In the bustling beach town of Murrells Inlet, SC, Store-It-All storage facilities are a testament to both security and customer service. The area is growing quickly, with more families and businesses moving in every year. This growth created a greater demand for sophisticated storage facilities that customers could trust to care for their belongings. In 2021, Jeremy Hardwick started Store-It-All and enlisted the help of Marshall Merritt of MK Consulting to implement a ProdataKey (PDK) cloud access system. The choice to go with PDK has transformed the storage experience for customers and management alike.
The Store-It-All facility in Murrells Inlet, SC, is a newly built nine-building complex that stretches over seven acres. The complex has close to 600 units, securing various items for clients ranging from furniture to cars, grand pianos, motorhomes, shipments for global distribution, and just about anything else. Store-It-All works with customers for both personal and business needs, delivering an exceptional storage experience that offers climate-controlled units, flexible access, and trusted security.
Prioritizing Security
When customers leave their belongings at Store-It-All, whether for weeks, months, or even years, they trust that they will be protected and well-cared for. Store-It-All is responsible for maintaining high security, especially in the wake of recent break-ins at other storage facilities in the community.
“In this area, four different storage complexes have been broken into in the last 12 months with multiple units stolen from each complex,”
says Marshall.
Store-It-All was the first storage complex Jeremy had ever opened, but he knew that robust security was the priority. When considering the technologies and infrastructure to put in place, Jeremy turned to Marshall from MK Consulting, a locally operated technology consulting company that specializes in offering custom solutions for businesses. Marshall recommended ProdataKey for its advanced security and cloud-based features.
MK Consulting delivered a comprehensive solution, integrating PDK’s access control with Turing’s video surveillance solutions—the implementation of such a complete technology ecosystem offered heightened security, flexibility, and ease of use.
“A lot of people move from other storage facilities to us because we have the technology that a lot of places don’t have,”
says Jeremy.
The PDK Solution
The PDK installation at Store-It-All, Murrells Inlet, SC, was a massive undertaking. Today, the site has 61 doors, two gates, and over 200 cameras spanning hundreds of thousands of square feet. The system is completely ethernet-based for maximum reliability, with 34 network switches connected to 9000 feet of 10G fiber. After the first site’s success, Jeremy expanded the system to his recently opened second Store-It-All location in Pawleys Island, SC.
PDK secures the exterior and internal hallway doors of the nine different buildings in the complex. The buildings are segmented into three quadrants, so a customer can only access the section where their unit is. The system “eliminates people from wandering through the facility and being able to access somebody else’s unit,” explains Jeremy. This level of controlled access isn’t typical for most storage facilities. Other facilities may operate with only a few readers on the entire complex.
“We just have a higher level of security here, and that’s why we don’t have the problems that other facilities do,”
explains Marshall.
ProdataKey secures access to the two exterior gates of the complex, one for entry and exit, using the PDK Red Pedestal controllers. The gates for entry are on an auto-open schedule during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 AM-5 PM. However, to leave the facility through the exit gate, customers must enter a PIN or use their mobile credentials at the keypad reader. If someone tailgates a customer upon entry, they won’t be able to get out without catching management’s attention.
All the exterior doors are fitted with PDK Rugged keypad readers. Being so close to the ocean, the team had to consider hardware that could withstand harsh conditions when designing the system. PDK Rugged readers are built for durability and are constructed with zinc alloy housing. They are resistant to salt water and air moisture damage, making them an ideal choice for this setting.
Integrating ProdataKey with Turing’s surveillance lets the Store-It-All management team easily monitor and track who enters the facility and when— mitigating the risk of unauthorized access and potential theft. PDK’s advanced reporting gives the team comprehensive insight into access activity, which could prove crucial if there are ever security issues or suspicious activity on the property.
With almost two hundred cameras throughout, some even inside premium individual units, the site pushes over a terabyte of data a day of high-definition footage. The PDK and Turing integration enables management to quickly filter through activity. “Trying to filter through all of that footage, without this integration, would take hours, whereas now it can take minutes,” says Marshall. The integration gives the facility quick snapshots of all access events, such as forced entry, which teams can access under one unified interface.
Unparalleled Convenience for Customers
One of the vital advantages of the PDK system is its ability to grant customers access outside traditional operating hours. Store-It-All uses mobile app and pin credentials “just because it's easier for our customers,” says Jeremy. Current or prospective customers can access the facility under extended hours for more flexibility.
If a new customer wants to check out a unit outside of business hours, Jeremy could give them access even if he’s miles away.
“If we had to have a key or fob, we’d have to program it and physically get it to them. So, you could potentially lose that sale at the end of the day,”
explains Marshall. This level of accessibility is critical to the storage industry and aligns exactly with Store-It-All’s commitment to customer service and convenience.
The Power of PDK for Management
The ProdataKey app and PDK.io web-browser interface enable anytime access to the system software. This gives Jeremy and his management team the ability to make changes to the system, monitor activity, and grant or revoke access for customers in real time.
Jeremy employs management staff on-site during business hours, but the team can remotely access the system on the weekend. If a customer has trouble accessing their unit or needs other assistance, the team can help them 24/7. “The mobile app allows them to never miss a sale because they can use the Manage function to add new customers, allow for after hours access, and get a health status of their facility, all from their Phone. It can't get more efficient,” Marshall points out.
The flexibility of PDK makes it extremely straightforward to give access to new customers. “We just log in, enter their names, and give them access to the building they need to get into,” says Jeremy. Management can also instantly revoke access for customers who miss their payments. To further simplify this process, the team has plans to integrate Store-It-All’s customer portal with PDK, utilizing the platform’s Open API.
For Marshall Merritt and MK Consulting, the installation of PDK at Store-It-All has been a significant milestone. Recognizing the growing customer need, MK Consulting first started working with ProdataKey roughly four years ago and has since cultivated a strong partnership. With a cloud-based system that minimizes truck rolls, simplifies installations, and offers remote troubleshooting capabilities, MK Consulting has played a pivotal role in enhancing the operations at Store-It-All.
The success of ProdataKey for Store-It-All, made possible by MK Consulting, represents the power of advanced cloud access control. Both customers and management benefit from the strong security and flexibility of the PDK platform. With technology-driven solutions and a commitment to customer service, Store-It-All has set a new standard for storage facilities nationwide.
Joe Fitch from Assure Tech joins the Big Access Podcast to talk about installing PDK at a storage facility.
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