Rock Solid Storage Preps for Expansion

Just over a year after opening Rock Solid Storage in Edgecomb, owner Ben Ellinwood is preparing to expand the business. Ellinwood appeared before the Edgecomb Planning Board on Thursday, March 16 to discuss constructing an additional building on the property capable of storing cars.

The proposed 5,500-square-foot building would contain 30 storage units that could house automobiles or be used for other cold storage needs, Ellinwood said. The meeting with the planning board was preliminary, but will soon be followed by an application.

Ellinwood said he hopes to begin construction of the facility within the next few months.

Rock Solid Storage opened in Edgecomb in 2016. It was Lincoln County’s first climate-controlled storage facility. Moisture levels and temperature are tightly controlled to enable the storage of valuables, such as antiques, artwork, and electronics, Ellinwood said at the time.

The proposed new building would not be climate-controlled, but the 30 cold storage units will be designed to accommodate automobiles, Ellinwood said.

Security is a priority for Rock Solid Storage, Ellinwood said. The current security system will expand to the new building with plans to install a gate so only customers will be able to access the storage area.

The new plans also include additional landscaping on the property. “I want it to look nice and I want customers to feel safe,” Ellinwood said.

The property is also home to Ellinwood Foundations, which specializes in concrete construction services, such as foundations, floorings, and walls.

The idea for the storage facility developed out of an effort to make best use of the Route 1 property, Ellinwood said previously. Ellinwood discussed the addition of cold storage units when he first presented the proposal for Rock Solid Storage.

However, Ellinwood held off on the additional units until he had a better sense of whether Rock Solid Storage would meet with commercial success.