The unique centers for moving companies which everybody is talking about these days remind me of the early days of suburban shopping centers. The revolution in the retail sphere of concentrating giant stores in one location in the suburbs was virtually earth shattering. And now, we are beginning to hear about the same concepts in regard to moving companies. Surely, the idea is obvious and excellent. The idea is that the client does not have to worry which of the thousands of moving companies to choose from. He or she simply drives over to the moving companies' center outside town, enters one office and is provided with a choice of moving companies to choose from. Of course the client has to submit details of the type of moving is his or her concern, and then the list of the various moving companies with their assorted services, options and price range are presented to the potential client. The deal is made on the spot and the client can often obtain on the spot service from the
moving companies. This method of course if far simpler and less harrowing than having to browse through umpteen lists and sites in the Internet or spend hours of uncertainty over lists of moving companies in the Yellow Pages.

I asked each company of movers that I called for a timetable for our impending move. I explained that I had to be in Los Angeles and ready to start work on the 1st day of September.

The estimates of time that I received from all the movers except one were a joke. They ranged from 5 months downwards and only one said he thought he could do it in under a month. I asked all the movers why they thought the move would take so long and all I got was shoulder shrugs. So I selected the movers who offered the shortest time frame and signed the contract.

In the end we didn’t make it in their one month schedule but it had nothing to do with the movers. There was some sort of shipping strike by the port-workers and the ship sat in the port with our container cooking on the deck. I was terrified when the movers carried all our goods up from the container in LA, expecting to find sun damage to many items, but there was not a mark. The only real damage was to my ego, after all the trouble I took with the schedule.

One of the most important moving services is associated with the world of art. Art as you may know is not a static phenomenon but is constantly on the move. Works of art travel the globe from art gallery to art gallery, exhibition to exhibition and art purchasers to homes. Hence the need not merely for ordinary moving services but for special moving services. The reason why special moving services are needed is that works of art in general and masterpieces in particular have to be conveyed in the very latest of technological state of the art moving services. They have to be packed in a very special manner and transported in the most secure way, hence the need for unique moving services. It goes without saying that not all moving services are able to offer such moving services, only moving services with the prestige and experience of professional are conveyance can offer such services. You can see what type of firms are involved in these special moving services by paying a visit to
famous auction house such as Sotheby's and stand outside in the courtyard (if you can get access) to view the type of trucks, packers and packaging is involved in the moving services of art works.

Since we made that great move from Johannesburg to New York without any problems last year we have been inundated with calls asking us for the names of moving companies. We really did have good experience with the 3 moving companies involved in our move and we have no hesitation in recommending them personally to our friends. Over the years we have been involved with many moving companies. That’s what comes of working in the Energy Business, you are always changing countries. Many of the moving companies we used so many years ago are no longer in the business.

Best of all the moving companies was “Get Moving!” who moved us from Sydney, Australia to Hamburg, Germany in the eighties. They are no longer around but we will never forget the excellent service they provided us. Moving companies come and go and it seems to be a rather unstable industry - here today and gone tomorrow, if you like, but the good moving companies are all huge businesses. Today with the development of the Global Village and with so many people moving regularly all over the planet, personal and company moving has become big business.

The boss leans on his hands, glares down the table at me and says, “I want a full construction supervision team in Dalian, China in three weeks. I don’t want to hear how far it is. I don’t want to hear how complicated it is. Go and look for movers. There are movers that will move you anywhere. China is a piece of cake for them. Everyone is moving to China. There are movers out there who specialize in China. Go!”

I stumble from the room hardly able to believe what’s going on. Where should I start looking for movers to get us to China? There is another question as well: where am I going to find a construction supervision team who are willing to move to China, even if I can find the movers? The whole thing sounds like one big impossibility. But even impossibilities happen. I placed a single ad in the local papers and put together a supervision crew. Then I placed another ad for movers to China and I was flooded out with phone calls. There is always someone who is willing to undertake a job, no matter how impossible it sounds.