One of the largest self-storage companies in the Triad continues to ride the wave of storage expansion with the opening of three more locations in the next three months.

AAA Self Storage is adding locations in High Point, Kernersville and south Greensboro. General Manager Chad Hockaday said all three should be ready to open before the end of May.

When all three are open AAA will have 18 locations – 17 in the Triad, the other in Columbia, S.C.

Though the number of self-storage facilities has grown exponentially in recent years with major Triad developer Roy Carroll (Bee Safe Storage and Wine Cellar) entering the market and John Reece II pondering entry, Hockaday told Triad Business Journal that he believes the Triad still has underserved areas.

“I think there are pockets available before we reach the point of saturation,” Hockaday said. “That’s why it’s important to choose locations wisely and look for holes. Charlotte and Raleigh may reach the saturation point pretty quickly, but there are still pockets in the Triad.”

The High Point location is at 2505 Eastchester Drive. The Kernersville location is off Union Cross Road on Jag Branch Road, just north of I-40. The south Greensboro location is on South Randleman Road, near the Walmart Supercenter on Elmsley Street.

Fourth Elm Construction (formerly GEMCAP Construction) is the general contractor of the High Point and Kernersville facilities. AAA is filling that role on South Randleman. The building permit for the High Point location showed an estimated $2.8 million value. AAA estimated the Kernersville location to cost between $4 million and $4.5 million.

Hockaday said he expected the order of opening would be Kernersville, south Greensboro, High Point.

Hockaday said AAA had 11 locations when he started with the company, a family business headed by Cecil Little, and has grown rapidly despite selling off two small High Point facilities.

AAA facilities vary depending on location. Hockaday said the majority offer both traditional units and climate-controlled – the growing trend – types of units.

Hockaday said the Kernersville and High Point locations would be about 65,000 square feet with every unit climate-controlled. But the Randleman Road location would be about 40,000 square feet with both traditional and climate-controlled units.

A high-profile construction company in the Triad has changed its name to avoid confusion with its sister operation.

GEMCAP Construction has rebranded as “Fourth Elm Construction LLC” in an attempt to distinguish itself from GEMCAP Cos.’ development branch.

“It was just confusing to people,” John Martin, a partner with Justin Gibhardt in the firm, told Triad Business Journal.

Started in the summer of 2015, the construction company has grown to 19 employees, and had revenue of almost $20 million in 2017.

Martin said the construction arm began as a complement to the company’s development projects, but soon began acquiring outside work.

Martin said the company was on track for sizable growth in 2018, with current projects ranging from medical office to retail, industrial and automotive facilities.

“We’ve got serious momentum,” Martin said.

Martin said the new name was a nod to the Triad’s three largest cities. GEMCAP’s offices are on Fourth Street in downtown Winston-Salem; Elm Street is a major downtown road in both Greensboro and High Point.