50 Years of Access Self Storage

This year we’re celebrating 50 years of Access Self Storage! From a single paper-based location to a company serving communities across the Northeast, it’s been a long journey built on innovation and a lot of firsts. Here’s a look back at how we got here.

From Paper Files to the Digital Age

Access Self Storage got its start in 1976, with a complete paper-based system, no computers or smartphones in sight. Just a few years later, in 1981, computers were introduced into the operation, and the transformation never really stopped. Over the years, we have moved from yellow pages to the internet, added social media to our marketing mix, and shifted our web design from desktop to mobile-first, often ahead of the competition in our markets. Today, that same forward-thinking approach is continuing to shape how we prepare for AI’s growing role in how customers search for storage.

Firsts That Shaped the Industry

Access Self Storage has a long history of pioneering.  We built the first self-storage property  in the greater NY metro area, introduced the first climate-controlled drive-up units in the 1990s, and were the first to offer “Rent Online” before the pandemic and before the REITs. We were also behind WHAM, an individual door alarm system, that became the industry’s key feature for decades, which is still running at some of our properties today. 

A People First Philosophy

If there’s one word that has guided Access for the last 50 years, it’s: family. Our belief in treating customers and our employees better than anywhere else has materialized in many ways. From a Net Promoter Score of +75, national Self Storage Association Hall of Fame recognition, and the countless team members and tenants who have been with us for decades. 

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Through recessions, industry shifts, and societal changes, one philosophy has remained constant. Do the right thing, invest in great people, and the business will follow. It’s carried us through the last 50 years, and it will continue to guide us through the next.