Olympia Moving & Storage Acquires Austin Moving Company

American Relocation and Storage’s warehouse located in Austin, TX

For Immediate Release:

AUSTIN, TX – Olympia Moving & Storage, a rapidly growing company headquartered in Boston, MA, added its fourth location by acquiring Austin-based American Relocation & Storage Systems on March 1st.

American Relocation, an interstate agent for Wheaton Van Lines, has been relocating families and businesses for nearly six decades. The company, located in North Austin, will transition to the Olympia Moving & Storage brand, making Olympia the largest Wheaton Van Lines agent. Olympia will offer Austin families local, interstate, and international moving services. The company also plans to expand their commercial division in Austin.

“We are really excited about this acquisition,” says Michael Gilmartin, Founder & CEO of Olympia Moving & Storage. “There was already a great team in place, and with our investment and support, I am confident we can be successful in this market.”  Gilmartin believes, based upon the company’s history, that Olympia will add 15-20 jobs in 2018.

Olympia is a leading provider of moving services in the Northeast and has tripled in size in the past 8 years.  In 2017 the company relocated 8,000 families.

“Olympia keeps growing because we are committed to getting it right. There is no secret algorithm, it is all about understanding our customer’s needs, being accountable, and holding ourselves to a higher standard. Our team understands this and it is reflected in our performance,” says Gilmartin.

Olympia’s success is based on a 25-year history and an impressive service record that includes an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and recognition as an Angie’s List Super Service Award recipient. The company places a premium on hiring, training, and technology with the goal of providing the same high level of service across their entire footprint.

“Last year 95% of our customers said they would move with us again, the result of really listening to our clients and focusing on every detail. This is a great reflection of what we are capable of,” says Gilmartin. “My goal is to redefine the moving industry, and I am looking forward to showing Austin that there’s a better way to move.”

About Olympia Moving & Storage

Olympia Moving & Storage is a full-service moving company in Boston MA, Washington DC, Philadelphia PA, and Austin TX. Since its inception in 1993, Olympia has built an unparalleled reputation for delivering exceptional local moving, interstate moving and international moving services. In addition to residential moves, Olympia offers specialized services for companies preparing for an office or commercial move. Olympia Moving is the preferred mover for numerous universities, law firms and real estate organizations. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in our 95% customer satisfaction rate and our numerous awards. For more information, visit http://www.olympiamoving.com or call 800-222-4744.

Media Contact:

Rachael Lyons | 617.231.1290 | [email protected]

Helpful Moving Apps

Moving is tough and apps are convenient so it makes total sense that developers would create a moving app to help you through your relocation. We went ahead and reviewed 3 free moving apps that might help make your relocation easier…in addition to using Olympia Moving & Storage, of course.

anthropoligie platesortly folders

Sortly:

Aesthetically pleasing and easy to use, Sortly is an app that helps you do exactly what it sounds like.. sort your life! The moving app offers folders to narrow down your needs and work from specific lists in order to keep you more organized. Even better, within each folder you can create sub-folders for each room in your house, making it easier to sort and eventually find your belongings.

When adding items to your folders, Sortly gives the option of adding the quantity of items as well as value AND a photo.  So, if you’re worried about keeping track of the condition of your belongings in the case of damage or missing items, you’re all set!

Sortly also includes a great moving checklist with the option to mark tasks as “irrelevant” or “done,” so you can be sure to get all of your prep work done before moving day. Handy!

If you’re feeling fancy, another added bonus of using Sortly is the option to make your own QR labels. If you aren’t the tech-type and this doesn’t appeal to you you can always stick with our free printable labels and still stay organized.

A moving app like Sortly would definitely be helping when planning your move, think estimating the number of boxes you’ll need and putting together an inventory to get a quote, and would be a huge help when unpacking your belongings once you’ve moved into your new home. Learn more about Sortly here.

MoveAdvisor:

MoveAdvisor is different than Sortly, but it’s a great moving app option if you’re looking for moving companies in your area. It’s user friendly and is sort of like playing a Sims game with your belongings.

By clicking and dragging items, you can easily obtain a general idea of the weight of the items you’re looking to move, and everything you need to plan is in the palm of your hand. MoveAdvisor can be found here.

moveadvisor appmymove inventorymove details

My Move:

mymove menu

It seems like the developers of this moving app haven’t quite worked out the bugs. MyMove does ask for your origin zip and destination zip, but the app bases your approximate weight on the type of house you live in but doesn’t take your actual belongings into account, which means you’ll want to give a more detailed idea of your belongings when speaking with moving company.

Unfortunately, the “calculate moving cost” button brings you to a secondary page asking for your origin and destination again but doesn’t allow for destination state selection so this moving app isn’t the most useful if you’re looking for an accurate estimate for moving services.

The MyMove moving app would be most useful if you’re looking for moving checklists and  moving tips.

After checking out these three moving apps, we would suggest trying both Sortly and MoveAdvisor. Each moving app carries their own list of benefits and helpfulness but a mixture of the two could be even better. When planning a move it’s always better to speak to a professional about questions that are specific to your relocation. Moving apps are certainly helpful when organizing, but more information is better to get an accurate idea of your moving costs. Find more resources on MyMove here.

Ready to plan your move? We’re here to help.
Call us at 800.222.4744 today for your free estimate or request an estimate online.

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Olympia Driver Roberto Belony is Wheaton’s Driver of the Month!

Driver of the Month_BelonyA big congrats to Olympia Moving & Storage driver Roberto Belony! He has been selected among hundreds of drivers as Wheaton World Wide’s April 2015 driver of the month! Roberto is being recognized as the best among Wheaton’s intermittent fleet.

Roberto has been working with Olympia for 7 years and has been driving with Wheaton since 2009. He is a top-rated driver and this is his first driver of the month award. In his years working with Olympia, Roberto has become known for his dedication and high spirits and happy nature, no matter how tough or long the move. Roberto’s extensive experience shows in the way he handles every move.

These qualities are exemplified in a comment we received from a client Roberto moved interstate from Chelmsford, MA to Hubbard Lake, MI earlier this year:

“Roberto and his crew at our house in Chelmsford worked very hard and diligently packing and loading the truck and deserve to be recognized for a hard job done very well. They were very professional and courteous under a difficult situation….Just a few days after the 30 inch blizzard.

At the Michigan end of things …again Roberto and his Michigan crew did a marvelous job unloading the truck and relocating our furniture into our new home. I cannot say enough about the wonderful job Roberto did at both ends of the move. All of our “”Stuff”” arrived intact and we have found nothing broken or missing. At the Michigan end we are in a fairly remote location and it would be difficult for anyone unfamiliar with this area to find our house but Roberto did it contending with weather and unpaved roads.
He should be recognized for a job well done…..!!!”

Thank you, Roberto, for all you do to give Olympia Moving & Storage’s clients an exceptional relocation experience!

Roberto will receive a cash award, plaque, Driver of the Month uniform patches and equipment decals. Roberto is also now a nominee for 2015 Driver of the Year.

Roberto is one of Olympia Moving & Storage’s trained moving professionals. Olympia’s team has won several awards with Wheaton World Wide. Olympia driver Lucian Tistu also won the driver of the month recognition in 2014, and Olympia Moving won their highest honor in 2013, Agent of the Year.

Click here to read the official press release.

Non-Binding Moving Estimates vs. Binding Moving Estimates

EstimatesSo you’re almost ready to hire a moving company! You’ve done your research, 2-3 companies have met with you to perform a pre-move survey, and now these reputable movers have sent you itemized moving estimates. As you compare these companies’ move plans, proposed services, and the bottom lines, be sure you’re clear on which of the three kinds of moving estimates you are reviewing: a non-binding moving estimate, a binding moving estimate, or a not-to-exceed moving estimate.

So what are the differences between these three types of interstate moving estimates?

Non-Binding Moving Estimate

The non-binding moving estimate is the most common kind of interstate estimate. It means that the price that is presented to you is a projected cost for your move, provided to help you anticipate the cost, select a company, and plan a budget. It is not a contracted or guaranteed price, it is simply what the company thinks the final price of your move will be based on the inventory and services you discussed. If the actual services end up totaling less than your estimate, then you will pay less than the estimated price. If the actual services end up totaling a little more than your estimate, then you will pay a little more.

If you’re looking to pay the lowest price for your move, a non-binding estimate is your best choice, as your final bill can potentially be lower than estimated.

Most interstate move estimates are non-binding. The main components of the interstate estimate are the weight of your move and number of packing materials. The company will estimate what your total weight will be based on the inventory they created with you. After everything is loaded, the truck will be weighed to determine the actual weight. If the actual weight and materials used are less than estimated, then you will pay less. If the actual weight and materials used are more than estimated, then you will pay a little more.

A common question about non-binding estimates is whether the client can expect their moving estimate to be accurate. The answer is, absolutely! As long as what you end up moving and packing is what was agreed on the estimated inventory, the estimate should be very accurate. Estimate accuracy plays a large role in a client’s satisfaction, so every reputable moving company strives to provide the most accurate estimate possible, otherwise they risk losing their good reputation and future business!

Also keep in mind that an interstate moving company cannot require you to pay more than 110% more than a non-binding estimate prior to interstate delivery, and the client is not obligated to pay any charges exceeding 110% until 30 days after delivery. So it is certainly in the company’s interest to be accurate.

Binding Moving Estimate

A binding moving estimate may sometimes be quoted for an interstate move. A binding estimate means that you must pay the transportation price listed in the estimate, even if the final weight of your move is more or less than estimated.

The benefit of the binding moving estimate is that the transportation price is guaranteed, so you know exactly what your bill will be after the move. However, binding estimates may result in the client paying a little more for that guarantee. You may notice that the majority of binding estimates have a higher bottom line than non-binding estimates.

Keep in mind that for most binding estimates only the transportation part of the estimate is binding (the bulk of the estimate, which is based on the shipment’s weight). For example, if your binding estimate was based on self pack, the client packing everything, but then on move day you choose to have the moving company pack everything, then the packing was an additional service you requested and will be added on top of the binding transportation cost on the final bill.

Local Moving Estimate

Almost every local move estimate is a non-binding estimate, it is very rare for a local move estimate to be binding or not-to-exceed. The main components of local estimates are an hourly rate for the labor and truck plus the packing materials used. Therefore, for a non-binding estimate, you will pay less if the actual move requires less time and materials than estimated, and conversely, you will pay a little more if the actual move requires more time and materials than estimated.

Are you ready to get your interstate moving estimate? Call Olympia Moving & Storage at 800.222.4744 or fill out the estimate request form. Olympia moved families to every state in the USA last year!

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Olympia Moving Named 2014 Top 20 Total Quality Commitment Award Winner

Olympia Moving & Storage Total Quality Commitment AwardOlympia Moving & Storage works hard to provide exceptional interstate moving services. Our vanline, Wheaton World Wide, agrees! We are proud to announce that the Olympia Moving & Storage Alexandria, VA branch has been named a 2014 Top 20 Total Quality Commitment moving company! Olympia Moving & Storage won this award by earning one of the 20 best interstate moving quality scores out of the 340 moving companies in the Wheaton World Wide | Bekins Van Lines network.

The Total Quality Commitment scores are based on the most important drivers of customer satisfaction: claims frequencies and dollar averages, safety, estimate accuracy, and customer ratings.

This is the 11th year that Olympia Moving & Storage has earned a Total Quality Commitment award. Olympia has also earned several other awards from Wheaton World Wide, including the their Agent of the Year award in 2007 and 2014.

Olympia Moving & Storage will officially receive the award at the upcoming regional meeting. The Alexandria, VA staff, drivers, and crew will be congratulated for their excellent work with a celebratory lunch.

Olympia plans to continue to raise the standards for interstate moving quality in 2015. This year the Alexandria, VA moving company has been conducting extensive customer service training with their movers and rolling out new driver communication tools.

Olympia Moving & Storage and Bekins Northwest Super Bowl Bet for Keaton’s Korral

Super BowlEvery day Olympia Moving & Storage works with agents in the Wheaton World Wide Moving | Bekins Van Lines interstate moving network. Though Olympia Moving agrees with their partner agents on how to provide great service to the families we relocate, we don’t agree when it comes to the Super Bowl.

As a Boston based company, Olympia’s employees are fervent New England Patriots fans and eagerly anticipate Super Bowl XLIX. Bekins Northwest on the other hand, is the official moving company of the Seattle Seahawks. After the NFC championship win, Bekins Northwest immediately got to work moving the Seahawk’s equipment to Arizona for Super Bowl XLIX.

Olympia has now challenged Bekins Northwest with a friendly bet for a great cause.

If the New England Patriots lose Super Bowl XLIX, Olympia Moving & Storage will donate $500 to Keaton’s Korral at Give Kids the World Village – a Florida vacation resort for children with life-threatening illnesses. If the Seattle Seahawks lose the game, Bekins Northwest agrees to make the same $500 donation to Keaton’s Korral.

Wheaton World Wide Moving | Bekins Van Lines have been strong supporters of Keaton’s Korral at Give Kids the World village since 2000. The result of this Super Bowl bet will go towards Wheaton | Bekin’s $22,000 fundraising goal and will help provide children with life-threatening illnesses and their families with cost-free vacations. Visit this link to make your own donation to Keaton’s Korral.

Olympia Moving & Storage is looking forward to the New England Patriots’ victory on Sunday!

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

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.

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

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

_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!

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.