JANUARY
We started the year by celebrating the best of the best!
The 2022 Sales & Hauling Award winners were announced by our executive team. These are our top-tier van line agents and salespeople who excelled throughout the year.
Check out our full list of winners here.
AOM: ProRelo, Inc.
FEBRUARY
Our marketing team works hard to communicate about all the things happening in the Bekins network.
In February, Madi Williams joined Bekins as our Communications Specialist. Since then, she has enhanced our social media and graphic design efforts. Being new to the industry, Madi spent her first 28 days getting to know her coworkers at the corporate office, the people in our agent network, and the history of the van line.
AOM: Ryan Moving, LLC
DOM: Juergen Garita, Duane Miller
MARCH
Since our network is spread throughout the country, we cherish the few times a year that we get the opportunity to all be in the same place.
This year, our fourth annual Van Line Summit and Awards Gala was hosted at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with more than 125 agent representatives in attendance. The event is an opportunity for agents, drivers, and van line staff to network in person, learn from one another, and receive recognition for their hard work and dedication to excellence.
We had the honor of announcing the 2022 Bekins Agent of the Year and the 2022 Drivers of the Year!
White Glove Moving, Storage & Delivery of Vero Beach, Fla., was awarded Bekins Van Lines Agent of the Year by CEO Mark Kirschner. Watch White Glove’s Agent of the Year video on YouTube!
Vice President of Operations, Kevil Miller, had the pleasure of awarding top honors to three drivers in the network as 2022 Bekins Drivers of the Year:
- Patrick Basham, Boyer-Rosene Moving & Storage, Arlington Heights, Ill.
- Anthony Paluch, Boerman Moving & Storage, Inc., Woodridge, Ill.
- James Winne, Maffucci Storage Corp., Amityville, N.Y.
AOM: McGuire Moving & Storage
DOM: Wilbert Barrett, George Franks, Joseph Childs
APRIL
We know that packing can be one of the biggest stressors when it comes to moving. In an effort to take some of the weight off our customers shoulders, the experts at Bekins released some new videos to help you pack your belongings properly for safe transport.
Our stars, Central Regional Sales Director April Milner and Claims Director Laura Pung, demonstrated how to properly pack books, fine china, handbags and shoes.
Check out the videos here.
AOM: Triangle Movers, Inc.
DOM: Patrick Basham
MAY
While moving can be tough for anyone, Bekins took the opportunity during Older Americans Month to concentrate on older adults. For older adults, the physical and emotional challenges of moving are often amplified. It is not just a physical transition; it’s also an emotional journey involving many years’ worth of belongings, keepsakes and memories.
Keeping these things in mind, Bekins is committed to providing older adults with services that will make their move smooth and safe. To support our agents’ continued education towards this specialized group, we revamped our Silver Certification training. The Silver Certification course provides our agents with skills needed to meet the needs of older adults during a move.
We are proud to say that more Bekins agencies complete this special training every month. This means you can trust them to handle any older adult move with the utmost care.
AOM: ITS Global Relocation Services
DOM: Tim Bridges, Edgar Fajardo
JUNE
Did you know that each year about 3,000 American experience moving fraud? This startling statistic comes to life during the busy summer season when rogue movers are presented with the opportune time to strike.
Keeping our customers informed is a top priority when it comes to helping them avoid being scammed. In June, we produced new collateral to accomplish just that. These flyers walk customers through what to keep in mind when selecting a moving company, as well as questions they should be asking their movers.
AOM: Transtar Moving Systems
DOM: Joefson Rodrigues, Marco Lobascio
JULY
July presented an opportunity for volunteers from the corporate van line office, along with agents like Boerman Moving & Storage and Wm. Meyers Movers to lend a hand at the Sweets & Snacks Expo. Each year, vendors donate their leftovers to the Give Kid the World (GKTW) village to use in their weekly Halloween parties.
After the candy and snacks were gathered, Boerman Moving & Storage and Central Moving & Storage teamed up to deliver the goods down to the nonprofit resort in Kissimmee. Shoutout to the team for not only providing their trucks, time and talent, but also for making these children’s smiles possible!
AOM: NL Wilson Moving, Inc.
DOM: Patricia Schilling, Mark Pettigrew, Adam Money
AUGUST
In August, we turned our infamous 72 Ways to Save Money on Your Move pamphlet into short videos because who doesn’t like to save money? Central Regional Sales Director, April Milner got in front of the camera again to talk customers through tips to help them reduce their overall moving costs.
Here are some of our favorites: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEdCOg6xGO5z9k2x1iQZXnaSeit15ul0g
AOM: Arpin America
DOM: Glenn Collins, Michael Klima
SEPTEMBER
September welcomed National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. With 350+ agents, 1000+ truck drivers
and years of experience, the road is our home. Behind Bekins and all our agents’ truck drivers are hard-working and passionate professionals trusted to move families across the country. Without our truck drivers, there would be no Bekins. These individuals go beyond the required tasks and truly seek to make the relocation process a success. They act with professionalism and handle each move with integrity.
Bekins Van Lines also received the New Jersey Warehouse & Movers Association (NJWMA) 2023 Associate Member of the Year Award. Read more about the award.
AOM: AMS Relocation, Inc.
DOM: William Glenn, Justin Luke
OCTOBER
We found ourselves (and 200+ attendees) in sunny Orlando, Florida, for our Partnership Conference in October.
Being so close to the Give Kids the World campus in Kissimmee gave us the opportunity to host our first Florida Truck Pull on the campus at the nonprofit resort. Conference attendees boarded shuttle buses to Kissimmee to enjoy an afternoon at GKTW, some for the very first time.
If you’ve never pulled a several-ton truck with a rope and 9 friends, we can tell you it is no easy task. Shoutout to our eight teams who took the challenge head-on to compete! We were thrilled to bring in more than $40,000 for GKTW at this year’s event!
AOM: Bekins Northwest
DOM: John Schroder, Manuel Burnette
NOVEMBER
Bekins has been a NASMM partner for more than a decade, offering education for NASMM members about the
moving process, even earning the organization’s Margit Novack Award for Excellence in Senior Move Management in 2020.
In November, we headed to Kansas City to attend their annual conference. Director of Business Development Todd Emrick took the stage to counsel senior move managers and professional organizers on the safest ways to pack special items such as lampshades, bulky items and even canoes.
AOM: Sheridan Brothers Moving, Inc.
DOM: Carlos Garcia
DECEMBER
It’s hard to believe 2023 ends soon. We’re still wrapping up this month, but we made time to recognize Wheaton employees heading into retirement in the new year. Congratulations to our retirees:
- Mike Chandler
- Phil Beanblossom
- Mike Lowder
- Jon Magee
- Pam Gabbard
- Howard Jacobs
- Jeff Thomas
- Candy VanDyke
- Leslie Chavez
- Mike Hipsher
- Mary Albertini
AOM: Barnes Moving & Storage of New England
DOM: Kevin Hamlett, Robert Cordeiro, Carlos Rodriguez
