Self storage facilities are an American curiosity. Absent from most other industrialized nations, self storage facilities and vehicles have bloomed across the U.S. At least one person became a billionaire from self storage, and several others have made fortunes. There are even innovations in the space.

What accounts for the American love affair with self storage? For one, Americans tend to have more possessions than those of other countries. Often, the level of possessions bursts from their houses, and self storage is needed to store the overflow. This is a related concept to the typically fast pace of business metabolism compared to Europe and Asia, where companies here tend to grow and fail rather frequently. These firms, too, have storage needs.

Another reason for storage is the mobility of many Americans. Americans never know just how long they will stay in one place, so they will often rent self storage facilities to anchor goods. In fact, portable self storage pods let Americans move their goods with them, and park them anyplace with space.

Storage on this scale is a quirk in the American character. Nevertheless, it is also essential for management. Thanks to storage, Americans can not only accumulate prosperity, but also move freely about the country.