Tag: DC Moving

Sponsor of Annadale Bed Race to Benefit Special Olympics VA

Posted on by olympiamoving
Special Olympics Bed Race
Our crew with the cardboard truck they created for the race!

Annadale, VA residents on John Marr Drive Saturday morning were treated to a strange sight: teams of people decorating hospital beds to look like vehicles and racing them down the street! It was all part of the Annadale Bed Race, a kooky fundraiser to benefit Special Olympics VA.

Team Olympia got into the spirit by re-creating a cardboard version of our famous black trucks. Competitive as always, our crew won their first heat and won second place overall in the race! Check out this video of the Olympia crew racing to the finish line!

Our "racing truck" being built in our warehouse
Our “racing truck” being built in our warehouse

As the logistics sponsor for the event, Olympia Moving & Storage transported thehospital beds needed for the event free of charge. The event raised thousands of dollars to provide year-round sports training and competitions for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Did you know that Olympia Moving & Storage is providing free logistics support for 10+ Special Olympics events this year? We’re currently busy planning the logistics for the upcoming Special Olympics MA Summer Games at Harvard & Boston University. Learn more about our sponsortship of Special Olympics at olympiamoving.com/specialolympics

Olympia’s Lucian Tistu is Wheaton’s Driver of the Month!

Posted on by olympiamoving

Wheaton Driver of the MonthOlympia Moving & Storage is proud to congratulate our driver, Lucian Tistu, on his selection as Wheaton World Wide Moving’s April 2014 Driver of the Month! Lucian, a driver out of our Alexandria, VA office, is being recognized as one of the best in Wheaton’s Permanent Fleet.

Lucian has more than seven years of professional moving experience and is a top-rated driver in Wheaton’s driver rating program, a very prestigious status to achieve in the moving industry.

Clients who have relocated with Lucian certainly agree that this recognition is well-earned!  A client who recently relocated with Lucian from Clearwater, FL to McLean, VA sent us this feedback last month: “Lucian was fantastic, professional, efficient, considerate and careful. He went above and beyond in all aspects of the move. I can’t compliment him enough.”

Olympia would like to thank Lucian Tistu for his relentless care and effort to deliver an exceptional relocation experience for our clients. We are proud to point to Lucian as a leading example in our crew of trained moving professionals.

For his efforts, Lucian will receive a cash award, plaque, Driver of the Month uniform patches and equipment decals. Lucian is also now a nominee for 2014 Driver of the Year.

We look forward to proudly presenting Lucian his award when he returns from the road next month! He is delivering clients to their new homes in sunny Florida this week.

Olympia’s team has won several awards from Wheaton World Wide, including their most prestigious recognition: 2013 Agent of the Year.

Click here to read the full press release from Wheaton World Wide Moving.

Songs About Moving: A Moving Playlist Mix

Posted on by olympiamoving
Click for the Moving Songs Spotify playlist
Click for the Spotify playlist

 

Moving away can inspire a range of emotions: excitement for a new phase of life, anticipation for what’s to come, sadness for leaving friends and familiar places, and fear of change. What better pairing is there for this whirl of emotion than music?

We cover it all in our Songs for Moving playlist. From classics to indie rock to pop and country, we put together a diverse mix of 24 songs that are sure to resonate for anyone relocating.

Check out our track list below, and listen to the entire playlist on Spotify! After all, you’re going to need something to listen to while packing!

 

 

01. Travis: Moving

02. Simple Minds: Don’t You (Forget About Me)

03. Phillip Phillips: Home

04. John Denver: Take Me Home, Country Roads

05. Diddy: Coming Home

06. Green Day: Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

07. Brett Dennen: Song for Leaving

08. Two Door Cinema Club: Come Back Home

09. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros: Home

10. Simon & Garfunkel: Homeward Bound

11. Young the Giant: Home

12. Lady Antebellum: Goodbye Town

13. Jack Johnson: Home

14. Styx: Come Sail Away

15. American Authors: Home

16. Peter, Paul and Mary: Leaving on a Jet Plane

17. The Beatles: Hello, Goodbye

18. Bombay Bicycle Club: Home By Now

19. Bastille: Get Home

20. Johnny Cash: I’m Movin’ On

21. My Morning Jacket: Movin Away

22. City and Colour: Comin’ Home

23. Kelly Clarkson: Breakaway

24. Van Morrison: Brand New Day

Also check out our other moving resources:

Free Printable Moving Box Labels
Stylish moving / change of address cards and e-cards
“How to Pack” Video Series

Olympia & Wheaton Move CEO of the American Moving & Storage Association

Posted on by olympiamoving

AMSA ProMoverOlympia is proud to be an American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA) ProMover. This organization represents the interests of quality professional movers through policy, advocacy, and education for both its movers and the consumer. Their ProMover certification program is key to helping fight “rogue movers,” dishonest or non-professional movers that cause the moving horror stories you may see in the media. The goal of the ProMover certification is to help the consumer identify professional, quality movers from among the pack.

Linda Bauer Darr, the president and CEO of the American Moving & Storage Association, has put a tremendous amount of work and dedication into providing Americans with a quality relocation experience. Nobody knows moving better than Linda Darr, so when it was time for her to move, she chose Wheaton World Wide and Olympia Moving & Storage to provide her relocation.

Linda Darr was already familiar with our company’s quality, as this was her second move with us. Upon the completion of her move, she sent us this thoughtful message:

“Thanks to Olympia Moving and the Wheaton Bekins team, I am happily ensconced in my new home in [northern Virginia]. The move went off without a hitch, just like it did last time your company moved me. The van operators and crew were fast, efficient, courteous and just all-around willing to help in any way possible to get the job done well. And they did what I know is a taxing physical job with smiles on their faces. What a tremendous team you have and your guys should make you proud – they made me proud of our industry and truly exemplified the ProMover mindset.

I want to especially recognize Rashod Butler and his crew of Marcel Buliga, Alexandru Aidinov, Andrei Talasman, Jorge Prada and Jo-Nathan Kelly who took such great care of my move and were unfailingly helpful and professional. I also want to thank Doug Myers, the General Manager at Olympia for his efforts coordinating with me to insure that it all went smoothly.

Thanks for everything you do for your customers and for our industry. And thanks for your personal support of my move. I couldn’t be happier with the results!

Best wishes to everyone at Wheaton Bekins and Olympia from your friends at AMSA!

Linda Bauer Darr
President & CEO
American Moving & Storage Association”

Thank you Linda for taking the time to recognize our crew!  Click here to learn more about our crew, and if you want to hire our excellent crew, request an estimate.

Linda Darr also recently spoke to ABC news about the 8 Things You Need to Know Before Moving, an essential read for anyone planning a move!

2013 Total Quality Commitment Award Winner

Posted on by olympiamoving

_KES3923_resizeOur interstate partner van line, Wheaton World Wide Moving, released the recipients of the 2013 Total Quality Commitment (TQC) Award on Wednesday. Olympia Moving is proud to announce that both our Watertown, MA and Alexandria, VA moving branches are recipients of this distinguished recognition!

Additionally, the Olympia Moving & Storage Watertown, MA branch has been singled out as one of the top 20 highest-scoring agents in the TQC program across the entire van line!

This is the 10th year that Olympia Moving has been recognized by this award. Olympia received numerous other awards from Wheaton World Wide in 2013 including their top honor, Agent of the Year.

The Total Quality Commitment Award is only given to the highest-performing agents in the van line for the following metrics in the Total Quality Commitment program:

  • Packing claim frequency
  • Packing claim dollar average
  • Hauling claim frequency
  • Hauling claim dollar average
  • Warehouse claim frequency
  • Warehouse claim dollar average
  • Safety points
  • Weight estimate accuracy
  • Customer Service Ratings

Olympia will formally receive these awards at the upcoming regional meeting.

Congrats to our crew, drivers, and staff for leading the way for the quality standards in the moving & storage industry!

You can read the full press release at this link.

Olympia Moving & Storage Awarded 2013 Wheaton Agent of the Year!

Posted on by olympiamoving

Wheaton Agent of the YearOlympia Moving & Storage is very proud and excited to be selected as Wheaton World Wide‘s Agent of the Year for 2013! This award is Wheaton’s top honor, and is only awarded once a year to one of their 220 agents. This is Olympia’s 2nd Agent of the Year win, our first win was in 2007.

This honor is truly a testament to the great progress the Olympia Moving & Storage has made in all aspects of the company, including sales growth, involvement in the community, contribution to industry improvements, and above all, the quality of service we provide our clients.

“Owner Michael Gilmartin is committed to employee training and takes a hands-on operational approach,” said Mark Kirschner, CEO of Wheaton World Wide Moving. “His active involvement has helped foster Olympia’s rapid growth and high-quality service. Michael has also served on the Wheaton Agent Advisory Council and the Advertising Committee. We’re proud to have them as an interstate partner for Wheaton World Wide Moving.”

Congratulations to our drivers, crews, sales team, support staff, and leadership team, whose hard work earned Olympia this achievement!

You can read the full press release at this link.

Olympia Place 9th in Plane Pull to Benefit Special Olympics VA!

Posted on by olympiamoving

Olympia and Plane PullAs part of our ongoing support and sponsorship, our Virginia moving crew pitched in over the weekend for the Dulles Plane Pull to benefit Special Olympics Virginia!

Olympia was proud to be the official logistics sponsor of the event. During the prior week, Olympia managed pickups and deliveries for the Plane Pull’s supplies. Our crew also helped the SOVA team with set up, and provided day-of logistics support.

Ellen Head, director of development with Special Olympics Virginia, had the following to say about the crew: “THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Your team was so helpful in so many ways and made such a positive impact on the event. All of your staff that were sent to assist or deliver throughout the week were always punctual, professional and so helpful. If I could throw you all in one big group hug, I would! THANK YOU!”

At our event sponsor booth, kids had fun exploring the inside of one of our moving trucks.

Olympia at Truck Pull

Team Olympia also participated in the Plane Pull. Our crew was able to pull a 164K lbs airplane in 6.791 seconds, earning them 9th place out of the 66 participating teams! If our crew can move a plane that fast, imagine how fast they can move a home!

Best of all, the event raised more than $226K for the Special Olympics athletes! The money will be used to provide year-round sports training and athletic competitions for athletes with intellectual disabilities. Olympia is proud to donate money and our services to such a worthy cause.

You can learn more about Olympia’s ongoing sponsorship of Special Olympics at olympiamoving.com/specialolympics

Project Managers Are Back For More!

Posted on by olympiamoving
Doug & Despina from our commercial moving department with Gretchen Griffin of Lend Lease at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Olympia Office Movers in Alexandria, VA recently completed a large hotel project on Fort Myer and are set to assist with a similar project on Fort Belvoir.

The project manager for both projects stated that “Olympia’s installers and movers are the best I have ever had in my 22 years in this industry…We know that our larger and more complex project at Ft. Belvoir will be a smooth as our first with Olympia.”

Fort Belvoir is set to renovate a 164 room hotel, which will serve as rooms for families of our men and women in the Army. This renovation will give families of our servicemen adequate housing while they visit their loved ones on base.

Do you need help preparing for a renovation or another type of commercial move? Please feel free to contact Despina Sidiropoulos in commercial business development at [email protected] or visit this link to set up a free estimate.  We’d welcome the opportunity to discuss our services with you.

Read more about Olympia’s commercial moving experiences

PDF version of this newsletter

Can an Olympia Crew Pull an Airplane?

Posted on by olympiamoving

Olympia and Plane PullThey carry your bookshelves and pianos all day long, but we want to give our crew a new opportunity to prove their strength!

If team Olympia Moving & Storage raises $1250 for Special Olympics Virginia, our Alexandria, VA crew will attempt to pull a 164K pound airplane on September 14th as part of the Dulles Plane Pull!

CLICK HERE to visit our fundraising page & donate to Special Olympics Virginia

Dulles Plane Pull is a fantastic annual fundraising event at Dulles International Airport.  Dozens of plane pulling teams will raise money to benefit sports training and competition programs for athletes with intellectual disabilities.  This year, the event also includes live music, a car show, military and civilian aircraft displays, business exhibits, and children’s games and entertainment.

In addition to Plane Pulling, Olympia will also be sponsoring the event by donating logistics support for the event to Special Olympics Virginia.

In the past year, Olympia has also supported Special Olympics Massachusetts at their Summer Games and Over the Edge events.  You can learn more about the partnership between Olympia Moving & Special Olympics at olympiamoving.com/specialolympics

Post-Move Organization Inspiration

Posted on by olympiamoving
12_07_04_home_organization-300x224
Avoid becoming this person!  From XKCD

After the movers leave, setting up your new home may be daunting, but that’s where the fun can begin!

Before you start unpacking, consider some ideas to make a fresh start.  These post-move organization tips will help you save space and create a beautiful, practical home.

Utilize Your Movers

One of the best ways to jump start organization is a bit of pre-move planning.  Create a floor plan of the placement of your furniture in the new house.  There are some fantastic, free online tools to assist you.  This plan will allow you to direct the movers to place the furniture in the perfect spot on delivery day.  Remember, if you’re moving locally the charges are by the hour, so your advance plan will save you and the movers from time-consuming and expensive feng shui experimentation!

Unpack

You’re in your new home and the truck is empty, but there’s still a lot to be done.  Unpacking can be a daunting prospect, especially if you just packed!  Did you know that your mover may offer unpacking services?   Olympia can jump start the settling into your new home and remove those pesky boxes with our unpacking services.

Call in the Experts

Maybe you crave organization, but it’s just not your forte.  Fortunately, there’s organization professionals who are eager to lend a hand.  Consider getting an organization consultation.  Here are a few great, local companies that can help you out:

Boston:  The Little Details | Ditch the Clutter | Organizing Boston | Sort It Out

Washington D.C.:  The Organizing Agency

Philadelphia:  JM Home Organizing

Get Inspired

We created this Pinterest board chock-full of easy, DIY, and creative organization ideas.

Organization Inspiration

Post-Move Organization Pinterest Board

More tips and fun for after the move:

Stylish moving / change of address cards and e-cards

Tips for the Perfect Housewarming Party

Post-Moving Fun: How to Build a Box Fort