Located at 32 Sagebrush Road in Questa, New Mexico, is a community staple currently known as C&M Self Storage. The family-owned business was recently taken over by Eli Castellano with his business partner, Johnny Karter Montaño.
The small self-storage company, originally known as L&E Self Storage, was established by Castellano’s uncle, Louie “Eddie” Herrera, and his wife Elizabeth in the late 1990s. His grandpa, Eliu, also helped run the business for roughly 25 years. After his passing, Castellano’s mom Myra took over business operations. In December of 2023, Eddie was looking at passing down the family business and Myra was looking at retiring. After several conversations, Castellano and his business partner Montaño decided to take the plunge, so in May 2024 they become the newest owners of the business.
“Our goal is to make this business part of the 21st century. Right away we wanted to get the business up-to-date by getting a website and to provide online payments for our renters,” says Castellano. Some of the changes they have already made consist of structural updates—replacing panels, doors, lighting, fencing, and better groundskeeping. “We want to make the business aesthetically pleasing to the eye,” Castellano says.
If you’ve ever been up and down the road to the Questa High School, chances are you’ve seen where C&M Self Storage is located. It’s a great central location for Questa residents and easy to access for those who already have storage units. “One of our goals is to support community needs and to give back,” both Castellano and Montaño express. Currently, C&M is providing storage needs free of charge for St. Anthony’s Catholic Church as well as the Village of Questa for the Memorial Day flags.
Changing from the business name L&E to C&M brought a new, fresh blue and white sign that the two business owners created. The new sign is an ode to Castellano’s upbringing as a Questa Wildcat. He graduated in 2009. Montaño, originally from Mora and Angel Fire, is familiar with small-town values and is excited to be part of the business in Questa.
As they both reside in Albuquerque with full-time jobs, Castellano and Montaño needed some help with business operations and creating a vision for the future of their business. After some research, they came into contact with a third-party property manager, James Prato, who helps C&M with operations, on-the-ground maintenance, and acts as a mentor for the new business owners. C&M also hired a part-time employee, Ben Chavez, as a handyman and groundskeeper.
It’s not easy to take the plunge and become a business owner. Most of the time we have someone in our lives that has been a mentor or provides some form of encouragement for us. For Montaño, it’s not just about being a business owner, it’s about giving back and helping small-town communities thrive. His inspiration is his mom. “Growing up with a single mom and watching her work so hard really motivates me,” he says.
Castellano mentions that his grandpa and the teachers he had in Questa saw something in him that he didn’t see in himself. This has helped him become a successful adult and lean on the life lessons he learned while growing up in Questa. “Questa taught me that I’m more capable than I think I am. There’s no better opportunity to take over a family business than with my best friend Johnny in my hometown and contribute to the success of the community,” he says.
Castellano is a member of the New Mexico Army National Guard and offers a special 10 percent off for veterans in need of storage units. C&M is also offering 50 percent off the first month’s rent for those in need of a unit.
If you are looking for a place to hold your extra belongings, get in touch with C&M Self Storage through their website, candmstorage.com, or give them a call at (575) 586-5816. The phone is answered by a call center from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. and gate access is 24/7. You can also email them at cmselfstorage2@gmail.com.
The business is working on a social media presence too, so be on the lookout for that. You’ll also see several paper ads around town for the business, complete with a QR code. Currently, business is consistent and Castellano and Montaño are excited to see what the future holds and continue to provide self storage units for Questa and surrounding areas.
