Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Hawks.
Hi Joshua, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My Father, Sid Hawks came to our current property in 1984 seeking to have a place for his current business to park its trucks and build a warehouse for his metal building manufacturing. Dad had designed and built multiple mini-storage facilities and decided to use some of our land to start one here in Mt. Juliet, TN. We started with just 20 units and today have 321 including 20 inside our warehouse. Eventually, we look to have 300 units inside the warehouse climate controlled. In 2000 we started our truck rental business, and I started full-time in 2007. The truck rental business and mini-storage warehouses go well together. Currently, we are the only storage facility in Mt. Juliet still owned and operated by citizens of Mt. Juliet. We are hoping to have a third generation in the business by 2035.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was a struggle to start mini-storage in the 1980s because banks were having so many small places fail and sell out to larger conglomerates for pennies on the dollar. In 2011 we lost our partnership with a truck leasing company and were able to find a new partner 6 months later and still have a strong partnership with that company. Business has to adapt to market changes and in 2019 we started accepting electronic/credit card payments with our mini-storage.
As you know, we’re big fans of U Stor It. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are the only locally owned self-storage facility in Mt. Juliet and the only Budget Truck Rental provider. We strive to serve families and small businesses in transition. Moving is difficult and we seek to make the experience easier to deal with and enjoyable enough that our customers want to tell their family and friends about their experience. We are proud to have local moving companies, painters, and other small contractors come back to us for meeting their needs with professionalism and compassion.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Integrity and character in how we conduct business and treat our community. Customers have 24/7 access to the property but not 24/7 access to us. It is important to set clear expectations and boundaries with customers.
Pricing:
- 5 x 10 units $70 / month
- 5 x 15 units $85 / month
- 10 x 10 units $110/ month
- 10 x 20 units $160 / month
- 12 x 25 units $225 / month
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ustoritmj.net
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UStorItMJ
