GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Storage Affiliates Trust (NYSE: NSA), today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to add Blue Sky Self Storage (“Blue Sky”), a strategic partnership between Argus Professional Storage Management and GYS Development LLC, as a Participating Regional Operator (PRO). Blue Sky and its affiliates own and/or manage over 150 self storage facilities, primarily located across the western and southern United States. Management expects that Blue Sky’s initial managed portfolio will consist of seven properties that will be acquired by NSA by the end of the first quarter 2021, following the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The remaining properties in the Blue Sky portfolio will become part of NSA’s growing captive pipeline as candidates for future acquisition.
Tamara Fischer, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We’re very excited to add Blue Sky to the NSA platform, which will return the number of active PROs to ten after the 2020 retirement of our SecurCare PRO and its integration into NSA’s corporate management team. Blue Sky’s large owned and third-party managed portfolio, which is predominantly in secondary markets, will significantly enhance our already robust acquisition pipeline. Further, Blue Sky brings an extensive network of industry relationships that will be beneficial to our growth going forward.”
Blue Sky is led by Lee Fredrick, Ben Vestal and Michael Perry, who have extensive experience in acquisition, development and management of self storage properties. Mr. Fredrick and Mr. Vestal have both been active in the self storage and broader real estate industry for more than 20 years, and Mr. Perry previously served as the Vice President of Acquisitions for NSA, playing a key role in NSA’s rapid external growth during the early years after NSA’s initial public offering.
Upcoming Industry Conference
NSA management is scheduled to participate in the KeyBanc Virtual Self Storage Investor Forum on January 7, 2021.
About National Storage Affiliates Trust
National Storage Affiliates Trust is a real estate investment trust headquartered in Denver, Colorado, focused on the ownership, operation and acquisition of self storage properties located within the top 100 metropolitan statistical areas throughout the United States. As of September 30, 2020, the Company held ownership interests in and operated 788 self storage properties located in 35 states and Puerto Rico with approximately 49.5 million rentable square feet. NSA is one of the largest owners and operators of self storage properties among public and private companies in the United States. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.nationalstorageaffiliates.com. NSA is included in the MSCI US REIT Index (RMS/RMZ), the Russell 2000 Index of Companies and the S&P SmallCap 600 Index.