This week we’ve chosen to shine the my Bekins Spotlight on Honey Bergen, Operations Manager for Bekins Moving Solutions, in San Diego, CA.

Honey began her career in the relocation industry at a military base in San Diego working in the household goods inbound department. When her contract expired she began working for Sullivan Moving/United Van Lines in the customer service department. She left the company as their customer service manager after nine years of service. During this time Honey was also attending school and received her Associate’s degree in Business.

When the opportunity to work as a dispatcher for Bekins Moving Solutions became available Honey jumped at the chance. She was excited about the opportunity because she likes being well rounded with all positions in the industry. Her hard work and dedication was appreciated and soon she was running the dispatch department; this led to her current position as the branch’s Operations Manager.

Honey enjoys many facets of working at BMS including her co-workers. She says, “I never dread coming in to work; they are awesome!!” She also enjoys using her customer service skills to not only help clients, but also her moving crews, to guarantee great outcomes. Scott Harvey, General Manager for BMS San Diego, had this to say, amongst other wonderful things, about Honey:

Honey is a dedicated and loyal employee. As the Operations Manager, she motivates her team around the branch’s vision of providing exceptional service to our clients. Her passion for this vision is evident in her leadership resulting in an Operations Department that is inspired to exceed customer expectations.

Honey is a lifelong resident of San Diego. She loves photography, the ocean, swimming, and is SCUBA certified. She keeps active by running (she’s completed a marathon) and walking as much as possible. She has a love of animals, especially dogs. Honey says, “I have 2 and [they] are my babies.” Honey is happily engaged and will be getting married this June. Congrats!

Honey has been with the my Bekins family for 3 ½ years. Her passion for customer service and learning about the relocation industry are some of the many reasons why we’re glad that she’s part of the my Bekins family!

In a word, books.  Books can help your kids get excited about the idea of moving and can even encourage them to get involved.  Here are some of the best books for kids that are about to move.  The books listed below are great for all moving situations.  Additionally, the books are listed according to whom they appeal to – from the youngest child to the oldest.

• We’re Moving! Written by Heather Maisner and Kristina Stephenson
• The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day Written by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain
• I’m Not Moving, Mama Written by Nancy White Carlstrom and Thor Wickstrom
• Who Will Be My Friends? Written by Syd Hoff
• Alexander, Who’s Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move Written by Judith Viorst, Ray Cruz, and Robin Preiss Glasser
• Let’s Move Together Written by Carol M. Schubeck
• A New House:  Activity book for 4 - 10 year olds Written by Jill Wenzel
• The Moving Book: A Kids’ Survival Guide Written by Gabriel Davis
• Footsteps around the World: Relocation Tips for Teens, 2nd edition Written by Beverly D. Roman, Dalene R Bickel (Editor)

Of course, this is not a comprehensive list of all the books to do with moving for the kids.  Simply do a quick search online or even check out your local bookstore to find some books your kids might respond to.

Jon Huser

For the second installment of the my Bekins Spotlight we’ve chosen Julio Daconceicao, Operations Manager/Dispatcher, for the Coppell, TX branch of Bekins Moving Solutions.

Julio was born and raised in Unhais Da Serra, Portugal. He attended the Fundão seminary and graduated from the Escola Internacional da Covilhã. Julio is obviously a worldly man having lived and worked in France and Switzerland before moving to the United States in 1986. Julio even met his wife of 25 years, Laura, in Paris!

In 1990 Julio moved to Dallas beginning his career with Bekins. When he first joined the company he was a warehouseman and soon began handling the area’s commercial and office moves. He eventually became the warehouse supervisor which led to him becoming the Operations Manager/Dispatcher for the branch. Julio enjoys solving the every day challenges that come with being the Operations Manager for his branch. He also enjoys working with the staff and crews to ensure that all moves go as smoothly as possible.

Of all the companies Julio has worked for, he considers BMS-A1 to have the best leadership and the best people to work for. (Thanks Julio, we think you’re pretty great too!) When he’s not keeping the Coppell BMS branch on their toes he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children and likes fishing, hunting, and in general being an outdoorsman.

Julio has run the gamut of positions within the company. His success is due to his hard work and dedication, which is why we’re proud to have him as part of the my Bekins family!

Our first myBekins Spotlight is Bill Harrison, a moving consultant from our Atlanta Bekins A-1 Movers, Inc. branch. Bill has been with the myBekins family since 2010.

Bill came to the relocation industry by chance. In 1976 he started his career as a race horse trainer in his father’s stable. Unfortunately, back and neck injuries forced him to reevaluate his career. It was around this time he started his own business in Melbourne, FL, a pressure washing and mobile detailing business named Enhanced Image. From his myBekins profile:

One of his customers was the owner of Heritage Mayflower Moving & Storage. Bill began loading and unloading trucks to supplement his income and soon discovered his interest in the moving business. When one consultant left the business, the owners of Heritage Mayflower asked him to step in and train as a salesperson.

The rest, as they say, is history!

Bill now has twenty years of experience in the relocation industry and has worked with many national companies, such as, Atlantic Atlas, Berger Allied, and Suddath United/Mayflower. Here at myBekins his focus is in commercial business while maintaining a strong base of household goods business.

Bill is one of those employees that continually strive for excellence. One look through our Tuesday Testimonials will reveal a surplus of moves that Bill has had a hand in. Not only does he strive to help clients, he’s constantly lending a helping hand to the myBekins marketing department in an effort to help promote the business. It is these reasons and many more that we’re proud to have Bill Harrison a part of the myBekins family!

In a little more than 175 pages, “29 Days to a Smooth Move” helps people like you organize and motivate themselves right before any relocation. The book compiles some of the most vital household moving information into one source – and it takes a look at some of the things we all forget most often during a move.

The goal of the book is to help people like you see stacks of neatly packed and clearly labeled boxes on moving day morning. It also helps you motivate your emotional teen into looking forward to the move and making sure Fido is ready to go.

While there may never be anything such as a painless move, “29 Days to a Smooth Move” really tries its best to numb the pain as much as possible. Considered to be a “personal moving manual,” the book offers various tips and tricks that you can use for relocations throughout your life.

Here’s an idea of some of the tips and practical advice that the book covers:

• Moving checklist – knowing what to do and when
• Saving money on the relocation process
• Packing and finding the right movers
• Selling your home quickly and for the most money
• Soothing your mind during the move
• Settling into your new neighborhood

Lance Grooms.

No, we’re not kidding – that really is the title of a book written by Jamie Allen and Kazz Regelman – and apparently hundreds of other people! Although we don’t think all 40 million Americans who will move this year will actually read the book, it’s worth a mention.

It seems that there is a self-help book out there for just about everything, but we only recently came across books on the topic of moving and relocation. Moving is an overwhelming task that can quickly get expensive and stressful, but why let it?

The book is a compilation of hundreds of different moving tips and real-life stories that can help you through that really tough time of moving from one house to another which can really break a person! The authors talked to hundreds upon hundreds of people across the United States and Canada to bring the stories to you. That’s one of the charming aspects of this book – instead of just getting the opinions of an expert or two, you get to hear what a lot of people have to say and make your own decisions based on that.

Lance Grooms

Bekins A-1 Movers, Inc., Bekins Moving Solutions, Inc.,

Paxem, Inc. become Sister Companies

WARRENVILLE, Ill. –Bekins A-1 Movers, Inc. and Bekins Moving Solutions, Inc. (myBekins) are now sister companies with Cary, IL based Paxem, Inc..  Paxem provides all services related to a move other than the actual moving service which will complement the capabilities of Bekins Van Lines largest agent, myBekins, which is a nationwide full-service moving company with 20 locations.

Paxem and myBekins have offered some similar services however together they combine to form a one-stop-shop, servicing senior relocation from start to finish.  Some of the services the united companies offer are: home organization, de-cluttering, packing, crating, storing, set up, staging, managing the move, and creating floor plans.  In addition to those services, containerized transportation, senior move management and employee relocation services, the sister companies offer local, long distance and international moving needs. 

The new relationship between Paxem and myBekins allows dependable service to clients throughout the United States with fluidity.  Together the companies have over 600 trucks, professional employees and company-owned buildings and storage warehouses all over the country.   This acquisition secured common-ownership of Bekins A-1 Movers, Inc., Bekins Moving Solutions, Inc., BCI-Las Vegas, BCI Worldwide, Pinnacle Management, and now Paxem.

Paxem staff are senior move managers and are knowledgeable in all aspects of residential and commercial moving.  Paxem’s mission is to help families through the transition of moving or right-sizing while respecting each individual’s needs.  Paxem’s new corporate office will be located in Lake Zurich, IL along with the current satellite office in Cary.  MyBekins has 20 agent-owned locations nationwide and is one of America’s largest and most respected moving and storage companies.  In March of 2010 myBekins.com was launched, marking the first website in the relocation industry built for complete and accurate moving estimates, scheduling live appointments and booking a move, all online.

myBekins     •      30 W. 196 Calumet Avenue     •     Warrenville, IL 60555

May, National Moving Month Kick off Relocation Industry’s Peak Season

WARRENVILLE, Ill. April 2011 – Each year, the relocation industry warmly welcomes the month of May.  Not only is May “National Moving Month,” it’s also the first month of a four-month-long peak relocation season. 

According to myMovingNews.com, approximately 44 million moves occur each year and most of those moves are initiated between May and September.  The moving industry uses “National Moving Month” as a time to educate the public on how to plan a successful, low-stress relocation.

During “National Moving Month,” industry professionals are focused on providing relocation services and offering packing tips.  May is also a great time to find specials from various moving companies.

Recently, myBekins launched its myMovingNews site, which offers daily moving and storage tips and news.  myBekins’ main objective in creating the news site was to provide reliable moving and storage information that people could access throughout the year, not just during the peak relocation season.

Despite the fact that the slow housing market has had a profound effect on the relocation industry, experts believe the market will likely turn around during the spring and summer months.  That news comes just in time for the industry’s peak season.

Those who plan on purchasing a new home or using a moving company for any reason should do plenty of research in order to avoid a moving scam.  To assist people in finding a reliable moving company, the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) established the ProMover program. This program certifies that members have passed a background check and agree to uphold the AMSA’s code of ethics.

myBekins is a  full-service moving company with 21 agent-owned locations nationwide and is one of America’s largest and most respected moving and storage companies.  In March of 2010 myBekins.com was launched, marking the first website in the relocation industry built for complete and accurate moving estimates, scheduling live appointments and booking a move, all online. 

Bekins A-1 Movers, Inc.     •      30 W. 196 Calumet Avenue     •     Warrenville, IL 60555

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myBekins Free Move Contest Winner Announced

 WARRENVILLE, Ill. – The winner of the Free Move Contest, who will receive the grand prize of a free, full-service move with a retail value of up to $7,500, is Sandy Garcia from Lancaster, Calif. Garcia received more than 1,300 votes during the final round of the contest to claim the top spot over Joe Windham from Land O’ Lakes, Fla.  Garcia and her two daughters, Sierra and Aliyah Flores, will be moving to Camp Lejeune, N.C. to be with Garcia’s fiancé, Nathan Guite, who is in the U.S. Marine Corps.

According to Garcia’s Free Move Contest submission, Guite reported to Camp Lejeune in September 2010 on a permanent change of station.  She was unable to move with her fiancé because the Marine Corps does not authorize family moves when the couple is not married.  Garcia has been saving since her fiancé was re-stationed, but says, “with the current economy, it’s a slow process.”

Thanks to myBekins and CDS Moving Equipment, Inc. Garcia and her daughters can make the move and be reunited with Guite before he deploys in August 2011.  On the phone call, Garcia told myBekins Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Lance Grooms, that when she told her daughters the good news, they were jumping up and down.  Garcia told Grooms that her daughter Sierra, age 7, was so excited she asked, “Can we move tomorrow?” According to Grooms, Garcia “was very emotional” when he notified her that she won the contest. 

Free Move Contest submissions had to have been received by Friday, March 4 and voting for the contest began Wednesday, March 16 with six contestants.  The six original contestants were chosen by a panel of judges who accepted stories based on need, story, acceptability and judges’ opinion.  The candidates were organized into two brackets and fans voted for their favorite candidate in each bracket.  Sandy Garcia had the most votes from Bracket No. 1 and Joe Windham won Bracket No. 2.  The two contestants then faced off in the final round of voting that started on Wednesday, March 23.

myBekins has 21 agent-owned locations nationwide and is one of America’s largest and most respected moving and storage companies.  In March of 2010 myBekins.com was launched, marking the first website in the relocation industry built for complete and accurate moving estimates, scheduling live appointments and booking a move, all online.  CDS Moving Equipment, Inc. is a one-stop-shop for Moving Equipment, Warehouse Supplies, and Packing Material.  CDS has manufacturing facilities totaling over 115,000 square feet and is located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Las Vegas and Chicago.

myBekins     •      30 W. 196 Calumet Avenue     •     Warrenville, IL 60555

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