MiniMoves founder, Jack Arslanian, started his career in broadcasting, a business that could not be more unrelated to moving and packing services. It was that outsider’s perspective and an endlessly inquisitive mind that lead to the solution of a problem that was as vexing for customers as it was for major van lines; how to safely and cost-effectively move a small shipment of household goods across the country.
Jack purchased a Mailboxes Etcetera franchise in the late 80’s. Customers would show up with one or two pieces of furniture, asking if they had a way to “get it to our nephew in Poughkeepsie. Movers charge a big weight minimum and UPS says they won’t take furniture.” Jack has always had a preference for the phrase “let me see” rather than just saying “no” because exploring the possibilities satisfied his endlessly inquisitive itch. In his mind, there had to be a better way to handle these mini-moves.
In 1991, MiniMoves began by consolidating loads to different parts of the country and would hold the shipments, with customer’s approval, for weeks and weeks until a trip was assembled. A driver would leave town with 25 or 30 stops along the way. The movers we worked with for loading and unloading labor expressed the same need to move one or two pieces for their customers. The need encompassed both local and interstate moving. Before long MiniMoves had enough business to support a national network of movers who would provide packing services, perform the local pickup, and deliver the goods as MiniMoves arranged transportation and insurance coverage to efficiently provide furniture shipping services.
Through an ongoing series of refinements MiniMoves’ method of operation evolved with one exception. From the very beginning, we recognized that paper pads and cardboard didn’t provide enough cushioning and were abrasive to fine-finished wood. We understood that the only way to ensure damage-free service was to cloth-pad the furniture in the house and use stretch-wrap or tape to hold those pads in place. The pads had to stay on the furniture throughout the transportation process until the shipment was in the home at delivery. Cloth moving pads had to be an integral element in our quality moving and packing process. We continue to purchase cloth moving pads . . . thousands of them. This element of our service process requires a significant investment and creates an ongoing expense but it has become one of the distinguishing characteristic of our company. Our closed-loop network of trained, tested and certified MiniMoves agents has solved much of the disappearing pad dilemma although some of our pads can still be spotted on sandy beaches, at picnic pavilions and campgrounds across the country.
Today MiniMoves is America’s only nationwide mover exclusively dedicated to small shipments. Our MiniMoves partners handle thousands of moves between hundreds of cities covering 95% of the US relocation footprint. We are the industry leader in small move solutions and packing services, using custom designed triple-wall containers to move shipments inside a closed-loop network of service providers across America. We have the lowest cargo claims rate and the highest customer satisfaction scores of any traditional van line. Over the last 25 years, MiniMoves has truly pioneered the best moving and shipping services for moving just one piece, a room or an entire apartment of furniture from state-to-state. All we do is small moves and we do them better than anyone.
For information, contact:
Caitlyn Robertson, Marketing Administrator
708-240-5558
crobertson@minimoves.com
