I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend and you were able to recharge for the year end push. After much thought and reflection this past weekend, I am going to dedicate my opening to some of the great pioneers, leaders and friends of The Spacesaver Group lost this past year. Their contributions to the group have left an unbelievable legacy in our industry that all of us cherish and aspire to.
Theodore Batterman – Past President/Founder, Spacesaver Corporation
John Sattel – Past Vice President of Operations, Spacesaver Corporation
Rhonda Cunningham – Past Executive Administrator, Spacesaver Corporation
Read Bradford – Founder, Bradford Systems Corporation
Dick Cutter – Founder, Hoosier Filing and Storage
All of them were innovators in their own way. And, since innovation remains a top priority for us, I am very happy to announce that in 2021 we will start to invest in a Research and Development Team and a manufacturing prototype cell. Fittingly, it will be named the “Theodore Batterman Innovation Center.” The R&D team will join forces with our Innovation and New Product Development teams to truly drive faster innovation and product excellence.
I will continue to provide you all with updates on our remaining strategies in the months to come. In the meantime, thanks for fighting the good fight through these turbulent times.
All the best,
Mark Haubenschild | President/CEO
Spacesaver Scorecard
We are now through two-thirds of the year and the consistency of the Spacesaver Group is on full display. August proved to be like previous months – which is a good thing. We had 11 Area Contractors exceed their incoming order quota for the month (AC Group total = 85%), bringing our year-to-date total to 12 Area Contractors on pace to achieve quota (AC Group total = 88%). A gold star again goes to Motus Space Solutions with another month of more than $1.1M booked. Great job team!
For shipments, the team at Spacesaver Interiors (MD) set the bar by shipping nearly $1.3M in August, leading the way for the 11 Area Contractors over their monthly shipment quota and carrying the Spacesaver Group total to 92 percent for the month. Systems and Space still holds the lead for year-to-date shipments (just under $5M) but the teams at Spacesaver Interiors MD ($4.6M) and Southwest Solutions Group ($4.3M) are not far behind. The Spacesaver Group year-to-date shipments rose to 88 percent, with 11 Area Contractors on pace to exceed their annual quota.
The Team has FOCUS: EXCELLENCE
This month’s FOCUS theme on EXCELLENCE. What does excellence mean to Spacesaver? It means delivering high-quality and innovative storage solutions for nearly 50 years. It means being the market leader and manufacturing the best products. We all know the story of where our roots originate—in a barn outside of ‘The Fort’ at the hands of Ted Batterman. He planted the seeds that would eventually grow into a $100 million business and be one of the largest employers in the area. Ted spearheaded the development of high-density mobile storage, built a distribution network that nobody can compete with, and stood for the very definition of excellence. Even in his passing, we continue to deliver on his legacy and remain FOCUSED on EXCELLENCE.
Vertical Market Updates
Library and Education
Campuses are changing fast, and that means big opportunities for you and Spacesaver! With a pressing need to make room for new uses and new technology, many campuses are considering moving books (and other collections) to off-site high-bay facilities. And high-bay isn’t just for libraries: law enforcement and museums are using them, too. These projects are complex, and we’re here to help. In addition to our recently launched product presentation, we’re also working on a marketing campaign that will include a variety of sales tools and outreach activities. Watch for more details this Fall.
On a smaller scale, our powered mobile systems are still in operation at thousands of institutions after decades of continual use. But just like any other building system, these aging systems do need to be proactively updated every 20-30 years. Sales reps continue to see healthy returns on making sure their clients are aware of update kits for our electronic components to refresh their older systems.
Want to expand your efforts or get ideas about breaking into this market? Contact Zak Hermans or Hannah Bare for support.
Updating a Decades-Old Powered System
Shout-out to Rich Schemenaur at Patterson Pope, who has been working with his campus contacts to develop a powered system upgrade program at the University of Kentucky. Last month he closed the first deal, which will bring a Spacesaver system that was installed decades ago up to modern standards. Library staff are looking forward to a refreshed system, and Rich is already planning for the next library in the campus’ update program. This first update order resulted in $69,000 Spacesaver net.
Museum
The Spacesaver Viking Preservation Cabinet 920 Series is the best, most versatile museum cabinet on the market, and we want to be sure your clients know all about it. This month we’re launching a new campaign centered on this cabinet’s versatility and putting more sales tools in your hands. You should have already received an invitation to join us for a webinar on Thursday, September 17 to learn more. If you don’t have that invite, contact us for the details.
We’re also continuing our on-demand educational videos, with the latest episode covering creative solutions for storing framed art. Look for the next session later this month. In addition, you can find up-to-date museum market resources on SpaceNET, which are also linked below.
Contact Ben Adamitus with any questions or for help tackling the museum market.
On Shaky Ground
Strong relationships and excellent products make an unbeatable combination. Ken York at Spacesaver Intermountain has proven that point multiple times, most recently at the Utah Department of Heritage and Arts. After a competitor’s art rack system collapsed during an earthquake this spring, the client called on Ken to design a stronger, more durable solution. Ken’s layout featured a nested lateral art rack that was not only more structurally sound, but that also stored the same collection in half the space. The sale resulted in $103,000 Spacesaver net.
Military
Need an inside track on military projects? Developing relationships with architects and designers is a great way to get in on the ground floor, and our new Military presentation is now ready to be put into action. Both the AIA (American Institute of Architects) and IDCEC (International Design Continuing Education Council) have certified this presentation for continuing education credits, so you can use it to break the ice at firms that already have military projects or that are looking to get into the market. If you missed our initial announcement and webinar, you can watch the recording here. As always, contact Laura Parker with any questions related to the AEC community.
On a shorter-term basis, we anticipate a significant increase in military spending throughout the fall –and this is above and beyond typical end-of-year activity. Additional funds are being released because of the pandemic and the uncertain political environment, so get in front of your contacts or start introducing yourself NOW to help units in your territory ensure that they’re ready and secure.
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Deadlines
Order request: September 4 (passed) Funding submission: September 18* *MIPR’s submissions: September 18 MILSTRIP submission: September 30
Want to learn more about selling into this market? Contact Pete Rooney for ideas!
Collaborating with Clients
Kudos to Selina Smelser at Motus Space Solutions, whose hard work is paying off with Mobility Crate sales. Selina approached Spacesaver with the concept for these crates about three years ago, and she served as the liaison between the client and Spacesaver’s engineering team during the product development process. She’s now landing sales of this innovative new product, and her latest sale resulted in $604,766 Spacesaver net.
Agriculture
As we continue to gain traction in the Cannabis market, we also continue to roll out new tools to help you drive sales:
An ROI (Return on Investment) calculator helps your clients estimate how quickly GROW systems can pay for themselves. Look for an email in mid-September for more details.
An installation map shows our current and planned installations throughout North America.
A new product presentation will be coming soon and is meant to be a tool to help you get in front of prospective clients. Look for an email with details in October.
We also continue to refine processes with our partner, Hawthorne Gardening Co., to streamline lead-sharing and increase sales. Look for a new (and easier) project registration process later this month!
Excellence for the Win
“High” fives to Bart Spencer at Casper Corporation, who recently landed a sale at a Michigan cannabis grow. Bart designed an extra-deep GROW Mobile System to meet the client’s unique needs, and he worked to get aggressive pricing from Spacesaver that helped seal the deal. Bart says another deciding factor for the client was Spacesaver’s decades in business and its long-standing commitment to excellent products and customer service. This sale resulted in $23,356 Spacesaver net.
Marketing Minute
Photo contest: Do you have some great pictures from the last time you were on a customer visit? Have video of a super cool installation? Want to be rewarded for your coolest project? Find your best photos and/or videos and submit them here for a chance to win one of five $100 Amazon Gift Cards! The more you submit, the more chances you have to win. Act soon, the contest ends September 30!
Cast your vote: Spacesaver nominated our GROW Mobile System in the annual “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin” contest and we need your help making sure we bring home a win! Each year, the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce host this contest with the goal of highlighting local organizations that are innovating and delivering unique products in Wisconsin. Voting opens on September 14. Watch for a link from the Spacesaver Marketing Team when the voting goes live.
Surfaces comparison: Over the last several months, while we’ve been navigating the COVID-19 pandemic together, we’ve had questions about surfaces, paint, and coatings on our systems. We have evaluated some of the popular surface treatments and have developed a one-pager that compares how UV light, copper, anti-microbial paint impact growth of microorganisms.
Save the Date
Below are some dates to put on your calendars. We are also compiling our 2021 tradeshow calendar, knowing everyone involved has had to be flexible in these planning efforts. As we know more about in-person and virtual events, we will keep you posted here and will update our tradeshow calendar on Spacenet.
