Iron Men Properties Chooses Parcel Pending Package Solution for a 24/7, On-Demand Amenity

Iron Men Properties, based in Lafayette, Indiana, was launched in 2013 and began as an investment partnership between Mike Sandry and Joe Blake. Sandry and Blake competed in Ironman 70.3 [mile] triathlons together where they constantly pushed and encouraged one another to improve their performances, a dynamic they carried over to Iron Men Properties.

Iron Men Properties develops, builds, and owns prime multifamily real estate throughout Indiana. Currently, they own and oversee 400 units across four properties: Nickel Plate Flats and Nickel Plate Lofts in Frankfort, The Laurel Flats in Crawfordsville, and Anvil 38 Apartments in Lafayette. The company believes in businesses working together to create housing projects that support the needs and goals of local communities.

The Challenge: Ensuring Residents Have Secure Access to Packages

When developing Anvil 38, Iron Men Properties wanted to ensure it offered all the modern touches as well as top-of-the-line facilities and amenities that would attract residents, including rooftop TV lounges, personalized study spaces, a recording studio, spacious floor plans, modern kitchens, and smart electronic door access.

One of the top amenities that Iron Men knew would appeal to residents was a safe and secure system for package delivery and pick-up. This amenity became even more important at their properties with the increase in package theft across the country as a result of COVID-related volume increases. So, Iron Men started looking for a package solution that would provide this service for their residents.

The Solution: Parcel Pending Rises Above the Competition

Since this was Iron Men Properties’ first experience with locker vendors, the company made sure it explored all its options, including Parcel Pending by Quadient. Iron Men executives initially learned about Parcel Pending through trade publications and from attending a variety of trade shows, such as the Indiana Apartment Association’s Reverse Trade Show event.

At first, Iron Men selected another locker vendor, in part because of its name recognition. But they soon realized that company would be challenging to work with. In fact, Iron Men executives explained that it was like “pulling teeth” to get answers to their questions, which did not give them confidence that they were a priority for the vendor.

Conversely, the experience Iron Men had with Parcel Pending was nothing short of amazing, as Parcel Pending prides itself on delivering world-class customer service. As such, Iron Men realized they would be better served with a company such as Parcel Pending.

“We’re not afraid to drop a vendor if they’re not valuable or they’re providing a poor customer experience,” says Mike Sandry, owner/principal at Iron Men Properties. “That has not been the experience at Parcel Pending at all – you all get customer service right [and] we really appreciate that.” Iron Men has also discovered that offering a convenient, always-accessible package management amenity is a competitive advantage, one that attracts quality residents.

“As you’re walking a prospective tenant through the property, people are quite intrigued by the locker system, especially with the wrap on it,” says Sandry. “Walking them through it, showing them how it works step-by-step – it’s a very easy process, but it really drives home the features that we want our residents to understand, which are how easy it is to use, how secure it is, and how quickly they get notified when a package arrives.”

The Results: Parcel Pending Lockers Offer Residents Convenience and Security

The Parcel Pending lockers at Anvil 38 are the perfect solution for its residents’ busy lifestyles. With secure, 24/7 access to the lockers, residents can retrieve their deliveries at their convenience. Residents love that they don’t have to wait around for the mail carrier and they never miss their deliveries. Plus, any oversized packages can be delivered to the connected package room. “It’s all been very positive,” Sandry said on the resident response to the locker system.

Parcel Pending’s industry-leading technology automatically alerts Anvil 38’s residents when they receive packages. These notifications give each resident a barcode they can scan to get contact-free access to their deliveries. Residents who would rather not use the barcode can simply hit the open locker button on the Parcel Pending mobile app as they approach the lockers. With self-service lockers, Anvil 38’s leasing staff isn’t responsible for delivering packages.

Iron Men Properties touts the Parcel Pending lockers when they give tours to colleagues and prospective residents right after mentioning the indoor golf simulator that they can enjoy – the same simulator that golf great Tiger Woods has in his home. “The simulator is a ‘wow factor and does get used, but every tenant uses the Parcel Pending locker system,” Sandry says.

In addition, Anvil 38 Apartments has developed its own system for integrating its Parcel Pending package solutions with Airbnb. Visitors who are staying more than 14 days in one of the property’s Airbnb units can sign up to receive packages via the lockers. “The investment [in Parcel Pending lockers] was absolutely worthwhile,” Sandry continues. “We pride ourselves on having the best amenities in Lafayette and we really do, nobody else has all the unique amenities we offer under one roof.”

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Quadient, the leading provider of innovative package management solutions for multifamily communities, was founded with a simple goal in mind: to make package delivery easy and intuitive for everyone. With over 70 million packages delivered annually, Parcel Pending by Quadient offers a wide range of solutions that ensure safe, secure, and on-demand resident package retrieval.

For more information about how Parcel Pending by Quadient lockers can work for your community, fill out the form below.