As your business grows, it’ll run into hiccups here and there, and the main one would be space constraints for storing goods and materials. That’s where a warehouse storage company comes in.
By outsourcing your storage needs to a warehouse company, you can save money and time while you minimize the space you need for your premises.
So, today’s guide will help you pick the best warehouse storage company for your needs. Plus, we’ll tell you what to consider when making a choice.
Let’s begin!
What Are the Main Factors to Consider When Choosing a Warehouse Storage Company?
When picking among multiple warehouse storage companies, consider the following crucial factors:
1. Location
One of the first aspects to consider when seeking a warehouse provider is its location.This is because it affects delivery times and transportation costs, which impacts the efficiency of your business.
Not to mention, you want to choose a warehouse that’s easily accessible and can be connected to multiple means of transportation—in other words, multimodal logistics.
2. Security
Another major factor to consider is how secure your provider of choice is. Security includes access control systems, fire protection systems, and 24/7 monitoring and surveillance of the area.
3. Services
A warehouse storage company should have more to offer beyond just providing space. Of course, the broader the range of services, the more helpful the provider will be in helping you expand your business.
This includes inventory management, order fulfillment, and transportation. Also, some companies, such as OnDemand Storage, come with partial pickups, packing days, and on-demand delivery.
Climate-controlled facilities are a huge plus if you want to keep your furniture, antiques, or tech hardware safe from damage.
4. Reputation
Look into the reviews of those who have used the storage provider you’re thinking about, as it’s an excellent indicator of how trustworthy the company is.
Gauge customer satisfaction, and you’ll understand the level of service you’ll be getting before you subscribe to a plan.
The Benefits of Choosing an Excellent Warehouse Storage Company
Choosing any available warehouse company can leave you with more issues than benefits. They can be unreliable, too expensive, have poor service, the list is endless!
However, if you consider the aforementioned list, you can enjoy the following benefits:
Cost Savings
The first and foremost benefit of opting for a warehouse storage company is that it saves on costs.
You can expand or shrink your space as per your needs instead of paying a fixed rent or a big bulk payment for your proprietary storage.
By outsourcing storage needs, you can cut expenses on rent, utilities, and other costs associated with maintaining a warehouse.
Increased Efficiency
Warehouse providers equip their spaces with the latest equipment and technology needed to handle and store goods.
You’ll be getting better inventory management and more efficient supply chain operation.
Flexibility
To cater to any business size and mode of operation, warehouse providers typically offer you flexible solutions to meet your needs.
This means you can rent as much or as little space as you need to help accommodate your business fluctuations.
Expertise
You’ll find a team of professionals with a lot of experience in managing inventory and storage space. This means that your business can benefit from their expertise and knowledge.
4 Best Warehouse Storage Companies
To help you make the choice faster, we’ve gathered the top four warehouses around and ranked them based on their services. Here they are:
1. OnDemand Storage
OnDemand Storage is available in 18 locations, including Lexington in Kentucky, Quincy, Natick, Cambridge, Framingham, and Newton in Massachusetts as well as Bay Back and Fenway in Boston in specific.
They also operate in Charlestown in South Carolina, and more. So, regarding the network, you’ve got a pretty wide one to choose from!
Their main operation is in Boston and Massachusetts, where you can get moving and storage, whether you’re a business, resident, or student. The company provides long-term storage with pickup options.
There’s also a valet storage service that smoothens the customer experience. Once you sign up, a storage specialist connects with you to answer any inquiries you have regarding storage and logistics.
If you’re a student, you get extra benefits with OnDemand Storage, as their prices are student-friendly. Their quotas are also quick and seamless.
Their full-service storage starts at less than $100 monthly. This includes pickup, storage, and delivery. It also comes with professional and friendly staff.
Their facilities come with solid security and climate control, so you can rest assured your items are safe.
OnDemand Storage also has a unique junk removal service that helps you remove unnecessary items and downsize with its environmentally friendly and convenient service.
Another perk is that they give you 24/7 access to your storage with their on-site mobile container storage. It’s like a self-storage unit at your home or business!
These storage containers range from 8 feet and up to 16 feet in size. They look great, and you can get them in either quality steel or fiberglass.
2. DHL
If you’re a big business looking for a big name, consider DHL’s warehousing solutions. Their services are pretty integrated as they have transport, management services, and integrated solutions besides their warehousing solutions.
DHL also provides additional services like packaging, in-plant logistics, pre-sale services, and supply chain insights.
The global company has 1,400 warehouses in more than 55 countries, and its operations are extensive in Houston in Texas, Brooklyn in New York, Miami in Florida, and San Diego and Los Angeles in California. So, DHL has you covered from the East to the West Coast.
You can opt for dedicated or shared operations, depending on your needs. DHL’s temperature-controlled facilities come with pick, pack, and dispatch services.
In terms of inventory management, you’ll get delivery, return, inventory, and raw materials management. DHL also offers cross-docking, order processing, e-fulfillment, order fulfillment tracking, green warehousing, and customer service support.
3. Burris Logistics
Burris Logistics operates in multiple areas, including Delaware, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. So, you’ve got solid coverage in the East Coast to the middle of the U.S.
The company specializes in many industries, including e-commerce, food producers/growers, manufacturers, shippers, and more.
It provides temperature-controlled warehouses ranging from -20 to 58 degrees and direct-to-consumer fulfillment with robust 3PL partners.
Moreover, it also offers dry and ambient storage. Also, you get distribution services with more than 250 dock doors at 12 warehouse facilities. Burris Logistics promises to reach customers anywhere in the U.S. in two days or fewer.
4. Expeditors
Expeditors offers an integrated and unified experience for warehousing and logistics. The company has multi-channel service offerings, and that’s where it shines.
With Expeditors, you get order fulfillment, e-commerce facilitation, pick and pack, kitting, and returns management.
Moreover, there are options for upstream fulfillment, cross-dock, and transload, vendor-managed inventory (VMI), and bonded and FTZ operations.
The company has a lot of expertise under its belt, with experience in healthcare, technology, aviation and aerospace, automotive and mobility, and manufacturing.
The company has you covered no matter where you are—whether it’s the west or east coast.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, warehouse storage companies offer a range of benefits to businesses. From cost saving and flexibility to efficiency and expertise in storage. When you’re choosing a provider, you should consider capacity, services, reputation, security, and location.
Each company we mentioned has something to offer to meet specific business needs. If you’re looking for budget-friendliness and all-around good service, OnDemand Storage would be a good option.
Like OnDemand Storage, Burris Logistics is also skewed towards the East Coast, but its services are more inclusive—of course, at a higher price.
If you’re looking for something that’s fully integrated and has global coverage, both DHL and Expeditors are good choices.
By outsourcing your storage needs to one of those companies, you can focus more on your core operations while knowing that your goods are in expert hands.
