Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Gilmartin.
Michael, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a college student at Northeastern, I began working for a local moving company to help pay for school. I loved the challenge of the job, the unique nature of every day, and the customer engagement.
I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, so after college I bought a truck and started what is now Olympia Moving & Storage. There have been lots of ups and downs in the last 24 years, but we now employ more than 300 people and maintain 5 locations. I still routinely get into work by 4am, but I have a team around me that is dedicated to the company’s mission and makes this an engaging place to come to work.
My goal from inception was to deliver a “wow” experience and defy client expectations. This commitment to getting it right has always been fundamental to who we are as an organization.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Getting to where we are today has certainly not been easy. Being a business owner has its difficulties, but I love the daily challenge of working in the moving industry. The hours are often long, it’s not unusual for me to work 80-90 hour weeks because I like to implement change and I see opportunities for improvement everywhere I look.
The housing crash in 2008 was difficult for us and many other movers to navigate. Despite the struggle, I take a lot of pride that we did not layoff any staff. We were able to quickly adapt to the new environment and it was our capacity to do so that set the table for our current growth. The downturn in the housing market actually allowed us to gain significant share.
The more systemic challenge has been managing our continued expansion. With the growth that we have experienced in the past 6 years we have had to constantly challenge every facet of the business. The system or process that worked perfectly two years ago, needs to be completely reinvented. I enjoy constantly improving the company and I’m proud that we always question the status quo, but it is a challenge and can put a strain on the organization.
Please tell us about Olympia Moving & Storage.
Olympia Moving & Storage offers residential, commercial and international moving and storage related services in Boston, Philadelphia and Washington DC. The business is driven by our reputation, and it is our local moving business that has historically been our core focus. We specialize in the full-service move, including packing, crating art, and any other specialty service we identify a family needs for a smooth relocation.
With our growth has come planned diversification. In addition to moving families with our residential business, Olympia does a lot of commercial work for universities and hospitals. We also relocate military personnel, do facilities related work for Fortune 100 companies, provide asset management services, logistics work, hotel projects, and executive relocation. From a competitive standpoint, our diversity has helped to counteract the seasonality of residential residential moving and sustain our growth; even when a particular sector of the business is flat.
The thing I am most proud of is the organization and the culture we have built. Olympia Moving & Storage is the company it is today because we have a vision to provide the best moving experience in the country and have a team, from our crew to our office staff that is willing to roll up their sleeves to do the hard work to deliver that experience. At Olympia we never accept the status quo, we are committed to our clients, and we are always striving. When this company had two trucks and an office trailer, 96% of our clients told us we did an exceptional job. Last year 96% of our clients also told us we did an exceptional job and it is this dedication to getting it right, despite the growth that inspires me. We are a company that relocation industry professionals refer their family members to – and I think that is very telling.
I also am also very proud of how we choose to engage in the communities in which we live and work. We are involved in numerous charitable endeavors, but maintain a unique sponsorship for the Special Olympics in Massachusetts and Virginia. This is a terrific organization and the fact that we are able to meaningfully contribute to this great cause is important to me and the Olympia team.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
My personality is to always drive and push the company’s growth, and because of that I sometimes leap before I look. I think by and large this approach as benefited the organization, but additional planning in some decisions might have prevented some mistakes over the years.
Contact Info:
- Address: Olympia Moving & Storage
17 Bridge Street
Watertown, MA 02472 - Website: http://www.olympiamoving.com
- Phone: 617-926-5555
- Email: info@olympiamoving.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OlympiaMovingandStorage
- Twitter: @olympiams
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/olympia-moving-and-storage-watertown
Image Credit:
Justine Johnson Photography, Sofia Sebastian
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
