An Investment in the Community: The Brodskys

Walking into the palatial office that Norm and Elaine Brodsky share on the second floor of CitiStorage—the archival storage facility the couple started nearly twenty years ago, nestled on the very western edge of Brooklyn—isn’t like walking into an office at all. It is more like standing at the helm of a pirate ship, or in the doorway of a watchtower. Made up almost entirely of glass, the sweeping office space, which opens onto a communal conference room and employee lounge area, provides visitors with a staggering view of the Manhattan skyline. To the south, the Brooklyn Bridge stands stoic as the world unfolds around it; to the north, the gargantuan skyscrapers outlining the island march onwards, stretching thin under the pressure of the horizon line.

“When we started this business, we were in the bowels of a warehouse. But we promised our employees that someday we’d all have the nicest offices they’d ever seen,” Mr. Brodsky said with a smile. “Our friends used to come here and visit and say, ‘the Brodskys live in a garbage dump.’ And now, look at this place!”

The Brodskys—who will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on August 10th—are true entrepreneurs in every sense of the word, moving through the business world with remarkable aplomb. Mr. Brodsky started CitiStorage, functioning at first as a small independent filing business, in 1990, while working in the delivery business: A customer called asking for a storage recommendation, to which Mr. Brodsky responded by offering to store his boxes for a significantly lower rate than competing facilities.

“We started with 75 boxes,” he said. “Now we have 4 million.”

It is precisely this brand of creative, savvy and diplomatic thinking that has allowed the Brodskys to launch themselves into the entrepreneurial spotlight. Mr. Brodsky is not only a business owner, but an established business writer—just last year he published his first book entitled The Knack: How Street Smart Entrepreneurs Learn To Handle Whatever Comes Up. He has also penned a monthly column in Inc Magazine for the past 12 years, “without missing a single month, mind you.”

While CitiStorage can wholly be considered an entrepreneurial success story in its own right, it is managed with a level of care and concern for its employees that is unusual for businesses of any size—to the credit of Mrs. Brodsky. A former teacher and mental health professional, Mrs. Brodsky became her husband’s business partner in 1994. Upon her arrival, Mrs. Brodsky began drastically transforming the culture and work environment of CitiStorage, which is now renowned for its outstanding treatment of its employees. Offering incentives such as childcare, training workshops, comprehensive health care, educational compensation, summer camp tuition (for those with children), even an on-site learning center, the pair has build a foundation of employee loyalty, which, according to both Brodskys, is the key to running a successful business.

“We developed a culture here,” Mrs. Brodsky said. “It is a nurturing environment that fosters the team spirit. We use the diversity of the workforce as a positive. It’s all about self esteem and confidence. This is a family, we all work together.”

Just as the CitiStorage workplace is a community in and of itself, throughout the years the Brodskys have become active and integral members of the greater Greenpoint/Williamsburg community, supporting causes such as the Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center, to which Mr. Brodsky donated 33,000 in seed money. And while the CitiStorage property is located in the middle of what many Brooklynites hope will some day be a greenway, Mr. Brodsky voiced his support for the plan, as well as his willingness to aid in the process of it becoming a reality. The Brodskys were the original owners of what is now East River State Park, and plan to make similar deals with the city and state in the future.

“Warehouses don’t belong on the waterfront,” Mr. Brodsky said, referring to his 14 million cubic foot waterfront property. “We’d love to move to the Navy Yard. We don’t want to be an obstruction. This view, this place isn’t just for a handful of people, it’s for thousands of people—a whole community—to enjoy.”

But still the Brodskys’ presence looms large over CitiStorage, though they sold 63 per cent of the business in 2007. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t see them spending time in their grand glass office—a physical manifestation of their commitment to transparency, openness and honesty.

“We can see everyone, and everyone can see us,” Mrs. Brodsky said. “We’re big on communication. Everything is out in the open!”