Does anybody have a clue what sizes are popular in Europe and Australasia? I'm a self-storage site planner who would like to expand my customer base but I wouldn't know a meter if it sat in my lap and called me "daddy". It looks to me like England still uses feet and inches but the expanding markets in Europe, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand use the metric system. Any insight into international development - especially site planning & layout - would be appreciated.

Greetings Stevedore:
As an expat (U.K.) I know how confusing metric vs. Imperial measurements can be.
I suggest you contact Rodney Walker CEO of FEDESSA at 44.1270.623150.
Rodney.Walker@fedessa.org. for the European and U.K. information.
Contact Michael Homan, managing director for Steel Storage Europe Ltd, a U.K branch of Steel Storage Group based in Australia for the down-under measurements.
Hope this helps. Let me know how you get on. ISS U.K./Europe is coming up in November and I am always looking for good story sources.

Thanks, Elaine.

As an American site planner, I'm used to thinking in terms of "square feet". Most of my work is done for feasibility experts who recommend the unit mix in their studies. When designing for a builder I can recommend a "generic" unit mix based on publications by industry experts. R.K. Kliebenstein's book "How To Invest In Self Storage" and Jim Killoran's "Self-Storage Startup" come to mind. Of course, I always recommend that these be adjusted after obtaining a qualified local market analysis.

We're just not used to thinking in square or (heaven forbid) cubic meters in terms of unit mix. Anybody have a good generic metric unit mix?


Steve Smith
Custom Site Plans
SteveSmith@ByteOne.com