At Graystone, while we are in the commercial portable storage business, we are always amazed by the many unique ways storage makes life easier. We welcome the opportunity to improve our customer’s lives through innovative uses, or “re-uses” of containers to solve their storage “challenges”.
This week’s article explores all the ways we have been working with various school boards to supply containers for activities such as for building renovations, innovative bike storage, and even temporary teaching facilities.
Key Challenge
As in many organizations, school boards too face seasonal demands for storage. During the year, building space is at a premium due to the student body, while during the summer months while students are out, renovations preclude the use of indoor locations, with some construction materials are best kept outside in secure storage.
Some of the most commonly cited reasons for schools using portable storage include:
- Availability of space for placement in school parking lots
- Security guards on premise
- Quick access — its onsite and accessible
- Centralize access management
- Convenient and easy to expand or break down
- Ability to ramp up and/or ramp down of storage quickly
Critical Challenges
Secure Space
This challenge is not unique to school boards, however, school campuses typically have a higher level of vandalism, which may just be a characteristic of the environment in which they operate. The first line of defense provided by a storage container is the steel construction and heavily reinforced doors. Then, the industrial-grade locks provide additional security as it takes a little more than an errant trespasser to access the storage.
Fluid Spaces
We have found that within the numerous locations that are part of a given school district, a school board sometimes needs to move their existing portable storage to another location. Graystone can provide these relocation transportation services with just a single call. Our extensive customer profile lets us keep track of all our customers’ specific locations and freight charges, which we use to help them save money while under contract with Graystone.
Other Innovations
Looking outside the borders of Canada and the USA, we have found that containers are being put to some creative uses for educational facilities across the globe.
Temporary Teaching Facilities (+ Solar)
In Malawi, an innovative solution is being used for the creation of a school facility using shipping containers with solar panels for an “off-grid” school. The school building is 4,090 square feet in size with open classrooms, and this building is also used as a community center, an adult-learning center, and a weekend marketplace. This solution is amazing in its simplicity, and is certainly a sustainable model going forward. For more information, read the following article on the Malawi school to learn more about using containers in this environment.
Covered, Protected Bike Storage
For students, their most prized possession is their bicycle. They take great pride in the freedom of riding to school, which should be encouraged as this is an excellent source of exercise.
To protect bikes that students ride to schools, storage containers are now being used in some locations to provide security and shelter for bike racks. Some modifications are required for the container in order to optimize entry and egress of bikes from the container, but these are minor adjustments and can be made during onsite setup.
The best part is, when the students are gone for the summer, these portable bike racks can be used by the school board to store other items.
Win – Win
How Does Graystone Help?
As with our national accounts, out committed sales department strives to simplify the process. From the bidding process required for government contracts, to the delivery, to the single consolidated billing, our process is highly streamlined for the convenience of your accounting and finance departments.
To find out more, please contact Graystone Portable Storage, so we can show you how to save you money for all your storage needs.
