Gordon Burnam, an ambitious entrepreneur who lived for the energy of business deals, was on the lookout for his next big idea in 1972. He had already founded companies like Suburban Sanitation, Rockbottom\u2019s Home Care Center, and a slew of others, but Gordon wanted more. So, Gordon and his wife packed their four kids into their station wagon on a rainy day in Brownsville, TX during their vacation and drove around in search of inspiration.<\/p>\n
It was on that gloomy, wet day that Gordon decided his next big venture would be in self storage \u2013 not knowing at the time just how successful his idea would become!<\/p>\n
At StorageMart, we know a lot about providing clean, easy, and friendly service<\/a>. But thanks to Gordon and the entire Burnam family, we\u2019re also proud experts in something few large companies are: Family!<\/p>\n After that family vacation in Texas, Gordon ran with his idea and founded Storage Trust, opening his very first self storage store on Rangeline St. in Columbia, MO. He quickly took the company public in 1994, and it was then acquired by Public Storage in 1999.<\/p>\n This gave Gordon and the rest of the Burnam family the chance to form another self storage company called StorageMart. The company took the industry by storm in the early 2000s, using non-traditional buildings like mid-rise office buildings to provide self storage to urban families.<\/p>\n Even after his retirement, Gordon continued to stay involved, as it gave him a chance to be close to his family and watch the company grow.<\/p>\n \u201cHe loved to attend the Monday meetings and always had a special seat next to the head of the table,\u201d Sadie Burnam-Schaumburg recalled. \u201cHe was even given an office to spend time in during his weekly trips to the home office. He didn\u2019t have a lot of patience to hang out in there, but he enjoyed making the rounds and keeping the team on their toes.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, StorageMart is the largest, privately-owned storage company in the world with more than 220 locations in three countries. All four of Gordon\u2019s children are involved in the company, and now their own children and even one grandchild play a role in the company, making StorageMart a fourth generation family-operated business.<\/p>\n As a family-run business<\/a>, we understand how important it is to spend time with your family, friends and community (it\u2019s not uncommon to see kids in our corporate office!). That\u2019s why we believe self storage is more than just a place to store belongings you no longer want in your home.<\/p>\n Self storage is an opportunity to do more of the things you love and want to do. When you don\u2019t have to clean your home or worry about your valuables each time you leave, you can spend more time with family, get more involved in your community, and travel to more places on your bucket list.<\/p>\n At StorageMart, we care about the families we serve and are committed to giving back to all our communities through our Store It Forward program<\/a>. In 2018 alone, we donated more than $281,000 to charities and over $520,000 in free rent to charities in the US, UK, and Canada.<\/p>\n Gordon Burnam started this business from the ground up with a simple idea and the hope of serving his community, and we\u2019re proud to carry on his mission and serve all your storage needs!<\/p>\n If you\u2019re interested in finding out more about StorageMart, you can read more about how we\u2019re family-oriented<\/a>. If you\u2019re on the verge of moving or if clutter has been holding you back, rent a unit online<\/a>\u00a0today.<\/p>\nHow We Became a Fourth Generation Family Business<\/h2>\n
How Being Family-Operated Makes StorageMart Stand Out<\/h2>\n
Discover More about StorageMart<\/h2>\n