U-Haul will hold a grand-opening event for its impressive new brick storage facility on East Highway 34 that boasts 498 storage units, the latest security features and a spacious 5,000-square-foot showroom to better meet the needs of Coweta County.

Public officials and the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce will be on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday at 3003 E. Hwy. 34, where U-Haul Moving & Storage of Newnan has been serving do-it-yourself customers since 2011. The event is open to the media.

Construction on the newest phase of the U-Haul property was completed in 2015, offering locals the accessibility of a first-rate U-Haul facility 33 miles southwest of Atlanta.

"I've heard from a lot of people that this is the nicest U-Haul store they've ever seen," general manager Chris Hill said. "Customers love the security we offer with individually alarmed rooms, 24-hour access, new video surveillance and other features that no one else has. When they see our selection and security at a better price than the competition, they come here for their storage needs."

Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage of Newnan at (770) 252-3032 or stop by to see Hill and his team. Hours of operation are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday; 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Make reservations at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Newnan now has nearly 800 storage rentals encompassing 96,000 square feet, including 270 outdoor drive-up units and 15 RV/boat/vehicle storage spots. The new facility features 317 indoor climate-controlled units and 181 indoor units without climate control.

Customers also have access to truck and trailer rentals, towing equipment and professional hitch installation, moving supplies and boxes, U-Box portable moving and self-storage containers, U-Box storage warehouse, a load/unload dock and more.

In order to better serve the community, U-Haul hopes to offer propane; make its trucks visible from the road so that potential customers are aware of equipment availability; place a canopy over the receive and dispatch area; and offer covered RV/boat/vehicle storage in the near future.

"We're working to get support for plans that will deliver the level of convenience our customers have come to expect," Hill said. "We're currently going through the process with Coweta County officials. They have been a pleasure to work with so far. They are making everything as easy as they can. And they love the new building. That nice tan brick stands out."

U-Haul places a high priority on hiring locally to benefit the local residents and economy. Hill said that three local hires have been made since the new facility's completion, giving him 12 Team Members in Newnan. He aims to have 20 or more local residents working there at some point.

Jon Scoville, U-Haul Company of Western Georgia president, said customers have "absolutely embraced" Newnan's growth and want a full range of U-Haul products and services presented to them.

"I believe in our effort to communicate how valuable the U-Haul fingerprint is to the long-term development of this growing community," Scoville added. "We're proud to offer a great facility like this to serve our neighbors. This is something Newnan deserves."

The 12-acre U-Haul property, formerly home to Crossroads Mini Storage, includes 17 structures: 16 outdoor storage buildings and the new indoor storage facility.

Acquisition of the property in 2011 was driven by U-Haul Company's Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul supports infill development to help local communities lower their carbon footprint. Our adaptive reuse of existing buildings reduces the amount of energy and resources required for new-construction materials, helps cities reduce their unwanted inventory of unused buildings and eases the dependency on landfills by limiting demolished structures.