YYC Storage gives its customers their space
Two young men who started their careers in the financial sector decided one day over coffee that they should start their own business while still young enough to take the risk.
Torey Celinskis and Trevor Loose first met eight years ago while working at Scotiabank. Celinskis later joined Cormark Securities while Loose moved into investment banking at National Bank. The two remained friends and found themselves sharing the same employment goals.
During a visit to San Francisco, Celinskis discovered a company in the moving business that picked up smaller items and stored them for clients. It was a big change from the traditional way of having to pack up unneeded items and transport them to a rented storage unit.
After studying the needs of Calgarians, particularly those living in the growing condo/apartment market, the friends launched YYC Storage, a business that provides same-day, on-demand pickup and drop-off to its storage facility.
“We noticed how condo sizes were shrinking in Calgary and wanted to provide an affordable storage solution to those that needed to downsize,” says Celinskis.
“Some of the newer units are averaging less than 500 square feet, and for a city that takes full advantage of the outdoors, people need a place to store their possessions.”
They began to plan the launch of their new business in October, 2015, and found an ideal 3,300-square-foot warehouse to lease in the Manchester district. They had to purchase a secondhand cargo van, secure insurance and 500 plastic boxes before launching a website and a social media campaign to market the business.
The two expected their early customers would want to store items like tires and sports equipment, but the early demand was for storage of Christmas trees and decorations.
YYC Storage delivers plastic boxes to customers. Once filled, the containers are picked up — any day of the week — for transport to its warehouse.
Bar coding allows boxes to be easily reclaimed. Customers log in to their “online closet,” click on items they want to retrieve and within 24 hours they’re delivered to the customer’s door.
“Since launching, we have stored all kinds of items; anything from business files and papers, seasonable wardrobes, to canoes and even larger items like furniture — we’ve seen it all,” Loose said.
Most customers today are residents of downtown or the Beltline who required extra space in their living quarters.
Celinskis and Loose also help customers who may decide that certain items can be thrown out instead of stored. When delivering the boxes they also drop off bags for charitable partner Goodwill Industries and deliver donations to the Macleod Trail store without charge.
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Orange Group Commercial Real Estate and McLeod Law will present a real estate forum to help businesses navigate the commercial market in the current economy. It will take place the morning of March 14 at the St. Louis Hotel.