Storage with a Family Feel— Right at the Market Common
by Melissa LaScaleia
Mr. Store It Self-Storage, located on Socastee Blvd. just outside the Market Common, is a locally owned company that has been in business for over thirty years.
It’s managed by a dedicated team that is loyal to serving the needs of the community.
Penny Tharington is the official bookkeeper, but wears many additional hats. She’s worked for the company owners for as long as Mr. Store It has been in business.
Clarice Linkous has been the office manager for over fifteen years and oversees the day-to-day operations. Her son, Dale, is the property manager and lives on-site.
“We all work fluidly together and with a great deal of care for what we do,” Penny says. “We take a lot of ownership and pride in our respective jobs. I’ve worked with the owners for such a long time, this is like my second home to some degree.”
“We treat people like we like to be treated,” Clarice says. “And consequently we receive a lot of referrals. People come to us all the way from North Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Island because of how we treat our customers.”
All units are on the ground floor with drive-up access; there are over 30 different storage sizing options to choose from, and options between climate and non-climate controlled units.
Storage facilities aren’t just for people relocating or in between housing options. Many people move from the North where homes have basements for storage, and find that they need permanent additional storage space for their belongings.
Many rent a small unit, a 5×5 space in which to store their holiday decorations, keepsakes, or yard equipment. Attorneys and business owners without a home office often require a space to keep their files safe. And those who spend part of the year in Myrtle Beach store excess belongings here.
Mr. Store It hires all local contractors to maintain their property, to help support the community.
“Some of the people we hired because we met them when they rented storage from us and we forged relationships,” Clarice says.
Mr. Store It works with a pest control company that visits regularly to ensure critters stay out of people’s things. They also have professionals routinely tend to the air conditioning vents in their climate-controlled units to make sure that their large duct filtration system, which traps mold and dust, is working properly.
The company recently increased their staff to provide a better experience for their customers, and constructed a new main office.
“We’re very proud of the property,” Clarice says. “It’s just like having your things in your home. And as a result, I think people are very comfortable here. I feel like we have one of the finest properties on the beach.”
In addition to its 24-hour on-site management, Mr. Store It implements other security measures that are partly architectural, and partly technological.
“We have 24 hour surveillance cameras all over the property that are linked right back to the office,” Clarice says. “We have the widest hallways on the Grand Strand, both for ease of maneuverability as well as safety. There are no hidden hallways, and there are exits at the end of both main buildings.”
Clarice truly loves her job and appreciates her employers and work environment.
“Really we are a family— with our employers and with Penny,” she says. “And I think they look at us the same way. It’s a real joy for me to be here. And Dale feels the same way, and his wife and son love it too. So we’re just a happy little family.
“People ask me when I’m going to retire, and I say, ‘I hope not for another 10 or 15 more years.’ Most people are shocked. But I love my work and being out on the lot and making sure it’s clean and running the way I want it. I love what I do.”
Office hours M-F 9:30am-6pm, Sa 9:30am-3:30pm, Su 1pm-5pm. Gate hours daily 6am-9pm.
