Professional movers – where would we be without them? They minimize the stress on moving day, they save your back a week’s worth of pain, and if the movers are good, none of your things get broken!
About 25 years ago, Mary Ellen Sheets started a moving business. What started with her two sons and a $350 truck became one of the top moving companies in North America. Two Men and a Truck was founded on a combination of exemplary service to their clients and a devotion to eliminating the stress of moving day.
With the opening of their 20th Canadian-based franchise, Mary Ellen Sheets sat down with the Toronto Star’s NewInHomes.com to discuss the growth of the company, what differentiates them from their competitors, and the long-term vision for Two Men and a Truck.
NewInHomes (NIH): Talk about the history of Two Men and a Truck. Where did the idea come from and what was the vision?
Mary Ellen Sheets (MES): We started almost 25 years ago when my boys were in high school. They wanted to earn some spending money, so we started moving people with an old pickup truck. We took out an ad in the paper, and the first line in the ad was ‘two men and a truck.’ It was hardly two men and hardly a truck, but they did a really good job that summer.
They went away to college, but people kept on calling. So I bought an old cube van for $350, the only money I ever invested in this company (which is amazing when you think about it). So from there, as the business took off, I bought a few more trucks and such. Funny, I really wasn’t sure what I was doing. I never supervised people before. I had never taken an accounting class. I was a 46-year-old single mom who was starting a business.
One day, I met a lady who had franchised her business, and that wasn’t really something I was looking at. I didn’t understand franchising that well, but she agreed to help me franchise the company. I quickly found out that franchising is difficult, because in the States, every single state has different laws when it comes to regulations, and every state has different laws with regards to trucking and transportation. Anyone else probably wouldn’t have tried to do what I did, but I didn’t know any better, which was probably a blessing.
I moved ahead, and slowly we sold franchises to the point that we now have over 255 locations. We just opened our 20th Canadian franchise in Cambridge, Ont., this week, and the owner, Justin, is the youngest Two Men and a Truck owner in Canada. So that’s where we are: we are growing very fast and excited. The downturn of the economy a few years ago, it hit us hard and made us re-examine what we are doing, but it made us get leaner and smarter. We are better off for it, and we are extremely busy now, which is never a bad thing.
NIH: How do you differentiate yourself in a crowded moving scene?
MES: When we first started, most companies were either mom or pops or big conglomerates who were not too interested in local moving. We started out locally and focusing on communities. My background was with computers and such. Back then, not many franchises were computer and technology focused, which gave us an advantage. All of our franchises were linked together online and had access to all the information. It was a big advantage for us. We also ensured that we hired movers for their talent and their attitudes. They are always well dressed and courteous. We have something called the Grandma Rule, which means that we expect all of our movers to treat everyone like they were their grandma. It’s really caught on with our customers. We also make sure that we take care of our movers through health insurance in the States and fair wages. The amazing thing is a lot of these young people come to work for us as a mover and then end up moving their way up the ladder. They will be a driver, a trainer, perhaps a manager, and then soon enough they own their own franchise. I’m not sure the exact number, but a high number of our franchise owners come from within the company.
NIH: How has the Ontario expansion been so far?
MES: It’s been a wonderful experience. The franchisees are so supportive of each other. I believe that all the franchises in Ontario have now been spoken for with our Cambridge grand opening. We should be announcing the opening of our Windsor franchise soon, as well. We are also starting in the west coast, perhaps Calgary, Edmonton, and then moving onto Vancouver. We try to focus on one area and get it filled in – the growth has to be smart.
NIH: We understand that there is a philanthropic side of Two Men and a Truck. Talk to us a little about that.
MES: It’s pretty amazing where we started and where we are today. I pinch myself every day, it’s unreal, our family feels so blessed. When I first started, I made $1,000 in the first year. I gave that money to 10 different charities. We have always ensured that we give back to the community, that’s part of our culture. We call ourselves ‘Two Men and a Truck, movers who care’ for a reason – those are not just empty words. We encourage all of our franchises to work within the community to help take care of the less fortunate. My daughter told me yesterday that collectively, all of our franchises have donated $260 million dollars to their communities. That’s the thing that I’m proudest about. I love that we have been able to continue to help those who are less fortunate while also providing good jobs to local communities.
NIH: What’s next for Two Men and a Truck?
MES: I think we are still going to look at expansion, particularly in the spots that we are not in yet in both the States and Canada. We do have franchises in London and Ireland, so we want to continue to look to Europe if the fit works. We have had some people come to talk to us about expansion into Asia and we’ve even gone over there to check things out. We may look at that in the near future, as well.
The Toronto Star’s NewInHomes.com thanks Mary Ellen Sheets for her time and sharing the Two Men and a Truck story. We look forward to seeing them make their next major move!
