Superior Storage has taken over the former Federated Propane site on Highway 241 and MacIver Avenue in St. Michael, and with it arrives the community’s first true U-Haul rental location on the east side.
Owned and operated by Kelly and Joel Cornell, St. Michael residents might recognized that person behind the desk, as Kelly is well known throughout the community as the Dairy Queen manager.
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I gave my notice there a while back this summer, and we moved on to this, opening two weeks ago,” Kelly said. “It’s been a big change. My family owned that Dairy Queen for years, so I was in there every day helping with staff and running the store. I think the thing I was most proud of is that we made that store a place for the community. We were involved in everything.”
Joel, on the other hand, has been with U-Haul for years, working with other storage locations throughout the northwestern suburbs to provide trailers, trucks and packing materials for outlets in Monticello (Glen Posusta’s Amax Storage, for example), Elk River and beyond.
“A lot of the dealers seem to go hand in hand with a storage site, and we thought this would be a good fit here. We worked closely with some people in the area, including Wright Lumber and Gary Gutzwiller. Once we got the drawings together, it was like, ‘This might actually work.'”
One of the draws for the Cornells was an adjustment to business ownership, Kelly, who is used to serving 300 people per day in the summer, particularly when youth sports are in full swing, has customer service skills. Meanwhile, Joel knows the ins and outs of the business. Together, they’ve put together a quality facility, they said.
“It’s overseen more hours out of the week than any other facility in the community. We have someone on site,” Kelly said. “The locks are high quality. The ground was graded and drainage provided so the water goes between the units, which means nothing inside gets wet. And it’s a good location where people can get right on and off the highway.”
Storage rooms vary in size from 5 feet by 10 feet to as large as 10 feet by 25 feet, and range in price from $54 per month to about $200 per month. They also have an outdoor storage agreement with Bullock Construction to provide outdoor service for just $50 per month.
As for U-Hauls, they can get access to everything from a 4×6 trailer to a 26-foot long Super Mover. And, U-Haul supplies, such as bubble wrap, tape and even blankets are right there in the store.
“We wanted it to be a one-stop shop,” Joel said.
Superior Storage is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by appointment. It’s also open weekends with hours from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and by appointment on Sunday.
“Really, if you call, we can do our best to be there for you,” Kelly said. “That’s the advantage of having it here in St. Michael.”
For more information, give Superior a call at 763-276-7226.
