack trucks can fit into each row with no problem. Craig Huebler saw enough to know that Barham Self Storage would be a very good place to live and work. In early 2000, Craig and Gayle moved into the on-site apartment and created a new business model to match the new facilities.

The Best Kept Secret in Santa Rosa
Most of Barham's customers find Craig Huebler through word of mouth. People who rent at Barham tend to stay on long term, and they regularly refer their friends and family. The Hueblers do everything they can to keep a "Mom and Pop" feel to the place, in the best sense of that phrase. They provide the best quality cylinder locks for their customers, and even though the locks cost almost $25 retail, the Hueblers supply them to customers for just $10. They want to make sure that their customers are protected. Craig and Gayle also maintain personal connections with their customers, and are always available to help solve problems. And their approach is paying off.

Security, Convenience and Peace of Mind
Craig Huebler's customers regularly comment on how safe they feel at Barham Self Storage. He and Gayle are truly hands-on managers, and they're always available to provide assistance, information, help with payment issues and a watchful eye. Craig reports that many of his customers are women and elders who have chosen Barham specifically because they feel safe when they're there. Barham Self Storage is protected with private gate codes, and the units are self-contained so that no one from the next unit can access yours. This separation between the units also ensures that fires, leaks or other problems in one unit won't affect anyone else.

Craig Huebler also takes a personal approach to security. He and Gayle Huebler can see the entire property from their on-site apartment, and Craig regularly walks the property to make sure everything is safe and secure. Unlike many storage facilities, Barham Self Storage is open from 7 am to 7 pm, 365 days of the year, so customers are always welcome. If Barham's customers need something special on holidays, they can easily get into their storage units.

Craig and Gayle also bring a personal touch to the often sticky situation of late or missing payments, "We do everything we can to help people avoid auctions. It's a fact of life in the self storage industry, but it's a very sad thing. We always tell our customers to let us know what's going on. We work together to make things easy." Barham Self Storage also offers discounts to charitable and community groups, to renters of multiple units, and to people who pay their rental fees in advance.

Craig Huebler is very happy with the way business has flourished in the eight years he and Gayle have managed Barham Self Storage in Santa Rosa, "We like to bring warm human values to our business so we can build a really good, long-term relationship with our customers. When people are looking for storage, I ask them to come over and talk to us and see our facility. Usually, people feel just as good about it as Gayle and I did the first day we saw it. And we've retained over 60 percent of the customers we started out with in 2000, so we must be doing something right!"

---Karla Rutherford
Staff Writer
The Prime Buyer's Report