National truck parking operators We Realize Inc. (“Realize”) and StoreMyTruck.com (“StoreMyTruck”) have announced a pending merger that will make the combined entities the largest truck parking operator in the world.
Cody Horchak and Keith Cristal, Founders and CEOs of Realize and StoreMyTruck, respectively, made the announcement to a crowd of more than 350 commercial real estate and IOS investors and brokers at the National Association of Industrial Outdoor Storage’s inaugural Industrial Outdoor Storage Summit in Atlanta, Ga. on Thursday, Aug. 15.
“The need for additional truck parking across the country continues to compound with each passing day, and it has become clear that privately owned companies are able to meet the need much faster than government-led initiatives,” Horchak said. “Realize is incredibly excited to merge with StoreMyTruck to significantly increase the U.S.’s truck parking supply and provide additional safe parking locations in markets where they are most needed.”
“As the nation’s oldest truck parking operator, StoreMyTruck has long recognized the needs and the interest of truckers to find a safe place to park, away from exit ramps or crowded shopping centers,” Cristal said. “The Realize team brings a forward-thinking approach to our business that will take us both to the next level, so that together we can build incredible brand recognition and become ‘the McDonald’s of truck parking’ across the country.”
Realize, founded in 2023 by Horchak in Nashville, Tenn., currently operates 13 truck parking lots in Georgia, Mississippi, Nevada, Tennessee and Texas. Horchak brings significant tenure in the technology space, having built and exited a software company prior to starting Realize, and is supported by Chief Financial Officer Steve LaMontagne, who has more than 40 years of experience in real estate and financial advisory.
Since its inception in 2009 with Cristal at the helm, Atlanta-based StoreMyTruck has grown to include 71 locations across Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. Cristal, widely recognized as a pioneer of the truck parking industry, brings a wealth of operational and site acquisition expertise to the companies’ joint leadership team.
Both Realize and StoreMyTruck’s truck parking lots are strategically located in and around major metropolitan areas and highly trafficked interstates and highways for driver accessibility and convenience, and include security features and amenities such as full perimeter fencing and automated gates with keypads, stadium lighting, 24/7 surveillance, and private, air-conditioned restrooms and showers. Daily, weekly, and monthly rates are available at all locations, as well as the option to rent space by the acre for larger operators and fleets.
Realize and StoreMyTruck expect to have more than 200 sites in their joint portfolio by the end of 2024 and are currently pursuing locations in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah and Virginia, in addition to new locations in existing markets such as Georgia, Nevada, Tennessee and Texas. The companies are actively engaging with brokers and land owners to lease or purchase additional properties, as well as working with major carriers to supplement parking and storage needs for their fleets nationwide.