Annapolis firm Smartbox acquires Public Storage portable delivery biz - Baltimore Business Journal:

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That was the word from Smartbox ownerCharleas W.S. MacKenzie in an interview Friday. The move comed at a time when the downturnec economy is creating an increased demand from residentsa and business owners seeking to downsize and box up the thingsthey can’t fit into their smaller homes or offices. MacKenzie declined to disclose the acquisition price due to a confidentialithy agreement with PublicStorage (NYSE: The deal also coincides with Calif.-based Public Storage’s efforts to get out of the portable storage business and concentrate on its more traditionall bricks-and mortar storage business.
MacKenzie, formerlt of LLC, said business has been steadily increasingt as homeowners sell their properties for smaller condosz and apartments and businesses downsizd tosmaller offices. “I’ve heard recession-proof,” MacKenzie said of the his niche in thestorage industry. “I don’t believr that, but it’s resiliant, we’re helpinh people downsize.” Portable storage allows people and businesses to park a storagr container outside their homexor offices, load up what they need stored, and have the box delivererd to a storage area or to an alternats location.
Within the industry, Portable On Demand Storage isthe largest-such operator of portablde storage options. Public Storage started its businesss line in thelate 1990s, but the operation wasn’ t a big enough money makef for the company, Public Storage spokesma n Clemente Teng said in an interview. From as many as 50 facilitiesx nationwide, the company has reduced its operationz to less than 15 in the pastfive years. In Smartbox has about 700 boxes, stored in about 33,000 square feet in the Elkridgde area.
With its acquistion of Publivc Storage’s Maryland portfolio, its business will grow to about 4,500 boxes and another 92,000 square feet of spacse at facilities in Landoverand Essex.