View full size In this photo, Dave Hernandez, 49, a driver at Stevens Worldwide Van Lines wraps furniture in protective furniture pads and stacks it in a moving van. Melanie Sochan | MLive.com 

SAGINAW, MI — United Van Lines moving trucks carried Saginaw, Bay and Midland county residents to new homes outside Michigan more often than to homes in those three counties from outside of the state last year.

Though the numbers are not comprehensive, United Van Lines Vice President Carl Walter says the data accurately reflects trends.

“As the nation’s largest household goods mover, United’s data is an accurate reflection of the overall U.S. moving trends,” Walter stated in the release. “Tracking the number of inbound and outbound domestic moves helps provide insight into overall migration trends.”  

Barb Muessig, marketing director for Saginaw-based Stevens Worldwide Van Lines, said the company compiles similar data, though officials declined to share specific numbers.

Muessig said Stevens Worldwide Van Lines’ 2012 data shows similar trends to the United Van Lines study with regard to inbound and outbound migration.

“We see more people moving out of our counties (Saginaw, Bay and Midland), out of state, and we see less people moving from out of state into those counties.”

Still, the company sees bright spots for the Great Lakes Bay Region.

“We are seeing movement in the residential markets, and also with some of our corporate clients, like the Dow Chemical Co.,” Muessig said. “We were also excited to help with the move to the new airport — a nice addition to the region and a sign of confidence.”

Tom Darger, president of the Midland County Board of Realtors, couldn’t speak to inbound and outbound migration but praised the health of Midland County’s real estate market.

“I don’t have inflow, outflow data for Midland County, what I can tell you is we’ve had a very healthy real estate market,” he said.

Darger said agents with the Midland County Board of Realtors sold 927 houses in 2012, up from 844 in 2011.

“It’s our best year since 2005 in Midland, in terms of total houses sold.”

The 36th annual United Van Lines study shows Michigan is one of 11 states with high outbound migration.

According to the study, Bay County had 15 inbound and 24 outbound moves, Midland County had 79 inbound and 104 outbound moves, and Saginaw County had 16 inbound and 40 outbound moves. United Van Lines tracks all household moves handled by United Van Lines within the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C.

According to the study, the top five locations to receive new residents in 2012 were:

• District of Columbia
• Oregon
• Nevada
• North Carolina
• South Carolina

And the top five states for outbound migration in 2012 were:

• New Jersey
• Illinois
• West Virginia
• New York
• New Mexico

United Van Lines classifies states as having high inbound migration if 55 percent or more of the moves are going into the state, and classifies states as having high outbound migration if 55 percent or more moves were coming out of a state. A third classification, balanced, is reserved for states in which the difference between inbound and outbound migration is negligible.

• View a U.S. map showing states with high inbound migration, states with high outbound migration and states with balanced migration here.

Stevens Worldwide Van Lines Chief Operating Officer Joe Bisker said the company feels confident in the region.

"Stevens Worldwide Van Lines has been part of the region for 108 years, and we're here to stay," she said. "We have a strong base here and offer services, jobs and encouragement across the region. In fact, we are just in the midst of a major renovation at our headquarters here in Saginaw County. We are optimistic about the future, and we recognize the need to be positive and to look for ways to reinvent how we do business."

Heather Jordan can be reached at 989-450-2652 or heather_jordan@mlive.com. Follow @HeatherLJordan on Twitter and Facebook.

Original article here

The decisions are in – Stevens’ agent Marathon Moving is “the best” in Boston.

Boston Magazine announced this week that Marathon Moving received its “Best of Boston” honor in its “moving” category.

The magazine, which has been in print since the early 1970s, annually publishes its “best of” in many different categories in the areas of services, shopping, restaurants and food, arts and entertainment and home design.

The magazine’s nearly 500,000 readers can nominate businesses for the various categories and winners are selected based on the number of factors, including research by magazine staff about the nominees.

Marathon, which became a Stevens Worldwide Van Lines agent in mid-2005, started in the two-car garage of Paul and Gail Nelson.  In the 12 years since its humble start, Marathon Moving has grown and expanded continually – and now maintains more than 46,000 square feet of warehouse space and is a leading moving company in the Stevens agency family.

Marathon, located about 15 miles south of Boston in Randolph, Mass., provides moving services to nearly 2,500 customers annually.

Throughout the years, Marathon Moving has adopted some novel business practices that center around holding employees to high standards and providing outstanding service throughout every step of a move. In a bold step taken nearly 10 years ago, Marathon traded the cost of most advertising in favor of a comprehensive benefits package for its employees. The payoff has been numerous Super Service Awards from Angie’s List; the Gold Seal for Excellence from the Better Business Bureau and many other awards.

Marathon credits its high service record for nearly 90 percent of its moves coming from repeat customers or former customers who have referred the company to others.

Stevens Worldwide Van Lines chairman and CEO Morrie Stevens, Sr., and his wife Julie Stevens recently received honors with the Outstanding Philanthropist Award from the Mid-Michigan Chapter of the Association for Fundraising Professionals.

The organization recognizes individuals and organizations for their outstanding achievement in philanthropy.

Morrie and Julie Stevens have been involved in many charities and fundraising efforts for many years throughout central Michigan. The Association for Fundraising Professionals specifically recognized the Stevens for their establishment of the Stevens Family Foundation at the Saginaw Community Foundation, and for their financial and business leadership in developing the Stevens Center for Family Business at Saginaw Valley State University.

The Saginaw Community Foundation administers more than 300 charitable funds and 150 scholarships for programs and projects that benefit Saginaw County residents.

The Stevens Center for Family Business provides resources and support for the needs of family-owned businesses. The center is part of the SVSU College of Business and Management and has several components, including events for family-owned businesses and academic coursework in family business.

By Vicki Bierlein, Vice President Affinity Sales, Stevens Worldwide Van Lines

Since the 1993 establishment of its Clergy Move Center ©, Stevens Worldwide Van Lines has placed special emphasis on serving the relocation needs of those who are called to serve in the pastorate or work within a ministry in another capacity. As a result of this focus, and our ability to consistently deliver a high standard of service and value, we are currently endorsed by more faith-based organizations than any mover in the United States.

I’m proud to say I’ve worked in the Clergy Move Center since day one, during which time I’ve personally coordinated or overseen a few thousand moves. Today I head up the Clergy Move Center, with responsibility for – among other duties – seeing to it that we serve our clergy and other customers in faith-based ministry,  to the very best of our abilities. As a part of this effort, in today’s post I want to offer our clergy customers and prospective customers five tips on how to make their next move as smooth and hassle-free as possible while getting the best value for their moving dollar.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Stevens Worldwide Van Lines proudly serves people of all faiths. But as the United States has, by far, the largest Christian population of any country in the world, the majority of the faith-based professionals we work with are employed by Christian organizations. So for this reason, and for composition and readability, I will use the terms pastor and church throughout. In no way is my usage of these words meant to be exclusionary to people of different faiths.

• Tip #1 – Check with the regional or national headquarters for your denomination for a referral or recommendation. At a minimum you should be able to get a list of pre-screened movers. In other instances your denomination will have partnered with a mover. In this case the company has been thoroughly vetted by church headquarters as a proven mover that delivers quality service at a fair price, and supports the mission of the church.
  
  In addition, if your denomination has a national contract with a mover it’s usually at a discounted rate. Plus, in most contractual arrangements the mover is required to conduct customer satisfaction surveys on every move and regularly report results to the denominational or organizational headquarters. For example, here at the Clergy Move Center we report our survey results to all faith-based organizations we contract with quarterly or annually.
  
  NOTE: Your new church may be non-denominational or have chosen not to involve itself in the vetting and recommendation of movers. In this case my strong recommendation is that (in addition to your normal due diligence) you choose a mover that has been certified through the American Moving and Storage Association’s ProMover program. The ProMover program promotes ethical principles in the moving and storage industry and works with federal and state governments to mitigate unethical moving practices.
• Tip #2 – Make every effort to get the best moving value for you and your new church. If your church is like most, it will require that you get two or three estimates before choosing a mover. That’s standard and all well and good. What I’ve seen during my many years of working with churches and clergy though is that there’s a strong inclination to choose a mover strictly on the basis of price. This is especially true with churches and clergy because they feel, and rightfully so, that this is the Lord’s money that’s being spent. It’s understandable; we all like to save money. Especially in this instance when any money saved is money that can be used for the mission of the ministry.
  
  On the other hand, it’s often the cheapest mover that delivers the poorest service. Be especially leery of the mover who says they’ll beat your lowest estimate; because if they do not know how to properly value their service they likely do not know how to deliver quality moving services either. The point is, as a pastor, choir director, organization executive, or faith-based educator you’re no less deserving of a quality, hassle-free moving service than anybody else. Besides that, the moving business is highly competitive. If you get quotes from three reputable movers they’re usually all going to be within 10% of one another. Then it’s up to you to determine which moving company offers you and your new church the best overall value.
• Tip #3 – Allow yourself plenty of time for packing. In the secular world corporations often pay for full packing services for relocating executives. Faith-based organizations are more frugal and more times than not our customers are expected to do their own packing. But not only will a clergy’s family have to do its own packing, they’ll have to deal with other factors that can keep them from getting their packing done on time.
  
  That’s because when a pastor leaves one church to go serve another he or she is leaving behind an extended family. A family the pastor has served and ministered to, often on a very personal level. Depending on the size of the congregation this extended family could be 50 people or several hundred people. The thing to understand is that a great many of these people will want to help, and to personally say goodbye. And all these personal goodbyes – many from people just “dropping by” –  can seriously cut into your packing time. So plan ahead. When most clergy accept a call it’s about thirty days out, in some cases a bit longer. My advice is to start packing right then and there.
  
  At Stevens one way we help is by providing you with an estimate of how many packing boxes you’ll need. As a rule of thumb, you can pack five boxes an hour. So if the estimate calls for three hundred boxes you’ll need to allow for 60 hours of packing time. Also, that five-boxes-an-hour number is based on the work of a professional packer, someone who packs without bias or reminiscence.
  
  As for church members who want to help, here’s an idea. Set aside a packing day, say seven to ten days from your moving date. Bill it as “Pizza & Packing Day” and invite all interested congregants to join you. Assign people to specific rooms and make sure you have boxes, tape and all the materials you need organized and at the ready. Make sure also that you and your family members circulate between the various rooms.
• Tip #4 – Limit the size of your welcoming party. Just as your leaving presents special moving challenges so too does your initial arrival at your new destination. Your new church family will be excited and many of them will want to be there to give you and your family a warm and gracious welcome. They’ll want to help unload the truck. They’ll want to help with the boxes and furniture coming into the house. But no reputable mover will allow any of them to set foot on the moving van. No reputable mover will allow any of them to do anything that might cause them personal injury or damage to any of your household goods.
  
  Obviously, this is because of liability and claims issues. That’s the crux of it of course but there are other reasons. For example, you (and other members of your immediate family) will want to be free to focus on the placement of furniture, the condition of the furniture, the checking off of inventory and other important details. But if there’s a crowd of church members on hand you’ll feel obligated to play the role of convivial pastor – and lose that focus. Resist the urge to put on your “social hat” and you’ll risk coming across as distant and aloof. It’s a lose/lose situation.
  
  Here at the Clergy Move Center our move counselors always speak with the chairman of the call committee ahead of time. Our recommendation is that having one or two members of the call committee on hand is plenty. But anything beyond that is potentially disruptive and dysfunctional. Not only for the pastor, but also for the driver and the helpers who are trying to efficiently get everything into the home. We suggest that if people feel compelled to do something, they can offer to help with unpacking – after the big move-in is done. 
• Tip #5 – All things being equal, take an even closer look. Then choose the mover that best reflects your values and with whom you feel the most comfortable. As mentioned earlier, competition for your business is such that most reputable movers are going to be within 10% of one another on price. Often the difference is closer to 5%, but you also want to consider the terms of the estimate. For instance, is it a firm price or variable price once the move has been completed? In these cases you’ll want to take an even closer look at the benefits and advantages of choosing one mover over another.
  
  A few  examples of “closer look” factors worth considering:
  • Does the mover offer you a knowledgeable, experienced, single point of contact for questions, issues and needs you may have before, during and after your move?
  • Does the mover have a written, fair and easily understood damage claims policy?
  • Is the mover willing and able to find a way to work with your budget, as opposed to “this is our quote and that’s all we can do”?
  • What, if any, special perks might the mover offer to earn your business? For example, some movers (Stevens being one) offer the customer a cash rebate for facilitating the sale or purchase of a home.
  • Does the mover give back? For more than 100 years Stevens Worldwide been a part of the Saginaw, Michigan community, supporting various civic and charitable initiatives. Currently the company is engaged in a year-long campaign to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

And there you have my five tips. I hope you’ve found them helpful and on behalf of Stevens Worldwide Van Lines I wish you safe journeys on all your future moves. We at the Stevens Clergy Move Center look forward to the honor and privilege of assisting you with those moves.

Stevens Worldwide Van Lines recently named James Van Haaren II as the company’s “Professional Van Operator of the Year” for 2011.

Van Haaren, who resides in Essexville, Mich., works for Stevens’ headquarters hauling fleet, and provides moving services for customers across the country.

Van Haaren has worked at Stevens since 1986 and also was the company’s Professional Van Operator of the Year in 2000 and 2008.

Van Haaren is the father of six children and has four grandchildren. Van Haaren’s son James Van Haaren III has worked as a Stevens packer and helper alongside his father since 2007.

Achieving the Professional Van Operator of the Year status means that Van Haaren not only provided quality customer service, but also achieved exceptional scores on a set of criteria that includes safety, number of shipments, weight hauled and claims.

Van Haaren won this honor from among professional van operators and brokers from among the Stevens’ corporate and company-owned fleet and nearly 150 agents across the country.

In 2011, Van Haaren was on the road for 244 days providing service to moving customers. He was consistently rated extremely high on customer satisfaction and had a very minimal number of claims.

Other top Stevens’ Professional Van Operator of the Year honors go to:

1^st  Runner Up -- Charles Austin, from Gasperson Transfer & Storage in Asheville, S.C. Austin, who resides in Balsam, N.C., was Stevens’ Professional Van Operator of the Year for 2010.

2^nd Runner Up – Richard Ayala, from Stevens’ headquarters hauling fleet. Ayala, who resides in Bay City, Mich., was the company’s Professional Van Operator of the Year in 2004.

3^rd Runner Up – Harvey C. King, from Stevens’ headquarters hauling fleet. King resides in Richmond, Va.

When Stevens Worldwide Van Lines entered into a partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.®, the moving company knew it needed something outstanding as the centerpiece of the relationship.

Thus, the co-branded pink truck was created.  

The pink truck, which features a bright color scheme and ribbon symbols typically associated with breast cancer awareness, and specially designed tractor are part of the Stevens’ fleet of long-distance moving vehicles.

The truck recently made its national debut at the American Moving and Storage Association Annual Education Conference and Expo in Las Vegas.

Now, professional van operator Rich Ayala and packer/helper Mike Orr, the official Stevens moving crew of the pink truck, are providing moving services to customers throughout the country.

This week the pink truck made stops in Laramie, Wyo., and Omaha, Neb., and is on its way to Eau Claire, Wis.

If you see the pink truck, let us know! Please post or send us your photos of the truck in picturesque or interesting settings!

By: Leet Zwepink, Vice President, Stevens International

Today more people than ever before live and work outside their home country. Having relocated from the Netherlands to the United States in 1980, I’m a part of this trend. And as Vice President of Stevens International, I make my living from our increasingly mobile world population. In fact, I’ve worked in international relocation services for almost my entire career.

So, with that I was asked to write this post.

In taking on this task, I’ve aimed my tips at those companies (and their owners and executives) with plans to open their first international office. After all, if your company has previously navigated these waters you’ve already gained a wealth of knowledge on the subject of international relocation. Then again, maybe your first experience didn’t go as smoothly as you would have liked. With these thoughts in mind here are…

…3 Key Considerations When Relocating Employees Overseas

1. Carefully evaluate the employee’s suitability for international relocation – A failed international assignment carries a hefty price tag. The generally accepted estimate is up to three times the annual salary of the relocating employee. Plus, you have the added cost of the time it takes to restart the entire process. During my 30 years in this business it’s been my experience that the biggest reasons for failed international assignments are typically family issues and a lack of family support. There are other reasons of course, but those related to family predominate.
   
   If your company is new to international expansion, consider engaging the services of a consulting firm that specializes in identifying the best candidates for international assignments. Over the years the Stevens International staff has become familiar with a number of these firms. And we make it a point to keep tabs on the quality of their work and to see to it that our information is always up-to-date. So if you’d like a carefully screened referral or two please contact my office at 800-316-1065 or service@stevensworldwide.com.
2. Make sure you have policies and procedures in place for overseas relocations – In addition to other stipulations, these guidelines should dictate the weight or volume of goods – or better, a combination of both – that an employee is entitled to in an overseas assignment. For instance, say you’re relocating two people and they both have 5,000 pounds of household goods. But one person has primarily oak furniture while the other has all Rattan. Obviously, the shipping charges are going to be very different because oak furniture can be packed and shipped in much smaller volume than Rattan. And international shipping charges are based on weight and volume.
   
   The key points here are that good policies and procedures will eliminate inequities and enable you to better control costs. Plus, you’ll avoid the drain on productivity and the added stress caused by the inevitable questions about what is and isn’t an “authorized expense.”  So spell it out. Everyone involved with the move will be happier and more productive.
   
   NOTE: As part of our contract corporate relocation services, Stevens International provides relocation policy consulting and policy development and implementation. Give us a call if you’d like more information on these services. If you want to research the subject on your own, a good place to start is the website for Worldwide ERC®, the workforce mobility association. Another good resource is the website for Re:locate Magazine.
         
3. Use a reputable mover with substantial experience and expertise in international relocation – As others have noted on this blog, any move – even if it’s just across town – can be stressful. Given the added expense, risk, and major upheaval involved in an international move, that stress is compounded. Even so, with proper planning and a reputable, experienced mover, the international transport of household goods can be carried out without a hitch. To increase your odds for a “hitch-free” move there are accreditations, certifications, and memberships that you should look for your mover to have. Probably the most important of these is –
   
   Membership in FIDI and certification through FAIM/ISO (www.fidi.com)  (www.fidi-faim.com) – FIDI is a global organization based in Brussels, Belgium that certifies and accredits international movers. FAIM – FIDI Accredited International Mover – is recognized throughout the world as the standard of excellence for international moving services and FAIM/ISO is the very pinnacle of these quality standards. As part of the FAIM certification process, independent consultants conduct a detailed evaluation of every aspect (over 200 defined quality requirements) of the moving company’s operations, including –

• financial status
• environmental policy
• staff training
• management processes

Currently only 500 international moving companies in the world have achieved FIDI accreditation. Stevens International is one of these companies.

Other worthwhile memberships to look for on an international mover’s “resume” include the International Association of Movers and the Latin American & Caribbean Movers Association. It’s also a positive sign if your mover is licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission and the International Air Transport Association. One final note for this section:  Multi-lingual capabilities are obviously a big plus in this line of work and our Stevens International relocation coordinators are fluent in numerous languages. 

Those are your three key considerations when relocating employees overseas. Make sure you pick the right person for the job, put equitable, easily understood policies and procedures in place and use an experienced and knowledgeable international mover.

International relocation step by step. Finally, I thought it might be helpful to you to outline how the international relocation process is typically carried out here at Stevens:

1. The customer contacts Stevens International
2. A Stevens International moving coordinator:
   • Helps to determine the customer’s needs
   • Explains all international moving and relocation services available, such as packing, moving, forwarding, shipping, storage and insurance
   • Outlines the Stevens International duties and the customer’s responsibilities for before, during and after a relocation
   • Provides an accurate estimate
   • Plans all logistics of the move
   • Negotiates the best rates
   • Supervises the carriers and agents utilized and monitors each phase of the relocation
   • Makes sure all documentation is completed and submitted accurately and on time
   • Remains responsible for servicing the shipment according to the instructions of the shipping consultant or the overseas agent
   • Dispatches the appropriate material, labor and equipment.
3. Expert international movers:
   • Wrap and pack goods that are to be shipped

Last year Stevens International handled over 2,000 (non-military) relocations. More important though than the number of moves we made is the fact that our customer satisfaction scores – at nearly 99% – were the highest in the entire Stevens organization. Of course, we’d love to demonstrate that level of service for you firsthand. So, whether you’re planning your first international relocation, looking to improve on your initial effort or are an experienced hand who is exploring alternatives to your current mover please let us know how the Stevens International staff can be of service to you.

Give us a call at 800-316-1065, send us an email to service@stevensworldwide.com  – or, if you prefer, post a comment or ask a question on this blog. Thanks for reading.

Stevens Worldwide Van Lines recently introduced a mobile website.

The mobile site is m.stevensworldwide.com

Users simply need to go to www.stevensworldwide.com from mobile phones or tablets and the application will automatically redirect them to the mobile version of the website.

This convenient site allows potential customers to request free moving estimates, learn information about Stevens and access helpful moving tips.