▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁Kenneth ▁W ool ley ▁built ▁his ▁first ▁self - storage ▁facility ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁Sec ure - It ▁M ini ▁Storage ▁in ▁Bill ings , ▁Mont ana ▁with ▁Bill ▁N iel son . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁W ool ley , ▁N iel son , ▁and ▁Richard ▁S . ▁T anner ▁formed ▁Ext ra ▁Space ▁Development ▁Co . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁after ▁ 2 1 ▁years ▁of ▁developing ▁and ▁s elling ▁storage ▁properties ▁across ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁W ool ley ▁partner ed ▁with ▁Sp encer ▁F . ▁Kirk ▁– ▁who ▁previously ▁retired ▁after ▁co - found ing ▁Meg ah ert z , ▁which ▁was ▁bought ▁out ▁by ▁US Rob ot ics ▁and ▁later ▁ 3 Com . ▁ ▁Through ▁the ▁new ▁partners hip ▁formed ▁between ▁W ool ley ▁and ▁Kirk , ▁Ext ra ▁Space ▁Storage ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁create ▁several ▁joint ▁vent ures ▁partners hips ▁including ▁with ▁Pr ud ential ▁Real ▁Est ate . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁the ▁company ▁became ▁a ▁public ▁company ▁via ▁an ▁initial ▁public ▁offering , ▁raising ▁$ 2 5 2 ▁million . ▁W ool ley ▁was ▁named ▁CE O ▁and ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Board . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁in ▁a ▁joint ▁vent ure ▁with ▁P G IM , ▁Ext ra ▁Space ▁acquired ▁Storage ▁USA ▁from ▁G E ▁Com mer cial ▁Fin ance ▁for ▁$ 2 . 3 ▁billion .