StorageMart
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Self-storage |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Gordon Burnam |
| Headquarters | Columbia, Missouri , United States |
Area served | United States, Canada, United Kingdom |
Key people | Mike Burnam (President), Cris Burnam (CEO), Ryan McKenzie (CFO) |
| Products | Self-storage units, climate-controlled storage, moving and packing supplies |
| Website | storagemart |
StorageMart is a network of self-storage centers headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, with operations spanning the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Established in 1999 by Gordon Burnam, a seasoned entrepreneur with industry experience beginning in 1974, StorageMart has expanded through deliberate leadership and targeted market growth.
Key leadership roles within the company are held by Burnam’s four children: Mike Burnam as president, Cris Burnam as CEO, and Ryan McKenzie as CFO, highlighting a family-oriented governance model.
Early history
Prior to founding StorageMart, Gordon Burnam launched Storage Trust, which became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 1994 under the ticker SEA. Headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, Storage Trust was purchased by Public Storage for $600 million in 1999.
In the early 2000s, StorageMart established a strong market presence by introducing innovative facility designs uncommon at the time—such as a 10-story mid-rise building in Miami—aimed at penetrating urban environments. This strategy allowed the company to offer conveniently located facilities that integrated seamlessly with city architecture while providing both standard and climate-controlled storage units suitable for temperature-sensitive items like wine. By 2001, StorageMart had grown to operate 31 facilities throughout the United States, showcasing early expansion and product diversification.
North American expansion
The early 2000s saw a surge in self-storage demand across the U.S. By 2005, StorageMart managed properties in eleven states, including a key acquisition of five facilities in Texas. By 2006, its portfolio had grown to sixty locations nationwide.
In 2007, the company entered the Canadian market and rapidly secured a leading position with approximately 70 properties totaling nearly five million square feet, including more than thirty facilities within the Toronto metropolitan area. Between 2011 and 2012, these Canadian sites installed solar panels covering 640,000 square feet, producing three megawatts of energy. The acquisition of InStorage Real Estate Investment Trust in 2009 for roughly $416 million expanded StorageMart Canada’s portfolio to 120 facilities, making it one of North America’s largest privately held storage operators. By 2012, it was the top self-storage provider in Canada by number of locations.
By 2013, StorageMart operated 132 sites across the U.S. and Canada while also offering moving and packing supplies. As of May 2014, it managed about 9.8 million square feet of rentable space across 149 facilities with an average tenancy duration of 42 months. The company’s visibility increased through features on television programs such as Storage Wars and Storage Wars: Canada. In 2014 alone, StorageMart acquired an additional 31 properties, expanding its footprint to 172 sites by 2016.
Maintaining steady growth and international reach, by 2021 StorageMart operated more than 250 locations throughout the United States, Canada, and the U.K., totaling roughly 15.2 million square feet of rentable space distributed among over 134,000 units. The purchase of Manhattan Mini Storage in 2021 positioned StorageMart as the largest privately owned self-storage REIT globally. By 2023, its network had extended to over 300 facilities.
Europe
In 2016, StorageMart broadened its international footprint by acquiring 15 facilities in southeastern England, previously operated by Big Box Storage Centre, marking its initial venture into the European self-storage sector.
Charitable giving
Corporate social responsibility is a core aspect of StorageMart’s operations, exemplified by its Store it Forward initiative. The company has offered complimentary storage space to nonprofits such as Blair’s Tree of Hope and collaborated with groups like Global Giving to collect $50,000 for Hurricane Irma relief efforts in 2017. During that year, StorageMart contributed more than $159,000 in monetary donations alongside over $370,000 worth of free storage to charitable organizations throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In 2018, the company introduced a program donating $25 for each online customer review to Big Brothers Big Sisters, demonstrating its commitment to impactful community involvement.