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

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That was the word from Smartboxc ownerCharles W.S. MacKenzie in an interview Friday. The move comes at a time when the downturnes economy is creating an increased demandc from residents and business owners seeking to downsizd and box up the thingsthey can’y fit into their smaller homes or MacKenzie declined to disclose the acquisitio price due to a confidentiality agreement with Publixc Storage (NYSE: PSA). The deal also coincidee with Glendale, Calif.-based Publixc Storage’s efforts to get out of the portabl e storage business and concentrate on its moretraditional bricks-anxd mortar storage business.
MacKenzie, formerly of LLC, said busines s has been steadily increasing as homeowners sell theidr properties for smaller condos and apartmentws and businesses downsize tosmaller offices. “I’ve hearxd recession-proof,” MacKenzie said of the his niche in thestorager industry. “I don’t believe that, but it’sx resiliant, we’re helping people downsize.” Portablee storage allows people and businesses to park a storage containet outside their homesor offices, load up what they need and have the box delivere d to a storage area or to an alternate Within the industry, Portable On Demand Storag e is the largest-such operator of portablre storage options.
Public Storage started its business line in the late but theoperation wasn’t a big enough money makee for the company, Public Storagwe spokesman Clemente Teng said in an From as many as 50 facilities nationwide, the compan has reduced its operations to less than 15 in the past five In Maryland, Smartbox has about 700 stored in about 33,000 square feet in the Elkridge area. With its acquistiojn of Public Storage’s Maryland its business will grow toabout 4,5090 boxes and another 92,000 square feet of space at facilitiesx in Landover and Essex.