eKourier Oct 2019

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

12 Kennards Kourier Oct 2019