Today we’d like to introduce you to Ezekiel Wheeler.
Ezekiel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2002 I was a computer science major and working in the industry doing database programming. In many ways it was work that I really enjoyed but for a variety of reasons I decided I needed a change. So I quit and got a job paying 1/4 what I had been making working at a software company. Fast forward a few years and I felt that much of the way most moving companies functioned wasn’t good for the workers or the customers. So in 2005 instead of complaining I put an ad on craigslist and rented a rental truck. I decided to put having happy customers first and I’d figure out how to turn it into a living second. A few years later I bought my first truck, and then another and so on. Now we’re located in Arlington, have five trucks and own our own warehouse.
Has it been a smooth road?
A lot has changed in moving since 2005, and a lot has changed in the world. The recession in 2007, the rise of review-sites, and the changes in the local housing marking have had profound impacts on the moving business. For me the largest challenges where learning to run a different sized company every few years for the first couple. Each time I bought another truck the dynamics associated with more employees, customers and overhead meant I had to reinvent both much of the business, but also myself. We’ve been roughly the same size for the past 4 or 5 years and I’ve been able to really settle into a way of doing things that allows me to relax and enjoy the business more, and also do a better job.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Intelligent labor & Moving story. Tell us more about the business.
Many companies specialize in piano moving, packing, artwork, offices or a number of other details. We specialize in household goods moving. Bureaus, boxes and beds are our mainstay. It may not sound as glamorous but I like really focusing on the fundamentals of moving. Good, deep customer service. Predictable estimates. Company policies and morays that create an environment that facilitates and attracts good employees. These are the core elements that keep us going and also set us apart.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The lack of houses for sale inside the 128 belt, and the increase in luxury high-rises has changed the business quite a bit. I see the luxury high-rise trend continuing for the foreseeable future. That means smaller inventories, shorter distances and also customers with a higher expectation of service. It’s not what a lot of the bigger companies around here built their business on but it suits us and a lot of other small customer service oriented companies that are in neighboring towns. I also anticipate a good helping of the unanticipated which is half the fun.
Pricing:
- $120 per hour for two workers and a 14′ box truck for local work
- $165 per hour for three workers and a 24′ box truck for local work
- Our 245 cubic foot storage vaults cost $75/month each for storage.
Contact Info:
- Address: Intellligent Labor and Moving
18 Beck Rd
Arlington, MA, 02476 - Website: http://intelligentlabor.com/
- Phone: 617 864 0620
- Email: help@intelligentlabor.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Intelligent-Labor-and-Moving-117443768363003/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/intelligent-labor-and-moving-arlington
- Other: Intelligent Labor
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