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Ruralpalooza on the Road: What ABR Saw in Prescott Valley

Sometimes the best way to understand a market is to get out from behind the desk and see it for yourself.

During AZSA’s recent Ruralpalooza trip to the Prescott Valley area, Scott with ABR joined us on the road to visit self-storage facilities, meet operators face-to-face, and get a firsthand look at how the market is changing.

For Scott, the trip was more than an opportunity to introduce ABR to local operators. It was a chance to do some real-world reconnaissance.

He wanted to see how properties were performing, what owners were investing in, what new development looked like and, perhaps most importantly, how independent operators are positioning themselves for what comes next.

Looking at the Market Through a Different Lens

As ABR works with self-storage properties on renovations, rebranding and capital improvements, Scott looks at facilities through the lens of an owner’s long-term options.

Are they preparing to compete? Are they considering refinancing? Could they eventually sell? And if they intend to keep operating, what investments will help the property remain competitive?

Those questions are becoming increasingly important as facilities built during the significant development period of roughly 2017 through 2024 mature and markets continue to evolve.

The Prescott Valley trip gave Scott an opportunity to look beyond individual facilities and consider what might be happening across the market.

One operator, for example, was interested in creating a more standardized brand across a portfolio of approximately eight properties — exactly the type of work ABR regularly encounters when facilities are acquired, renovated or repositioned.

But the trip was not about making an immediate sale.

It was about understanding the market, identifying potential needs and learning where operators may be headed over the next several years.

Your Property Is Your Billboard

One of Scott’s biggest takeaways for independent operators was also one of the simplest: Your property is your billboard.

Every person who drives past a self-storage facility sees an advertisement for that business, whether the operator intended to create one or not.

Signage, landscaping, pavement, doors, fencing, cleanliness, and the office's appearance all communicate something about the property.

A well-maintained facility can signal quality and value before a prospective tenant ever walks through the door or makes a phone call. A property that looks neglected may create a very different first impression.

That doesn’t mean every independent facility needs major renovation.

In fact, Scott saw a wide range of properties during Ruralpalooza — from older facilities and gravel lots to exceptionally maintained properties and newer storage concepts.

The key question is whether the property's appearance matches where the owner wants the business positioned in the market.

Small Improvements Can Make a Big Difference

For an established facility, becoming more competitive doesn't necessarily require tearing everything apart and starting over.

ABR often helps operators identify improvements based on the property's needs and the owner's budget.

A project might begin with the most visible areas of the facility: repainting the front, updating signage and branding, re-striping the parking lot or refreshing the rental office.

From there, an operator might consider improvements to gates and access systems, roll-up doors, exterior metal, flooring, office fixtures or other areas of the property.

Even an older office can often be refreshed without a complete rebuild. Existing cabinetry or desks may be reused, refinished or modified rather than replaced, allowing the facility to create a cleaner, more professional appearance while controlling costs.

For some owners, that type of “light remodel” may be all that is needed.

For others, improvements can become part of a much larger renovation or rebranding project.

The key is determining what will provide the greatest value for that particular property.

A Changing Prescott Valley Market

The Ruralpalooza visits also revealed just how much is happening around Prescott and Prescott Valley.

New housing, infrastructure and development are changing the surrounding communities, while new and existing self-storage properties continue to compete for customers.

Scott also noticed storage concepts beyond the traditional rows of units.

Portable storage was one example. He visited a facility using branded portable units that can be delivered to a customer's home, filled and then returned to the storage property.

Another opportunity he sees developing is flex space — larger storage or warehouse-style spaces that can accommodate contractors, equipment or businesses supporting new development and infrastructure projects.

Unlike traditional month-to-month self-storage, some of these spaces may be leased for significantly longer periods.

The need became especially tangible during one stop when someone with heavy equipment arrived looking for a place to store it.

For Scott, moments like that are exactly why seeing a market in person matters. You begin to see not only what exists today, but what kinds of storage needs may be developing around it.

Independent Operators Still Have an Advantage

Ruralpalooza also highlighted something uniquely valuable about smaller and independent operators.

Many of these businesses have deep roots in their communities.

A facility manager may have been at the same property for a decade. The owner may already know their local painter, electrician, or contractor. Their customers may be neighbors, friends or people they have done business with for years.

That local connection is difficult to duplicate.

But relationships alone don't mean operators can ignore the physical condition or technology of their properties.

As larger operators increasingly explore secondary and tertiary markets, established independents may find themselves competing with newly renovated, rebranded or highly automated facilities.

Sometimes relatively modest changes — improving the appearance of the property, upgrading technology or adding automation — can help an established facility operate more efficiently while preserving the local character that makes it successful.

Property Improvements Don't Have to Happen All at Once

One of the most practical ideas Scott shared was to think about property improvements as a multi-year capital plan rather than a single overwhelming project.

An operator might begin this year by repainting the frontage and refreshing the office.

Next year's capital budget might address doors or access systems.

A later phase could include painting the entire property or tackling larger improvements.

ABR can help operators walk through a facility, identify priorities, and create a roadmap for those improvements.

Costs will naturally change over time, so a bid today will not necessarily remain the same for several years from now. But creating a plan gives owners a framework for budgeting and prevents them from waiting until a new competitor opens down the street to begin thinking about their property.

By then, they may already be playing catch-up.

Why Face-to-Face Visits Still Matter

At the end of the trip, the question was simple: Was Ruralpalooza worth the time?

For Scott, the answer was an emphatic yes.

The value wasn't measured by whether someone signed up for or requested a service quote during the visit.

It was an opportunity to talk with operators, walk properties, observe development and understand where the market may be going.

A facility visit can reveal things that financial reports, photographs, and market data simply can't.

What is being built nearby? What kinds of customers are coming into the market? What condition are competing facilities in? Where are operators investing? What new needs are beginning to emerge?

Those conversations also create relationships long before an operator needs a contractor, consultant or industry resource.

That is part of what Ruralpalooza is designed to accomplish: bringing AZSA, our associate members and Arizona's self-storage operators together where they do business.

Because sometimes the most valuable intelligence comes from simply getting in the car, hitting the road, and having a conversation.

F. Scott Collins  |  VP of Innovation & Growth

F. Scott Collins is the Vice President of Innovation and Growth at Accent Building Restoration (ABR), where he leads strategic expansion, client development, and modern operational initiatives. Over a dynamic career at ABR that includes senior leadership roles across sales, business development, and regional operations, Scott has guided large-scale exterior restoration and multi-facility capital improvement projects across multiple states. A U.S. Navy veteran with a background in maritime navigation, Scott pairs disciplined leadership and rigorous planning with a forward-looking approach to the commercial restoration industry.