Founded in 1987 by Maurice Pogoda, Pogoda Companies includes Pogoda Management Co. and The Pogoda Group, Inc. Both are based in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
Pogoda Companies employs only the finest highly trained professionals in our suburban Detroit headquarters and on-site at management accounts throughout the Great Lakes.
Our success is based on the personal attention and care that we give every property sale or management assignment. We draw on our knowledge of marketing, human resource management, financial controls, property maintenance and market data to provide you the best possible service. While guided by extensive experience and foresight, we look beyond traditional approaches to satisfy our clients’ needs.
Maurice founded Pogoda Companies in 1987 and has since established it as a leading name in the self-storage industry. As President and Founder, he oversees all company operations and has built a team of skilled professionals to support its growth. Under his leadership, Pogoda Companies has become nationally recognized, brokering nearly $1 billion in storage property sales, managing and/or owning over 150 storage facilities, building or renovating over 20 properties, and raising over $250 million from private investors to fund storage property acquisitions. The company consistently ranks among the top 30 storage management firms in the U.S.
Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Maurice earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MBA in marketing and finance from the University of Michigan.
Randy Weissman is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in the self-storage industry, specializing in operations and asset management.
Throughout his career, Mr. Weissman has held senior leadership positions in prominent self-storage companies. Notably, he served as President of Storage Banc, a private portfolio that was successfully sold to a REIT in 2014. Additionally, Randy held key roles such as Vice President of Strategy for Storage Rentals of America, Vice President of Operations for National Storage Affiliates (iStorage), Vice President of Operations for World Class Capital (Great Value Storage), and Vice President of Public Storage Pickup & Delivery.
Mr. Weissman’s contributions extend beyond his roles in various companies. He is a Founding Member and former President of the Mobile Self-Storage Association, where he actively shaped and influenced the industry’s trajectory. Randy’s knowledge and insights have been shared through numerous publications in well-respected platforms like Mini-Storage Messenger, Inside Self Storage, and Mobile Storage Magazine.
A sought-after speaker, panelist, and moderator at national and regional self-storage and mobile self-storage conferences, Randy takes the lead in conducting educational sessions, seminars, and engaging roundtable discussions.
Academically, Randy Weissman holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri. Furthermore, he holds licenses as a Real Estate Broker and an Insurance Producer, showcasing his commitment to professional excellence.
Daniel joined Pogoda Companies in late 2021 to oversee financial performance, optimize revenue, and exercise diligent control over expenditures. Daniel’s main responsibilities include budgeting, forecasting, CapEx analysis, and overseeing performance of new projects as the company expands and innovates.
Prior to joining the company, Daniel worked in a variety of corporate Finance roles for Fortune 100 companies including General Motors, United Airlines and YUM! Brands. His responsibilities included performing analyses on large scale capital investments, overseeing multi-billion-dollar level budgets/forecasts, and providing strategic insight into international expansion opportunities and technological investments. His most notable project was managing the analysis and execution for construction of a $230M training facility while at United.
Michael joined Pogoda Companies in January 2020 to strengthen the company’s aggressive national expansion campaign. Michael’s main responsibilities include acquisitions, asset management, and underwriting.
Prior to joining Pogoda, Michael led acquisitions for Gindi Capital, a privately held investment company specializing in the value-add, repositioning, and development of retail and mixed-use assets across the United States. Based in New York City, Michael was responsible for sourcing acquisitions nationwide. His most notable role was being actively involved in a $300 million dollar retail development project in Las Vegas and was integral to its acquisition and asset management strategy.
Andrew Collier is the Vice President of Acquisitions at Pogoda Companies, overseeing both on- and off-market acquisitions. His primary responsibilities include identifying strategic investment opportunities, underwriting potential acquisitions, and executing deals that align with the company’s growth strategy.
Andrew plays a key role in expanding Pogoda’s portfolio by leveraging market insights, financial analysis, and strategic deal structuring. His expertise in acquisitions and underwriting ensures that each investment supports the company’s long-term objectives while maximizing value.
Andrew studied at St. Joseph’s College focusing on business administration and brings a strong foundation in finance and real estate to his role. His commitment to data-driven decision-making and strategic growth has made him an integral part of Pogoda Companies’ continued success.
Chriss Michalopoulos is an experienced and results oriented management professional. He has been with Pogoda since 2011. Graduating with a Bachelor of Finance Degree from the University of South Florida, he specializes in steering and directing all aspects of his region’s operations, administration and budgeting. Chriss has over twenty-one years experience successfully managing multiple hotel and self storage property portfolios across North America and Canada.
Chriss’ strengths include decisive leadership, the ability to seamlessly implement the latest industry innovations and knowledge in all aspects of accounting with a thorough comprehension of financial statements. He takes pride in his ability to feel the pulse of the market based on his detailed understanding of self storage.
As the controller for Pogoda Companies, Dave oversees all functions of the accounting department including receivables, payables, reconciliations, financial reporting, cash flow and budgeting.
Prior to joining Pogoda in 2011, Dave had worked in the hospitality industry for 14 years culminating in the position of corporate controller. His extensive accounting experience in that arena proved to be a seamless transition to the self storage industry.
Dave attended Western Michigan University where he earned a BBA in Accounting
Jay ensures that current and future company initiatives in Marketing, Human Resources, Project Management, and Customer Service execution align with the company’s mission statement. Jay continuously cultivates the company’s culture to ensure that the team enjoys coming into work every day. He works closely with Marketing and the Operations team to help support field members and give them the right tools to ensure our customers have an exceptional self-storage experience. Overseeing team member progression from hire to retire is especially important to Jay, as our team members are the face of the organization.
Jay became a Pogoda Companies team member in 2020 and has over 20 years of operations, leadership, recruiting, training, mentorship, and organizational behavior experience. Jay received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.