News & Updates

•    Kennards Self Storage acquires privately owned National Mini Storage 
•    Auckland portfolio of 13 operating storage centres and one development site
•    Kennards Self Storage portfolio grows to 126 locations across Australia and New Zealand

Kennards Self Storage has successfully acquired Auckland storage operator National Mini Storage in a competitive on-market campaign.

The Auckland portfolio consists of 13 Grade A operating locations with 11,272 storage spaces and 99,247 square metres, and one development property. The portfolio still had a significant proportion of additional build-out and rent-up.

Sam Kennard, CEO of Kennards Self Storage, said “We are delighted to have been successful in the acquisition of the National Mini Storage portfolio. It is an iconic Auckland brand and exceptionally well located and developed portfolio.”

“The strong locations have been very well developed to provide customers a superior experience, setting a high watermark for quality and service.”

National Mini Storage was established in 1991, inspired by a concept discovered during a visit to Australia. The first facility was developed on land acquired in Penrose, marking the beginning of a steady and strategic expansion. Over the next 3 decades, the company patiently built a strong presence, acquiring and developing locations across Auckland. Today, National Mini Storage stands as the leading metropolitan storage operator in New Zealand’s largest city.

Reflecting on the journey, the founder expressed pride in the business’s reputation and growth, and satisfaction in seeing the assets transition to another privately owned family enterprise, Kennards Self Storage.


Sam Kennard (CEO of Kennards Self Storage) with Caroline Plowman (CEO
of National Mini Storage) outside National Mini Storage, Hobsonville, Auckland NZ   

Kennards first entered the New Zealand storage market in 2007 with a portfolio acquisition across the north island, including Hawkes Bay, Tauranga and Palmerston North. Later acquisitions extended the footprint to Wellington and Auckland’s north, in Wairau Valley.

Kennards Self Storage CEO, Sam Kennard, with 31 years leading the company, is a seasoned self storage developer and operator. The company has grown significantly since he joined the company in 1991. 

“We predominantly prefer land acquisition and development of new centres, not acquisition of operating centres” he explains. “We have quite particular preferences for location attributes and development quality of our assets. Undertaking development enables us to build a superior product providing better customer experience. 

It was something my father did as it was the only way to grow in the early industry years, and we always have preferred it. Development is part of our DNA,” Kennard says.

“The National Mini portfolio possessed the same regard for asset quality and superior location selection that we value. This made it a very compelling opportunity.”

“The additional build-out and rent-up is also something we understand and can execute.”

Self storage is a very attractive segment of the property sector attracting funds from institutional investment groups from around the world. High quality portfolio transactions are very rare, particularly in Australia and New Zealand. It can take decades for an investor to acquire, develop and rent-up a portfolio of prime locations.

“The National Mini Storage portfolio represents a generation of entrepreneurial endeavour, risk and hard work” Sam Kennard explains, “There are no shortcuts to creating a high-quality portfolio. To do so would require concessions on quality or paying a premium for land and then endure lower returns. The value of a generation of effort should not be understated, and we are excited to be able to take this portfolio into the enduring ownership of the KSS business.”

Kennards Self Storage already predominantly occupy gateway locations in major metropolitan markets. These locations features represent a significant differentiator to its peers. The NMS assets possess these same attributes, which made it strong fit and even more compelling acquisition.

On completion, Kennards Self Storage have a portfolio of 126 operating locations and market value of over $4 billion. New Zealand will have 24 locations, 16 in Auckland and now New Zealand represents 18% of the company’s rentable area.

Kennards Storage plan to improve the service offer, extend the opening hours, and expand the range of boxes and moving supplies available in the NMS locations.

Kennards Storage will expand its corporate storage offer (known as Business Class) across the larger New Zealand network. This provides large corporates with multiple storage location requirements a unified professional service experience.

Kennards New Zealand heritage - Sam Kennard also boasts of New Zealand heritage. A grandmother from Palmerston North, Grandfather from Whangarei and his mother grew up in Ngāruawāhia, making him half kiwi. He has spent a lot of time in New Zealand and the family have an enduring commitment to the country. 


About Kennards Self Storage - Kennards Self Storage is a proud family-owned private company with assets valued at over $4 billion across Australia and New Zealand. The business began as an entrepreneurial endeavour of the founder, Neville Kennard, in 1973 with an experimental development of 100+ storage units in western Sydney. Completely separately owned and operated to Kennards Hire, after the two sides of the Kennard family amicably separated their interests in 1991. Sam Kennard became CEO in 1994, when the company had 13 locations. Today, Kennards Self Storage is one of the largest privately owned self storage companies in the world, operating 126 locations with 100,939 storage spaces across Australia and New Zealand.

(Kennards Self Storage is completely separately owned and operated to Kennards Hire. Two sides of the Kennard family amicably separated their interests in 1991).

Main photo: Kennards Self Storage Team L to R - Darren Marshall (COO), Tony Vuong (Head of Operations), Andrew Kirkham (NZ Operations Manager) with Sam Kennard (CEO), outside National Mini Storage, Newmarket, Auckland NZ.