If you’ve driven down Valley Road or past Aquidneck Avenue lately, you’ve passed by one of Aquidneck Island’s quietly essential local businesses. Middletown Self Storage has two facilities, nearly 1,700 units, and nearly two decades of community roots.
Last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with Hannah Snow, Chief Operating Officer, and Mackenzie Reed, Chief Financial Officer, to talk business, family, and what it really means to run a local operation with heart. The two sisters are in the midst of taking the reins from their parents, Bob and Jonna Reed, who founded the company and knowing this family makes one thing immediately clear, this was never just about a storage business.
It Started When the World Was Upside Down
The Reeds launched Middletown Self Storage in 2008, the same year the financial crisis turned the country on its head and families across Newport County were downsizing, relocating, and scrambling to figure out their next move.
“This business started at the exact time when the entire country had just been given incredibly challenging news and a lot of people had to downsize their home or move out entirely,” Hannah told WhatsUpNewp. Coming from backgrounds in home building, Bob and Jonna found themselves in an unexpected role, and quickly became a steadying presence for a market in upheaval. “Our customers came to us in the midst of chaos,” she continued, “and by being a solid support, they were able to trust that we had their best interests at heart.”
That trust didn’t go away when the economy recovered. The business has customers who first walked through their doors in 2008 and are still renting units today, nearly 20 years later.
A Different Kind of Storage Facility
Walk into either Middletown Self Storage location and you’ll notice something a little unexpected for a storage facility, it actually feels warm and welcoming. That’s intentional.
“We wanted the place to be inviting,” Mackenzie explained. “Somewhere that, if you had to go, you wouldn’t dread the task. Hopefully, you might even be excited to come visit us.” From the thoughtfully designed exterior of their new Valley Road location, which feels more like a welcoming family home than a traditional storage facility, accented by bright neon lighting that proudly highlights their logo, to the simple “THANK YOU” sign displayed outside their Aquidneck Avenue location during the Covid pandemic as a gesture of gratitude to local first responders and their customers, there has always been something genuine about the Reed family’s approach to business.
It’s a philosophy that flows directly from how Bob and Jonna built the business. “My parents have always been very generous people,” Mackenzie said, “and Hannah and I wanted to continue that feeling of welcome and offering.” She laughed when she acknowledged the standard they’re trying to live up to: “we have BIG shoes to fill, but we are excited to have the opportunity to do so together as sisters.”
The experience extends beyond the entrance. Middletown Self Storage offers one of the more thoughtful storage setups you’ll find on the island. Both facilities are not just climate controlled but also humidity controlled, a distinction that matters enormously for anyone who’s ever pulled a warped photo album or a ruined box of documents out of a storage unit. Living on Aquidneck Island means moisture is a constant threat to paperwork, wooden furniture, electronics, and more. The team has invested in the right equipment (not just an air conditioner) to keep belongings genuinely protected year after year. With units ranging from small to large starting at competitive price points, and most accessible from ground level, convenience was considered in the layout and design.
Elevating the Experience
There’s a reason you can walk into any bar or restaurant on the island and have a perfectly fine time, but the ones you keep coming back to is typically because of one prominent reason. It’s the way you felt when you walked in. It’s whether someone remembered your name, whether the service made a stressful evening feel easy, whether the product matched the pricing. The same holds true for storage.
There’s no shortage of places to rent a unit, but the brand that is Middletown Self Storage goes well beyond square footage and a padlock. From the moment you walk through the door, you’re met with a familiar face, genuine hospitality, and a team that actually cares about what happens to your belongings. That’s what turns a one-time customer into a 20-year tenant. That’s what has people stopping in just to say hello and catch up with the staff. The transaction is the business part, it’s the experience that keeps you coming back.
The Team That Makes It Run
Ask either sister about the business and they’ll quickly redirect you to their staff.
“All of our employees have been truly essential in this transition,” Hannah said. Several team members have been with the company for over a decade, seen the industry evolve, and helped shape the culture that customers experience today. “Our group has grown to be like a little family, and the comfortability amongst them translates directly to their customer service.”
For Hannah, one sign says it all: “I know we are doing something right when I see customers come into the office with no agenda… just wanting to grab a coffee, sit, and chat for a minute with our staff.”
It’s a real thing. I see it everyday on my way into my office. People don’t typically pop into storage facilities to hang out. But at Middletown Self Storage, they do…
Rooted in Community
Perhaps the most compelling thread running through the conversation was the sisters’ sense of responsibility to Newport County, not just as a business obligation, but as a personal one.
“Mackenzie and I both feel a responsibility to do right not only by our parents, who put everything into this business, but also by our community, who has supported us the entire way,” Hannah said.
That commitment shows up in real, tangible ways. This past holiday season, Hannah, Mackenzie, their families, and their staff loaded up shopping carts with toys for the MLK Center’s toy drive, a tradition they’ve kept for several years running. They’ve marched in the St. Patrick’s Day parade, sponsored the YMCA’s Thanksgiving fun run, and partnered with numerous other local charities throughout the year.
“Supporting our friends and small business owners, and giving back to the area that formulated our entire family’s upbringing was something we always wanted to do,” Hannah reflected.
A Legacy Worth Holding Onto
Middletown Self Storage is, by any honest description, a commodity business. You need a unit, you rent a unit. But what Hannah and Mackenzie are building (or more accurately here, continuing) is something a little harder to define. It’s a business where long-term customers feel like regulars, where staff stick around for a decade in a world of employee turnover, and where the owners give back to a community they love.
“This business was a lot of Hannah and I’s upbringing,” Mackenzie said simply. “We cherish this opportunity to take the reins and want to continue to put Newport County and the people who call it home at the forefront of everything that we do.”
For a family business heading into its second generation, that sounds like exactly the right direction.
Middletown Self Storage operates two locations in Middletown, RI: 909 Aquidneck Ave and 101 Valley Rd. You can reserve a unit, pay online, or learn more at middletownstorage.com. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook @middletownstorage.
