Mike Parham had many colleagues within the industry, but none more endeared than Poppy Behrens, Publisher of Mini-Storage Messenger. In the December 2014 Facility of the Year Mini-Storage Messenger issue, Poppy writes her final farewell to her dear friend.
Farewell To A Beloved Colleague
The December edition of Mini-Storage Messenger is always a special one given that we announce the annual Facility of the Year winners. Although it’s a time for celebrating the outstanding facilities of 2014, this year, it’s also a time of sadness as we say good-bye to a colleague-Mike Parham, CEO of The Parham Group and President of Noah’s Ark Development. Mike is also acknowledged in this issue as one of our Facility of the year Winners.
Mike was a dear friend to MiniCo and to me, personally. Over the past 14 years, he and his wife Ann have been like family. Mike was an incredible mentor-someone I could call at the drop of a hat to ask a question, bounce an idea off of, or just to talk about what was going on in the industry or life in general.
He believed in the strength of family and was incredibly proud of his children and their accomplishments. As I watched his business grow, I have also admired the strong bond between Mike and Ann. It solidified their success in the self storage industry. And Mike couldn’t have been happier as he watched his daughter, Rachel, follow his footsteps into the business of self storage.
Mike Parham was a man of integrity-one with high moral standards. He understood how important it was to educate people so they could make well-informed decisions about any aspect of the self storage business. Above all, he believed that only by offering honest insight could he help people succeed in this industry. “The best way to grow your storage business,” he recently said, “is to know the industry and figure out how to adjust your business to meet the needs of changing markets.”
I have no doubt that Ann and Rachel will continue to live that paradigm as they continue to lead the team at The Parham Group down the path that Mike set. That is exactly what he would have wanted.
Rest in Peace, my friend. You will be missed by many!
(For the actual Mini-Storage Messenger Article & pictures, please click red tab below labeled Farewell To A Beloved Colleague)