Mini-Storage Messenger, a monthly trade periodical for the self-storage industry, is accepting nominations for its 2010 Outstanding Green Facility award. Nominations will be accepted until January 25, 2010. The competition is open to all self-storage facilities. Facilities may be nominated by owners, operators, builders, managers, or others. The facilities that win the award will be sent a trophy, and will be featured in an article in the April 2010 issue of Mini-Storage Messenger.
Each facility that is nominated for the Outstanding Green Facility award will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- energy-efficiency
- water-efficiency
- use of innovative, green (environmentally-friendly) building materials
- challenges overcome during the building process
- LEED certification
- overall design and landscaping
- indoor air quality
- overall environmental impact of facility
- use of green marketing techniques
LEED certification is an independent, third-party green building certification rating system. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). To be LEED-certified, a facility must have implement green construction practices from the earliest stage of project development, and must be set up to lower operating costs, increase facility value, reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfills, conserve water and energy, be healthier and safer for facility employees and tenants, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, qualify for local green incentives such as tax rebates and zoning allowances, and show that the owner is committed to practices that are environmentally and socially responsible. To apply for LEED certification, facility owners and managers can visit the website of the Green Building Certification Institute.
Mini-Storage Messenger gave out its first annual Outstanding Green Facility award at the end of 2009. At the time, publisher Poppy Behrens explained, "We have added this competition as a complement to our annual Facility of the Year awards to recognize those facilities that are embracing the challenge to help the environment while growing their businesses." Six facilities won the 2009 award in six different categories. The winners were:
- Overall: Store Self Storage and Wine Storage, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, owned by E&J Properties LLC
- New Facility: C3 Modern Storage, in Chandler, Arizona, owned by Devan Wastchak and C3 Modern Storage LLC
- Construction: City Storage, in Atlanta, Georgia, owned by Glen Nicotra and City Storage LLC
- Conversion: I-5 Self Storage, in Tustin, California, owned by Randy Scott Wong
- Specialty Storage: Interstate Storage, in Livermore, California, owned by Interstate Storage Livermore LLC
- International: Love Box Self Storage, in Shanghai, China, owned by Carson Block
Mini-Storage Messenger is published once a month by MiniCo Publishing, a Phoenix-based company. MiniCo Publishing also publishes Self-Storage Now!, Mobile Self-Storage Magazine, RV & Boat Storage Today, Self-Storage Canada, the Self-Storage Almanac, the Self-Storage Development Handbook, and the Self-Storage Buyer's Guide. MiniCo, Inc. has been publishing magazines on behalf of the self-storage industry since 1974. It also provides specialty insurance programs and other self-storage products and services.