report - paima...report issue1,2020 usdomesticrelocation trendstowatchin2020 pg16 newpaimamember...

REPORTIssue 1, 2020

US domestic relocationtrends to watch in 2020

Pg 16

New PAIMA memberin Saudi Arabia Pg 12

A new type ofcustomer Pg 22

The Magazine of the Pan American International Movers Association

San Diego -America’s finest city

Pg 28

PAIMA No.1 2020 32pg :Layout 1 27/4/20 19:11

o you remember a time whenwe had never heard of COVID-19? Then we could laugh,

embrace, and joke with each otherin the sound knowledge that all wewould pick up were happymemories. Those days will return!

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More images on page 21

Snapshots!Snapshots!


www.paimamovers.com

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

Board of Directors

REPORTIssue 1, 2020

3

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

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

Advertising Enquiries: [email protected]

Contents4 PAIMA President, Lars Lemche4 Editor Steve Jordan’s letter5 Bliss Corporation welcomes two new team

members5 NFB wins new contract in Norway6 Aires opens in Phoenix6 Boonma makes Christmas happen6 Building a business in Myanmar7 New people at Gerson Relocation7 Gerson appoints new supply chain & agent partner

relationships manager8 Suddath appoints Scott Perry as president of

Moving & Logistics8 Sterling Lexicon appoints Sabrina Cames as

country director9 Aires and Bacardi win at EMMAs in London9 France’s Groupe BERTON International joins

PAIMA10 Zero emissions ships move a step closer10 PAIMA election year12 New PAIMA member in Saudi Arabia13 PAIMA welcomes its new member in Sri Lanka14 Star International Movers joins PAIMA15 Sterling Lexicon launches Sterling Xpress15 Air Animal recommends Ehrlichia pre-test for

Australia and New Zealand16 US domestic relocation trends to watch in 202018 When the chips are down: Reflections on a life in

the moving business, by Steve Jordan22 A new type of customer: Raul Quintanar from

TriGlobal looks at how the moving industry ischanging

25 PAIMA tonnage worldwide26 Moving into self storage28 San Diego - America’s Finest City30 PAIMA Members32 PAIMA Regional Directors

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

Matthias TischerDirector.Carl Hartmann, GermanyE: [email protected]

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

Roeland DelfgaauwDirector.Trafimar Relocation, MexicoE: [email protected]

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


www.paimamovers.com4

Dear PAIMA Members,

This is not a good period we are runningthrough. I don’t even know what to writeabout, as I’m sure most of you are tiredof hearing about the Coronavirus and allthe media pressure about the pandemicspreading.

But, we all have to be extremely carefuland conscious about the illness that iskilling people all over the world. Wemust take all steps in order to avoidcontamination and contaminating others.It is very serious. Please followinstructions.

We have canceled our Board of Directorsmeeting on a physical basis. We aremeeting virtually to discuss and gothrough a very large agenda. We havemany topics to cover and also plan ourconvention in San Diego, later this year.

If the convention is going to happen ornot is another issue. We will have itplanned. But if we need to cancel, then itis canceled. Everything to protect ourmembers. And IAM will be the first oneto confirm or cancel.

I wish you all a safe stay at home andtry not to go outside. Only whenextremely necessary. Let’s all praytogether for better days and mayeverybody overcome this in good healthand perfect conditions.

All the best,

Lars Peter LemchePresident – Board of Directors

ow let’s take a look on the brightside. It’s summer in the northernhemisphere so for all of us who put

up with rubbish weather most of thetime, the sun is shining. The environmentis having a holiday as everything shutsdown, which should please the goodpeople from Extinction Rebellion. Weare all locked up at home so we reallycan spend more time with our families.And there’s a new issue of PAIMA Reportjust landed on the doorstep, what’s notto like?

You will be delighted to know that there isnothing (almost) within these pages about a virus.I think there is a picture of a Corona bottlesomewhere, but you’ll have to search for that.

It’s not because we are ignoring the peskypathogen, it’s because most of the stories werewritten before we had heard of it. That’s thenature of a three-times-a-year publication. So,relax, you are safe here.

Next time I might not be able to make the samepromise so, enjoy reading. When we meet againthe world will be different, possibly better, than itwas in the past.

Steve Jordan, Editor

Letter from the EditorN


talian international removalspecialist Bliss Corporationhas announced the

appointment of two membersto its team.

Diego Novaro (pictured right) joins asbusiness development manager andwill be responsible for consolidatingthe company’s presence in Milan andthroughout Northern Italy, as well asdeveloping business farther afield.Meanwhile, Lori Hickey (above left,with CEO Francesco Argirò) joins Blissto work with the large expatcommunity in Rome. Lori is the co-founder of Retake Roma and theAmerican Exchange of Rome and wasrecently awarded the ‘DistinguishedAmerican in Rome’ prize by theAmerican International Club of Rome.

Bliss Corporation welcomestwo new team members

5www.paimamovers.com

FB International Relocations in Norwayhas recently won a huge contract for theNorwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

(MFA). The four-year contract is estimated to beworth around $2.5 million a year.

The Norwegian MFA divides its contract into fourgeographical regions; ASIA/OCEANIA, AFRICA,AMERICAS and EUROPE so the same provider canpotentially win all regions. NFB has won the contract forall regions except EUROPE.

NFB International Relocations AS of Norway startedtrading 1 January, 2009 and has participated in thetender for the MFA since 2010. In 2013 the companywon the contract for the AMERICAS.

“With renewed energy and enthusiasm, we look forwardto increasing our cooperation with the participatingpartners around the globe, and would also like to extendour heartfelt thanks for your contribution to our success,”said Bjorn Carlsen (above), NFB Managing Director.“We look forward to our cooperation in the years tocome.”

NFB wins new contractin Norway

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ires has announced theopening of a new office inPhoenix, Arizona, to

accommodate client growth andensure strategic alignment in theWestern region.

“We are very excited to expand into thePhoenix market,” said Aires’ President,Jeff Wangler. “Our goal is to always gowhere our clients need us, strategicallypositioning employees and aligning withour clients’ key locations.”

The local team will be led by Aires’Regional Operations Manager, PeterFerreira (pictured left), a key Aires team

member since 2012 who has 20 years ofcomprehensive relocation experience,having previously served in Aires’regional offices in Dallas, Texas;Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Danbury,Connecticut. Peter will lead a team ofmobility industry experts experienced inproviding high-quality service delivery.

“Not only does opening an office inPhoenix enable us to support the growthof our Western region, it has alsointroduced us to a highly-talented marketof new employees and candidates,” saidJoleen Lauffer, Aires’ Executive VicePresident.

6 www.paimamovers.com

Aires opens in Phoenix

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fter 18 years of working in the moving industry inMyanmar, Raju Aung Naing decided in 2011 to strikeout for himself and go it alone.

As usual, starting something new was a lonely place. Raju said that, afterserving a three year non-compete period, he worked very hard to get hisnew company off the ground. “I worked for two years, day and night,day and night,” he said. He had two members of staff and worked fromrented facilities. Then, as always happens when you work hard, a pieceof luck came along in the shape of a forwarding contract in the oil andgas industry.

It was this that gave Raju a break and allowed him to start building thecompany. Today, Global Moving & Storage Ltd Myanmar is a substantialhousehold goods shipping operation with its own facilities and employing40 people. Raju is a regular attendee at global conferences and is amember of PAIMA to help him build up his network of internationalagents.

Photo above: Raju Aung Naing on his stand at IAM (InternationalAssociation of Movers) in Chicago, 2019.

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Building a businessin Myanmar

hristmas might seem a long way away now, butfor Boonma Event Mobility in Bangkok it was abusy time.

The PAIMA member won the logistics contracts from three differenttop luxury hotel brands - Rosewood Bangkok, Peninsula Bangkokand Waldorf Astoria Bangkok - to import Christmas trees anddecorative items from China to Thailand, including customsclearance, storage, delivery, unloading, unpacking and installing.

The shipments all arrived ontime at the hotels and wereinstalled overnight byBoonma staff to keep guests(and Santa) happy.

"In December, Bangkok’sluxury hotels and shoppingcenters get dressed up withimpressive twinkling festivedisplays to get you into theholiday mood,” said Tiddy STeerawit, Executive Directorof Boonma Group. “This isthe third consecutive yearthat we have won theChristmas projects from thoseluxury hotel brands."

Photo Left: Making Christmasfor the Rosewood BangkokHotel.

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Boonma makesChristmas happen


Gerson appointsnew supply chain& agent partnerrelationshipsmanager

erson Relocation in Londonhas appointed three newmembers of staff: Ricky

Hibburt (above) as client servicemanager; and both Claire Skillett(middle right) and MelanieWinkworth (lower right) to itsclient services team.

Ricky is responsible for working withCorporate HR and Global Mobility teamsto help manage their employee relocationprograms and cases. He has a great dealof moving and relocation managementexperience, having previously worked withclients from a broad range of sectors aswell as gaining valuable experience froman employee’s perspective, havingrelocated on many occasions himself. Hehas previously held senior mobility andmanagement roles at Santa Fe Relocation.Prior to this, he was self-employed as ahome search consultant, gaining valuableknowledge of the housing market in andaround London and an understanding ofkey relocation processes.

Ricky said, “I chose to join GersonRelocation because I wanted to be part ofan industry renowned company at the topof their game. I was also attracted to acompany that is looking to invest in theirstaff and has a focus on customer service. Ilike the level of experience at all levelswithin Gerson and knowing that this willpush and help me grow within a companyentering an exciting time in the industry.”

Melanie will support Ricky’s department inhelping to manage international employeerelocation programs. “Prior to joining, I’dheard good things about Gerson

Relocation in the market,” she said.“I like their focus on building the bestpossible relocation and moving serviceavailable and I look forward tocollaborating with clients to further developour service around their needs.”

Claire will supportrelocating assigneesand carry out globalmove managementfor corporate clients.She has been in therelocation businessfor 20 years and ishighly experiencedin both internationalmoving and clientrelationshipmanagement.

Before joiningGerson Relocation,Claire held globalmoving roles at BTRInternational andPickfords. She alsoworked in clientrelationshipmanagement and asan accountmanager at 20thCentury Fox, theglobal entertainmentand film business.

Claire said, “I am excited to join GersonRelocation and look forward to growingand succeeding with a company thatfocuses on excellent customer service.”

GNew people at Gerson Relocation

erson Relocation has announcedthe promotion of Nikki Browne(above) to supply chain & agent

partner relationships manager. Shewill be responsible for managing

agent relationships forinternational moving andrelocation services.

Nikki’s role focuses on nurturingrelationships with agent partners,managing performance and costs, andensuring service continuity worldwide.

As part of her role she will also lead ateam of relocation managers who carryout the management of householdgoods moving services for overseasagent partners. Nikki and her team arenow the primary point of contact foragent rate requests at GersonRelocation.

Nikki has worked in the moving andrelocation industry for 12 years andjoined Gerson in 2012. During thistime, she has worked across many ofthe organization’s service units,managing everything from door-to-doorhousehold goods moves to full businessrelocations. She is also experiencedwith costings and working with agentpartners.

Russell Start, AGM Group Managing Directorsaid, “It is terrific to see our employees takingopportunities to develop and grow their careerswithin our business. Nikki’s experience and herteam are an incredible resource for ouroverseas partners.”

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obility specialist SterlingLexicon is boosting itsinternational team by

welcoming Sabrina Cames toits office in France. Sabrinawill join the team as countrydirector and will be based atSterling Lexicon’s France Officein Paris, which has beenoperating since 1999.

Rob Lucas, Director of SterlingLexicon UK and France said, “I’mexcited for Sabrina to join ourSterling Lexicon family in Paris. Asan organization, we recognize theimportance of having a strongpresence in France, and we areconfident her knowledge andexperience will further strengthenour position in this strategiclocation.”

As country director for France,Sabrina will manage and drive salesin the region. She will work toexpand Sterling Lexicon’s operationsin France and lead a dedicatedteam to achieve maximum results.Sabrina brings with her a wealth ofknowledge and experience fromacross the industry. Before joiningSterling Lexicon, she was salesdirector for Santa Fe Relocation inFrance.

Rob Lucas added, “This positionrequires active communication andparticipation across a range ofcolleagues in all regions. Sabrinahas the leadership experience and aproven history of success that makeher perfect for this role.”

elocation and logisticsspecialist Suddath hasannounced the

promotion of Scott Perry(pictured left) to president ofSuddath Moving & Logistics.He succeeds Frank Senatorewho is retiring after fiveyears on the Suddath team.

In his new role Scott will overseemultiple lines of business atSuddath, including interstatehousehold goods, global logistics,commercial moving and localmoving. He will have fullresponsibility for Suddath’s branchnetwork and distribution centeroperations across the United States.

Scott joined Suddath in 2018 asthe head of Global Logistics andled significant growth in thecompany’s contract logistics,

international freight forwardingand furniture, fixtures andequipment (FFE) product lines. Hequickly moved into an expandedrole as chief operating officer of anewly combined Suddath Moving& Logistics division.

Mike Brannigan, President & CEO,The Suddath Companies said,“Scott has been integral in drivingour operational strategy andexecution in support of a fullyintegrated moving and logisticsbusiness. Under his guidance, wehave elevated our focus on thecustomer experience, drivingquality, safety and innovation,while solidifying our position as anindustry leader in providing end-to-end moving and supply chainsolutions for our customers.”

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Suddath appoints ScottPerry as president ofMoving & Logistics


Sterling Lexicon appointsSabrina Cames as countrydirector

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lobal mobility company Aires and itsclient Bacardi - the largest privatelyheld spirits company in the world -

were awarded Best Vendor Partnership bythe Forum for Expatriate Management(FEM) at the EMEA Expatriate Management& Mobility Awards (EMMAs) held inLondon last November. The awardrecognizes the collaborative approachdeveloped by Aires and Bacardi.

Andrew Meadowcroft, Aires’ Manager of GlobalOperations & Technology said, “It has been apleasure supporting the Bacardi MobilityProgram. From the outset, we could see howmuch value Bacardi places on the experience ofits people. It has been a joy to offer strategicsolutions to Bacardi in a very collaborativeenvironment. Aires’ ‘culture of yes’ has played akey role in enabling us to listen to Bacardi andhelp drive the strategic goals of a company witha very mobile workforce.”

The awards were judged by an independentgroup of leading mobility professionals from avariety of companies and industries. In selectingAires and Bacardi, judges noted the strongcultural fit between the two companies.

Bacardi Global Mobility Director, Dennis Michelssaid, “Bacardi promotes a culture of mobility,where people are encouraged to experience newcountries as part of their personal andprofessional growth. We recognize that this is abig commitment for any family or individual andAires helps us achieve an easy relocationthrough their communications, expertize, andattention to making personal connections. TheAires approach of putting people first is a greatmatch for our family-owned business whererelationships matter and taking care of each ispart of our culture.”

Claire Tennant-Scull, Head of Content at FEMadded, “EMMAs entries are rigorously judged bya team of fiercely impartial, highly experienced,senior figures in the industry, who are drawnfrom a range of disciplines across the EMEAregion and who give up their own free time tocarry out a very thorough and demandingprocess, so these awards carry tremendouskudos. It’s so important to receive recognitionamong your peers for innovation and hard workand so I think the winners and all those on theshortlist should feel extremely proud.”

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Aires and Bacardiwin at EMMAs inLondon

rench moving and relocationcompany Groupe BERTONInternational has become a

PAIMA member, making it thesecond company in France tojoin the network. The companycomprises five divisions: BertonInternational, Berton Movers,Berton Storage, BertonArchiving and Berton Transferspecializing in office moving.

With regional offices in Melun,Longjumeau, Orleans, Blois andAngers, Groupe Berton is able tooffer moving and relocation servicesacross mainland France and itsEuropean islands. The companywas founded by Robert Bertonin1963 in the city of Orleans, 80miles south of Paris, and remains afamily business under thechairmanship of Xavier Berton.

BERTON Group is also a memberof the IAM (InternationalAssociation of Movers) network andis ISO 9001 and ISO 14001certified.

“Since 1963 our company hasdeveloped in different categories tomeet the demand of our customers,”

said Xavier Berton, Chairman. “Ouractivities now offer a range of movingservices. Our ambition is to find thebest solutions for our customers everyday and to surround ourselves withcompetent, involved and attentiveemployees.”

Photo above: Thanina Ferrat and XavierBerton, Chairman.Photo below: Thanina Ferrat,presenting at the Chicago conference.

www.berton-groupe.com

France’s Groupe BERTONInternational joins PAIMA


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maritime innovation project toinstall the world’s first ammonia-powered fuel cell on a vessel has

been awarded €10m funding from theEuropean Union (EU).

The ShipFC project is being run by aconsortium of 14 European companies andinstitutions, co-ordinated by the Norwegiancluster organization NCE Maritime CleanTech.

The innovative project has been awardedbacking from the EU’s Research and Innovation

program Horizon 2020 under its Fuel Cellsand Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU).

An offshore vessel, Viking Energy, will beretrofitted with a large 2MW ammonia fuel cellallowing it to sail solely on the clean fuel for upto 3,000 hours annually. The project willdemonstrate that long-range zero-emissionvoyages with high power on larger ships ispossible.

The goal is also to prove that a large fuel cellcan deliver total electric power to shipboard

systems safely and effectively. This is the firsttime an ammonia-powered fuel cell will beinstalled on a vessel. A significant part of theproject will be the scale-up of a 100-kilowattfuel cell to two megawatts.

The ship’s ammonia system will be supplied byWärtsilä and begin testing at the SustainableEnergy Norwegian Catapult Centre in late2023.

Photo above: Viking Energy

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Zero emissions shipsmove a step closer

is an election yearfor PAIMA in whichall Board positions,

including those for president andvice president, need to be decidedby the membership.

Nominations must arrive at the PAIMAoffice no later than 18 August, 2020.So, if you are interested in becoming partof the team driving the Association, orknow someone else who is, now’s yourchance to be on the official ballot.

All eligible Active Members will be listedon the ‘Election Ballot’ and the votes (onevote per Active Member) will be castduring our General Assembly in SanDiego.

If there are any questions, please contactthe PAIMA office for help and clarification.

2020PAIMAelection year


ove One Relocations SaudiArabia Ltd has joined the PAIMAnetwork, the first company in the

Saudi Kingdom to do so.

The Riyadh-based company is part of the MoveOne Group, which has 54 offices in 40countries and more than 600 employeesworldwide. During the last thirty years, MoveOne has built a reputation for its expertise inproviding relocation and logistics services insome of the world’s most challenging andturbulent regions.

Move One Director Bojan Simunovic said, “Lifein Saudi is gradually changing for expats, butthings are still very different here, and it doestake a while to adjust. Our people in Riyadhare very well aware of the potential challengesassignees face when they move here and aimto make their transition to Saudi life as smoothas possible.”

Having made their home in Saudi most peopleenjoy the experience and quickly adapt to theculture and way of life. However, strictregulations can sometimes cause difficulties forpeople more used to a western lifestyle. Forexample, single parents or unmarried couplesmay not be granted a visa, and wives ofassignees are often not allowed to work duringtheir stay.

Pets are generally accepted, but dogs, thoughtolerated, are not usually permitted to bewalked beyond the gates of the residentialcompounds where the majority of expats live.Certain items, such as alcohol, drugs, orquantities of religious books or other religiousitems are not allowed to be brought into thecountry. The Move One team in Riyadh canadvise shippers about these and any otherregulations assignees need to be aware ofbefore departure.

In the past, most expats moving to SaudiArabia worked in the oil and gas industry, butin recent years that to a large extent haschanged, with finance, retail, construction andlaw firms increasingly hiring expat workers.

“We relocate people here from all over theworld, but mainly from the United States,” saidBojan. “We rely mainly on agents for ourinternational business and by joining PAIMAwe’re hoping to expand our network ofpartners, especially in the Americas.”

Move One is also a member of FIDI, IAM(International Association of Movers) andLACMA (Latin American and CaribbeanInternational Movers Association).

www.moveoneinc.com


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New PAIMA memberin Saudi Arabia


rans-Global Relocations (Pvt)Ltd (TGR) recently became amember of PAIMA, making it

the only relocation company in SriLanka to be a part of the network.

The Colombo-based company beganoperations in 2013 and is owned by familymembers, Suresh (pictured right), Emashiand Kaylon Marcellus. Managing DirectorSuresh Marcellus has over 38 years’experience in the international movingindustry, having initially trained inSingapore and working in Australia for twomajor international moving companies,before moving back to his native country.

Today TGR employ’s full-time staff and hasa 3,000 sq ft transit warehouse inColombo, offering customers 30-days’complimentary storage for out-boundconsignments and 14 days for in-bound

shipments. The company specializesmainly in handling door-to-doorrelocations for corporate, diplomaticand UN missions worldwide.

“We’ve built the business by usingmodern methods and offering ourcustomers competitive prices matchedby personalized service,” said Suresh.

“We are extremely proud to be the onlyPAIMA member in Sri Lanka and lookforward to expanding our network globallywith PAIMA members. Word of mouth goesa long way in relocation.”

Trans-Global Relocations receivedthe PAIMA new member tonnagestar award for 2019.

www.t-grelo.com

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PAIMA welcomesits new memberin Sri Lanka



Star InternationalMovers joins PAIMA

tar International Movers, based inDulles, Virginia, has recentlyjoined the PAIMA network. Now

in its 23rd year of trading, StarInternational was founded by itscurrent owner Jimmy Re (picturedupper and lower right) who grew thebusiness from humble beginnings intoa substantial international movingcompany with clients around theworld.

Jimmy began his career in the movingbusiness at the age of 17 working as a crewmember for a domestic moving company inAlexandria, Virginia, to earn money forcollege. Later, while studying, he worked part-time for another moving company where hegained valuable frontline experience packingand loading household goods.

After graduating from college with a businessand finance degree, Jimmy picked up hiscareer in the moving industry, this timeworking for a large international company innorthern Virginia, where he gained extensiveknowledge about the processes andpracticalities of international moving.

Following two years of working for acorporate organization whose main focus, itseemed to him, was on the number of movesbooked per year rather than deliveringpersonal service, Jimmy decided thecorporate, impersonal approach, was not forhim and decided to start his own business.

“I was in my early thirties with a wife and ayoung son, so I guess it wasn’t the best time totake a risk and start a new business,” saidJimmy. “We decided to go ahead anyway,because we figured there would always be anexcuse not to, and anyway, the worst thatcould happen was we’d lose our money!”Fortunately, thanks to hard work, resilienceand determination, the gamble paid off.

As with many family-run businesses, Jimmy hasbased his business model on providingpersonal service. “I still like to think whenpeople move with Star, they are moving withJimmy Re, and although we’re now a muchbigger company and I have a great team of

experienced people around me, I’mstill very hands-on when it comes toour customers and agents,” saidJimmy. “If someone has an issue, oran agent needs a special rate forexample, I’ll always do my best tohelp.”

From its base in Dulles, StarInternational provides domesticmoving and destination servicesthroughout the US and is a Top 10agent in the nationwide Arpin VanLine Network. As well as dealing withincoming traffic, Star handlesshipments from the US to destinationsacross the globe for customers, including themilitary and aid-funded organizations movinggoods and personal affects to developingcountries in Eastern Europe, Africa and partsof Asia.

Star International Movers is already a memberof IAM (International Association of Movers)and LACMA (Latin American and CaribbeanInternational Movers Association) so why didJimmy decide to join PAIMA?

“We’ve taken several steps to expand thebusiness during the past year or so, includingopening a new, bigger warehouse and weneed to get our name out there,” said Jimmy.“I’d worked with several movers who aremembers of PAIMA and they all said it was areally good organization to be a part of. It’s aclose-knit community where people talk andget to know and trust each other: that’s how Ibuilt my company and it’s how I like to dobusiness. I’m looking forward to meeting morePAIMA members and developing newbusiness relationships in the months and yearsahead.”

Last year Jimmy’s son Javin (pictured middlewith father, Jimmy) joined the company and islooking forward to a successful career in theinternational moving business.

www.starint.com

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terling Lexicon has upgradedits popular household goodssmall shipment service with

the introduction of SterlingXpress.

The small shipment service wasoriginally introduced in 2017 toovercome industry challenges, such asdiminishing capacity, driver shortages,and decreasing shipment sizes. Theseobstacles often result in service failures,delayed shipments, increased claimsand costs, and frustrated assignees andhuman resource professionals.

By combining the convenience of full-service moving with the speed andagility of containerized shipping, SterlingLexicon has reduced claims and costs whileenhancing the assignee’s experience. SterlingXpress introduces significant programenhancements, such as faster transit times,guaranteed pick-up and delivery dates, 60days of free household goods storage, anexpanded network of vetted, quality partners,and increased savings.

Mike Brannigan, President of Sterling Lexiconsaid, “From lack of productivity and unsettledemployees to increased temporary housing and

per day costs, slow relocations cost more thanjust money. Sterling Xpress solves theseproblems by providing the fastest transit timesin the industry, creating less stress on theemployee so they can focus on getting settledinto their new role instead of on their move.”

One successful example of this program inaction is how Sterling Xpress saved a large BayArea financial technology company more than$1.1 million in household goods and other feeswithin one year. Prior to partnering withSterling Lexicon, the company wasexperiencing two to three-week delivery

windows, making it difficult to plan for thetransition from temporary housing topermanent. After using Sterling Xpress, claimsdecreased to zero and delivery windows weresignificantly reduced, saving the business up to$15,000 per move.

“Our customers are raving about the programoffering,” said Rob Vespa, Senior VicePresident of Move Management for SterlingLexicon. “With Sterling Xpress, businesses andemployees don’t have to sacrifice great servicefor cost savings.”

SSterling Lexicon launches Sterling Xpress


nternational pet transportationcompany Air Animal in Florida isrecommending that all dogs

traveling to Australia and NewZealand should have a test forEhrlichia six months before theintended moving date. Australia hasbanned dogs that test positive forEhrlichia canis, a tick-borne diseasethat is not contagious to people.

“Ehrlichia has surged in animal populationsbecause tick populations surge every sevenyears,” said Dr Walter M Woolf, Air Animalfounder and USDA-certified veterinarian.

Air Animal now recommends its clients start thesix-month pre-move process for both Australiaand New Zealand with an Ehrlichia antigen

test. The test is especially important for petsresiding in the US for six months before movingon to another country such as Australia or NewZealand. Pets that test positive can thencomplete the treatments necessary for them torelocate and enter Australia and NewZealand’s normal 10-day quarantine.

“If the first test is positive, a 30-day treatmentusing Imizol (imidocarb), doxycycline and tickprevention usually reduces the antigen toacceptable levels,” Dr Woolf explained.“A second confirmatory blood test is requiredwithin 45 days of pet export. If clients wait totest the antigen 45 days before the move, therejust isn’t time to complete the treatments and re-test the pet.”

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Air Animal recommends Ehrlichiapre-test for Australia and New Zealand


he first year of the new decade will be very busy - ournation will see a presidential election, a newgeneration of workers and new technologies are just

over the horizon, and the economy is seeing the longestperiod of uninterrupted growth in its history. These arethe relocation trends you should be watching in 2020.

Generation Z enters the job marketGeneration Z (Gen Z) are entering adulthood and the workforce inincreasing numbers. 2020 will be influenced by how the relocationindustry moves these workers into their roles. While Millennials (GenY) will form the largest cohort of workers in 2020, Gen Z will beginentering the workforce at an accelerated rate. These adults, born in themid-90s and later, are often considered to be even more Millennial-ishthan Millennials themselves. However, early studies may be revealingthat Gen Z has significant differences from their Millennial counterparts.

Notice that the qualities of Gen Z are not inherently negative - qualities inthis combination can be leveraged to cultivate a worker that isexceptionally engaged in their career. The key word being ‘cultivated’.These qualities likely mean that a Gen Z worker will be more willing toaccept relocation than prior generations, but due to higher digitalizationand higher likelihood of early workforce entry, may also be less ready-made for any particular position. Despite the differences betweenMillennials and Gen Z, these disparities might not be so great as to requiremajor restructuring in onboarding and relocation.

For instance, short-term assignments (STAs) may be repurposedfor the young workers. STAs are temporary transfers,sometimes across national borders, that last betweenthree months to a year. STAs are especially useful forknowledge transfers, project-based work, andproviding international experience. While thesetransfers might stereotypically be associated withupper-management, STAs may servemultiple purposes for young workersto prove themselves ready for future,larger-commitment relocations, butalso be used to fill skill-gaps.

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Sterling Lexicon offers an insightinto what to expect from the USdomestic relocation market in 2020.

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US domesticrelocationtrends towatch in 2020

www.paimamovers.com


For 2020, the relocation industry shouldconsider whether it can help move theseworkers into their new careers by integratingmentorship connections into their programs -thus ensuring that a skills gap doesn’t preventthe right person from getting into the rightplace. Be sure to remember that, likeMillennials before them, Gen Z is going tobe a diverse cohort of workers - do not limityour relocation candidates to any particulardemographics. Also, like Millennials, Gen Zmay tend to prefer do-it-yourself and cashprograms, or programs that allow significantflexibility such as a Core/Flex approach.

Artificial intelligence still too newArtificial Intelligence (AI) is being presentedas the new panacea to all businesschallenges. However, while one canacknowledge that AI will eventually extendinto all areas of work, 2020 is perhaps stilltoo early to reorganize your HR andrelocation programs around AI. Twitter botsgoing rogue (TayTweets), and facialrecognition only being accurate for a singledemographic, should serve as warningsagainst poor applications of this burgeoningtechnology.

Another caution against AI: while thedigitally native Generation Z is likely toeasily understand and use new technologies,their discerning eyes will more readilycriticize poorly implemented technologies.

An alternative to AI is to consider roboticprocess automation (RPA). Where AI is verynew, RPA is established, reliable, andproven. RPA can be used to alleviate theburden on relocation professionals of tediousdata-entry and filling out forms, and insteadallow them to focus on more client-orientedtasks. Implementing RPA processes can stillbe complicated, however, so be sure tocommit extra time to understand exactlywhere and how RPA can support yourrelocation and talent programs.

For 2020, be skeptical of accepting AIsolutions at face value. This technologyrequires an educated eye to implement, andan expert to upkeep. It may be moreworthwhile to prefer new hires withcomputer science skills to provide thenecessary filter and insight into incomingAI technologies. Fresh talent may give youthe edge needed to adapt in the face ofdisruption.

Strong economic growth, but realestate sales stagnantThe United States is currently experiencingthe longest period of uninterrupted realestate growth in its history. The previousrecord for longest growth lasted from the

post-war slowdown in March 1991, to theburst of the dot-com bubble in March 2001 -a period of 120 months. The last recessionended June of 2009 - over 126 months ago.Despite a few doomsayer headlinesportending an oncoming recession in 2020,the evidence of such is inconclusive and therelocation industry should expect continuedgrowth.

The real estate market is filled with signs ofunmet demand. Mortgage rates are expectedto remain below 3.9% and may drop as lowas 3.5%. Housing prices are expected tocontinue to rise. And the length of time oneowns a home between moves is as high as23 years in some metropolitan areas. Thesetrends are causing younger homebuyers tolook for homes in the suburbs.

The increasing trend of home tenure isanother way of saying a decreasing trend indomestic migration. While during the 50sand 60s, as much as 20% of Americanfamilies per year migrated to new homes,that number has dropped to 9.8%. Thisphenomenon is likely being driven by threegeneral factors. First: as said before,increasing home tenure, especially by oldergenerations, will tend to shut youngergenerations out of the housing market.Second: incomes, adjusted for inflation,have remained mostly flat for the last 35years, which has a double-effect - not onlyare Americans having to work harder toimprove their standard of living, but flatincomes have led to a swift increase in thenumber of dual-income households. Anybodyfamiliar with the relocation industry will knowthat relocating a dual-income householdcomes with a great deal more involvementthan relocating a household with only oneincome earner. Finally, third: with theincrease in telecommunication andtelepresence technologies, the requirementfor on-site presence is relaxed, which furtherreduces the need to relocate.

While the yearly domestic migration rate isn’texpected to rise above 12%, the relocationindustry may be able to alleviate some of thecomplications preventing Americans frommigrating by offering more sophisticatedrelocation packages aligned to the trendsand market forces described here.

The economic environment within therelocation industry appears to be on anongoing trend of consolidation with the$400-million acquisition of Cartus Relocationby Sirva Worldwide, Inc in 2019. In thepast, consolidation in the relocation industryhas occurred sporadically, but in recentyears, consolidation has greatly accelerated.We see this trend continuing in 2020 andwill likely require the relocation industry to beprepared for further disruption and change.

For 2020, relocation professionals will wantto keep their eye on the 2020 housingmarket and economics news. A recessionusually causes business shrinkage andincreasing unemployment - a double-edgedsword for relocation. While businessrestructuring may increase relocations,business shrinkage may reduce them.Similarly, unmet demand in the housingmarket tends to anchor homeowners in placeand make real estate difficult to acquire -even in spite of low mortgage rates.

2020 is shaping up to be a year full ofexciting challenges. New talent, new policyapproaches and new technologies aredisrupting an already-tumultuous industry,and the US economy is primed for furtherrapid changes. Whatever challenges oropportunities 2020 presents to you and yourbusiness, you can rely on Sterling Lexicon.



have never written a story likethis before. I wouldn’t be doing sonow if the PAIMA president hadn’t

asked me to, and I have learned overthe years that it’s never good to sayno to the boss. Having spent half mylife writing about other people, this isthe first time I have said anythingmuch about me. Feels strange.Sorry it’s so long.

Lars asked me to write a story about my life inthe moving industry. My first thought was thatit’s not finished yet, though I did have a close

call last year! Then I thought that nobodywould be very interested. But, I suppose,after 46 years of trying to make sense of thissomewhat crazy business, I guess I havepicked up a few nuggets.

I owe this business a lot. Without it, forexample, the food and accommodation atJordan Towers wouldn’t have been so good asit’s given me a living for, well, almost always.I also met my second wife in the industrywhen, during the 1980s, she managed tomake BAR conferences far more interestingthan they ever had been before or have been

since. We have two children together who,added to the two girls and their six childrenfrom my first liaison, have made life joyousand traumatic in almost equal measure. By thetime you read this, our youngest, Mary, willbe ready to pop with number seven. Moretears of joy and sprouting grey hair for me Ipredict. Pregnancy is never fun for grandads.

Picture above: Editor photograph for the firstOMNI Observer in 1995.

I


When the chipsare down Reflections on a life in the moving

business, by Steve Jordan


www.paimamovers.com 19

First daysWalking into Scotpac (now Crown) in August1974 to start work as a shipping clerk wasnot a choice: it was a necessity. Following astint in the navy, then running a pub, sufferinga serious illness and having recently married,it was the only job in town other than servingfish and chips. I remember my first task. Ihad to add up the volume of the Australiansurveys and divide them by the price. Myboss, Glyn Thomas (still a friend), told me itshould work out at £2.50 a cubic foot and, ifnot, I should tell him. Today, if you do thesame sum, it works out about £5.00, nowonder movers sometimes struggle to make aliving. Then you could buy a family home for£10,000 that would cost you around£400,000 today. Somehow the movingindustry has lost its way, don’t you think?

Branching outGlyn, the depot manager, left the company sixmonths later without warning. I was worried.By now my first child was on the way and Iwanted to know if my job was secure. Iknocked on his door that same evening andasked for an explanation. As the beer flowedand Gordon Lightfoot played on the stereo,we hatched a plan to start our own company.Remarkably, in the morning, after thehangover had subsided, we felt the same way.Avalon Overseas, owned by Glyn, JimmyHanna, a totally crazy but brilliant Irishman,and me started in March 1975.

We did military ITGBL and DPM work and gotthe hang of handling migrant household goods.It was tough work, very tough, with 6:30amstarts and late finishes. I spent my 21st birthday,in a baking July, loading military boxes on 40fttrailers and building new ones (15 I think) onmy own. I cursed Glyn, who hadn’t shown upall day. Arriving home, long past 9:00pm,covered in dead flies and sweat, I found him,and 70 of my fiends and family, gathered for asurprise party. He’d been helping set up. It washard to be angry.

Jimmy was a drunk, but a brilliant operator anda fabulous packer. The crews adored him. Hesaid one day that if he ever got married hewould move back to Ireland to have his childreneducated. We dismissed it because we couldn’timagine how anyone would ever marry him.Nobody would be that stupid, would they?

On the roadThe company was a success and we had plentyof adventures. I spent the best part of 20 yearsdriving 70,000 miles a year doing surveys. Iwas good at it. Whether I was good at fakingsincerity or I really did care about thecustomers, I can’t tell. I even fooled myself. Iwas also one of the few surveyors at that time

who worked out the prices in the house. Ibelieved then and still believe now that sellingdoesn’t start until someone says no. If you don’tgive them that opportunity, you can’t callyourself a salesman. I developed a technique ofmassaging the price as I worked it out. Iappeared to be focused on my calculationswhile the customer would talk to fill theintentional silence. They would divulge all kindsof useful snippets about who else had beenaround and the prices they charged, thinking Iwasn’t really listening. In fact,I could work out the cost of amove to Australia in mysleep and was just waitinguntil I felt I had eked out asmuch profit as I couldbefore spilling the beans. Itdidn’t work every time, butit often did.

I met my fair share ofnutters while on the road.There was the lady wholocked me in the loft, inthe dark, for 30 minuteswhile talking to herneighbor; and themilitary man who wastrying to smuggle anair balloon back toThe States courtesyof Uncle Sam bydescribing it as alaundry basket, a tentand a gas heater.He even had the‘gas heater’ workingin his living roomwhen I arrived, atgreat danger to usall, including histwo-year-old-son.

Then there was MrSmelly, who turned out to be a pig farmerand very proud of his appropriate name; thelady with 34 cats (need I say more); the famousItalian artist, Countess Velia Rinaldi, a 90-year-old charmer who called me in every few monthsfor a chat because she was lonely (I nevershipped anything for her but still have one ofher paintings on the wall in my guest room);and countless romantic opportunities with boredhousewives. I loved being on the road.

The BARBAR (British Association of Removers) was agreat opportunity for me. The conferences,where we would sit up all night drinking beer,talking rubbish, annoying the bar staff andfailing to impress the blonde in the corner, werea great joy. But more than that I was a memberof the Overseas Group Council for many years

and enjoyed doing my bit for the industry. Iwas amazed though that committees couldspend quite so much time talking about theirown existence and virtually no time discussingthe people they represented. I remember RobSyers, the then general secretary of BAR, whohad a dictionary definition of a committee onhis desk. It read: ‘A committee is a group ofpeople who, individually can do nothing buttogether agree that nothing can be done’.Brilliant!

I was the chairman of the Freight NegotiationCommittee for some years and became veryfrustrated that people would vote for contractsthen use them as a base from which to do theirown deals. I argued that they should beexpelled from the Association for doing so butwas told that was unfair. “Well let’s startsomething we can throw them out of,” I can stillhear myself saying. That’s when we started TheMovers Trading Club (MTC). It’s still runningsuccessfully now but, I suspect, with a muchmore lenient approach than that with which itstarted. I could be quite grumpy in those days.


20

DisasterI was sailing off the UK south coastin 1982 when I got the news thatchanged my career forever. Ourwarehouse had suffered an arsonattack. There was nothing left. Wehad lost everything, including theentire contents of the warehouse, thevehicles and the offices. A friend atInterdean provided us with an officeand a phone line. It was before thedays of computers and every piece ofpaper we had was gone. Glyn and Istared at the phone all afternoon,waiting for it to ring, while doingserious damage to a bottle of Scotch.We had decided to wave the white flag; thiswas too hard. Then there was a tap on thedoor. Ken Reeves, our warehouse manager,the grumpiest most unhelpful old buggerimaginable, had been talking to the lads.“They said, if it helps, they will work for thenext month for nothing,” he said. Thenclosed the door with a gentle click.

What could we do? With support like thatwe had no choice but to carry on. And wepaid everyone.

But the truth is, the fire had killed us. Theinsurance paid out and we set up again butit’s hard to recover from that. To see a life’swork, or so it seemed then, trashed, was apain too hard to handle, if not for me, thencertainly for Glyn. We carried on valiantly,and had some success, but it wasn’t thesame. It wasn’t fun anymore. It was in1989 that Jimmy came in and said, ”Right,well, I’ll be off then.” Off where wewondered? He had booked his one-wayticket back to Ireland. He had found theworld’s most patient woman who had givenhim the most beautiful twins who were nowfive years old. He was true to his word. Hewas to have them educated in Ireland and

would like his 30% of the business backplease. Gulp! That’s when we sold to PaulEvans at Transeuro. I guess the final Watt ofenergy just left us at that moment.

Picking up the penI stayed with Transeuro for five years or sobut had an idea that I could be a writer.One day, after a particularly difficult day at

the office, I took the plunge.I’d been divorced and hadno money except £500 Iwas saving to buy presentsfor the children atChristmas. I spent the lot onstationery, a second-handcomputer and a faxmachine which I installed inmy garden shed. Bohemia,here I come. It was likeleaping off a cliff in thedark.

But it worked, the bills gotpaid and Santa came. I hadno intention of working in themoving business again but,in September 1995, PaulMason, the then treasurer of

OMNI (Overseas Moving NetworkInternational), asked me to write amagazine for the Association. I producedthe OMNI Observer for 18 years.

Meanwhile, BAR asked me to handle its PRon the retirement of Colin Quarrington andlater to edit the Association’s magazine theRemovals and Storage (R&S). It was a greathonor and a job I loved. My brother, David,joined me and we started a small companyto provide a range of copywriting services –The Words Workshop. That’s what we donow, it still pays the bills.

The MoverLeaving the R&S was a wrench. For sometime I had thought the industry needed anindependent magazine, one that was notcontrolled by a trade association or group,

one that was totally unbiassed, onethat would accept contributions andadvertising from anyone and, byimplication, refuse both from anyoneconsidered unsavoury. I wouldhave stayed at the R&S and TheMover would not have been born,were in not for the BAR’s newdirector general, a man calledStephen Vickers. Stephen and Idid not get on. In fact, Stephendid not get on with quite a lot ofpeople. But on one fateful day,he brassed me off sufficiently for

me to throw in the towel. I vowed never tospeak to him again, and I never have. Itwas another ‘cliff in the dark’ moment. Onreflection, I am very grateful to him.

Then I had an extraordinary moment. Thefollowing afternoon, when I had alreadyburned my boats with BAR, an account thatprovided my little firm with half its income, Imade some telephone calls. I called about15 people, asked if they would advertisewith me and implored them not to say yes ifthey were not certain. Every one of themagreed. Some booked a series of advertsand one offered to pay up front for a year.That’s when The Mover started. All thosepeople were good to their word and someare still with us today. It was that afternoon,as I put down the phone on the last call, thatI realised why I had spent so many hours inbars at BAR conferences in my youth. Thoserelationships, built without really knowingwhy, suddenly all made sense. Peoplebooked advertising and offered to pay for itin a magazine that didn’t even existbecause – well, I guess they trusted me.Very powerful stuff.

The purposeThe split with BAR happened close on 10years ago now. Mr Vickers has left. Lastyear I attended the BAR conference againfor the first time since 2010. The Mover isstill doing well, now in its digital form, andThe Words Workshop continues to work forclients all around the world in a range ofindustries. I am very lucky to do a job that Ienjoy and to keep in touch with thewonderful people of the moving industrywho have given me such joy over so manyyears. If at any time you question why youare attending yet another industryconference, just remember my story. Whenthe chips are really down, this industry looksafter its own.

Picture top: At the BAR conference with MrsJordan (Sheila) in 2000;Picture centre left: Attending an OMNIconference (one of the few times the camerawas turned around).

www.paimamovers.com


Snapshots!Snapshots!


Continued


or the past five years, we havebeen collecting data from ouronline users to try and

understand how consumer behavioris changing within the removalindustry. So, what kind of effect canthis have on how you do business asa mover?

We work with over 150,000 consumersevery year, which has allowed us to gaininsights into their behavioural trends. In thisarticle, we have selected some top facts thatcan affect you as a mover. We think it'simportant to share this knowledge in thehope it can help your company grow, orperhaps adapt to this new type of consumer,and in turn, help you score that moving lead.

1. Who is moving?Data suggests that the biggest set of peoplemoving internationally are those between theages of 25 and 34 years old. We see thatthere has been a massive growth inindividuals moving, and not just completefamilies, and that moving has become easierand cheaper. Europeans have been movingthe most for the past few years, howeverAsia is on the rise.

2. Does seasonality have aninfluence on the number of movingleads?Yes, it does. It's not uncommon to findEuropean moving companies fully bookedduring the summer months, as customersprefer to move when the weather is fine. Thistrend has a significant effect on why our leadtrends also fluctuate and have a reoccurringpattern every year. We receive the greatestnumber of moving requests in January, Apriland June and the opposite for Novemberand December where we receive the least.

3. When do consumersrequest a moving quotecompared to their desiredmoving date?Most consumers in need of aremoval company, typicallyrequest quotes from two to fourmonths prior to their actualmoving date. This leavesapproximately 20% of customerswho require a five-month leadtime and only 30% ofconsumers who request a quotewithin one month of their actualmoving date.

TIP: Even though you are busythroughout summer, it mightstill be worthwhile investingin sales and marketingduring this period asmany customers stillwant to book their movetwo to four months fromnow. This is also a greatway to solidify yourbusiness for the lowseason and possibly beatyour competition as theyare too busy to handlethe requests.

F

Raul Quintanar (pictured right)from TriGlobal looks at how themoving industry is changing

A new typeof customer



4. On what device do consumerspredominantly request movingquotes?Smartphones are still on the rise. (Almost)everyone has one and its functionality isreplacing many traditional desktop functions.Statistics show that 65% of consumers usetheir mobile phone to research and requestquotes for their move. Desktop searches haveshifted to second place, currently at 30%,followed by only 5% that use a tablet.

TIP: Make sure your website and quote formsare mobile-friendly to provide the bestconsumer experience and ensure that you'renot losing them due to a malfunctioning site.

5. What volumes are consumersmoving these days?Consumers used to take their wholehousehold when moving. Nowadays,volumes are a lot less. This is explained bythe ‘IKEA-effect’ - whereby sometimes it'seasier and cheaper to just buy new furniturerather than moving the old stuff. That said,around 40% of moves still comprisehousehold moves however, small moves(under 3cm3) are on the rise taking up 25%market share.

TIP: Smaller jobs are increasing in size, andit's likely this trend will continue. It's worthtaking a critical look at your operation to seeif some of your processes can accommodatethis new change in market behaviour.

6. What influences a customer's finaldecision to choose a movingcompany?Prices in the industry have been underpressure for a long time and research showsthat consumers are often influenced by pricingwhen deciding which mover to trust with theirbelongings. It’s a big factor, however, thisdoesn’t mean you have to give your lowestpossible price. Make sure to differentiateyourself from your competitor and use trendsand data to evolve with consumer demands.Other factors that influence the decision arereviews and how quickly you reply to themvia phone or e-mail.

TIP: Whilst price is important, also considerother elements in your sales pitch, like yourreviews, and what added value you provideto customers that sets you apart from yourcompetition.

7. Are consumers satisfied with theservice you have provided?Review platforms aren’t going away any timesoon. In fact, they are still on the rise andwhile pricing is important, reviews can tip thebalance in your favor as to whether acustomer chooses your company or not. Weknow that sometimes reviews can be a touchysubject, but it is important to remember thatcustomers are just as likely to leave a reviewfor an outstanding positive experience, asthey are a negative one. Our data showsthat most reviews are in fact positive, with65% of all reviews on Sirelo.org having 5-starratings.

TIP: Strengthen your position by alwaysasking consumers to leave a review after thejob is done. The more reviews you have, evenif they aren’t all 5-star ratings, increases yourcredibility and makes your company easier tofind online.

8. What other topics are consumersinterested in when looking for amover?Moving internationally requires a lot ofchanges in a person’s life. Before taking thisstep, a lot of research is done by theconsumer. Consumers who are interested inmoving abroad also show interest in thefollowing five topics: traveling, real estate,employment searches, cars and art.

TIP: Consider incorporating these topics intoyour website pages, either in words orimages, as this boosts your chances ofattracting the right kind of customer when theysearch these keywords.

So that’s it for now. If you want moreinformation about consumer trends, pleasesend your feedback to us and we’ll try togather some more data for next time. Pleasereach out to [email protected] for anyquestions or comments you might have.Similarly, if you have any useful data, orknow of new trends and statistics, pleaseshare them on our LinkedIn page. In this way,we can make the moving industry moreaware and more efficient together.



SECURITY

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TONNAGE REPORT

The following table shows the tonnage exchanged between PAIMAmembers as of 24th February, 2020

Company

STEVENS INTERNATIONAL,Fort Wayne, USA 147 519,583 41,397G-INTER TRANSPORTES LTDA ,Barueri / São Paulo, Brazil 103 398,894 238,792RELOSMART LTD,Kwun Tong, Hong Kong 42 358,731 6,370AIRES,Pittsburgh, USA 78 302,033 14,161CARL HARTMANN GMBH & CO KG,Bremen D-28195, Germany 53 273,140 166,007G-INTER MIAMI,Doral, USA 31 205,950 205,514GERSON & GREY TRANSPORTES LTDA.,Sao Paulo, Brazil 31 173,654 48,766RODI CARGO INTERNATIONAL,Miami, USA 31 169,828 267,530RODI CARGO INTERNATIONAL GROUP,Carolina, Puerto Rico 21 147,161 278,398SWISS MOVING SERVICE AG,8952 Schlieren Zurich, Switzerland 21 142,841 13,330DEMECO SAS,Vincennes, France 32 134,960 164,368DEWITT MOVE WORLDWIDE,San Diego, USA 39 108,943 16,022HUMBOLDT INTERNATIONAL,Boston (Canton), USA 21 106,584 44,841FRIEDRICH KURZ GmbH,35578 Wetzlar, Germany 20 94,750 1,080GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL RELOCATION,Lisbon, Portugal 19 88,571 40,020MUDANZAS INTL GLOBAL, C.A.,Caracas, Venezuela 32 81,062 15,475WICKMAN WORLDWIDE SERVICES, INC.,Fishers, USA 26 80,848 98,874NFB INTERNATIONAL RELOCATIONS AS,N-1340 SKUI (Oslo), Norway 12 75,298 450DXI LOGISTICS LLC,Dubai, UAE 6 71,166 9,868UNIPACK GLOBAL RELOCATION,Carlsbad, USA 10 70,439 54,406MULTI TRANSPORTES MEX, S.A. DE C.V.,Mexico City, Mexico 10 65,963 31,900JJ MARI INTERNATIONAL MOVERS,Caracas, Venezuela 11 58,988 2,478TIPPET RICHARDSON,Toronto, Canada 13 58,008 51,961ORIENT EXPRESS FORWARDING PTY,Singapore, Singapore 21 55,354 26,619AMR INTERNATIONAL RELOCATION,Shanghai, China 13 52,864 67,736EDELWEISS SPEDITION,Martinez, Argentina 4 50,140 45,870

GERSON RELOCATION LIMITED,Greater London, United Kingdom 9 47,818 91,613ORIENT INTL. RELOCATIONS,Kathmandu 11, Nepal 9 43,786 3,300MUDINMAR,Valencia, Spain 9 42,121 90,071MYANMAR EXPRESS INTERNATIONALMOVING SERVICES CO., LTD.,Yangon, Myanmar 3 38,597 5,720GLOBAL PACKING INTERNATIONAL MOVERS LTDA,Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 13 37,995 2,300MOVING SYSTEMS S.A.C.,Lima 1, Peru 10 37,699 28,367UNIVERSAL RELOCATIONS INC.,Parsippany, USA 5 36,220 7,061BURKE BROS MOVING GROUP LTD.,Wolverhampton, United Kingdom 5 35,000 50,363EXPRESS TRANSPORTS, S.A.,Lima, Peru 4 32,538 5,721GALLEON INT. SHIPPING CO. LTD,Aveley Essex, United Kingdom 7 31,430 54,255NEYGI MOVING SRL,Buenos Aires, Argentina 3 30,428 13,221MASSTRANS FREIGHT L.L.C.,DUBAI, UAE 7 27,431 29,480EUROPEAN RELOCATION SERVICES,Marseille, France 4 24,470 20,210EUROPEAN REMOVAL & STORAGE CO.,Taastrup, Denmark 4 22,048 10,479TEAMWORK INTL. MOVING,Osasco, Brazil 7 21,990 83,339BALBOA MOVERS, INC.,Panama City, Panama 6 20,292 10,416GLOBAL MOVING & STORAGE LTD,Yangon, Myanmar 6 14,705 0SMART RELOCATORS PTE LTD,Singapore, Singapore 3 14,320 19,513MUDANZAS GOU, S. A. DE C. V.,Azcapotzalco, Mexico 2 14,149 67,150MERCOVAN ARGENTINA SRL,Buenos Aires CP 1429, Argentina 4 13,869 32,339A-CROSS CORPORATION,Tokyo , Japan 3 9,806 2,103SOBOLAK INTERNATIONAL GMBH,Leobendorf, Austria 5 7,172 0CONOTE SERVICES LIMITED,Abuja, Nigeria 2 6,025 0KOEMAN NIGERIA LIMITED, MAGBORO,Nigeria 1 5,788 14,352EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL GROUP,Cairo, Egypt 1 1 28,594


9794,561,3514,648,501

PAIMA tonnage worldwide

TotalBooked

BookedTonnage

ReceivedTonnage Company

TotalBooked

BookedTonnage

ReceivedTonnage

Booked

BookedTonnage

ReceivedTonnage



Movinginto selfstorage

oving in 2020 is a laborintensive, low margin business.For this reason, many

companies are consideringdiversifying into self storage. Oneman who switched completely frombeing a family moving man toexclusively self storage is Paul Fahey(pictured right). PAIMA Report EditorSteve Jordan talked to him to find outabout the how and the why.

Paul Fahey is part of the third generation of anIrish immigrant family that made their home inManchester, England. Patrick Fahey started amoving company, P. Fahey & Sons. Manyyears later, his grandson Paul, just 18 yearsold, became its managing director. But as theUK moving market changed, Paul refocused ona different market: self storage. It hasdominated his working life ever since.

He said he came across self storage byaccident having been asked to research thesector by a business associate. Over the nextfew years he was involved in opening a stringof stores, always on the basis of ‘open, fill andsell’. Having filled the stores and created asuccessful business, he sold to the majorcompanies such as Big Yellow and Safestore.In 2013 he started a new brand, StorageWorld, now with three locations, which he stillowns.

In 2012 Paul became chairman of EasyBox,an Italian self storage company with sevenstores, moved out to the country andtransformed the business. This he acquired in2016 and sold to an American investmentfund in 2018. He still retains an interest in thebusiness, as do two of his daughters and theirhusbands.

Paul soon became the chairman of the SelfStorage Association (SSA) in the UK and, in2004, the founding president of FEDESSA(European Self Storage Association), a position

he held for three years. He is now on theBoard of the Self Storage Association Asia(SSAA). This position at the hub of the industryhas given him access to statistics which paintan interesting picture of the industryworldwide.

He said that there are currently 4,500 stores inEurope and the market is by no meanssaturated. “My first visit to the USA was in2000 to a self storage conference in Denver,”he said. “Then there were 25,000 stores in theUSA and everyone said the sector wassaturated. Today there are 55,000 stores andthey are building more every day. Awarenessis nowhere near peak. People just don’tunderstand how effective, flexible andeconomic it can be, especially in the provinceswhere it is still a pioneer market to somedegree.”

In mainland Europe, the Netherlands was firstto get the self storage bug, then Spain.Germany was one of the last to catch on.Italy is still poorly serviced with only 60 storesfor 60m people, though Paul said the realestate market and business environment aredifficult there.

I asked Paul what advice he would give to acompany wishing to enter the self storagemarket. He said that it’s not as easy as it oncewas as banks are less willing to lend and thereis more competition. The main form ofpromotion is web marketing and it’s very hardto compete with the spend and brandawareness of the big companies. Finding theright location is still important and, althoughthe business appears to be simple, owners will

need to have a blend of marketing, retailmanagement, and property experience and beexperienced at sourcing funding. “In apioneer market it’s sometimes better to besecond than first,” said Paul. “Educating thecustomer is very difficult and expensive. Youcan’t spend enough on advertising to do that.A warehouse on a busy road does it better.”

“It’s very cash heavy and you then facepotentially two years of losses and a year ofbreak-even before it starts to become alucrative cash cow,” said Paul. “But, if youhave the means, and can afford to wait for amedium-term return, the value of the businessbecomes considerable and businesses now areselling at up to 20-times profit.”

So, there you have it. The heady days of thepre-crash financial world are behind us and it’snot as easy to get started as it was. That said,Paul is still enthusiastic about the industry andis still investing himself, though now more forthe long term than for fast returns. “Thecompetition today is more sophisticated andfunding is more difficult,” said Paul. “But it’s agreat sector that is still in its infancy. If you aredetermined, and have the resources, do it!”

There is much talk in moving circles aboutdiversification. Companies are trying theirhands at office moving, fine art, documentstorage, and much more. But self storage stillhas a way to go and, for those with theresources, could be a route to maximumreturns with minimum hassle.

M


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The PAIMA Reportrelies on your stories.

If you have anything youwould like to tell your

PAIMA partners: new membersof staff, new services, new facilities,charitable activities, and your thoughts aboutthe industry in general, please tell PAIMAReport, and we’ll tell everyone else.

ALLMEMBERS!

Please send your information,and photographs, to the editor,Steve Jordan, [email protected].

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.

REMOVALSEMOV



his year’s PAIMA conference - theAssociation’s 36th - takes place on18-20 October in the bustling

Californian city of San Diego.

Just in case you’re wondering, San Diego’sslogan, America’s Finest City, was created bythe city’s mayor Pete Wilson back in 1972 as abit of self-promotion. A bold claim perhaps, butone that many people visiting this prosperoussouthern Californian city may well agree with.

For those interested in history, the city is theancestral home of the Kumeyaay people, anindigenous tribe that has inhabited the area formore than 10,000 years. In 1821, San Diegobecame part of the Mexican Empire beforeCalifornia became a member of the UnitedStates in 1848 following the Mexican-AmericanWar.

But enough about the past, what does SanDiego have to offer PAIMA delegates duringtheir well-earned breaks between networkingand conference meetings?

What’s the weather like?One thing that can pretty-much be guaranteed isthe weather. In October the city averagestemperatures of between 70 and 75 degreesand average rainfall is only 0.3 inches, sounless you’re very unlucky, you’re not going toneed a brolly.

Visit the Top Gun bar (upper right)If the weather does take a turn for the worse,there’s always the Top Gun bar just opposite theHyatt hotel. Don’t expect luxury, but this placehas an atmosphere all of its own and film buffswill delight in checking out the place whereMaverick (Tom Cruise) and Goose (AnthonyEdwards) sang Great Balls of Fire in the famous1984 film.

Sight-seeing in the harborSan Diego is a natural harbor and home to alarge part of the US navy fleet. Take a ride onone of the many boats offering trips around thebay and drink in the sights while enjoying greatfood and a glass or two of Californian wine.Some boats also have live entertainment, tomake your cruise even more memorable.

Whale watching in the bay(opposite page)If wildlife is your thing, why not try a spot ofwhale watching? A number of boats set sailevery day in search of breaching whales andthat once in a lifetime photo opportunity. Ifpossible, take a good camera with a longishlens to capture the magic moment. If not, yourphone will do just fine.

T

San Diego – America’sFinest City


USS Midway museum (previous pagelower picture)Staying with the maritime theme, San Diego ishome to the USS Midway, the longest servingaircraft carrier in the US navy and now amuseum. The famous ship served for almost 50years and some of the sailors who crewed hernow work as volunteer guides giving visitorsfirst-hand accounts of what life was likeonboard and a look behind doors that arenormally off-limits. The ship is one of SanDiego’s top attractions and well worth a visit.

Gone fishingSan Diego is a great place to go deep-seafishing and there are lots of companies doingday trips for visitors. Most provide all the tackleand bait you need so there’s no need to bringyour own. Some of the fish in the bay are verylarge and it’s not unusual to catch oneweighing in at 40lbs or more. If you don’t wantto eat your catch you can throw it back to fightanother day; otherwise ask the crew to fillet itand take it home for dinner, that’s if you canfind anywhere to cook it!

Eating and drinkingYou certainly won’t go hungry in San Diego.As you would expect, just about every type offood from around the world is available inabundance, from traditional American steaks,barbeques and burgers, to fine diningrestaurants serving haute cuisine. All are nodoubt delicious, but as you’re only 17 milesfrom the Mexican border it would be rude notto sample some real Mexican food. Look outfor fish tacos, or try one of the myriad types ofmole, pronounced (mol-eh) a rich saucepopular in Mexican cooking. The most popularmole is mole poblano, typically served overchicken or turkey.

Mexico’s national drink is of course tequila, butif you find it too fiery for your taste buds, try apaloma, a tequila-based cocktail made with agrapefruit-flavoured soft drink served with awedge of lemon. Alternatively go for aMexican beer, there are lots to choose from.Whatever you decide to do, enjoy theconference and have a wonderful time in SanDiego - America’s Finest City.


2020

� ARGENVANS TRANSPORTES� EDELWEISS SPEDITION� MERCOVAN

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� ABC MUDANZAS� APA WORLDWIDE

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

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� MUDANZASINTERNACIONALES,S.A. (MUDISA)

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� FRIEDRICK KURZ GMBH� HENK INTERNATIONAL� SCHENKER

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LOGISTICS� MAGNOLIA MOVING SRL� T&T SERVICES INTL

� A-CROSS CORPORATION� KOKUSAI EXPRESS

� JORDANIAN COASTCARGO SERVICES

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� AUTOTRANSPORTESINTERNATIONAL

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MEMBERSArgentina

Australia

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Chile

China

Colombia

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

El Salvador

France

Germany

Guatemala

Honduras

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Latvia

Malaysia

Mexico

Ethiopia

Egypt

Israel

Denmark

Austria


Jordan


www.paimamovers.com 31www.paimamovers.com 31

� GLOBAL MOVING &STORAGE LTD

� MYANMAR EXPRESSINTERNATIONAL MOVINGSERVICES CO. LTD

� ORIENT INTL.RELOCATIONS

� CONROY REMOVALS LTD

� MUDANZASMUNDIALES,S.A.

� KOEMAN NIGERIA LTD� CONOTE SERVICES LTD

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� BALBOA INTERNATIONAL, S.A� BLU LOGISTICS� PANAMA INTERMOVING

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� DOOR TO DOORTRANSPORTS, S.A.C.

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� PREMIER INTERNATIONALMOVERS

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� RODICARGO INTERNATIONALGROUP (PUERTO RICO)

� MOVEONE RELOCATIONS,SAUDI ARABIA LTD

� CROWN LINE PTY LTD� GEOMETRA WORLDWIDE

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MEMBERSMyanmar

Nepal

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Nigeria

Norway

Panama

Peru

Philippines

Portugal

Puerto Rico

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Sri Lanka

Switzerland

Singapore

U.S. Virgin Islands

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

Uruguay

Thailand

2020

USA

Venezuela

Zimbabwe

Paraguay

Vietnam

USA (continued)

The Netherlands

Saudi Arabia

Oman


Region I - North America - Canada& Mexico

Alexandra SchmidtMexpack International RemovalsMexico City, MexicoEmail: [email protected]

Jeff NadeauDewitt Move WorldwideCalifornia, United StatesEmail: [email protected]

Region II - Central America& Caribbean

Fabian OrtizAPA Worldwide MoversSan Jose, Costa RicaEmail: [email protected]

Region III - South America

Andreas LindingerALS Movers (Chile) S.A.Santiago, ChileEmail: [email protected]

Region IV - Europe

Bjorn CarlsenNFB International Relocations ASNorwayEmail: [email protected]

Region V - Africa

Kehinde ArowoseluKoeman Nigeria LimitedLagos, NigeriaEmail: [email protected]

Region VI - Middle East

Arvind JoshiClintus Network LimitedNew Delhi, IndiaEmail: [email protected]

Region VII - Asia

Sudeep ShahOrient International RelocationsKathmandu, NepalEmail: [email protected]

Region VIII - Australia/New Zealand

Fiona ConroyConroy RemovalsAuckland, New ZealandEmail: [email protected]

REGIONALDIRECTORS


report - paima...report issue1,2020 usdomesticrelocation trendstowatchin2020 pg16 newpaimamember...

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