eKourier Oct 2019

Kennards Kourier EDITION: OCTOBER 2019

NEW CENTRE OPENS IN MELBOURNE’S NORTH

DECO BECOMES KSS

PRORIZE

THE 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

SAM KENNARD LIFE MEMBER SSAA I

WHO’S WHO

TEAM MEMBER PROFILES

IN THIS ISSUE Team Member Profiles

Sally Bloomfield Operations Manager Victoria

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10 Questions With...

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New Centre Opens...

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Career background: Whilst completing my Bachelor Degree I took a part time job in an industry I thought would never take off. 20 years later(!!) and I am still loving the self storage industry which has included serving two terms on the SSAA Board of Directors. Marital status? Married to Andrew. Any children? A daughter, Charli aged 2.5. She singlehandedly keeps Aldi in business, cleaning out the stores of Vanilla custard!

U.S Self Storage Conference

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Deco Becomes KSS 5 Wairau Site Update 6 Prorize 7 Google Reviews 8 New KSS Comes to Brisbanes East 9 The 4th Industrial Revolution 10 Cairns Conference 11 Sam Kennard Life Member... 12 KSS 2019 Achievement Dinner 13/14/15/16 Spotlight On... 17 What’s In The Pipeline 18 Success Through Collaboration 19 Newie Regional Huddle 19 Panthera Charitable Foundation 20 Home In A Box 20 Join The Sleepout 21 Nevs Notes 22 Kennards Community 23

Hobbies/interests: Watching sport, photography, reading, live music. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? Getting other people’s children to sleep but not my own. Favourite book: Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. Favourite movie: Love Actually or The Goonies if I want to revisit my childhood. Favourite restaurant/food: Italian – all things pasta and hot chips. Where did you grow up? Glen Waverley. My best friend and I spent our weekends riding our bikes around Glen Waverley visiting other friends and playing Tennis and Netball on any patch of land we came across. Any pets? Two cats – Pippa and Custard. Favourite holiday destinations: New York, it reminds me of Melbourne and Lorne, my favourite local getaway destination.

(Front Cover: Thomastown Victoria. Enterprise Photography)

NEXT ISSUE Deadline: November 29, 2019 Editor: Sharon Munro Email: sharon@kss.com.au Distribution: January 17, 2020

Kaz Kumar Centre Manager Auburn NSW

Career background: Bartender and Floor Coordinator at The Sapphire, Building and Commercial Sales Manager at Bunnings and Parts Interpreter at Audi Centre. Hobbies/interests: Long walks on the beach, laughing and making people laugh, watching the footy (Diehard South Sydney Rabbitohs

UPCOMING EVENTS 22/10 - Hawkes Bay Anniversary - Napier/Onekawa/ Hastings NZ - Closed 28/10 - Labour Day NZ - Mt Eden/Three Kings/ Wellington - PH hours. All other NZ centres closed

fan), coming up with gibberish, sleeping passionately, eating, annoying my pets, BBQing and Long Island Ice Teas. Do you play any sport or have any special talents? Oztag, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Professional Speed Walking, Table Tennis. Putt Putt Golf. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Surry Hills and lived on Bourke Street, It was actually pretty normal and not as hipster as it is now. I was the only brown kid in the school at the time which was very different. Any pets? Three cats, two dogs – Jessabelle, Morris, Barnie, Sonny and Roxy. Favourite holiday destinations: Thailand was pretty interesting and for a local Sydney holiday Port Stephens and Avoca Beach in Summer time! Favourite book/s: The Urban Dictionary. Favourite movie: The Wolf of Wall Street Favourite restaurant/food: Pasta, Pizza, Burgers and Schnitty’s.

2/11 - Melbourne Cup - VIC PH hours 20/11 - Christmas Party Sunshine Coast 21/11 - Christmas Party Brisbane 25-29/11 - Christmas Party NZ 28/11 - Christmas Party South Australia 29/11 - Christmas Party Victoria 6/12 - Christmas Party Sydney (ACT) 25/12 - Christmas Day - KSS Closed 26/12 - Boxing Day - KSS Closed 1/1 - New Years Day - KSS Closed

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WHO’S WHO

10 QUESTIONS... With Gary Stephenson - Assistant Manager Macquarie Park NSW

environment having worked for companies where you only see the CEO as they did their yearly rounds at Christmas time and you would get a “Hi, how are you” if you were lucky. I find Kennards to be more like the bar on the tv show Cheers “where everyone knows your name” and how you feel welcomed at THQ when you visit for training and often have a chat with Sam Kennard in the kitchen at lunch time. You really feel like you are part of the Team. Tell us about your family? Have you always lived in North Ryde? I have one sister and three nieces who I spoil rotten and enjoy catching up with. I have lived in North Ryde since I was born, Macquarie Park never existed, it was mainly empty paddocks. I live within riding/walking distance from Macquarie Park KSS. I enjoy Cycling, Walking and heading to the Gym. I complete the Spring Cycle each year which is a 50km ride over the Harbour Bridge through the city and out to Olympic Park. I also take part in the Seven Bridges Walk which is 28km walk over seven of Sydney’s iconic bridges, raising money for charity. What is your favourite food? I enjoy a good old fashioned hamburger, usually with the lot! I often take on the ‘Burger Challenge’ where I attempt to eat the largest hamburger I can order using only my bare hands (just like Bear Grylls) without making an absolute mess. Which FREEDOM value do you relate best to? Fun. I always enjoy a good laugh with customers and work colleagues. Outside of work what keeps you busy?

Gary participating in the 7 Bridges Walk

Starting with KSS in April 2010, what centre were you based at and how long did you stay there before heading over to Macquarie Park? I was hired by Darryl Hodgson as Assistant Manager for Gladesville KSS and worked there for eight years before moving to Macquarie Park last year. What previous roles/ jobs have you had? I worked for Franklins Supermarket for ten years, starting on the checkouts and working my way through multiple roles ending as an Assistant Manager. I then worked for IHG managing hotel reserva- tions for the Intercontinental/Crown Plaza and Holiday Inn Hotels before the call centre was sent to Manilla. You have been part of the KSS Team for nine years now, what changes have you seen in the storage industry within that time? I have seen a big increase in the number of people running their online businesses out of our storage facili- ties rather than having shop fronts and having to hire multiple staff to man them.

I have seen how the storage industry has implemented a lot of changes to the systems that run our business, with the advancements in technology and the way this has freed up a lot of time to carry out other tasks. What changes have you seen at KSS over the last nine years, both cultur- ally and within technology? As measured by the OCI, the massive move towards a more Constructive style culture with Teams given a lot more ownership of their centres and encour- aged in the steps they take to manage them. I have seen massive changes and improvements to the business with the advancements in technology. A lot of reporting is now run automatically, where things like Daily and End of Month Reports used to be processed individually and emailed to THQ. I have also seen the big push to give KSS its online presence with the development of our website and IDAM, allowing KSS to reach a larger audience and sign up for storage with the simple use of a smart phone.

To sum up Kennards in one word would be?

What keeps you at KSS?

Fellowship.

I find Kennards to be a very open

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FEATURE

NEW CENTRE OPENS IN MELBOURNE’S NORTH

The recent competition and opening of our new Thomastown centre is another fantastic addition to our Melbourne network.

I t was recently revealed that Melbourne’s population is about to tip over five million people and is growing at 2.5% a year. This equates to 2,300 people moving in to Melbourne every week. In contrast, constrained Sydney has 5.2 million people and is growing at 1.8% a year. This means the growth of Melbourne is a very exciting wave to ride and keeping pace is a challenge. Our new centre in Thomastown is a blend of an obsolete bulky goods retail building conversion and new purpose- built storage buildings and retail office. The building has been vacant for many years as demand for retail space shifted to other areas, then the idea of re-purposing the property into self storage emerged. There was 7,000 square metres of obsolete retail floor area and hundreds of unused car parking spaces. Working with the property owner, Les Smith, we developed an innova- tive way to adaptively re-use the retail structures, utilise dormant parking while maximising exposure to Settle- ment Road with a brand new office. After a tortured approval process

that involved an expensive and time-consuming appeal at the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), consent was finally achieved in 2017. Built by Hutchinsons, the project was delivered two weeks ahead of schedule. We opened the centre with 6,600 square metres of rentable space, and 628 spaces, including 30 open spaces. Thomastown is our 13th Melbourne location and is run by Kailiam Hood (Centre Manager) and Samantha Bezzina (Assistant Manager). The Thomastown centre will soon

be followed by one in Truganina in Melbourne’s west, where work has commenced. Later in 2020, we hope to also add Craigieburn and Cranbourne North, with others hopefully coming soon too.

Sam Kennard Chief Executive Officer

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FEATURE

U.S SELF STORAGE CONFERENCE 2019 Darren Marshall and I attended the U.S Self Storage Association’s (SSA) conference from the third of September to the sixth September in Las Vegas. The U.S SSA conference is held twice a year, a massive event for the self storage industry. Previously the conference was held at Caesar’s Palace, but with an increase in attendance the event was moved to a new home at the MGM Grand, the only hotel that can accommodate the increased numbers.

Most of the operators in the U.S have adopted centralised pricing, the same direction Kennards will be taking with Prorize. As mentioned earlier we were amazed at the level of occupancy achieved at centres with an average occupancy consistently over 90%. It was great to hear from the Teams that their focus on great customer service and creating raving fans can be the deciding factor for a customer when they are choosing who to store with in a tight competitive market. Cubesmart had an interesting approach to their reservations with an aggres- sive follow up process called 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. In short, reservations are responded to within the first 30 minutes. On the first day there are 5 touch points to the customer. • Phone call to customer, if no answer leave a message. • Call again, if no answer no message is left. • Call again, if no answer no message is left. • Call again, if no answer no message is left. • Send an email. These steps are repeated the next day but only with 4 touch points and so on. Visits like this keep our business in touch with the industry and new innova- tions that are coming through. Our decision to move to a centralised pricing system using a technology platform that includes machine learning has been evolving over recent visits to the U.S. Although we spent all our time in the hotel/conference, Vegas was an eye opener! #whathappensinvegasstaysinvegas Tony Vuong General Manager of Operations

A ttending the US Conference is always a great educational event, as it offers us the opportunity to understand what is happening in the largest storage market in the world generating ideas we can adopt back home in our business. A quick rundown on the numbers: just over 3,000 attendees, 300 vendor stands in the trade show, approxi- mately 50,000 storage centres across the U.S. As in comparison to the Australian conference with 400 attendees, 30 vendor stands and approximately 3,000 storage centres across Australia. It was said that there are more storage centres in the U.S than McDonalds stores. To say this is a huge event is an understatement. We had the opportu- nity to hear from the CEO’s of a few of the major operators including Ron Havner (Public Storage), David Rogers (Life Storage) and Mike Burnam (Storagemart) to name a few. There are many similarities when we compare the U.S market versus the Australian market. The industry has been challenged with the increase in

new supply coming into the market, putting pressure on existing centres to maintain occupancy and continue income growth. The centres operate with a similar model of one Centre Manager and one Assistant Manager. Customer service is a main focus, especially follow ups to drive conver- sion being the key ingredient to achieving an average 92% group occupancy across the major operators. Some key take aways; although automation is an increasing techno- logical advantage, the human touch is still critical in the journey of turning potential customers into a storer. Google Reviews was also a hot topic with consumers basing their decisions to transact with a business on the reviews and the businesses response to those reviews. We also had the opportunity to visit two large operators in Los Angeles, Cube Smart (www.cubesmart.com) and Storquest (www.storquest. com). Spending time with their Team which included Revenue Managers, Property buyers, Operations Managers and Team Members.

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FEATURE

DECO BECOMES KSS

AFTER

“Was feeling a little stressed about having to vacate my property with no place to move into. I spoke to Grace who was very friendly knowledgeable and knew her stuff which was very reassuring. All paperwork was moved through efficiently. Very happy with the service at Fortitude Valley, location and space. Thanks.” “We recently stored our valuables at Kennards Palmerston North while we moved house. This was the second time that we had stored goods there. Once again we were pleased with the friendly service and clean dry unit. It took us several trips to store and then empty our unit including weekdays and weekend. There was a Staff Member present each time we were there. We didn’t have to go looking for them when we needed them. I think that is great service. Thanks again.” “Exceptional customer service by Kim at St Marys. Kim made the process of booking the storage unit, quick and easy. Her friendly and happy attitude to answering all my questions seemed effort- less and made my experience a very enjoyable afternoon.”

I am pleased to update that the Deco acquisition in Onekawa, Hawkes Bay New Zealand has now successfully settled and integrated into the KSS business. F or those readers who may be unfamiliar, earlier this year we were offered and able to and shelving. Within the last three months with the help of the Onekawa Team, we have upgraded the site with our Brand

negotiate the purchase of an existing 90 unit competitor right next door to our existing Onekawa site. Settlement took place on the 31st May. It is not uncommon for storage compet- itors to be located close by; however, the Deco site was literally just over the fence. Hence it was a logical move to acquire them after doing the necessary Due Diligence. Deco was not an aggressive compet- itor, often the units were rented for lower prices by a part time owner with out any of the features and benefits that our KSS customers would experi- ence, such as PIN code access, daily lock checks or access to the box shop

colours and signage, installed PIN code gate access and educated our Deco customers on the services of Insurance, Merchandise and Parcel Pick up/Drop off. We expect this acquisition to be a good investment and strengthen our position in the Hawkes Bay storage market as the provider of choice. Out of interest, our Onekawa site was the smallest site in the NZ portfolio, now with Deco added it is now the largest square metre site in the Hawkes Bay.

Andrew Kirkham NZ Operations Manager

BEFORE

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FEATURE

WAIRAU SITE UPDATE

G ood progress has been made on site preparation to enable the building of our new Wairau Valley centre on the North Shore Auckland City. Even with all the wet weather that Auckland has been experiencing, this month has seen the completion of all necessary piling work for the building foundations, with some of these piles going to a depth of 30 metres.

Code Access to ensure sufficient lighting within the storage unit areas, without having to light up the entire building. This will reduce the operating costs and help the environment with reduced energy consumption. Stay tuned for further updates in the coming months as this building starts growing up and becomes a recognised icon in the Auckland storage market.

Enterprise Space units on the lower levels have catered for business storage or those with larger homes needing a lot of space. The regular size units on the upper levels will accommo- date everyone’s storage needs. At over 9,000 square metres of space, I would be surprised if this building was not able to assist anyone’s storage needs. With the design of modern day storage buildings, efficiency can be seen thoughout with a strategic unit mix to utilise all available space. The use of LED lighting and programming of PIN

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Spanning over 21 metres on the main traffic intersection...

Andrew Kirkham NZ Operations Manager

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This new centre is going to make an impressive addition to the Wairau Valley area, spanning over 21 metres on the main traffic intersection leading to the Northern Motorway interchange. The design of the building incorpo- rates an easy drive up to a double lift loading dock for easy access to all six levels within the building. Larger

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FEATURE

Automated Predictive Pricing Optimisation Big Data meets Machine Learning, these are the buzz words circulating in the world of technology, particularly when it comes to data innovation. When Big Data meets Machine Learning, science happens otherwise known as “AI” Artifi- cial Intelligence. Big words for a big initiative.

P rorize is described as a Pricing AI Platform™ , that rapidly identi- fies the demand patterns and customer preferences to determine the best data-driven, science-based prices. The platform incorporates the latest AI and machine learning algorithms for dynamic pricing, customer sensitivity, demand forecasting and related business conditions to recommend optimised prices at any time frequency – instantly, hourly, daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly. It’s been nine months since we first announced the change in direction for Revenue Management in our organisa- tion. Essentially we are transforming a manual decentralised approach to a completely automated technology platform, leveraging a scientific approach to pricing. That platform and function will be overseen by a dedicated Revenue Manager, a model typically employed by the airline and hospitality industries. During the time since the first announcement KSS and Prorize have been working closely together. KSS has been providing years of historical data, this data has been cleaned up to allow the Prorize technology to run its modelling to provide meaningful pricing suggestions and in turn push the updates through to Storman. We are now able to pilot the technology at selected centres. All going well a full roll out not long after.

“We stored our belongings at Napier when we were moving. Happy with the service. You pay a month in advance, however if you do not use the storage for a full month you get a refund. Padlocks available for purchase in the office. Also boxes if needed. When I booked, they followed up via phone to check if we needed extra help and to let us know about the complimentary trailer.” “Absolutely fantastic from start to finish at Murarrie!!! They made our interstate move so, so easy! They are so friendly all the time, they are all so prompt with getting back to you all the time your belongings are in storage. The storage unit is clean, secure and new. We have never had this friendly, professional, awesome experience with any other storage place. They honestly just make everything an absolute breeze and once again, so friendly and awesome!!!! Never write reviews but just had to for these guys, they are the best.” “Used Chermside a few times. Very professional and helpful staff. A modern centre with clean storage units and a modern meeting room.”

Team Members will no longer change a street rate or implement a rent increase. This process will be completely automated and we expect will occur on a daily basis. Team Members will need to ensure they print their vacant unit list daily to stay ahead of any changes. How we communicate these changes is still being worked through. Our Website will continue to collect pricing from Storman every twenty minutes. This is a major change for Kennards, and some of our Team Members may find the change a little strange and take some time getting used to it. All operators large and small in the U.S have been using centralised technology for their Revenue Manage- ment for many years. Our market is no different. In a highly competitive market operators know the performance and sustainability of their businesses depends greatly on getting pricing right and having the ability to move fast. We expect this change will have sudden and immediate impact on the pricing and performance of our business. Using technology means that we can be faster with our pricing and smarter taking in more data points to set pricing like occupancy, pipeline demand, expected move outs, compet- itor pricing and historical trends to name a few.

Darren Marshall Chief Operating Officer

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR TEAM MEMBERS?

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REVIEWS

OOGLE REVIEWS

PROSPECT NSW Staff are fantastic to deal with and storage facilities are all that you need. I rented a garage for 2.5 years from here and was happy with the service every month. Would use Prospect Kennards again when the time comes. Thank you Leng and the Team! THORNLEIGH NSW In my business I refer my clients to storage facilities across Sydney - The Thornleigh centre remains the benchmark in my experiences. I’m not one to write reviews, but Ric and the Team at Thornleigh set the pace when it comes to customer care. I look forward to sending more of my customers their way and always look forward to Ric’s warm welcoming. THREE KINGS NZ Mark and the Team at Kennards have been incredibly helpful as my partner and I relocate to NZ. They have gone above and beyond what you would expect and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for future storage options. TAURANGA NZ I would highly recommend Kennards Self Storage to store your precious belongings. I also want to commend Mike and Jiang for doing an amazing job keeping the storage area clean and tidy. Safety is their top priority too which is highly appreciated. THEBARTON SA Totally recommend Kennards, my third time I have used them. Always cheerful and very helpful in all the little ways that count. Good price for packaging material too. Cheaper second-hand boxes and partial refund for used new boxes is great. These guys are the best on the market. Especially at the Thebarton site! Well done.

NEWSTEAD QLD

PORT MELBOURNE VIC After booking with another storage facility in South Melbourne last week, I discovered after lining up my removal- ists that the centre wasn’t staffed on Sundays (my only day off) so I couldn’t get in to access my space. I was defeated, until I got onto David yesterday at Kennards who SAVED me!!! Thankfully Kennards is staffed every day and so I could come in and collect keys, etc. If I owned my own business, I’d want a whole bunch of Davids working for me! The service was next level. Thanks again David and Kennards for turning around my disastrous day. COORPAROO QLD Staff are really friendly and responsive. Great prices and staff will help you to choose the best option for your things. Is kept nice and clean, very convenient 24/7 access, trolleys available for your convenience. CROYDON PARK SA Great friendly and supportive staff to do business with. The staff not only made life easy for me but also assisted the removalist with security information and site maps. Therefore a very smooth process. Highly recommended. VERMONT VIC After storing with five different storage facilities across various suburbs, we can confidently say that this is the best one out of all of them. It feels a lot more secure than most, with individually alarmed units. They have a wide range of options available for size and we find the staff are very helpful in accommo- dating our needs. They not only offer help with unit sizes but also suggest options to get the best value for money when choosing a unit. Great facility, with all the essentials. Trolley’s are always available for use, the office is staffed not only throughout the week until 6pm but also on weekends, Fantastic staff that provide exceptional service. Highly recommended.

Why I chose Kennards Self Storage Newstead was because of the response I received from Kesson to my initial enquiry when I visited the Newstead Storage Centre. This initial response gave me the confidence that Kennards Self Storage was the right choice for me. Kesson showed me several sites that he thought may be suitable for my one bedroom unit storage needs. He spoke about the flexibility of making the final choice on the day of moving, based on the actual amount of furniture I had. He mentioned the rates for various sized storage units and that insurance, packing boxes and Complimentary Trailers were available too. Follow up calls and emails to the office with David and the team were reassuring. On the day of moving it was a seamless process for the removalist Miguel from Two Men And A Truck, coordinating with David and confirming which was the appropriate unit. It was a stress free day and a great team effort 10 out of 10. THREE KING NZ I was moved to a flat for a period of time. I needed a secured storage unit urgently that I could access 24/7. Lisa, Mark and the Team were very friendly and helpful. I checked in and stored my stuff for a few months without any hassle. Highly recommended if you need a storage space with good security facilities. AUBURN NSW I have just finished storing my stuff there for about a month. I first went into inquire about storage. Kaz was great. He explained everything clearly and helped me sign up. The process was really easy. He then showed me around the place and checked my out of hours access was setup. I moved my stuff in without any fuss they have trolleys you can use and it is really easy. They are really flexible about how long you use the storage for. I found Kaz and Nici to be friendly helpful and with strong customer service skills. I am so grateful for their help. I will definitely use them again and happily recommend Auburn.

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FEATURE

NEW KSS COMING TO BRISBANE’S EAST

R ecently one of our investor Suburbs. Located at 74-80 Shore Street West, Ormiston the site is 6,264 square metres. It is anticipated that the new self storage centre to be developed will be in excess of 14,000 square metres in GFA. Plans to be submitted to Council include two four-level buildings. ‘ IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE NEW SELF STORAGE CENTRE TO BE groups, Stevens Bros, acquired a property in Brisbane’s Eastern

With only one competitor servicing the Cleveland and surrounding seaside community, this area represents a rare opportunity to enter a relatively underserved market. What is particularly exciting is the high profile position the centre will enjoy. Combined with the imposing four storey buildings, the new Ormiston centre will

quickly become a gateway landmark.

DEVELOPED WILL BE IN EXCESS OF 14,000 SQUARE METRES IN GFA

We look forward to working with the Stevens Bros to deliver another high-quality market leading project.

Watch this space in 2020.

Sam Kennard Chief Executive Officer

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FINANCE

THE 4th INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Are we heading into the 4th Industrial Revolution? Are we going to be a part of a significant change as the world moves to a digital world? Will we all have jobs in the future? How do we prepare for this change?

T hese questions are being thrown around all the time and we cannot avoid them or hope they will go away, the world is changing and changing forever. Some technolo- gies that will change the planet over the next few years: • Mobile Internet – mobile phones and apps will continue to develop and improve our lives. Some of us would have used a map book to get from place to place. No one uses those maps anymore. • Artificial Intelligence (AI) – this is machine learning from past events and patterns and overlaying that with current data. Previously a lot of this knowledge would have been called Experience… Now we don’t need a human to tell us this information, a machine will know it and act accord- ingly. No longer will all knowledge be lost when a long term employee leaves a business – a computer will hold a lot of the knowledge. • Cloud Technology – all our software and systems will be stored somewhere else and not on our computers or servers. • Internet of Things (IOT) – more than nine billion things are connected to the Internet and this will grow signif- icantly, doubling regularly.

decide whether we need to change what and how we do our daily activities, both at work and at home. Often the concern for humans is “will my job be taken by a computer or robot?” Many of the jobs in ten years time do not currently exist. We have seen significant automation in the finance area in which we operate on a daily basis, we can achieve more with less. One area that will never change is the human factor. The factor of ‘care’ and understanding for the needs of a fellow human being. In storage, our customers always come to us because they need a service as a result of an event or change in their circumstances. Technology will help them in many ways from digital sign up, alarms and security to PIN access and auto payments. However the ‘care’ that we offer our customers, no computer or robot could ever do!! The 4th Industrial Revolution is upon us, yet for our customers ‘Storing with the People who Care’ will never change… ONE AREA THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE IS THE HUMAN FACTOR

• Advanced Robotics – this is already being seen in vehicles drones, robots, and mini helicopters. Will we be driving cars in ten years’ time or will we just get taken to where we need to be, maybe in a car or another way? • Biometric Technology – most traditional passwords will disappear in the next ten years. There will be eye, voice or fingerprint recognition. • Genomics – genetically engineered technology with changes to DNA delivering improved agricultural products, longer life expectancy and reduced reliance on fossil fuels. • Blockchain – will deliver more secure transacting and reliability on data. Currently used in virtual currencies but is growing rapidly in many other areas. • Be open to change and learning, try new things every day. • Continually look to the future and anticipate our future needs. • Businesses will need increased training for employees to continuously be ready and to understand and be prepared for the changes. • We need to look at what we do and HOW DO WE AND BUSINESSES PREPARE FOR THIS ?

Anthony Rous Chief Financial Officer

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FEATURE

CAIRNS CONFERENCE

hear how they address them.

After a couple of Seminars and hearing other people’s stories it became obvious to me that the way we conduct ourselves and the offering we have for our customers is superior. The level of knowledge our Teams have with regard to the topics mentioned above is better than what I could see in other companies. This point stuck out most when we were discussing what makes a correct Agreement. A lot of people in that seminar were asking questions that our Teams have great knowledge in. The commitment that KSS has to the development and growth of Team Members shows the passion we have for our business and our customers. The Convention ended with a Gala Awards Dinner. It was a glitz and glamour event where Awards were presented to best centres and suppliers in different categories but the big news of the evening was the presentation of the Life Member Achievement Award. This was the first Award of the evening and it was awarded to Sam Kennard. The SSAA had organised a surprise for Sam by secretly flying up his wife Claire to Cairns to be present. This is a major achievement by Sam as he is the youngest member of the SSAA who has achieved this status. Antone Boustani NSW Operations Manager

L to R: Wayne Brown (Learning & Development Manager), Chi Ly (Accountant), Antone Boustani (NSW Operations Manager), Sean Bradley (ICT Manager), Sam Kennard (CEO)

T he SSAA Convention 2019 took place in sunny Cairns from 27th to the 29th of August. Our Kennards Team consisting of Sam Kennard, Wayne Brown, Chi Ly, Sean Bradley and myself attended. The Convention takes place every year and is an opportunity for all members of the Self Storage Industry to catch up and share their stories and experiences of the past year. There was a Facility Tour on Day one where we visited three storage centres in Cairns; Cairns Beaches Storage, Big Blue Self Storage and National Storage. The centres were of various ages and quality. All the centres were clean and the Team Members we met were very nice and sounded hungry for sales. It was clear to me that we have the superior product. Things like confer- ence rooms, 24 hour access, free wifi and walkie stackers were clear ways we stood out. They all spoke of the importance of follow up calls. That stuck in my mind. It didn’t matter that they were all different companies with different

levels of training, each Team Member discussed the level of importance they put on follow up. Our competitors are hungry to sell!! THE COMMITMENT THAT KSS HAS TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF TEAM MEMBERS SHOWS THE PASSION WE HAVE FOR OUR BUSINESS AND OUR CUSTOMERS We attended some informative seminars that covered some of the things we see every day. Some topics were; Delinquent Storers, Digital Marketing, Tax, Design and Construction, Cyber Risk and an update on storage results from around the country. It was really nice to see what other companies see as challenges and to

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FEATURE

SAM KENNARD Life Member Of The Self Storage Association 2019 was the year the Self Storage Association caught up with Sam Kennard and made him an Honorary Life Member of the Association.

Kennards Self Storage to the successful and thriving business it is today. Sam is an advocate for Best Practice within the industry and he has always been very generous with his time and in the sharing of his knowledge with other operators. He is always open and willing to talk and provides wise council to others, in order to continually improve experiences and processes within the industry. Sam’s Honorary Life Membership into the Self Storage Association of Austral- asia is a significant personal and profes- sional achievement. On behalf of all who know and work with Sam, we congratulate him most warmly on this momentous Life Membership Award. Darren Marshall Chief Operating Officer TO TRULY APPRECIATE FIRST HAND SAM’S PASSION FOR SELF STORAGE AND THE INDUSTRY, YOU NEED TO TRAVEL WITH HIM OVERSEAS TO LOOK AT HOW STORAGE IS DONE AROUND THE WORLD.

L to R: Ivor Morgan (SSAA Chairman) with Sam Kennard (CEO) and Wife Claire Kennard

N ominated by his industry peers and voted by the Board, Sam Kennard became the 15th Life Member to be inducted into the Self Storage Associa- tion of Australasia (SSAA). The coveted election to Honorary Life Membership, is in recognition of Sam’s outstanding contribution to the self storage industry and the Self Storage Association of Australasia. This honour was presented by the Board at the SSAA Annual Convention and was subject to the following guidelines; Outstanding contribution by an individual to the self storage industry or the SSAA that: • Occurs over a significant time period (at least ten years). • Required substantial and commendable personal input. • Can be clearly documented and corroborated. • Included substantial contribution to the self storage industry at a local, state or national level. • Involves substantial and ongoing promotion of Best Practice within the self storage industry. Sam is the second person in the Kennards family to receive this prestig- ious recognition and Award. Sam’s father Neville was instrumental in establishing self storage in Australia following a significant visit to the U.S back in 1973 that provided inspiration to bring self storage to our shores. Neville became

an Honorary Life Member of the SSAA back in 2007, in recognition of his signifi- cant role in pioneering self storage and his many contributions to the industry as whole. Sam has continued his father’s legacy and carved his own path. Armed with a Business Degree in Land Economy and after many years working in the Kennards Self Storage business, Sam was appointed to the role of Managing Director at the ripe young age of 25 and since then has taken Kennards from strength to strength. To truly appreciate first hand Sam’s passion for self storage and the industry, you need to travel with him overseas to look at how storage is done around the world. Every couple of years a small number of Team Members from KSS travel to the U.S.A to explore the largest self storage industry in the world. In the U.S, Sam is like a kid in a candy store, walking 100 miles an hour and asking a million questions whilst looking at rows and rows of roller doors! You would think that seeing one roller door you’ve seen them all, but not Sam. On these trips, we also have a light-hearted competition to see who can spot the most self storage buildings when travelling in the car between site visits. Sam always wins. It’s this passion and enthusiasm that has seen the growth and development of

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FEATURE

The Kennards Self Storage 2019 ACHIEVEMENT DINNER

I TOOK IT AS A GOOD SIGN THAT IT HAD BEEN A SUCCESSFUL NIGHT WHEN I HEARD THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT

WE RECEIVED WAS THAT IT WENT TOO QUICK!

Miranda took out the Rookie Of The Year Award for 2019! Despite a slight misread of the run sheet and Mikeys best efforts to close out the evening early (one of which he did so well most of us thought it was part of his act!), proceedings concluded with Nicky Goodwin and Jelena Stricevic presenting the SCOTY Awards, recogni- tion for the many hard years and effort in the pursuit of Best Practice. Personally, it was a pleasure to kick the evening off and present the Raving Fan Awards for 2019. Customer Service and Sales have come a long way since I started with the business. It was great to acknowledge the Mystery Shopping achievements for so many Teams. Moving beyond basic Mystery Shopping it had been fantastic to see the Teams come along with their understanding of how we help our customers and impact on their experience. The Teams understanding of the change that the WEB has made to our lives, their adoption of Google and their passion for gaining reviews have meant we have stayed ahead of the competition. With all that we were able to present the inaugural Raving Fan Award winner to the Mayfield Team. As always, half the fun was placing new names with faces and seeing so many old friends from a long way away. I took it as a good sign that it had been a successful night when I heard the biggest complaint we received was that it went too quick! Darryl Hodgson NSW Operations Manager

crowd and keep proceedings relaxed and informal, as we like. It’s a night to celebrate the Teams’ efforts across the business and this was ideal. There were significant service milestones celebrated this year not least the increasing number of 5, 10 and 15 year veterans, capped off by Bob Dutfield and Jeff Xanthos being recognised for 20 Years Service and HK Tung for 35!!! It was heartwarming to see customers recognise Bob on the video shown from the Warrie- wood centre. Kevin Mouatt and Brad Hampson spoke particularly well about their time in the business and their achievements over the 15 years they have been part of the Team. A nice touch introduced not long ago has been the welcome of new Team Members and recognition of Hub Training centres. Wayne Brown (Training and Development Manager) had his first opportunity on stage this year to present this. The Hub Trainers making a significant contribution to the future and running of the business, inducting the new ones to the Team and being the resource for expertise that they are. There were several new faces receiving FREEDOM Awards in the iconic ‘Blade Sign Trophy’ and Cameron Rickie from

S aturday August 17th marked the coming together of the Teams nationwide and New Zealand to celebrate the annual Kennards Self Storage Achievement Dinner. For a fresh perspective a new venue was chosen this year. The Team settling on the newly opened Pullman Hotel Mascot and its stylish conference room. With a stage wide branded backdrop and new-gen audio and lighting, marking a step up for the event, credit to the organising Team. MC for the evening, revered radio host, comedian, presenter and media person- ality Mikey Robins kept the evening moving along interspersed with enough jokes and good humour to entertain the

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FEATURE

L to R: 5 Years Service - Top left: Presenter Tony Vuong (General Manager Ops), Joshua Johnston (Napier), Kailliam Hood (Preston), Colin Haden (Fyshwick), Varsha Samji (Pymble), Shavarne Scanlan (Mittagong). Middle: Amy Ferguson (Warana). Top right: Mark Mallinson (Warrawong). Absent: Raymond Adams (Browns Plains), Brianna Burns (Moore Park), Medhat George (Castle Hill), Jai Tripathi (Rozelle), Nigel Boundy (TSM NSW).

L to R: 10 Years Service - Top left: Presenter Darren Marshall (COO), Charles Shepherd (TSM Vic), Trudy Iacobucci (North Melbourne). Middle: Emily Fiala (TSM NSW/ACT). Top right: Matthew O’Brien (Parramatta).

L to R: 15, 20 and 35 Years Service - Top left 15 Years: Presenter Darren Marshall (COO), Kevin Mouatt (Murarrie), Brad Hampson (Hornsby). Middle 20 Years: Bob Dutfield (French Forest), Presenter Sam Kennard (CEO), Jeff Xanthos (THQ). Top right 35 Years: Presenter Sam Kennard (CEO), HK Tung (THQ).

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FEATURE

The Kennards Self Storage 2019 ACHIEVEMENT DINNER

L to R: Special Distinction Awards - Top left: Presenters Jelena Stricevic (NSW Ops Manager ) and Nicky Goodwin (QLD Ops Manager), Newstead Centre, North Melbourne Centre, Hornsby Centre, Wellington Centre. Absent: Klemzig Centre, Prospect Centre. Raving Fan Award - Top right: Brooke Cochrane and Melissa Forrester Mayfield Centre with Presenter Darryl Hodgson (NSW Ops Manager). Raving Fan Special Mention: Kailiam Hood and Rachel Iry (absent) Preston, Matt O’brien (absent) and Debbie Jones (absent) Parramatta.

L to R: SCOTY Gold - Top left: Presenters Jelena Stricevic (NSW Ops Manager ) and Nicky Goodwin (QLD Ops Manager), Belmont Centre, Artarmon2 Centre, Macquarie Park Centre, Mittagong Centre, Warriewood Centre, Sandgate Centre, Hawthorn Centre, Pymble Centre, Seaford Meadows Centre, Petersham Centre, Moore Park Centre, North Lakes Centre, Frenchs Forest Centre, Miranda Centre, Kirrawee Centre. Absent: Warrawong Centre, Chullora Centre, Adelaide Airport Centre, Prospect Centre, Castle Hill Centre, St Marys Centre, Klemzig Centre, North Melbourne Centre, Croydon Park Centre, Ivanhoe Centre, Erina Centre, Rydalmere Centre, Mona Vale Centre. Top right: FREEDOM Certificates: Ophelia Keshishian (CCC). Absent: Kim Simpson (St Marys), Greg Cullen (TSM Newcastle).

L to R: Rookie Award - Far left: Presenters Andrew Kirkham (NZ Ops Manager) and Sam Kennard (CEO), Cameron Rickie (Miranda). L to R: FREEDOM Awards - Left: Presenter Sam Kennard (CEO), Anthony Heng (Marickville), Simon Spring (Wellington), Lenci Taylor (Belmont), Jared Mobbs (Brookvale), Kellie Robley (Coorparoo) and presenter Andrew Kirkham (NZ Ops Manager).

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FEATURE

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PROPERTY

SPOTLIGHT ON Penrith

KENNARDS EXPANDS INTO FAST FOOD! WHO NEEDS A DRINK MACHINE WHEN WE NOW HAVE FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS AND A CAFE!

K ennards Self Storage Penrith is located 50km west of Sydney and at the foot of the Blue Mountains. We don’t have far to go for lunch now! The Kennards land that lay vacant for the past ten years has now been transformed into three new restau- rants, being leased by Kennards to Oporto’s, Starbucks and Zambrero with an additional building ready for future tenants. All with drive through, this sure will be a hit with the locals and the Kennards Team. Previously customers would see the side of our building from a busy main road and then would need to find us at the end of a cul-de-sac in a nearby street. With the entry and exit of the restaurant precinct located in the street leading into Kennards we are now in the customers face, having greater exposure than ever before. With the extra traffic, we hope to see an increase of customers walking through our door and to be the go to destination for boxes and storage. The fast food precinct has now been open since late August, with a lot of activity across the restaurants. We look forward to building our relationship with our new fast food tenants. Plans have been submitted to council for the development of 250 apartments to be built behind Kennards. With recent high rise developments nearby, the area is turning into the ‘Gold Coast’ of Penrith.

The newly constructed Kennards building with a ride in hoist adds an extra two level building with 100 storage units offering 870 spaces across eight buildings. With 64 open spaces the centre proves to be a popular choice for the local tradie, business customers, grey nomads and boat enthusiasts. The centre also has a dedicated Enterprise Spaces section with 31 units ranging from 54 square metres to 135 square metres which always has high occupancy. We have lots of driveway units. Storers tend to opt for the convenience of the driveway. There is lots of room to load and unload. Our centre is ‘massive’! Our Team is focused on providing a memorable hassle free experience for our customers; this is reflected well in our ever increasing Google Reviews and a lot of returning storers. Our centre also has a large number of Parcel Point customers. We love this extra traffic and the awareness that this brings. It’s been a busy day with a lot of customer traffic, it’s time for a Starbucks coffee! Neil Pardoe - Centre Manager Monti Sehrawat - Assistant Manager Andrew Partin - Assistant Manager

Neil Pardoe Kennards Self Storage Penrtih

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PROPERTY

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE

Wairau Valley NZ : After a challenging start we have now completed the foundation stage. On Completion the centre will boast a six storey building comprising 856 storage units.

Pymble NSW : The latest expansion for this centre is open for business, adding an extra 126 spaces.

Wollongong NSW : KSS are building a new 6,500 square metre three storey building to the rear of the centre. Patterson Building Group have started on site with initial earthworks and pavement demolition. Due for completion in April 2020.

Truganina VIC : Regis Building are underway with earthworks for this new storage centre West of Melbourne. The entire development is for five self storage buildings. Stage one involves construction of the first two buildings, new office, customer car parking and outdoor storage parking. Due for completion in May 2020.

Michael Macheledt & Craig Henery Development & Construction Team

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SUCCESS THROUGH COLLABORATION

A ugust and September saw the return of the KSS Skillbuilder program. Skillbuilder is a biannual one day training course open to every Team Member in the business. Its focus is to provide updates on new initiatives and any changes to Best Practise guidelines. Whether it’s a refresher on OCI (Organisational Cultural Inventory) or the roll out of the ‘YES WE CAN’ framework, ultimately the goal of the program is to continually set Team Members up for success! Main topics this year included maximising the effectiveness of our insurance sales Best Practise. This

session included guidance on conversa- tion starters, adding value, overcoming objections and increasing customer awareness. I’m pleased that content discussed in this session was sourced in part directly from the KSS network. We also covered how to have a difficult conversation. This session aimed to further empower Team Members when challenging conversations are required. We focused not only on customer interactions like delinquent manage- ment but also potential challenges when dealing with fellow Team Members. Primary learning outcomes were about ownership, being constructive and keeping conversations on track.

The timing of this years program also served as a great opportunity to discuss Prorize, Google Reviews and gather feedback on Atlas. Skillbuilder provides a great opportu- nity to continue to drive success through collaboration and sharing diverse ideas, this was evident across the sessions.

In my time with the business I have not encountered a Team Member unwilling to share the secrets to their success. It’s confirmation of the huge value our Team Members add to the business every day, something not easily replicated by our competitors. Wayne Brown Training and Development Manager NEWIE REGIONAL HUDDLE The Newcastle Huddle hosted by Di and Michelle at Cardiff KSS was full of laughs and of course stories about storage.

It was quite the sight with Team Members arriving in their safety gear and ear muffs. The theme for the night was “Safety First”. Everyone was treated to great food and a lovely welcome platter of cheeses and antipasto meats. It was wonderful to see everyone attend. The Team took the opportunity to welcome Jelena to the region as their Operations Manager and to kick me out as their outgoing Operations Manager. Tony Vuong General Manager of Operations

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