Hollister’s Safety Storage helps companies maintain safety as
well as meet regulations on storing hazardous materials and
waste.
Twenty years ago, founder Ken Gimelli observed the need for
developing buildings that would store hazardous materials, saving
companies time and money. Today, the company is No. 1 in the
nation, said Mark Gibb, president of Safety Storage.
Hollister’s Safety Storage helps companies maintain safety as well as meet regulations on storing hazardous materials and waste.
Twenty years ago, founder Ken Gimelli observed the need for developing buildings that would store hazardous materials, saving companies time and money. Today, the company is No. 1 in the nation, said Mark Gibb, president of Safety Storage.
“Ken saw the opportunity to manufacture pre-fabricated buildings that companies can put on-site,” Gibb said. “(The buildings) are designed for code regulations.”
The buildings are between six and 14 feet wide and six and 50 feet long. They can weigh between 30,000 and 40,000 pounds, Gibb said. The buildings are pre-fabricated steel and can fit on concrete pads.
Before these buildings were supplied, companies had to construct spaces within their own buildings to store the materials. Gibb said being able to buy the storage building saves a company time and money.
“They would’ve had to build in a specific place. It would cost them two-to-three times more,” Gibb said. “Building it themselves is a very lengthy process that includes architectures, planning departments. This saves them time as well as a substantial amount of money.”
The buildings save companies money because the agency picking up the hazardous waste has to come less often, Gibb said.
Companies use the buildings to store hazardous materials and waste. Examples of Safety Storage clients include university labs, pharmacy companies, government agencies, food processing companies and golf courses.
For example, a golf course would utilize a Safety Storage building to store pesticides. A food processing company would need a building to store alcohol used to flavor certain foods. The alcohol needs to be stored because it’s flammable.
The price range for buildings is $7,000 to $200,000, Gibb said. On average, Safety Storage sells 1,000 buildings a year, he said.
The buildings are constructed on site. Safety Storage has two plants – one in Hollister and one in Charleston, Ill. The Charleston plant was acquired in a merger in 1999, Gibb said. The company employs around 150 people.
For more information on Safety Storage, call 637-5955. The company is located at 2301 Bert Drive.
