PATRON FOCUS
STORAGE FIRM lays down roots in Wandsworth With 60 stores nationwide - including stores in Battersea and Wandsworth - the company’s friendly local teams help their customers choose the right storage unit for them, which could be anything from the size of a locker to the size of a football pitch.
“Businesses may need storage space to facilitate their expansion – for example, when they’re moving from one office to another. We provide flexible, secure storage units from the size of a small locker to larger than a tennis court, and would even be able to provide such a business office space. We also offer parking, mailboxes and even offer storage by the box services with free delivery and collection.”
GARETH MORRIS has led an interesting and varied career. He spent several years as a shift leader at mobile tech giant Nokia before being made redundant. After travelling the world, he returned to the UK and “sort of fell into” a role at Access Self Storage, which helps individuals and businesses find a temporary place to store their goods.
Gareth joined Access as an assistant store manager 18 years ago and quickly climbed the ranks, being promoted to store manager and then regional manager. Now he’s the operations manager, overseeing the performance of his teams, fine-tuning operational processes and creating add-on services that have brought significant additional revenue streams to the business. The company offers everything from storage space to office space, parking facilities and mailing services, and tailors its offering to the specific needs of individual clients. Gareth says: “Self-storage is a growing market in the UK. We offer all sorts of solutions. Sometimes we cater for an urgent need – say, if someone suddenly moves out of their home following the break-up of a relationship. For others it’s a lifestyle choice; they may need to make space at home or store furniture while they decorate, for example. “Businesses may need storage space to facilitate their expansion – when they’re moving from one office to another, for example. We offer secure units from 10 sq ft to +10,000 sq ft and flexible office space to rent, as well as add-on services such as telephone answering and records management.
With such a strong presence locally, it made sense for Access to get involved with Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce to cement its links with businesses in the borough. Steve Pinto, the Chamber’s CEO, used to work at Access so it was a logical step for the firm to become a Chamber patron. Gareth says: “We’ve seen many benefits of having patron status. It wasn’t just a case of going to Chamber events and finding other members who needed our services; it was more about making connections, generating ideas and supporting each other – especially through these difficult last few months. For instance, we’ve helped Barclays Bank promote their COVID corporate support packages to local firms and Barclays has referred business to us. It’s all about helping each other. “Since becoming a patron we’ve built up great relationships with Battersea Power Station, the local council and a host of other businesses. Kudos must go to Steve Pinto and his team for the work they’ve done with local businesses; Wandsworth is one of the strongest Chambers that we’ve ever worked with.” Business Connexions | 17
