Meet The Team

Chris worked in the Commercial Lending segment for five years before leaving the banking industry to work for one of his customers. Chris next held the position as CFO for multiple energy-related and real estate holding companies. He has extensive experience in building financial projection models, from both the development perspective and the lending requirements for bank underwriting and structuring of loans.

Since leaving the banking industry, Chris has successfully secured commitments for dozens of loans with a single commitment in excess of $25M dollars. Chris has experience in both traditional bank loans as well as non-recourse loans. Chris has successfully financed properties throughout the Southern states and has functioned as a consultant for numerous clients on financing strategies and structures.

At ClimaSafe Self Storage, Chris will be responsible for financing, including financial modeling, lender relations, and banking transactions. He will also be in charge of investors relationships, reporting, and communication.

Chris holds an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Southwest Louisiana along with an MBA from Louisiana State University with concentration in Finance. Chris’s experience in his various roles is exactly what ClimaSafe needs at this moment. From banking relations to investor relations, everyone involved in a self storage transaction will have a clear understanding of the risk/reward and profit potential for each project.

Chris Genard has been investing in real estate for over 10 years. He currently runs a successful acquisition and development company, which has focused on residential income producing properties. Chris also manages a rental portfolio of single family, commercial mixed use, retail, self storage, and multifamily properties.

After working as a Sales Rep for a large medical device manufacturer for over ten years, Chris was unfulfilled. The desire for personal and professional growth led him to Real Estate. Over time, Chris has developed a skill set which includes the ability to identify profitable real estate projects. His track record speaks for itself and can be provided upon request. Chris was a driving force in identifying self storage as a good investment class that has a bright future for the next few decades. He researched and discovered that every decade, a larger percentage of the US population is using self storage. The future for this product type is bright and Chris’s skill set will play a major role in creating the returns and profit the ClimaSafe investors will achieve.

Chris’s development experience and management experience will be applied to develop, rehab, and reposition self storage properties in such a way as to maximize returns for the company and investors. His experience and track record have demonstrated just what ClimaSafe needs in this point of the company’s growth.

Chris is a lifelong resident of New Orleans, LA, and is an active member in the investment community. He is also a licensed Louisiana Real Estate Agent and member of the New Orleans Metropolitan board of Realtors. Chris serves as a board member and is the current Vice President of the New Orleans Real Estate Investment Association.

Ronald Fremin II has owned Fremin General Contractors LLC (“FGC”) since 2007. FGC is a full service design build contracting firm, started by Ronald’s father in 1969; it is managed and operated by a staff with over 80 years of combined experience. FGC has served clients throughout the United States, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Ohio, Michigan, and Colorado.

Ronald has designed and constructed over 25 self storage facilities for clients in South Louisiana. Ronald was born into a family who has been in the self-storage industry since 1975. Ronald’s father designed and constructed the first mini storage facilities in New Iberia, LA, which has grown to over 1,000 units. Ronald has also been in the self storage industry since 2005. His first facility – Fremin Climate Control – is a 40,000 square foot climate-controlled facility located in South Louisiana. Ronald acquired his second self-storage facility, Fremin Store & Lock, in 2013. Ronald has expanded his personal portfolio to include multiple commercial properties, a retail strip center, and an apartment complex.

At ClimaSafe Self Storage, Ronald will be responsible for designing, building, or converting properties into self storage facilities.

When Ronald is not working he spends most of his time with his wife, two daughters, and son. Ronald is an avid outdoorsman; he enjoys hunting, fishing, and boating.

2016 marks Magen’s 10th year in the self storage industry. Magen began her career as a manager of a newly constructed self storage facility, tasked with setting rates, marketing, achieving stabilized occupancy, and setting up and managing operations.

After two years, she took a break from the self storage industry to pursue a career in accounting. After working at two public accounting firms and obtaining her CPA license, Magen started her own CPA firm in 2011. She later jumped back into the self storage industry, but this time as a CPA with a focus on the self storage industry. Magen’s past experience in self storage management served her well as she began performing monthly accounting duties for self storage facilities and providing them monthly financial reporting.

As she grew into an industry consultant, Magen has been involved in multiple projects for the self storage industry including performing self storage audits, conducting management training, developing and writing operational processes, rehabilitating failing facilities, coaching owners on how to run their facilities, creating financial modeling for self storage expansions, consulting on best practices for implementing rate increases, and functioning as a consultant/mediator to provide advice on various operational issues.

Magen has also authored multiple articles for Inside Self Storage magazine and presented at both the Louisiana Self Storage Association Fall Expo and Inside Self Storage 2016 World Expo with her specialized expertise.

ClimaSafe Self Storage is fortunate to have her as a core team member. Magen’s CPA firm, Magen Smith CPA LLC, will act as management company. Magen Smith CPA LLC will be accountable for training and overseeing employees, managing financial operations, reporting for the facilities and investors, and setting up financial safeguards and key performance indicators for each facility. When Magen is not working at her CPA firm or helping the self storage industry, she can be found with her husband and two daughters. Magen and her family are avid kayakers and travelers.