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report • International Members’ News • Logistics Information • Worldwide Trends • Tonnage • Member Profiles The Magazine of the Pan American International Movers Association I Issue 1 2021 PAIMA Conference, Orlando PAIMA virtual meeting Fostering a growth mindset with Humboldt Taking the positives from COVID-19 Building the network An interview with Sara Lyrum Kronkjaer, Group Director of Aspire Mobility Group in Denmark - Pg 24 9 14 18 30 32

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report

• InternationalMembers’ News

• LogisticsInformation

• Worldwide Trends

• Tonnage

• Member Profiles

The Magazine of the Pan American International Movers Association I Issue 1 2021

PAIMAConference,Orlando

PAIMA virtualmeeting

Fostering agrowth mindsetwith Humboldt

Taking thepositives fromCOVID-19

Building thenetwork

An interviewwith Sara LyrumKronkjaer, GroupDirector ofAspire MobilityGroup inDenmark - Pg 24

9

14

18

30

32

PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:42 Page 1

SECURITY

Did you know there is a hack every 39 seconds and that the estimated cost of a breach is $15 million? Aires will keep watch so you don’t have to.

®2019 American International Relocation Solutions, LLC

scan to learn more

PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:42 Page 2

Board of Directors

George NaumannTreasurer.Swiss Moving Services,Zurich, SwitzerlandE: [email protected]

Juan Carlos OrtizDirector.Moving Systems SAC,Lima, PeruE: [email protected]

Steve DozoisSecretary.Humboldt International,Boston, USAE: [email protected]

Issue 1 2021

Lars LemchePresident.Teamwork International Moving,São Paulo, BrazilE: [email protected]

Aida RoblesVice-President.Rodi Cargo International Group,Carolina, Puerto RicoE: [email protected]

Matthias TischerDirector.Carl Hartmann GmbH & Co. KG,Bremen, GermanyE: [email protected]

Giselle Angelica MuñozDirector.Goetz Moving and Storage, Inc,Parañaque City, PhillippinesE: [email protected]

Advertising Enquiries: [email protected]

PAIMA Management/PAIMA ReportAntonio Tremols, Executive Director,Pan American International Movers Association,5201 Blue Lagoon Drive, 9th Floor, Miami, FL 33126, USAT: +1 (954) 880 - 1085 F: +1 (786) 497 - 4017E: [email protected] www.paimamovers.com

Contents

4 PAIMA President, Lars Lemche

4 Editor Steve Jordan’s letter

5 Attorney Bobby Bartle promoted to role ofGeneral Counsel with Aires

5 Moving the Botero horse

5 UFI Global Congress 2020

6 Rene van Valen to lead Gerson Relocation BV

6 Boonma Chiang Mai welcomes the new directorof development

6 Thailand annual checkup for Boonma employees

7 Boonma shines the light of Christmas in Bangkok

7 Suddath takes silver and bronze in 15th annualStevie Awards

7 Volvo Trucks go electric in North America

8 Georgia Angell joins Formula and Granero

8 PM Relocations celebrates Joy of Giving week

8 Suddath partners with Jacksonville FC forChildren in Need

9 PAIMA Conference, Orlando

10 Solidarity in times of COVID

11 Maersk service from Japan to UK, by rail

12 Women in the trucking industry

14 PAIMA virtual meeting

17 RIP Wladimir de Mello

18 Fostering a growth mindset for Humboldt

20 Compas International Movers joins thePAIMA network

21 India’s Grace Relocations joins PAIMA

22 The Gosselin perspective

24 The future of mobility

26 Why you should report your tonnage to PAIMA

27 PAIMA tonnage

28 Times are changing, are you?

29 Paul Evans RIP

30 Taking the positives from COVID-19

32 Building the network

33 New member in Oman

34 PAIMA members

36 PAIMA Regional Directors

report

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PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:42 Page 3

Beloved Members,

We are now in 2021 andnothing has changed.Well, very little haschanged. But the goodnews is that thevaccines are on the roll.Many countries areadvanced, others notthat much. But there islight at the end of thetunnel.

And the question that will neverstop: When will we meet again?We don’t know yet. We areworking on it, but it depends ona lot of external factors, such astravel bans, hotel permits,vaccinations, governmentalregulations, etc. We need ourbusiness back on track and weneed it soon.

I would like to thank all of youwho took the time to meet upwith us during the three Zoommeetings we had on the 24th

February. It was nice to hearfrom you and see how thingsare going around the world. Wehad over 70 people participatingin the three meetings. All threemeetings were taped and sentfrom the PAIMA office to allmembers. We exchanged a lot ofnews and information aboutocean freight, containershortages, lack of drivers andother topics. Check it out.We will have at least anothertwo Zoom meetings beforemeeting in Orlando, Florida, ifthat is going to happen. Staytuned!

All the best,Lars Peter LemchePresident – Board of Directors

Dear PAIMA Members,

I trust you have noticed that yourPAIMA Report looks a littledifferent this month. Hope youlike our new style. We felt that,after six years (yes it really isthat long) it was time for afacelift. I think our magazinelooks much cleaner and moremodern in its new clothes.I hope you do too.

But rest assured, although everything looksdifferent, we still have the same rich mix ofnews stories from the PAIMA members,information and features from the world ofmoving and relocation. We have againincluded contributions from outside themembership in the form of interviews withMarc Smet from Gosselin in Belgium and SaraLyrum from Aspire in Denmark. Interestingstuff! Please do take the time to read theirstories.

Sadly, we have also had to include obituariesfor two industry friends: Wladimir de Mello andPaul Evans. This industry always createscharacters that influence us in their own way,but few have had such a dramatic effect asWladimir and Paul. They will be missed deeplyby their loved ones and remembered fondly bythose of us who knew them. The industry isweaker for their passing. We might see theirlike again, but not for a long time I suspect.

All the best,

Steve Jordan, Editor

Please send your contributions to:

[email protected]

or via the PAIMA office.

4 www.paimamovers.com

Pan AmericanInternational

Movers Association

PAIMA President, Lars Lemche Letter from the Editor

PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:43 Page 4

Aires has announced thepromotion of Bobby Bartle tothe role of General Counsel. Inthis new role, he will lead thelegal function at Aires byproviding legal advice to theentire organization as well askey stakeholders andexecutives.

Among other responsibilities,the position will focus oncontract drafting andnegotiation with outsideparties, ensuring compliancewith employment laws for staff,protecting Aires’ intellectualproperty interests, managingany potential litigation mattersthat arise, and monitoringgovernment affairs andcompliance issues impactingthe company or the services itprovides.

Aires Executive Vice PresidentJoleen Lauffer said, “Sincejoining Aires in 2014, Bobby hastaken on successive

responsibilities as a client-facingImmigration Attorney and thenas the Director of Aires’Immigration department. Hehas continued to broaden hisknowledge and responsibilities,and we are excited as he movesinto a lead legal role with Aires.”“I am thrilled and humbled forthe opportunity to representAires’ legal interests in this newrole,” said Bobby. “Aires is aprime example of a companythat has become an industryleader while conductingbusiness the right way and infull legal compliance. I lookforward to helping upholdthose standards as GeneralCounsel.”

Attorney Bobby Bartle promoted to role ofGeneral Counsel with Aires

• InternationalRelocation

• CompanyLogistics

• InternationalLogistics

• GlobalPersonnelPlacements

“Aires is a prime example ofa company that has becomean industry leader whileconducting business theright way and in full legalcompliance. I look forwardto helping uphold thosestandards as GeneralCounsel.”Bobby Bartle,Legal Counsel at Aires

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newsMoving the BoterohorsePioneer Movers in KualaLumpur, Malaysia, has recentlycompleted the relocation ofan 11½-foot statue of a horse.

The statue, by world-famousColombian artist FernandoBotero, was moved from thelobby of Genting Grand atResorts of World Genting tothe lobby of the CrockfordsHotel, Genting Highland.

It took a crew of eight fromPioneer Movers, including theboss, Mr T Surendran himself, tomove the horse which was likelyto be valued in excess ofUS$1million.

The work was completed on 29and 30 January, 2021.

As the chairperson -Government & BusinessRelations Committee of ThaiExhibition Association (TEA),Tiddy S Teerawit, Executive

Director of Boonma ExpoMobility was assigned toparticipate in the 87th GlobalCongress 2020 organized by UFI.

UFI is the global association ofthe world’s leading tradeshoworganizers and fairgroundowners, as well as the majornational and international

exhibition associations, andselected partners of theexhibition industry. "It's really myprivilege to participate in thisGlobal Congress and e-meet withthose industry peers around theglobe. Some UFI members arealso in IAM,” said Tiddy. This yearwas a record attendance for theevent with 637 participants.

UFI Global Congress2020

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Rene van Valen has joinedGerson Relocation as generalmanager for the Netherlands.Gerson Relocation BV recentlyacquired Dijkshoorn and Renewill lead both companies inthe local and international

markets. Before joiningGerson he was internationalgeneral manager of Van derEnt Group for four and a halfyears.

Rene’s relocation industrycareer spans 25 years, duringwhich he has held senior roleswithin the corporate,consumer and commercialareas of the relocation industry.Today he continues to act as aFIDI Netherlands BoardMember, whilst also sharing hisknowledge as a FIDI Academytrainer.

Rene commented, “I amlooking forward to leadingfrom the front and truly settingthe pace for the growth ofGerson Relocation BV andDijkshoorn. This is a fantasticopportunity for me and mynew team. Being part of thecontinuous growth of AGMGroup with a focus on theNetherlands is a great honorfor me and I’m thrilled to bepart of the wider AGM Groupteam.”

Thailand annual check-up for Boonmaemployees

Rene van Valen to lead GersonRelocation BV

Realizing the importance of ahealthy workforce, themanagement at Boonma inThailand has begun offeringannual physical check-uppackages to its 298 employees.The checkup program includeseye examination, kidneyfunction test, liver functiontest, radiological test, etc.

Tiddy S Teerawit, Boonma'sExecutive Director said that thewellness program brings

tremendous benefits, helping toensure that the company’sworkforce is fit and efficientwhile connecting well with themanagement. "Today, safetyand health issues are veryimportant for every company,”he said. “Each business shouldthink of their employees' health,which is a key criterion to thesuccess of the company.”

Pictured below: Wellness Bus atBoonma headquarters

Elizabeth Hammond, thenewly appointed director ofdevelopment of PremTinsulanonda InternationalSchool (PTIS) at Chiang Mai,Thailand, recentlyvisited Boonma Chiang MaiBranch Office and formed aworking partnership togetherto bring more students tostudy at Chiang Mai.

Prem is a leading IB(International Baccalaureate)world boarding and day schoolthat aims to support andencourage students to becomewell-rounded individuals who

are independent, confident andrespectful young people. Allstudents follow the academicallyrigorous IB program. Prem wasthe first school in SE Asia to offerall four IB programs – PYP, MYP,DP and CP – and continues to bethe only school to do so inThailand.

The IB facilitates an approach tolearning which has enquiry,critical-thinking and problem-solving at its heart. Curriculumcontent presents real-worldglobal issues and studentscontinually engage with subjectmatter that requiresintercultural understanding.

"Our Chiang Mai team is soexcited to welcome ElizabethHammond to visit our office andwarehouse facilities,” said TiddyS Teerawit, Boonma's ExecutiveDirector. “Chiang Mai is a very

good place to live, study andwork. Many PAIMA membershave visited Chiang Mai and ouroffice several times and will haveshared the same experience. I'vepersonally visited Prem Schoolseveral times and confidently saythat if you are looking for astimulating, engaging

environment where yourchildren will flourish daily, findtheir passions, and fulfil theirpotential, Prem TinsulanondaInternational School is the rightplace for you."

Elizabeth Hammond (centre),visits Boonma in Chiang Mai.

Boonma ChiangMai welcomes thenew director ofdevelopment

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Boonma has been successfullyproviding event logistics forthe fourth consecutive yearfor several brand name hotelsin Bangkok.

"Although the COVID-19pandemic has hit the tourismand hotel businesses, Thailand isshining and attracts manyinternational and domestictravelers as a popular touristdestination,” said Tiddy S

Teerawit, Executive Director ofBoonma Event Mobility.

“Those hotels, therefore,awarded Boonma Event Mobilityto manage their Christmas andNew Year Celebration projectsstarting from procurement ofluxury Christmas trees,accessories, decorative itemsand lighting, production,packing, shipping, customsclearance, delivery, overnightinstallation and storage."

Pictured left: BOONMA crew atwork during the six-meterChristmas luxury treeinstallation at Waldorf AstoriaBangkok.

The Suddath Moving &Logistics division has wonsilver and bronze awards inthe 15th annual Stevie Awardsfor Sales & Customer Service.The Stevie Awards are toutedas the world’s premierbusiness awards, recognizingthe achievements andcontributions of organizationsand professionals worldwide.

Suddath won bronze for‘Account Management Team ofthe Year’ and silver for ‘CustomerService Team of the Year’ in theAirline, Distribution andTransportation category. “It is anhonor to see both teamsrecognized as customerexperience leaders,” said TeelaGleason, Senior Vice President ofGlobal Client Services forSuddath. “This team continuedon their quest for serviceexcellence this year despite thepandemic, working creatively tofind solutions for global mobility

programs and our relocatingcustomers. This well-deservedrecognition is amidst anextensive cast of well-knownquality organizations, making thisachievement even moreimpressive.”

Award recipients were selectedbased on the average scores ofover 160 professionalsworldwide, by nine specializedjudges’ panels. The 2021 Stevie®Awards for Sales and CustomerService were presented in avirtual ceremony on Wednesday,April 14, 2021.

Volvo Trucks goelectric in NorthAmericaVolvo Trucks North Americahas announced its all electricVNR Electric is nowcommercially available inNorth America.

The Volvo VNR Electric(pictured right), is designed forcustomer applications anddriving cycles with local andregional distribution ranges.The 264-kWh lithium-ionbatteries, which charge up to80% within 70 minutes, have anoperating range of up to 240 kmbased on the truck’sconfiguration.

Boonma shines thelight of Christmasin Bangkok

Suddath takessilver and bronze in15th annual StevieAwards

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Suddath partners with Jacksonville FC forChildren in Need

PM Relocations celebrates Joy Of Giving week

Suddath in Jacksonville haspartnered with Jacksonville FC(JFC), a philanthropic youthsoccer organization, to deliverdonated toys to local children inneed. Jacksonville FC collectedand donated more than 300 toysto more than 100 families withchildren at Community PedsCare,a nationally recognized pediatrichospice program for childrenwith life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.

Suddath has been part of theJacksonville community since itwas founded in 1919. In additionto being a leader in the movingand logistics industry, it is alsodedicated to taking care of thelocal communities where itoperates.

“We are grateful that JFCentrusted Suddath withtransporting these gifts tochildren at Community PedsCare,”said Scott Perry, President ofSuddath Moving & Logistics. “For

over 100 years, Suddath has beenpart of the Jacksonville communityand we are proud to honor ourcore value of caring by giving backto Jacksonville children in need.”The Jacksonville FC programteaches children about soccer andgiving back to others. It focuses onclub-wide donations of time, talentand contributions to help make lifebetter for those in need.

“We at Jacksonville FC recentlystarted our JFC Cares initiative andwe couldn’t be more proud towork with Community PedsCare,”said Pat Cannon, Executive Directorof Jacksonville FC. “To be able togive back and help these children isvery important to our club. A bigthank you to all our JFC familieswho stepped up in these times tohelp PedsCare children.”

Established in 2000, CommunityPedsCare offers support, comfortand care, free of charge, to morethan 175 terminally ill children andtheir families in North Florida.

Despite the difficulties of2020, PM Relocations in Indiais still doing its best to helpthose who are least able tohelp themselves.

As in previous years, thecompany has extended ahelping hand to the Gurgaon-based NGO, Earth SavioursFoundation, which is a shelterto abandoned and

disadvantaged people duringJoy Of Giving week.

A spokesman from thecompany commented: “Wehope that our country bouncesback with more strength thanbefore and things becomenormal again so that we can bethere for our loved ones andhelp our country grow in everypossible way.”

Georgia Angell joins Formula and Granero2020 IAM Hall of Honor recipientGeorgia Angell, principal atTrellis Vine Consulting, hasjoined the team at FormulaGlobal Mobility and GraneroMoving. Georgia (pictured right)has joined the company asoperations advisor, workingalongside Chief Executive OfficerRobson Granero and StrategicAdvisor Mark Oakeshott.

Georgia brings a wealth ofexperience to the company with aparticular focus on theGovernment and Department ofDefense market segment.

Georgia has held numerousleadership positions with some ofthe industry’s leading householdgoods moving and forwardingcompanies.

Commenting on theannouncement Robson Granerosaid, “I have had a greatrelationship with Georgia overmany years and the stars finallyaligned for us to work together.There is a great chemistrybetween Georgia and theleadership team, together with ashared agenda to continue togrow and diversify the business

based around quality andcompliance.”

After the few first days withFormula, Georgia said, “I amexcited to be working with sucha great team to assist withoperational enhancements andensure quality growth."

In addition to her work withFormula Global Mobility andGranero Moving, Georgia willcontinue to support her clientrelationships at Trellis VineConsulting LLC.

8 www.paimamovers.com

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t the time of going to press, PAIMAis intending to hold its annual

conference, from 10-12 October 2021, asplanned, at the Hyatt Regency ConventionCenter in Orlando, Florida. Whether it cango ahead will, of course, depend on thedevelopment of the COVID-19 pandemicwhich might impact both the practicalitiesof holding the conference and ofmembers’ ability to travel internationally.Site visits will take place sometime in thespring, no date has been set yet.

At the recent PAIMA virtual meeting therewas a general desire to have a face-to-faceconference as soon as it is practical to do so.However, it is still too early to be surewhether a meeting will be both possible andadvisable. PAIMA is proceeding on theassumption that the event will be possible,but will retain the option of a furtherpostponement should it become necessary.

Antonio Tremols, PAIMA Executive Director,has said that the Board has already discussed

with the hotel the social distancing measuresthat may be required throughout the event.He assured members that, although theBoard shares members’ wishes to hold theconference, it would not do so unless it wasconfident that the event could proceed in apractical, enjoyable and safe way.

Further information will be released as itbecomes available.

PAIMA Conference,Orlando

A

Please send your information, and photographs, to theeditor, Steve Jordan, at [email protected].

advertising inPAIMA Report for 2021The PAIMA Board of Directors has approved a promotional PAIMA Report,COVID-19 advertising discount for 2021. The intention is to help members byreducing the cost of exposure within the PAIMA family, during the COVID-19crisis. This applies to both current and future advertisers.

The PAIMA Report is published tri-annually and is saved in PDFformat on the PAIMA website. Hard copies are mailed to allPAIMA Members.

30% OFF

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Solidarity intimes of COVID

udinmar in Spain recentlyheard that the Monastery of

the Immaculate Conception in Cuellar,Spain, wanted to make a generousdonation of goods and clothing to theChurch of Santa Maria del Monte inMexico, for the benefit of the mostdisadvantaged people there. JocelynZevallos, Senior Sales Executive ofMudinmar, set to work to providesome help.

By consolidating the shipment and takingadvantage of the good connectionsbetween Spain and South America, Jocelynmanaged to load the donation in acontainer to the Port of Veracruz,reducing transport costs to a minimum.Despite the restrictions on internationalmobility at that time due to the emergingsituation of COVID-19, Jocelyn workedhard to find solutions and coordinate theshipment together with the agents ofInteractive Moving. The donation wasmade possible thanks to Jocelyn'scommitment and teamwork withMexican mobility experts. On anational level, the Spanishremoval company also made itscontribution to society, movingthe facilities of La Fe Hospital inValencia during its expansion toreceive and treat COVIDpatients.

Earlier in the year, Mudinmarorganized a charity move for theMonastery of the ImmaculateConception in Toluca, Mexico.

Jocelyn said that 2020 has been acomplicated year for business and for thequality of life of society in general.“However, the difficulties have notsucceeded in undermining such humanvalues as solidarity between thecompanies that make up the globalmobility industry.”

The year 2020 ended forMudinmar with theopening of a new branchin the capital of Spain,Madrid, under the label'Mudinmar

Removals Madrid' and the transfer of itswarehouses and offices from its mainbranch to new, larger and improvedpremises in the municipality of Picassentin Valencia (Spain). The facilities have up to7,000m2 of land, with specialized chambersfor the storage of works of art, and sevenloading docks.

M

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he Maersk 40ft containerconsignment arrived at Felixstowe,

UK, on 2 March after its departure fromYokohama, Japan, in January, havingcrossed Russia by both land and sea.

The service, operated with railway providerModul, is part of Maersk’s AE19 service whichhas connected Asia and Europe via the Trans-Siberian railway and the ports of Vostochniyand St Petersburg since 2019. This is the firsttime the AE19 service has been completedwith a full-size container train shipped withgoods solely from Japan. “Transit from Asiato Europe via Russia is becoming a more andmore attractive alternative to shippinggoods via the Suez Canal, even for such sea-borne routes as Japan to the UK,” said ZsoltKatona, Head of Maersk Eastern Europe.

“We are confident that the progress wemade jointly on AE19 expansion last year,together with Russian Railways and ourpartners Modul, will continue the growthtrajectory of Trans-Siberian transit in 2021.”Transit shipments from Japan to Europewere one of the biggest container flows viathe Trans-Siberian railway 30 years ago.Today, Maersk´s AE19 service is helping to re-open this important transit route forshippers in Asia and Europe.

AE19 is now offering three weeklydepartures and mainly carries goodsbetween North East Asia and NorthernEurope. Due to the current pressure on theAsia-Europe Ocean networks, Maerskexpects that transit shipments betweenJapan and Europe through the highlyreliable Trans-Siberian operation on AE19will continue expanding in 2021.

Maersk servicefrom Japan toUK, by railT

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Women inthe truckingindustry

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ince its earliest days, the truckingindustry has been dominated by men –

viewed as the only ones suitable for the “roughand tough” lifestyle, lifting heavy loads andlong hours on the road.

This stereotype is becoming a relic as a growingnumber of women work as professional truckdrivers in the United States. In fact, one out ofevery 10 over-the-road drivers is a woman,according to the 2019 Freight Waves & Women inTrucking Association survey. The AmericanTrucking Association says that over the past 10years, the number of women truckdrivers increased by 68%.

Women are drawn to trucking more and more forthe same reason men are – it can be a lucrativeand challenging job where you can set your ownhours, travel, and avoid a typical 9 to 5 desk job.

At the same time, companies are recruiting morewomen – not just because they are greatworkers, but they are also extra-dedicated whenit comes to safety. Men represented 71% of allmotor vehicle deaths in 2018, and were involvedin over 50% of all crash fatalities at every singleage bracket, so statistically, female drivers are thesafer hire. This is especially critical since civiliandrivers are becoming more dangerous. Distracteddriving – mainly the use of cellphones whilebehind the wheel – has become so commonplacethat it was responsible for the loss of 2,841 lives in2018 alone.

S

Carrie Huffman

“Driving big trucks makes you a lot moreself-aware ... I know that becoming a womantruck driver has made me a better driver.The most rewarding thing in my life is that Ican get into any vehicle and drive it and feelconfident that I will drive it safely.”

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There’s a personal reason why Carrie Huffman, a truckdriver from Washington, is deeply dedicated andpassionate about the subject: She lost her son in a caraccident involving a semi-tractor-trailer in 2018. Thoughthe loss profoundly affected her life, it hasn’t stoppedHuffman from loving her job as a trucker. But it hasmade her a vocal advocate for safe driving.

“In any accident, it takes 1.5 seconds to react. If you pullout in front of a truck, it takes that truck driver 1.5seconds to even put on his brakes or to do anything,”said Carrie. “If they don't have that second and a half,that's when you have horrible accidents like the onethat happened with my son.”

Almost 37 million trucks are registered and used forbusiness purposes in the US, traveling almost 305 billionmiles per year, according to the trade associationTrucking. One of the unfortunate results of all thisactivity is almost 500,000 trucking accidents that occurin America each year.

“Driving big trucks makes you a lot more self-aware,”said Carrie. “I know that becoming a woman truck driverhas made me a better driver. The most rewarding thingin my life is that I can get into any vehicle and drive itand feel confident that I will drive it safely.”

Carrie says it’s important that the commitment tosafety comes from the top. She drives for Suddath, aglobal moving and logistics company based out ofJacksonville, and said, “I just can't say enough abouthow wonderful Suddath is. They maintain a safeenvironment for all employees and have continued tobe proactive when it comes to taking safety measuresand having emergency protocols in place.”

Women have noted other benefits to working as aprofessional truck driver, including that trucking is oneof the few occupations with wage parity. Startingsalaries are higher than many other entry-levelindustries, and women earn the same wages as theirmale counterparts – all drivers are paid the same way:by the mile, hourly, or sometimes by the load. Manycompanies also pay performance bonuses based onsafety records, on-time percentage, and fuel efficiency.

The number of women executives in truckingcompanies is also climbing – just shy of 24% year-over-year. This year’s American Transportation ResearchInstitute (ATRI) survey found that women make up one-third of the executive teams at for-hire carriers.Another major benefit is the flexibility trucking allows ina driver’s schedule. Jennifer Fuller, a moving truck driverfrom Texas, prefers the flexibility of trucking because itallows her to finish school while working.

“I'm a full-time contractor, but I also am a full-timecollege student,” Jennifer said. “There are some dayswhere I'll work six hours a day, and then the next day I'llwork a 14-hour day. I've always done really well withtime management, and this is one of those fields whereit’s helpful, especially since you don't have set hours.”

Life as a truck driver provides a different atmosphere,with time in the field instead of in a traditional office. It

can be exciting to work in a job that isn’t repetitive,since each move is different – different loads, differentclients, different scenery. But women truck drivers alsoface their own set of challenges. Chief among them arethings male drivers are much less likely to encounter oreven think about — like crass sexism, sexualharassment, and personal safety dangers at truck stops.Tamela Barner, a driver from Georgia, said she issometimes the only woman in the room and feelsintimidated.

Marina Posoa, a driver from Florida who manages ateam of 15, agreed, noting that even a decade into hertrucking career, customers are still surprised to see awoman in charge. “That’s probably still one of thedifficult things I deal with 10 years later,” she said. “Theyexpect a big strong man, not a woman running themove.” Jennifer Fuller added: “Sometimes, when youcome across older truck drivers, they may wonder ifyou're up for the task, if you can handle this. You get alittle bit of pushback, but I haven't had any horribleexperiences where it would make me not want tocontinue to do what I do.”

While many women drivers enjoy the flexibility thattrucking offers, they also recognize the difficulty oftrying to maintain a balance between work and life. Inan effort to establish that balance, Marina Posoachooses to spend half her time in the field and half athome.

Tamela Barner struggles to be there for her teenagedaughter, who sometimes gets upset when she can’tcome home. During summers, when her daughter is offfrom school, Tamela is occupied as summertime is thebusiest season for moving.

Despite their presence in a male-dominated field, thesewomen truck drivers have found their occupationsempowering, with deep rewards. For Jennifer, ‘girlpower’ has its own rewards. “It's nice to showcasewomen in an industry that's usually pretty male-dominated,” she said, smiling. Many women bring a ‘tryharder’ factor to traditionally male jobs, in everythingfrom caring for their equipment to customer relations.Marina Posoa said she feels she must always give 110%because she is a woman. Learning truck maintenance,pre- and post-inspections, safety, and speed are allcritical parts of trucking. But so, she says, is customerrelations.

“Professionalism is everything to me,” she said. “Youmeet your customers, you get very familiar with themand hopefully within the first hour or two while themove is happening, they get comfortable with you andthey see why I’m in my position.” All four women lovetheir chosen field, and highly recommend it. “I can sayto any woman who wants to be in the trucking industrythat it is a wonderful career,” said Carrie Huffman, whois certified to drive box trucks, vans, and anything with aDOT logo on it. “It enhances your ability tocommunicate with many different people, and you candrive any kind of vehicle they put in front of you. Andit's fun. If you're over the road, you're seeing thecountry for free and getting paid for it.”

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n 24 February, PAIMA hosted its first virtual meeting for allmembers, to provide an update on the Association’s

activities over the previous 12 months. PAIMA held three eventsduring the day at different times so that all members could takepart irrespective of their time zone.

PAIMA Executive Director Antonio Tremols welcomed everyone to themeeting, especially the new members, and looked forward to beingable to meet them in person soon. He then asked PAIMA President, LarsLemche, to join him to provide an overview of the Association’sachievements.

Lars said that the COVID pandemic had been a disaster for the industry,but everyone had kept going despite the difficulties. PAIMA had doneall that it could to keep costs under control while ensuring that thebusiness of the Association was completed as planned. The PAIMABoard had held regular meetings by Microsoft Teams and had beenextremely active and he thanked the Board members for theirdedication and hard work. Only one meeting had been cancelled andthat was when Lars himself was in hospital suffering from COVID-19.

He said that PAIMA had lost very few members and had acquired somenew ones. “So I think we are doing pretty well,” he said, “andeverything is fine so far.”

Lars explained that PAIMA was improving its reciprocity systemto provide much more analytical data from the tonnage system,allowing members to extrapolate more value from theinformation it provides. Lars also encouraged members todeclare their tonnage through the system explaining thatshowing that you have tonnage to share makes it much morelikely that members will share tonnage with you.

Lars said that PAIMA would provide apresentation on the changes to thetonnage portal for comment beforeit goes live.

Antonio Tremols added that PAIMA hastrade-marked its logo to secure it for thewhole Association. “It was an important stepin the right direction to protect theAssociation,” he said. He also spoke aboutthe work PAIMA had done with FIDI on theMemorandum of Understanding (MOU) forthe use of the Professional CooperationGuidelines (PCGs) which provides added valueto the members. Lars encouraged everyone totake advantage of the PCGs in their day-to-daybusiness. He said that even if your company isnot a FIDI member it was a useful sales tool toshow that you operate to the same operationalguidelines.

Tony said that PAIMA is a lean organization thathad been able to keep costs in check andthanked George Naumann, PAIMA Treasurer, forhis oversight of the Association’s finances.He said that there was a small surplus from lastyear which would be used for the benefit of members.

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He was optimistic that the conventionin Orlando in October would be able togo ahead as COVID-19 vaccines wererolled out worldwide. He wasinterested to understand better howmembers feel about getting togetherlater this year as there is a lot ofplanning involved in organizing asuccessful convention.

Before opening the meeting toquestions, Tony said that the Boardwas always looking for suggestionsand recommendations from themembers about how to develop theorganization. “We are always looking toimprove,” he said.

Duty changes in ArgentinaMaru Mansur from Argentina explainedthat the customs regulations hadchanged in Argentina which addsapproximately $1,500TEU and $2,600FEUor more, to the cost of exportinghousehold goods. The industrymembers in the country are currentlyfighting the regulation with theauthorities.

Military Coup in MyanmarEaindra Lwin from Myanmar toldmembers not to ship goods toMyanmar because of the military coupin the country. He would provideupdates as appropriate.

US corporate businessMark Oakeshott said that he expectedthe US corporate business to get a lotbusier from the summer as COVIDdeath numbers reduce and thevaccination program accelerates. He

said that will provide some confidencewith corporate accounts that areconcerned about liability and withassignees who are reluctant to move.There is a lot of pent-up demand andhe expected there to be a massivespike in activity in the summer.

Container shortagesHarm Meierdirks warned of a severecontainer shortage in Northern Europewith space limitations causing a six-week delay for bookings that wasgetting worse. Harm said that hiscompany, Carl Hartmann, currently had62 vessels anchored off Long Beachwaiting for berth time. Every vesselwas losing up to 20 days per voyagethrough delays. The cost of a 40ftcontainer has rocketed from $2,000 to$12,000 in just six weeks. Othermembers from the region confirmedthe situation. Delays from the UK seemto be less severe, as do delays fromother countries.

Lisa Beranich said she is having tomake pricing changes for shipmentsthrough the West Coast and is fightingdemurrage charges with the lines.Harm predicted services to the EastCoast will also be disrupted. He saidthe problem has been exacerbated

because then-PresidentTrump put a hold onvisas which have nowbeen issued and peoplewant to moveimmediately.

Harm added that manyshipping lines arecharging a congestioncharge of $250/$500for shipments into theUK from NorthAmerica.

Convention inOrlandoThe meetingdiscussed theprobability of beingable to hold theannual conferencein Orlando inOctober. Although

there was great enthusiasm for theconference to take place theconclusion was that it was too early tomake a final decision. The hotel hasconfirmed that social distancing will bein place and will be enforced by thehotel staff. Delegates may be required

to wear masks. Travel will be restrictedbased upon the governmentalregulations that apply at the time. Itwas also likely that proof of vaccinationwould be required which mightpreclude some members fromcountries where the vaccine rolloutwas proceeding more slowly.

If traveling it would be up to membersto ensure that, if required, they hadappropriate health insurance in placeas this may be more difficult to arrangein the wake of the pandemic.

New membersThe PAIMA Board thanked currentmembers for their efforts inintroducing new members to theAssociation. This was particularlyimportant as the rich recruitingplatforms of the annual conventionshad not been available. The Boardagreed to share a list of the countriesin which PAIMA was not currentlyrepresented as a guide to futureexpansion opportunities. Tony Tremolssaid that the strategy for PAIMA was,however, to remain a small boutiqueorganization, nonetheless newmembers are welcome in areas notcurrently serviced. The meetingconcluded that it is important formembers to be active, to take part inconventions, join panels and reporttonnage for the long-term benefit oftheir companies and the Association asa whole. It is part of the regionaldirectors’ roles to encourage this asmuch as possible.

Round upTo round up the meeting, PresidentLars Lemche asked for comments fromthe Board and members about PAIMAand welcomed constructivesuggestions for improvement.Some members gave short reports onthe trading position in their ownlocations and an update on vaccinerollout. Steve Dozois encouragedmembers to support each other asmuch as possible and remindedeveryone that PAIMA is offeringdiscounted rates for advertising in thePAIMA Report to help companies topromote themselves within theorganization.

In conclusion, Lars and Tonycommented on how good it was to seepeople again and looked forward to atime when face-to-face meetings willbe possible again.

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ladimir Alvares de Mello ofMetropolitan Transports in Brazil

died peacefully in hospital in São Paulo on29 January, 2021. He leaves behind hischildren, Pedro, Thiago, Nicolau, andCristina, and his wife, Martha. His familywere with him at the end. He was 79 yearsold.

Wladimir was born in the Portuguese sectorin Shanghai in 1941 where his father was thePortuguese ‘General Counsel’. The familylater returned to Portugal where Wladimirwas raised in the town of Trancoso, around150km east of Porto. At the age of 17,Wladimir traveled to Brazil where he startedworking for a local moving company. On 1April, 1969, he started his own business,Metropolitan Transports.

He built his business into a major force inthe region with an unashamed focus onsales. He was a charismatic and colorfulmember of the international movingindustry, well known for his drive andenthusiasm for the business.

Hi son, Pedro, is now the CEO of thecompany. Pedro took on the role someyears back as part of the long-termsuccession planning for the business. “Myfather was sales driven, a leader,compassionate with all his employees, andalways had a sense of humor,” he said.“He was a risk taker. He never settled for thenormal standard, he always wanted toimprove. He taught us how to innovate andhow to be an entrepreneur.”

Deputy CEO Fabricio Bertoldo,who has been with thecompany since 1992, wasalso feeling Wladimir’s lossvery deeply. “He was aperson who was ahead ofhis age,” he said. “He wasthe university of movingin South America. Many ofthe people involved in themoving industry in theregion came throughMetropolitan, passingthrough his hands.”

Pedro said that he alwaysbelieved in the younger generation.“He was a very generous man. Headmired intellectual capacity andpersonality. He was an entrepreneur, adreamer who made things possible.”

The company had been through somedifficult times, but Wladimir made sure thatPedro had comprehensive training and wasready to take over. Since 2014 he andFabricio, in their twin CEO roles, had guidedthe company towards renewed success.“Besides losing my father and my bestfriend, I will miss his guidance,” said Pedro.“Every day he gave us the strength and

confidence to better ourselves, to continueto innovate and create value. I will miss hiswisdom, his presence, his joy for life and hispassion.”

“It’s now our principle to make him proud,”said Fabricio. “We will keep his legacy, learnto be better every single day and continueto do everything that he taught us. We willcontinue to serve our clients and still be theregional presence in South America.”

RIP Wladimirde MelloW

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Fosteringa growthmindset forHumboldt

s you might imagine, a company founded in the year 1905 has seenjust about everything. And that is the case with Boston-based

Humboldt Storage and Moving. Founded just after the turn of the century,Humboldt has used horse and buggy to move families, seen multiple wars,countless economic cycles, revitalized neighborhoods and so much more.And this past year, like everyone else, Humboldt had to conduct businessduring the pandemic. Despite the uncertainty that all of us were feelingand experiencing, the Humboldt team never took their eyes off planningfor future growth. In fact, during the pandemic they embarked on amassive expansion project on their campus outside of Boston.

A

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Humboldt already manages 100,000 square feetof storage space at its facility. And with thiscurrent project, it is adding 32,000 square feetas it plans for the future. The company plans tocut the ribbon on this newly created space inJune, just in time for the busy moving season,and remains on track and ready to open itsdoors.

It sounds like Humboldt has taken on quite abit during this past year and it has. Mostcompanies would call it a win if they justsuccessfully navigated their way through thecoronavirus. But not this team. They took thisopportunity to break ground on this long-awaited project. But not before implementingsolid procedures and safety measures toconduct business in a pandemic.

Humboldt prides itself on thriving in a teamenvironment. However, the office staff wasforced to transition quickly to remote work.Apart from moving crews and warehousepersonnel, the Humboldt team worked fromhome, not unlike other companies. Without anyinterruption in service, the team continued todo the job that families need them for, supportand guidance during a move.

And as a business that completely relies on theability to enter the homes of customers, itquickly needed to revamp strategies as well asearn the trust of customers. Moving crews

needed to understand the importance ofkeeping a safe distance while executing the jobthey were there to do. And as a company thatunderstands the importance of making surecustomers can relax during the movingprocess, that was never more important thanduring the pandemic.

Compassion also stood out front and center inits mission. Being called on for new types ofmoving jobs such as moving individuals closerto family due to COVID and being asked tocome in and rearrange homes because of acoronavirus diagnosis, crews needed tounderstand the importance of their role thispast year.

Humboldt's tagline, “Relax and Get Moving,”took on a whole new meaning in the year 2020.Now, as we all share a glimmer of hope for thecoming year, Humboldt has its sights set onthat new warehouse space. With a focus onclimate-controlled storage and increasing itsoverall capacity for local international moves,the future is bright for Boston's oldest movingcompany. The new facility is also anopportunity for several new job openings andHumboldt is excited about increasing itsworkforce and its ability to serve newcustomers.

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AIMA now has a member in Belgium following theentry of Brussels-based Compas International

Movers to the network.

Compas was founded in 1994 and is now owned and run byPieter Willems (pictured above) who bought the company in2018 with a fellow investor. Pieter is no newcomer to themoving industry having started his career with Trans Euro in2001 where he spent 12 years, before moving on to Gosselin’sworldwide HQ in Belgium for a further six.

Compas is a specialist removals company sharply focused onthe international market, as Pieter explained. “We prefer toconcentrate on moving household effects internationally andhave no desire to offer things such as school search, visaapplications or accommodation services. We want to be aspecialist not a generalist,” said Pieter. “Our aim is to berecognized as the best service provider for international,diplomatic and corporate removals in Belgium. Being based inBrussels - the capital of Europe - it goes without saying thatthere is a big demand for these services, but it is highlydemanding and requires dedicated care, knowledge andexpertize.”

Compas has a team of ten experienced staff to make sureeverything goes smoothly. “The greatest asset we have atCompas is not our trucks, vans or warehouse, but the peoplewho work here. They are the soul and foundation of thecompany and they make a difference every day, which makesme very proud,” said Pieter. “Some of our team are expatswho have worked abroad in the moving industry for leadingcompanies including Asian Tigers, Sterling, K2, Bailly, Santa Feand Ziegler. As such they fully understand the internationalmoving business and are able to deal with any challengesshould they arise.”

“I am very happy to have joined PAIMA and particularly proudto be the only member in Belgium,” he added. “We intend tobe proactive and to support other members as much aspossible by consigning them shipments. I look forward to ourfuture collaboration and to meeting everyone at the nextPAIMA convention.”

Compas International Movers is also a member of IAM and ison course to become a member of FIDI later this year.

CompasInternationalMovers joinsthe PAIMAnetwork

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ne of India’s foremost moving andrelocation companies, Grace

Relocations PVT Ltd, has recently joined thePAIMA network. The company operatesfrom seven locations across India and isheadquartered in Gurgaon (New Delhi).

Since its formation in 2006. Grace Relocationshas expanded its domestic and corporatemoving activities to include a full range ofinternational relocation services includingvisa applications, school and home search,cross-cultural training, and settling-in

assistance. The majority of internationalrelocations are from India to the USA, APAC,China, Europe, and Singapore.

Sailaja Jonnalagadda is the general managerof relocations in South India and has over 20-years’ experience in the moving industry. “Wejoined PAIMA mainly to increase our exposureto others in the international relocationbusiness and to further expand our network,”said Sailaja. “We have over 130 full-time staffand the key members of our team haveworked in the relocation and moving industry

for many years, driving towards furtherexpansion under the leadership of NikhilArora, Director India. PAIMA members can beconfident that their clients will be well lookedafter when they use our services in India.”Grace also provides a range of specialistservices including fine art transportation andstorage, as well as IT assets and data centerrelocations.

In addition to PAIMA, Grace Relocations is amember of IAM and is expecting to gain FIDIand EuRA accreditation later this year.

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arc Smet runs Gosselin inBelgium. It’s a company of around

850 people, with a turnover in excess of€300m, operating in 34 countries and witha history that dates back to the 1930s.

Marc joined the company in 1976 when itemployed 25 people. It’s come a long waysince those days. Much of the success camethrough US military business and byexpanding generically and throughacquisition. Gosselin also opened its logisticsdivision with its own inland containerterminal, the Gosselin Container Terminal(GCT) at Deurne on the AlbertKanaal, thatconnects with the Antwerp port in onedirection and via the city of Liege on intoGermany.

Today the company’s work is split betweenthree divisions: the moving division handlinghousehold and office moves for corporations,embassies, government organizations, globalpartners and RMCs; the US military divisionwith 60,000 movements a year; and thelogistics division that includes heavy and highhaulage. It still holds a contract with the USState Department as the Europeandistribution hub for consignments going to US embassies throughout Europe, CentralAsia, Africa and the Middle East. “We have35,000 sq mt of warehousing space for thatone contract alone,” explained Marc.

A key factor in Gosselin’s development hasbeen its focus on holding its own assets andproviding a comprehensive service to itscustomers. For example, the Ramstein AirBase at Kaiserslautern, the HQ of the US AirForce in Europe, is much closer to the GCT inAntwerp than to Bremerhaven where mostother agents were located. “This made usvery competitive,” explained Marc, “andeverything we did was always with our ownfacilities, including transport, port handling,stuffing and stripping of containers.” Lastyear the GCT at Antwerp handled 80,000 TEUof general cargo.

This principle has followed through to itswork with USTRANSCOM for the movement ofhousehold goods for military personnel.“Since the 1970s we have absorbed all the riskby providing a service package that almost nobody else has. We provide all the services,the assets, the agency and the facilities.”Marc is also quite positive about the prospectof this contract, purported to be wortharound $20billion, going to one companynext year. “We will have one customer insteadof 120,” he said. “We look forward to a strongpartnership with whoever wins the contract. Ithink it will improve the service eventually.”

Corporate household goods movingAround €78m of Gosselin’s turnover in 2020was for corporate accounts. Marc said thatalthough there was a reduction in business ofaround 5%, mainly from the severe drop offin March and April, he thought the companyhad done fairly well. “The governmentsupport programs helped. But now thequestion is how much business will comeback?”

“There will be a reduction in corporatebusiness which has been going on for a longtime, it's not happened just because of thepandemic. Because we have fewer expats andlower allowances, and because people arenot so addicted to furniture, we will continueto see smaller shipments. So it’s a biggerchallenge to manage it properly.”

M

www.paimamovers.com22 www.paimamovers.com

Marc Smet, of Gosselin in Belgium, gives his perspective on the industry, the opportunities and success.

The Gosselinperspective

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www.paimamovers.com 23www.paimamovers.com

Marc Smet, of Gosselin in Belgium, gives his perspective on the industry, the opportunities and success.

Lasting changes from COVID-19Marc believes that the revolution to videoconferencing will stay. “This has suddenlyopened up the world,” he said. “We are in 34different countries and now even ourmanagement meetings, where we used toget together every month or so, are done asTEAMS calls. Travel will be drasticallyreduced.” He doesn’t think it will go awaycompletely, as it’s still important for peopleto meet in person. “But instead of doingmeetings eight times a year we might meettwice and have six meetings on TEAMS.”

As far as annual conventions are concerned,Marc doesn’t foresee much change. “Peoplesupported virtual conferences last year just tosupport them, but they are not the samething.”

Virtual surveys are here to stay though. Marcsaid that customers seem to be satisfied withthe service and they don’t want all themovers in their houses to get a quote. It's awaste of time for them and they prefer to doit at a time that suits them. “So we are seeinga tremendous pickup in the use of virtualsurveys. That means that salespeople willspend less time on the road, so they canbecome more effective and be able to do alot more with the time they have.” Marc doesnot, however, expect to be operating withfewer staff. “We will employ the samenumber of people, but they will be able to domore revenue and more business.” Oneexample is the use of real people behind thecompany’s website chat functions. “It’samazing how many conversations they getgoing in different time zones. We are nowthinking about adding more people becauseof the demand.”

What made Gosselin successful?Marc does not believe there is a magic

formula for success. “First of all you have tolike it, then you have to work hard, from earlyin the morning until late at night, especiallyat the beginning,” he said. “You need to putas much money as possible back into thebusiness. We created assets and aninfrastructure that attracts customers. Theeasiest sale for us is if a client visits us inAntwerp. It's not many moving companiesthat have their own inland containerterminal.” He also said that having this strongstructure helps a company to become anemployer of choice for younger people. “Ifthey work in a good environment, they seethat the company continues to grow andthey're willing to work for it,” he explained. “It's the people that do all the work.”

Providing the right opportunities for peopleis important to Marc.

Marc also points to the Group functions suchas finance and legal services, as attractiveelements of working with a larger company.“It means you can professionalize everysegment of the organization.” This givesemployees the opportunity to focus on whatthey do best knowing they have the supportof experts should they need it. “In a smallorganization the general manager has to doit all.”

He believes that diversification is important.He said that if you diversify the products thatyou offer, you become tougher competition.“That's what we've done with thegovernment business. We built a servicepackage that goes far beyond whatsomebody else would do because we putfour different types of service in oneproduct.” Marc points out that anycompetitor, contracting in those services, willhave to build in multiple margins. “If we link

these services, we create synergies to get abetter margin on the total price. That's howwe gain market share. It's not that difficult.”

PricingMarc does not concern himself too much ifcompetitors try to undercut him on price.“The best piece of advice I had was to workhard, use my common sense and make surethat I make some money out of everything Ido.” He said that if you are competingagainst a rate you cannot match, either youhave the wrong operational system, or theother guy’s made a mistake and will gobankrupt after a while anyway.

CooperationMarc is understandably proud of Gosselin.“We have built a pretty big organization, we

are financially healthy, and we keep investingso that we have an infrastructure,” he said.He also appreciates the contribution globalpartnerships have made in the company’sgrowth and believes that people need totreat each other fairly. “If you always try tocut their rates, then you're not going to getto the right product. It's a partnershipbetween us, our customers and oursuppliers. If you cooperate with each other,you can build something that works and willbe successful.”

IAM Hall of HonorIn 2020, IAM inducted Marc into its Hall ofHonor. He is the second member of thecompany to be recognized in this way: DolfGosselin was posthumously honoured in2011. “It's a recognition from the industry,I'm happy and proud that I got it,” said Marc.“But it's an award that I dedicate to all thepeople in our organization. They wouldn'tgive it to Marc Smet if I wasn't part ofGosselin.”

Marc Smet, CEO of Gosselin,

“If you always try to cut theirrates, then you're not going toget to the right product. It's apartnership between us, ourcustomers and our suppliers. Ifyou cooperate with each other,you can build something thatworks and will be successful.”

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www.paimamovers.com

spire Mobility is the internationaldivision of Møbeltransport Danmark

A/S, one of Europe’s largest and mostrespected relocation and moving companieswith a history dating back to 1879. AspireMobility is a part of the Bach SalicathDanmark Group of Companies, which alsoincludes MD Fine Art Logistics,Møbeltransport Danmark and Reloc.Providing employment for some 200 people,the company delivers quality moving andDSP services to agents and partners inDenmark and Sweden, as well as throughservice providers to corporate accounts inmore than 100 countries worldwide.

Sara Lyrum is Aspire’s group director. I haveinterviewed Sara before and always she has afresh, forward-looking approach that is bothinteresting and insightful. I was confident thatthis mid-COVID chat would be equallyilluminating.

She explained that her company had,fortunately, done quite well during thepandemic. That was because of a generousmix of good luck, good planning, hard workand a robust company culture that guidedeveryone to pull together during a time ofcrisis.

“Last year was pretty good for the first fewmonths, we’d even secured two new globalaccounts, then COVID hit,” she explained. Thegood luck came from the Danish governmentwho designated moving as an essential service,so Aspire was able to keep the wheels turningthroughout.

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An interview with Sara Lyrum Kronkjaer,Group Director of AspireMobility Group in Denmark,by Steve Jordan.

The future of mobility

24 www.paimamovers.com

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Sara said there was also an additional needfor services due to the pandemic. “There wasmore revenue available because more goodswent into store, visas had to be extended,there was a need for more temporaryaccommodation and all these small servicesadded up. In the end we exceeded ourbudget for 2020 despite the virus.”

Sara said that when Prime Minister MetteFrederiksen decided to shut down Denmark,she did so virtually overnight. But goodplanning in the past had helped Aspirenegotiate the initial shock. “We were alreadyset up for everyone to work from home,” saidSara. “I know that some companies had toinvest in laptops, IT systems and secureInternet, but we already had that in place soit was very easy. We were ready to go in a dayor so.” But she said that the biggestchallenge was with the crews. “We didn'tknow what we had to do - take temperatures,wear masks, provide sanitizer kits - therewere no rules and nobody knew what to do.We do quite a lot of DSP into Denmark and wedidn't know whether we were still allowed todeliver the services.”

Despite Aspire being able to continue, Sarasaid that after a few weeks it was clear thatthe world had stopped. “Although we coulddrive to European countries, getting into theUS, Singapore or China was a huge challenge.Also, not so many people wanted to go there,and accounts were deciding whether theywanted to send people out or keep them safeat home.” Fortunately for Aspire, Denmarkwas perceived as a safe place so the importside of the business exceeded expectations.

Changes that will stickBut I was interested to know how many ofthe changes made had stuck and wouldcontinue in the future. Sara said she still hadaround 75% of the workforce working fromhome, but that was because of a secondwave of infections in the country. “We havepeople who went home in March last yearwho still have not been in the office,” shesaid. “We still have a responsibility to protectour workforce, so we need as few in theoffice as possible.”

Then again Sara is acutely aware thatalthough the company can functionremotely, there are bigger issues to thinkabout. “Our people have been amazing inadapting to these new arrangements, butone of the real challenges has been to keepthe team spirit with this social distance. It’seasy to forget the people that you don't see.Some of our people live alone, so they don’tsee anyone.” So the company had done whatwas possible to maintain that group contact.

Sara was, as I spoke to her, planning a virtualcocktail party so everyone could join in thefun.

“I may be naïve, but I think that we havemaintained our company values so far. Thecompany has been going for decades andthey are in our DNA.” That said, she acceptedthat such values are very difficult to maintainwhen people are not together. Although shefelt that the new way of working had becomenormal, there had to be some compromise. “Idon't think we will go back to where wewere. Companies need to be lean and keepcosts down. That’s a matter of survival. But Iexpect we will operate a rota system witharound 60% of the workforce in the office atany time so everyone gets the chance tomingle and share ideas with colleagues.”

“As far as service delivery is concerned, thereare definitely smarter ways of improving yourtechnology and the need for these hasaccelerated. Now most of our surveys aredone virtually, I don’t think that will change.Services such as home search and localorientation will continue to be doneremotely. These changes are here to stay andif you don't follow, and try to go back towhere you were, it will be a dangerous stepthat could jeopardize your business.”

Sara said that during the crisis she hadfocused on cashflow. “In our industry,although we love each other and are the bestof friends, we are really bad at paying eachother’s invoices. If cashflow is not in your topfive priorities, you need to make a new list. Ifyou don’t, it will compromise your business.”

Working with corporationsHow does Sara feel COVID will affect workfrom corporate accounts in the future? Ofcourse, as we have become accustomed toworking from home, so have our customers.“I think it might have some effect on thecommuter side, and short-term assignments,but long-term assignments will be there still.Corporations still need to be dynamic andempowered to attract the young, talentedpeople they need. To do that they need toprovide the opportunities for them to goabroad and have experiences; if they don’t,they simply won't get the best talent for thatjob.”

Companies also appreciate the value of beingclose to their workplace and having the rightcultural awareness. “If you are running a shoefactory in China you need to be there.” Sheaccepts, however, that some of the servicesmight change. “Core-flex is the way forward.Companies will establish the core services alltheir assignees need, then be flexible to addon those additional services that are required

individually. This is moving ahead much fasternow. You need to listen to your customersand be sufficiently agile to provide them withthe services they want for their people.”

Tax regulations too might help to maintainthe status quo. If an employee is working inLondon and running an operation inSingapore, where is the tax due?

Just remaining compliant may ensure thecontinued movement of people at thisexecutive level. Of course, there is also a newlevel of migration with people who havefound that they can work remotely and sowish to move to live somewhere convenientor beautiful (or even both!). Somecorporations are already helping their staffmake these changes. “It all comes down tothe people and what they want to do,” saidSara

TechnologyI talked to Sara about technology which, shesaid, will only get better. She believes that itis communication that’s important. “Peopleare used to getting answers immediately.COVID has made it worse because people areeven more used to using phones to dothings. It represents a change of customers’expectations for service delivery. It’s not justbuying a t-shirt or pair of shoes, it’srelocation services as well. People wantcommunication straight away and if you arenot able to deal with that you will lose outbecause the bigger players will simply takeover.” She adds, of course, that the biggerplayers are only going to get bigger becausethey have the money to invest. “There willcome a time when the only people who meetthe customers are the crew.”

In the future Sara feels that a relocationcompany will, to some degree, run itsbusiness through a flexible IT system that’sadapted to a phone, such as an app.“Something that will give customers instantbooking, updates and information. Todevelop these systems on our own will take along time, cost a lot of money and willprobably be outdated by the time they areready. So, we’ll probably have to invest in anexisting system. In reality, that’s the future.”

www.paimamovers.com 25www.paimamovers.com

PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:50 Page 25

www.paimamovers.com

Why you should reportyour tonnage to PAIMA

or some years now, PAIMA hasoperated a tonnage reporting

system and regularly published a leaguetable showing which members havecontributed the most to the network. It isused enthusiastically by a large proportionof the PAIMA membership. PAIMA, in thissense, is not unique: other organizations,including OMNI and EUROMOVERS, operatesimilar systems and, in the same way asPAIMA, recognize those who take part andreward the high achievers.

But, although winning prizes and fighting tothe top of a league table might be anincentive for many, for some companies it isnot so, particularly if they stand little chanceof winning. But winning a prize is just a ‘niceto have’: it’s not the goal. The main reasonfor reporting tonnage through the PAIMAsystem is far more practical and commercialthan that.

The purpose of reporting tonnage is to letyour PAIMA partners know that you have

traffic to share. Any origin agent looking fora destination agent must consider theopportunity for reciprocation. It’s what theagent-to-agent principle is based upon. Ifthe traffic is not routed, no origin agent islikely to ship to an agent that they know hasnothing to send in return, PAIMA partner ornot. They need to know that they areshipping to agents that are active in themarket and that they at least have a chanceof receiving tonnage in return. Of course, it’snot just the import they are looking for, butthe subsequent return export that usuallyfollows, especially with corporate moves.That’s what makes the international movingworld go round.

That’s why PAIMA has a tonnage reportingsystem. It’s not just an excuse to fill an houror so at the annual conference, it’s a valuablecommercial guide to who has the traffic andwho doesn’t. So, if you choose not to reportyour tonnage, your PAIMA partners, in theabsence of any information to the contrary,will assume that you don’t have any. They

will ship their goods elsewhere, deprivingyou of the import and any subsequentexport work that might come from it.Reporting tonnage through the PAIMAsystem is very simple and, if done regularly,will just become part of your normaloperating procedure. The information itcontains does not provide any potentialcompetitor with commercially sensitiveinformation.

So, if you have tonnage, report it throughthe PAIMA system. It’s simple to do and willlet your partners know that you are bothactive and that you might have tonnage toshare yourself in the future. Tonnagereports are prized in moving networksworldwide for the contribution they make tohelping develop and maintain a dynamictrading environment within the group. Butthey only work if people use them. If youdon’t currently report your tonnage toPAIMA, please adjust your procedures to doso. You might even win a prize!

F

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www.paimamovers.com 27

TONNAGE REPORTCompany

Total Booked

Booked Tonnage

DELIGHT INTERNATIONAL MOVER LLC, Abu Dhabi, UAE 56 522,525RELOSMART LTD, Hong Kong, China 31 323,176NFB INTERNATIONAL RELOCATIONS AS, N-1340 SKUI (Oslo), Norway 87 297,325G-INTER TRANSPORTES LTDA , Barueri / São Paulo, Brazil 52 252,532AIRES, Pittsburgh, USA 67 244,583DEWITT MOVE WORLDWIDE, San Diego, USA 80 214,348CARL HARTMANN GMBH & CO KG, Bremen D-28195, Germany 38 209,495GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL RELOCATION, Lisbon, Portugal 28 175,455RODI CARGO INTERNATIONAL, Miami, USA 29 156,558STAR INTERNATIONAL MOVERS, LLC, Dulles, USA 26 142,277GERSON & GREY TRANSPORTES LTDA., Sao Paulo, Brazil 26 131,137STEVENS INTERNATIONAL, Fort Wayne, USA 26 126,550WICKMAN WORLDWIDE SERVICES, INC., Fishers, USA 24 117,348GOETZ MOVING & STORAGE, INC., Paranaque City, Philippines 19 114,030BLISS MOVING & LOGISTICS SRL, Rome, Italy 14 109,823GERSON RELOCATION LIMITED, Greater London, United Kingdom 19 106,401ORIENT EXPRESS FORWARDING PTY, Singapore, Singapore 22 105,157BURKE BROS MOVING GROUP LTD., Wolverhampton, United Kingdom 12 97,544SOBOLAK INTERNATIONAL GMBH, Leobendorf, Austria 22 92,963DEMECO SAS, Vincennes, France 22 88,113GLOBAL MOVING AND SHIPPING BV, Vught, Netherlands 34 84,933HUMBOLDT INTERNATIONAL, Boston ( Canton ), USA 12 72,665MUDANZAS INTL GLOBAL, C.A., Caracas, Venezuela 24 70,124SWISS MOVING SERVICE AG, 8952 Schlieren Zurich, Switzerland 11 66,407

PIONEER MOVERS SDN BHD, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia 17 61,851MUDANZAS GOU, S. A. DE C. V., Azcapotzalco, Mexico 10 59,695MULTI TRANSPORTES MEX, S.A. DE C.V., Mexico City, Mexico 5 58,322TEAMWORK INTL. MOVING, Osasco, Brazil 8 57,390CONOTE SERVICES LIMITED, Abuja, Nigeria 8 48,225SMART RELOCATORS PTE LTD, Singapore, Singapore 5 46,276COMPAS INTERNATIONAL MOVERS NV, Brussels, Belgium 5 44,939THE MOVERS - PREMIUM MOVE SERVICES LLC, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman 6 42,975GLOBAL MOVING & STORAGE LTD, Yangon, Myanmar 12 39,360ROYAL RELOCATIONS MALAYSIA, Selangor, Malaysia 12 34,814SERVILE RELOCATIONS PVT LTD., Mumbai, India 14 34,563TIPPET RICHARDSON, Toronto, Canada 6 33,914MYANMAR EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL MOVING SERVICES CO., LTD., Yangon, Myanmar 5 31,939DXI LOGISTICS LLC, Dubai, UAE 3 30,027EUROPEAN REMOVAL & STORAGE CO., Taastrup, Denmark 7 28,344TRANS-GLOBAL RELOCATIONS (PVT) LTD, Colombo 15, Sri Lanka 3 28,025AMR INTERNATIONAL RELOCATION, Shanghai, China 13 25,788FRIEDRICH KURZ GmbH, 35578 Wetzlar, Germany 7 22,352MASSTRANS FREIGHT L.L.C., DUBAI, UAE 3 20,592UNIVERSAL RELOCATIONS INC., Parsippany, USA 3 15,451MUDINMAR, Madrid, Spain 6 12,368MERCOVAN ARGENTINA SRL, Buenos Aires CP 1429, Argentina 2 8,970MORENO INTL, S.A. DE C.V., Monterrey, Mexico 1 7,690

Booked: 942 Booked Tonnage: 4,715,339

Total Booked

Booked TonnageCompany

tonnage

PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:50 Page 27

Move sizes - What are people moving?The decrease in the size of private householdremovals is happening on a worldwidescale. These days, volumes are a lot smaller.For some people, it is more convenient tobuy new furniture in their new destinationthan moving their old stuff. This is called the‘Ikea Effect’.

However, most companies share a similarmindset: “Bigger moves bring higherrevenues, hence they are preferred.” Soundsfamiliar, doesn’t it? Well, this could be one ofthe biggest mistakes in this industry! This ismainly due to two reasons: a lower numberof customers looking for these services andthe high overhead costs required to keep thistype of operation running.

These smaller jobs are increasing and willcontinue growing as the new generations arethe ones moving. Knowing this, it may beworth taking a critical look at your services tosee if these can accommodate the changes inconsumer behavior. Being ready for newtrends is the best way to make a difference.

Our recommended strategies are:

• Adapting your business to offer LCL services or groupage.

• Accessing a Resource Exchange Platform.

Competition - What can you do to getahead? Competition is something we all must dealwith, but the moving industry is special. It isplagued by hordes of cheap competition.These competitors have no standards, andtheir price is impossible to match. As if thiswas not enough, technology giants(Uber or Amazon) are toying with the idea ofentering our industry.

What is the main error we havefound? The lack of differentiation. In ourindustry, regulations are not enforcedas much, and consumers are notknowledgeable of the service they areacquiring, making them an easy prey forunfair competitors. Here are three keysuggestions for every business out there:

• Don’t try to compete on the same basis. Show why your services are different.

• Don’t offer your price in a complex quote,but explain each service included in the price.

• Strengthen your reputation, both offline, and online: 80% of consumers check reviews before choosing a company.

Customer expectations - What docustomers want? Nowadays, customers expect low prices andto move almost instantly. These unrealisticexpectations are what surprise them when

they receive a quote from a trusted andcredible mover. What might be logical toexperienced professionals in the movingindustry requires further explanation forsomebody with less understanding of theremoval process.

A fatal error is to only manage customers’expectations when it is too late, becauseunsatisfied customers can impact yourcompany in multiple ways. The first obviousone is short-term financial impact, but moreimportantly, is the potential long-termdamage to your business. Negative reviewsleft by customers will impact your reputationand will potentially affect your futurebusiness opportunities. To prevent reachingthis point of no return, open communicationis crucial. These are some steps to follow toensure customer satisfaction:

28 www.paimamovers.com

Raúl Quintanar(pictured right)from TriGloballooks at the waysin which themoving industry ischanging and someof the things youcan do to keep up.

Times arechanging, are you?

PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:51 Page 28

• Be honest and let your customers know what they can expect, and what they shouldn’t.

• Show transparency about what the move involves and the effects on the pricing.

• Involve them in the process and keep them updated about any unexpected developments.

• Ask them for reviews.

Digitalization - What are the first steps in going digital? Do we need to tell you the world is goingdigital? Definitely not! Yet, many movers arestill using traditional means of advertising,communication, networking, andoperations. There are many forms ofadopting digital tools. Within the movingindustry, there is an abundance oftechnology that can be used to increaseefficiency.

The key to going digital is slowly adoptingdifferent types of technology, not trying toincorporate many different types in one go.We would recommend to slowly start byintegrating internal communicationapplications, such as Microsoft Teams, whichallow you not only to share files, but also tomake these files accessible to anyone in yourorganization. Another smart step is toimplement an international calls app. Thiswill allow you to connect a mobile phonedirectly to the main office line, so you canstill make sure you receive any customers’calls when you are away from theoffice. Finally, you could incorporate a basicCRM (Customer Relationship Management)system, as it will allow you to keep track ofall the information about your customersand agents.

The list of different digital tools that can beimplemented is endless: auto-mailing, onlinecontracts, etc. Overall, you should slowlytest different types of technology to seewhich best fit your needs and wants.

www.paimamovers.com

aul Evans (pictured above),the charismatic chairman of

the AGM Group, which includes PAIMAmember Gerson Relocation, died onTuesday, 16 March 2021, aged 73.

Paul started his first moving company,P&M Removals (with a friend calledMicky) in the early 1970s. He went on toform Trans Euro (with Richard Levine) in1973, selling it to Deutsche Bank CapitalPartners 27 years later; then boughtInterdean in 2005, revitalised it and soldit to EAC, the owners of Santa Fe in2011. He returned to the industry in2014 with the purchase of Momentous;Abels Moving Services, that itself ownedGerson Relocation, to form the AGMGroup, in 2016; and, most recently,Dijkshoorn in The Netherlands, givingthe company a foothold in Europefollowing Brexit. Paul also invested inproperty, crate hire, a large chain of

nightclubs and a property companycalled TRL Properties.

In 2019 Paul was inducted into the IAM(International Association of Movers)Hall of Honor. This was in recognition,not only of his success in the movingbusiness that gave employment tomany, but for his natural ability toinspire others and his tireless charitywork both in the UK and elsewhere. On receiving his award Paul wascharacteristically modest saying that allhe had done was try to make a living.

Paul leaves behind a bereft family andclose friends and colleagues in themoving industry, many of whom aregrateful for his support and inspiration,and all with Paul Evans stories to lastthem the remainder of their own lives.He will be greatly missed.

PaulEvansRIP

P

Raúl Quintanar - TriGlobal

“A fatal error is to onlymanage customers’expectations when it is toolate, because unsatisfiedcustomers can impact yourcompany in multiple ways.”

PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:51 Page 29

t’s been over a year since a deadlyvirus halted our lives and made us

drop all our plans of traveling andexploring ourselves. To protect our lovedones, we even had to live far from them.Besides impacting our lives, it drasticallyaffected our country's economy and thegrowth of various industries. Therelocation industry was no exception tothe ongoing pandemic. The desperatetimes demanded desperate measures. Ourcompany was determined to sail throughthe storm. So, as soon as the bordersreopened, we had to restart ouroperations. But convincing people thatthey would have a safe and hassle-freeexperience was a task.

Being in an industry that keeps you on yourtoes, we were determined to take on thischallenge. PM Relocations has alwaysprovided stress-free and damage-freerelocation services, and we made sure thatnow it included all the necessary steps toprotect people from the disease. Initially, itseemed impossible: people werepostponing their plans and making thembelieve that the relocation would be safewas difficult. But as the borders wereopening and so were the offices, peoplewere planning to move and needed reliablerelocation companies to help them. It wasour corona-fighters (packers) who cameforward to help them. Gradually, we madeour way through the uncontrolled waves ofdespair, not knowing that coronaviruswould bring significant new and welcomechanges in our business.

1. Not just a trucker business:The first and foremost change was thatpeople’s common notion was breaking. It

was during COVID that people understoodthat relocation wasn’t just a truckerbusiness. Our industry had always been anunstructured industry pre-COVID. Thoughthe sudden imposition of nationwidelockdown to stop the spread madeeveryone pause for a while, it helped makethe industry a little sorted. The call of thehour made people turn to more organizedways of shifting their goods rather than justcalling a couple of truckers. And tosafeguard our clients and packers, wefollowed strict protocols as per thegovernment orders to help our customersrelocate with ease.

2. Digital pre-moving survey:Regardless of the situation, we nevercompromised on the quality of our services.However, some changes were introducedfor the safety of people. We switched ourpre-moving surveys, which were previouslydone by employees in person, to virtualones. We understand the importance ofpre-move surveys: they help us calculateand address the challenges that mighthappen during the move. They also help theclient to set a budget, which can help themsave some bucks by giving them aparameter to track their expenses. To makerelocation easy for people, we startedsurveying through video calls, which madethings swifter and safer, and saved a lot oftime for the clients and us.

3. Staying relevant during COVID:Just like every other business, it was a hardtime for us too. To stay afloat, we needed toexpand our business verticals, so PMRdiversified its services and made a newdepartment dedicated to commercialmoves. We delivered laptops and desktops

to sustain business continuity withcorporates and make their work from homea success. Hence, business diversificationhelped us to stay relevant in these times.

4. Adapting to the new normal:The pandemic had made it difficult foremployees to commute to the workplace asthe fear of catching the disease was high.And being in an industry where you have tomeet people, we had to take measures tosafeguard our employees and keep up withthe pace. So, we made sure that thepremises were completely sanitized andmade face masks and gloves mandatory atthe workplace.

5. Keeping the morale high:During the difficult times, it was importantfor us to take care of our employees whileventuring into new verticals. So, while wewere finding ways to make it through thestorms, we tried to be there for them touplift the morale of our corona-warriorswho were battling on the real grounds,shifting people hassle-free, while taking allthe necessary precautions.

6. Paperless invoicing:COVID caused us to introduce paperlessrather than submitting hard copies inperson. This was not only faster and savedpaper, it simplified movements too.

Just like the two faces of every coin, thesehard times tested us and gave someimportant life lessons. With theintroduction of the vaccine to the masses,we are looking forward to more positivechanges in our industry to make it easier torelocate people in the future.

www.paimamovers.com30 www.paimamovers.com

Aakanksha Bhargava, CEO of PM Relocations in India, explains how her company has got through the COVIDpandemic and learned some importantand positive lessons along the way.

Taking thepositives fromCOVID-19

PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:51 Page 30

www.paimamovers.com 31www.paimamovers.com

Aakanksha Bhargava,

CEO of PM Relocations in India,

The desperate timesdemanded desperatemeasures. Our company wasdetermined to sail throughthe storm. So, as soon as theborders reopened, we had torestart our operations. Butconvincing people that theywould have a safe and hassle-free experience was a task.

PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:51 Page 31

Building thenetwork

AIMA’s development strategy is toexpand its membership globally but

only with companies that fit the membershipcriteria and only in locations where thenetwork is either not represented or whereit is under-represented compared with theavailable business there. In recent years thenetwork has been successful in adding newmembers in prime locations, but the processcontinues, and members can help.

There are many countries that do not currentlyhave PAIMA members. If you know suitablecompanies in any of these locations pleaseadvise the PAIMA office. PAIMA will thencontact the company, establish whether theyare both acceptable to PAIMA and interested injoining and, if so, progress the application inthe normal way.

The list here shows gaps in the PAIMA globalnetwork. If you know suitable companies inthese countries please contact

[email protected].

P

32 www.paimamovers.com

Please join us for our 37th AnnualConvention October 10 –

October 12, 2021 Orlando,

Florida - USA

Afghanistan

Angola

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Australia

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belarus

Benin

Bosnia andHerzegovina

Botswana

Brunei

Bhutan

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Cambodia

CentralAfricanRepublic

Chad

Congo

Cote D’ Ivoire

Croatia

Cuba

Cypress

CzechRepublic

DR Congo

Ecuador

El Salvador

Eritrea

Estonia

Finland

FrenchGuiana

Georgia

Ghana

Greece

Greenland

Guinea -Bissau

Guyana

Haiti

Hungary

Iceland

Jamaica

Laos

Iran

Iraq

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Lebanon

Libya

Liberia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Macedonia

Malawi

Maldives

Mali

Malta

Mauritania

Moldova

Mongolia

Morocco

Namibia

Niger

Yemen

Papua NewGuinea

Pakistan

Poland

Romania

Rwanda

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Scotland

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Sudan

Syria

Sudan

Suriname

Sweden

Tajikistan

Tanzania

Timor-Leste

Togo

Trinidad &Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

Turkmenistan

Yemen

Ukraine

Uganda

Uzbekistan

COUNTRIES WITH NO PAIMA MEMBERS AS OF MARCH 2021

PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:52 Page 32

REMOVALSYour One Stop Shop Down Under

AUSTRALIArates@conroyremovals.com.auconroyremovals.com.aufacebook.com/conroyremovalsaus

NEW [email protected]/conroyremovalsnz

With over 45years experience in the Australian and New Zealand markets there isn’t much we haven’t seen. Through all of this, Conroy Removals continues to demonstrate it’s

to you and your valued clients.

REMOVALSREMOV

www.paimamovers.com

New member in Oman

uscat-based Premium MoveServices LLC, trading as The

Movers, has become the second company inOman to join the PAIMA network.

Premium Move Services is run by its co-founder Manoj Sharma (pictured right) whobegan his career in the moving industry morethan 30 years ago in India, before moving tothe Middle East in 2005 to work for a logisticscompany. Manoj returned to the movingindustry two-years later to help his formeremployers in India start a moving company inOman where he was regional manager MiddleEast. Then in 2014, as Manoj put it, “I jumpedthe stream with just a dream and moralsupport and started Premium Move Services.”

The company now employs 35 full-time staffand a further nine sub-contracted crewmembers. The company prides itself on thequality of its staff and many have undergonetraining at the FIDI Academy.

Manoj describes international moving as the‘spine’ of the business, with the majority oftraffic coming from Europe, Asia and the USA.This is complemented by local and domesticmoves, storage, office moving, commercialpacking, and project management.

“We joined PAIMA to increase our visibility inthe international moving market and to giveour partners the added trust that having ouroperations checked by PAIMA gives,” saidManoj. “We are looking forward to partneringwith members to deliver quality moves totheir corporate customers and to placingreciprocal business with them.”

M

PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:52 Page 33

• ARGENVANS TRANSPORTES• EDELWEISS SPEDITION• MERCOVAN ARGENTINA SRL• NEYGI MOVING SRL

• SOBOLAK INTERNATIONAL

• COMPAS INTERNATIONAL MOVERS

• EXPRESS CARGO SERVICES S.R.L.

• INBOLPACK SRL• TOTAL BOLIVIAN MOVERS

• ATLANTIS INTERNATIONAL• BRAZIL LINK

MUDANCAS LTDA - ME• COSMOPOLITAN

TRANSPORTES LTDA• G INTER (GRANERO

INTERNATIONAL)• GERSON & GREY

TRANSPORTES LTDA• GLOBAL PACKING

INTERNATIONAL MOVERS LTDA

• NETMOVE ASSESSORIA INTERNACIONAL LTDA

• TEAMWORK INTERNATIONAL MOVING

• CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF MOVERS (CAM)

• INTERCONTINENTAL VAN LINES, INC

• OUTAOUAIS MOVING INC• TIPPET RICHARDSON

• ALS MOVERS (CHILE) S.A.• REMSSA S.A.

• AMR INTERNATIONAL RELOCATION

• NEWLAND INTL MOVING

• JB LOGISTICS LTDA• TRANSPACK LTDA

• ABC MUDANZAS• APA WORLDWIDE

MOVERS

• EUROPEAN REMOVAL & STORAGE CO

• L&G INTERNATIONAL MOVERS, S.A.

• LA ROSA DEL MONTE • LATINO EXPRESS, S.A.

• EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL GROUP

• GREEN INTERNATIONALLOGISTICS

• DEMECO SAS• EUROPEAN

RELOCATION SERVICES• GROUPE BERTON

INTERNATIONAL• LES GENTLEMEN DU

DEMENAGEMENT• NEER SERVICE FRANCE

• CARL HARTMANN GMBH & CO KG

• FRIEDRICK KURZ GMBH• HENK INTERNATIONAL• SCHENKER

DEUTSCHLAND AG

• SWISS GLOBAL MOVERS

• MUDANZAS AIRLIFT INTERNATIONAL

• MUDANZAS INTERNATIONAL

• RELOSMART

• CLINTUS NETWORK LIMITED

• GRACE RELOCATIONS PVT LTD• LINKINDIA LOGISTICS

PVT LTD• P.M. RELOCATIONS PVT LTD• SERVILE RELOCATIONS

PRIVATE LIMITED

• ACE INTERNATIONAL• PT KELLYS EXPRESS

• CARELINE INTERNATIONAL MOVING & STORAGE

• SONIGO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING & MOVING LLC

• BLISS MOVING & LOGISTICS SRL

• MAGNOLIA MOVING SRL• T&T SERVICES

INTERNATIONAL ITALIA SRL

• FUKUOKA SOKO CO, LTD• KOKUSAI EXPRESS CO, LTD

• JORDANIAN COAST CARGO SERVICES

• FF INTERNATIONAL MOVERS

• PIONEER MOVERS SDN BHD• ROYAL RELOCATIONS

MALAYSIA

• AUTOTRANSPORTES INTERNACIONALES S DE R. L.DE C.V.

• CIME - COMPAÑIA INTERNACIONAL DE MUDANZAS Y EMBARQUE S.A. DE C.V.

• MEXPACK INTERNATIONAL REMOVALS

• MORENO INTERNATIONAL, S.A. DE C.V.

• MUDANZAS GOU S.A. DE C.V.• MULTI TRANSPORTES MEX,

S.A. DE C.V.• SANCALSA

INTERNATIONAL SERVICES• TRAFIMAR RELOCATION

SERVICES, S.A. DE C.V.• TRANSCONTAINER

• GLOBAL MOVING& STORAGE LTD

• MYANMAR EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL MOVINGSERVICES CO. LTD

• ORIENT INTERNATIONAL RELOCATIONS

www.paimamovers.com

Argentina

Belgium

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Colombia

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

Germany

Guatemala

Honduras

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Latvia

Malaysia

Mexico

Ethiopia

Egypt

Israel

Denmark

Austria

Myanmar

Nepal

Jordan

www.paimamovers.com34 www.paimamovers.com

members 2021

Chile

China

France

PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:53 Page 34

www.paimamovers.com 31

• CONROY REMOVALS LTD

• MUDANZAS MUNDIALES, S.A.

• CONOTE SERVICES LTD• JESHEM LOGISTICS LTD• KOEMAN NIGERIA LTD

• NFB INTERNATIONAL RELOCATIONS AS

• ALLIED LOGISTICS LLC• THE MOVERS - PREMIUM

MOVE SERVICES LLC

• BALBOA MOVERS, INC• BLU LOGISTICS, S.A.• PANAMA INTERMOVING

RELOCATIONS

• ASUNCION VANPACK SRL

• ATLAS INTERNATIONAL SERVICE, S.A.

• DOOR TO DOOR TRANSPORTS, S.A.C.

• MOVING SYSTEMS S.A.C.

• GOETZ MOVING & STORAGE, INC

• PREMIER INTERNATIONAL MOVERS

• GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL RELOCATION

• GARCIA TRUCKING SERVICE, INC

• LA ROSA DEL MONTE• RODI CARGO INTERNATIONAL

GROUP

• M & TM FREIGHT

• MOVE ONE RELOCATIONS, SAUDI ARABIA LTD

• CROWN LINE PTY LTD• GEOMETRA WORLDWIDE

MOVERS PTE LTD• ORIENT EXPRESS

FORWARDING PTY• SMART RELOCATORS PTE LTD

• MAGNA THOMSON INTERNATIONAL MOVERS (PTY) LTD

• HIGH RELOCATION WORLDWIDE - KOREA

• PUMYANG SHIPPING CO. LTD

• GRUPO AMYGO, S.A.• MUDINMAR MOBILITY• PASSER MOVERS, S.L.• WILLMOVE WORLDWIDE SLU

• TRANS-GLOBAL RELOCATIONS (PVT) LTD

• SWISS MOVING SERVICE AG

• BOONMA MOVING & STORAGE CO, LTD

• GLOBAL MOVING AND SHIPPING BV

• SCHMIDT GLOBAL RELOCATION BV

• TRIGLOBAL BV

• BOB LYNCH MOVING & STORAGE, INC

• DELIGHT INTERNATIONAL MOVER LLC

• DXI LOGISTICS LLC• FUSION SPECIALIZED SHIPPING

& LOGISTICS LLC• ISS RELOCATIONS LLC• MASSTRANS FREIGHT LLC

• ARROWPAK INTERNATIONAL MOVERS

• BURKE BROS MOVING GROUP LTD

• GALLEON INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CO, LTD

• GERSON RELOCATION LTD• PREMIER RELOCATION LTD

• INTERTRAFIK SRL

• AIR ANIMAL PET MOVERS• AIRES• BLASON INTERNATIONAL

MOVERS• DEWITT MOVE

WORLDWIDE• FORMULA GLOBAL MOBILITY• HUMBOLDT INTERNATIONAL• INTERAMERICAN MOVERS

& FORWARDERS LLC• JOHNSON INTERNATIONAL• LA ROSA DEL MONTE• MITCHELL MOVING

& STORAGE• NEW HAVEN MOVING

EQUIPMENT• PLANES MOVING

& STORAGE• RELOCATION INSURANCE

GROUP LLC• ROADRUNNER, LTD• RODI CARGO INTERNATIONAL• SUDDATH • STAR INTERNATIONAL

MOVERS, LLC• STEVENS INTERNATIONAL• TG INTERNATIONAL

INSURANCE BROKERAGE, INC• UNIVERSAL

RELOCATIONS, INC• WICKMAN WORLDWIDE

SERVICES, INC• WITHERS WORLDWIDE

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• ASIA PRIME RELOCATION VIET CO., LTD

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PAIMA No.1 2021 36pg :Layout 1 19/4/21 21:53 Page 35

PAIMA Management/PAIMA Report - Antonio Tremols, Executive Director, Pan American International Movers Association,

5201 Blue Lagoon Drive, 9th Floor, Miami, FL 33126, USA

T: +1 (954) 880 - 1085 F: +1 (786) 497 - 4017 E: [email protected] www.paimamovers.com

Regional DirectorsRegion I - North America - Canada & Mexico

Alexandra SchmidtMexpack International Removals • Mexico City, Mexico

Email: [email protected]

Jeff NadeauDewitt Move Worldwide • California, United States

Email: [email protected]

Region II - Central America & CaribbeanFabian Ortiz

APA Worldwide Movers • San Jose, Costa RicaEmail: [email protected]

Region III - South AmericaJorge Reguera Azcuenaga

NEYGI Moving SRL • Buenos Aires, ArgentinaEmail: [email protected]

Region IV - EuropeBjorn Carlsen

NFB International Relocations AS • Skui, NorwayEmail: [email protected]

Region V - AfricaKehinde Arowoselu

Koeman Nigeria Limited • Lagos, NigeriaEmail: [email protected]

Region VI - Middle EastBenson Davis

Fusion Specialized Shipping & Logistics LLC • Dubai, UAE Email: [email protected]

Region VII - AsiaArvind Joshi

Clintus Network Limited • New Delhi, IndiaEmail: [email protected]

Sudeep ShahOrient International Relocations • Kathmandu, Nepal

Email: [email protected]

Region VIII - Australia/New Zealand

Fiona ConroyConroy Removals • Auckland, New Zealand

Email: [email protected]

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