Top-ranked national facility-management company modernizes remotely managed operations across its East Coast portfolio with a new revenue stream
[Atlanta, GA – November 3, 2026] – Packed Planet Self Storage Solutions, the #33-ranked facility-management company on the 2026 Inside Self-Storage Top-Operators List, and StorageDefender Inc., the pioneer of Smart Units-as-a-service, today announced the portfolio-wide rollout of StorageDefender Smart Units across Packed Planet’s East Coast portfolio. The rollout gives owners a new recurring revenue stream and gives tenants real-time visibility into activity inside their storage units.
Modernization and Proven Revenue
In January 2026, Packed Planet began with a four-facility pilot. After quickly seeing tenant interest and adoption, the company has since rolled out StorageDefender across its 47-facility portfolio. During the July to September period, 7 out of 10 new tenants adopted the Smart Unit service, and many of Packed Planet’s existing tenants are now upgrading into Smart Units.
“Owners count on us to bring them proven ways to modernize their facility while growing revenue,” said Tom Nicholson III, President of Packed Planet Self Storage Solutions. “StorageDefender created the Smart Unit as-a-service category and has years of results behind it. We saw that same success in our pilot and decided to accelerate our expansion as such.”
Tenant-Valued Unit Activity
Many tenants already rely on smart home technology, and Smart Units bring that same real-time visibility to their storage unit. Since adding the service, Packed Planet has received positive feedback directly from tenants, both at the counter and in five-star Google reviews.
“One of our tenants had her home burglarized and was storing her belongings with us while she moved,” said Kelley Styer, Director of Operations at Packed Planet Self Storage Solutions. “When she heard we were now offering Smart Units, she was thrilled. Now she’ll know the moment activity happens in her unit. That’s real peace of mind, and it’s what every tenant wants for their belongings.”
Pairing Remote Operational Excellence With Smart Platform Visibility
Much of Packed Planet’s portfolio is managed remotely through its hub operations model. Smart Units give tenants direct visibility into their units, and combined with Smart Zones, they give operators broader activity intelligence. Through the StorageDefender Web Management Portal, Packed Planet’s team gets activity-level reporting and actionable insights across every location from one login, a single-pane-of-glass approach to centrally managed remote operations.
“We’re grateful to the Packed Planet team for the trust they’ve placed in us given they build much of their own technology stack,” said Mark Cieri, CEO of StorageDefender. “They are adding revenue for their owners, their tenants are gaining peace of mind, and their results are growing every month. That’s what happens when a great operator and a proven platform work together.”
To learn more, meet the Packed Planet team at Booth #707 during the MSM Show, November 4-6, 2026, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, or visit StorageDefender at Booth #518 during the Texas Self Storage Association Conference, November 4-6, 2026, at the JW Marriott Austin.
About Packed Planet Self Storage Solutions: Packed Planet Self Storage Solutions is a technology and management solutions company dedicated to helping self-storage operators maximize the performance of their facilities. Packed Planet provides flexible solutions that help owners improve efficiency, enhance the customer experience, and drive sustainable growth. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, and serving the industry since 1973, Packed Planet ranks #33 on the Inside Self-Storage 2026 Top-Operators List of facility-management companies. Learn more at packedplanet.com.
About StorageDefender Inc.: StorageDefender is the pioneer and leading national technology provider of Smart Units for self-storage owners and operators. Since creating the Smart Units-as-a-service category in 2019, StorageDefender has set the standard for unit-level intelligence with a patented, field-proven platform that generates independent, high-margin recurring revenue. The platform includes Smart Units for tenant activity alerts, Smart Zones for facility-wide intelligence, and the Web Management Portal (WMP) for centralized operational visibility. StorageDefender is an automated notification service; it does not monitor alerts, contact emergency services, or substitute for a security or alarm system. The fully independent system integrates with leading PMS providers, works alongside an operator’s existing technology, and requires no specific gate access, making portfolio-wide standardization low-cost and easy to deploy. StorageDefender is a registered trademark of StorageDefender Inc. TeamOfDefenders LLC is a subsidiary of StorageDefender Inc. (www.storage-defender.com)
For media inquiries, please contact:
Brook Bland, Marketing Manager at StorageDefender
marketing@storage-defender.com
(877) 533-3363
Scott Styer, Marketing Director at Packed Planet Self Storage Solutions
scott@packedplanet.com
Packed Planet Self Storage Solutions Rolls Out StorageDefender Smart Units Portfolio-Wide
Top-ranked national facility-management company modernizes remotely managed operations across its East Coast portfolio with a new revenue stream.
QuikStor and StorageDefender Announce Software Integration as Operator Demand for Smart Units Continues to Grow
Integration brings seamless, automated Smart Unit enrollment and recurring revenue to QuikStor self-storage operators of every size.
6 Reasons to Incorporate StorageDefender into Your Self-Storage Budget
Budget season is the time to invest in services that pay for themselves. Here are six reasons StorageDefender Smart Units and Smart Zones belong in your self-storage budget, from new ancillary revenue to lower labor and utility costs.
West Coast Self-Storage Announces Portfolio-Wide Rollout of StorageDefender Smart Storage Units
West Coast Self-Storage, the #8-ranked facility-management company on the 2026 Inside Self-Storage Top-Operators List, will standardize StorageDefender Smart Unit and Smart Zone monitoring across its portfolio of nearly 170 locations through Q4 2026.
StorageDefender Awarded Third U.S. Patent of 2026 for Smart Technology Solutions
Now holding eight issued patents, StorageDefender continues to invent, invest in, and protect the innovations behind its mission to lead in smart unit monitoring for self-storage.
Insured Facilities Running SBOA Tenant Insurance and StorageDefender Cut Costs Associated with Theft by 52% Per Unit
SBOA Tenant Insurance today reported that insured facilities equipped with StorageDefender Smart Units recorded materially lower theft losses than comparable facilities without them. The analysis, conducted by SBOA Tenant Insurance, covered 33 self-storage facilities in The Jenkins Organization portfolio and reports that theft-related claim costs fell 52% per insured unit, and theft-related claims reported fell 37% per 1,000 insured units.