When you hire a mover, you’re signing on to trust a group of people you’ve probably never met before to pack, load, transport and unload into your new home all of your personal household goods, or your business’s valuable assets, inventory, etc.

This is a big deal. So when you are selecting a mover, make sure you’re right to grant them this trust. Ask questions. How have they vetted their staff – anyone who is coming into your home – from the consultant, to the young helper assisting the movers as a summer job? The answer should be that the company requires a clean background check for all of its frontline employees – whether full-time, long-term staff, seasonal helpers, or contractors.

Knowing that the folks you’ve trusted your possessions to and allowed into your home have at least been background checked and verified goes a long way to building peace of mind.

This requirement is a standard for all professional, licensed movers in the industry. At Walker’s/Capital it’s a condition of employment that our staff provide a clean CPIC and, if they’re employed as a driver, a clean driver’s abstract.

Moving is personal. We understand that our customers HAVE to trust us – we couldn’t fulfill our service to them if they didn’t. We hold that trust in the highest regard and do everything we can to ensure it is well-placed and warranted. We are proud of the crews we send out to our customers’ homes and businesses and happy to be able to say that.

When you move – both during the months, weeks, days leading up to the big event, and on the day itself – it seems like there are a million things to think about. Big things and little things.

We recommend lists  (on notepads or phones or laptops – whichever works best for you) to help preserve sanity, permit sleep and make the road to move day as smooth as possible. But there are other little things, which, as we all know, can often become BIG things if overlooked, that might not lend themselves to the list-making efforts.

Keys. What might first come to mind is house keys – especially new house keys (i.e. WHEN do I get them?). After that car keys – don’t let the spare set get lost in the shuffle! But this post is about even smaller keys. Specifically keys to things like file cabinets, desks, jewelry boxes, antique dressers and chests … those keys. Which, during regular life (aka non-moving days) might spend their time cozily tucked into the keyhole that they are designed to lock/unlock.

IF your little keys do live in their keyholes, as move day approaches, do these keys, and yourself, a big favour and remove them from their keyholes. As the furniture is wrapped in moving blankets, lifted and carried, loaded, driven, unloaded, lifted and carried again, unwrapped and set in place there is a good chance that these little keys may not remain in their cozy keyholes but instead get lost amidst the blankets, boxes, paper or bent or twisted even if they do remain in place.

We recommend that you take all valuables, important papers and the like with you during your move. The same care could be extended to your keys – whatever they may unlock. Remove them from the furniture they service and put them in an envelope, a ziploc bag or small drawstring bag and put that someplace MEMORABLE and safe. At destination you can easily rehome all your little keys in their respective keyholes.

If you really would prefer keeping the key with its furniture, then consider securely taping the key to a sheltered part of the item or place it in a brightly coloured drawstring bag and tie it to a door handle or hinge.

This is a small thing, it may seem, to devote an entire entry to but if your grandma’s chest of drawers is now locked tight with a damaged or missing key, or your beloved and necessary rolltop desk is now shutting you out, your move-in day(s) will be a little less happy.

The key to a great move IS the small things – making sure each and every detail is prepared for, cared for and properly looked after. And it is with that hope, that this bit of advice has been shared.

Area Scouts Canada troops will be on-site for the day collecting donations of non perishable goods (you can see a list of the Food Banks most-needed items here) and funds.

Look for the U Can containers at the stores to make your donation.

Capital Movers is proud to support the Scouts and Partners in Mission in their efforts to feed the hungry in our community. We are grateful to Campbell’s Towing for their generous assistance.

Collection sites:

• Metro on Barrie St. at Princess St.
• Metro in the Gardiners Town Centre
• Metro in the Bayridge Plaza at Taylor Kidd Blvd.
• Food Basics in the Frontenac Mall
• Food Basics on Princess St. just west of Sir John A. MacDonald Blvd.
• Food Basics on Barrack St.
• Freshco on Princess St. across from RONA

In support of the campaign and our local Boys and Girls Club, staff at Capital Movers & Storage in both the Kingston and Trenton offices wore their pink best to work.

L-R: Sandra Veloso-Arruda, Sharon Saunders, Erica Gard & Barb Mulder in our Kingston office.

Cyndy Burke at our Trenton office.

Capital Movers is very proud of its staff for their commitment to community endeavours.

Kingston staff with fellow sponsors and some of the children at the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston & Area on Wednesday.

You can make donations of non-perishable food items at Loblaws (Midland Ave. and Kingston Centre), No Frills (Division St. and Coverdale Drive) and Bennett’s Valu-Mart (Gore Rd.) to assist the Partners in Mission Food Bank fill hungry bellies this holiday season.

Cubs and Scouts will be handing out donation bags at each location and Capital Movers & Storage will have U Can containers on site to collect the donated food for delivery to the food bank at the end of the drive (with the kind assistance of Campbell’s Towing).

This December fill up a bag, fill up your cart – you can make a difference.

Thank you!

BBBS receives generous donations from business

EMC News – Capital Movers and Storage graciously donated their staff, time and truck to pick up a piano and air hockey table from Mallorytown and delivered it to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Leeds & Grenville office in Brockville, Friday, Nov. 4.

Jane Fullarton, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Leeds & Grenville's executive director, poses with Capital Movers Staff during their move of a piano and air hockey table to the organization's office.

The piano and air hockey table were kindly donated by Gill Jefferson, Mallorytown resident.

Both of these items will be used by our “littles”, during activity nights and skills mentoring.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Leeds and Grenville would like to take this time to thank the staff at Capital Movers and Storage and Gill Jefferson. They have made a difference in the life of a child.

The Mississauga Business Times ran a profile of Ms. Martin recently, featured on their front cover.

You can read the full article here (PDF, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader): Mississauga Business Times – Profile of United Van Lines’ own Anne Martin

This article has been copied from the United Van Lines’ Member Intranet.

Above And Beyond The Call Of Duty
Executive Offices – 20110809

January 2012 – 3 new postings

Warehouse superintendent (Warehouse Supervisor) – Kingston

We are looking for a dedicated, organized, experienced logistics/warehousing professional to oversee, direct and control daily operations at our central branch warehouse in Kingston, ON. Full job details may be found here.

Applicants must possess a valid AZ driver’s licence, be comfortable supervising a staff of up to 10 and be comfortable with inventory control, email, spreadsheet and word processing software.

Apply in person Monday-Friday, 10AM – 4PM to Glenn C. Warner, 56 Railway Street, Kingston, ON, by fax to 613-544-6296 or by email to careers@pleasemoveme.ca.

Moving van driver (AZ Driver) (2 vacancies) – Kingston

We need drivers! Please review full details here.

Apply in person Monday-Friday, 10AM – 4PM to Glenn C. Warner, 56 Railway Street, Kingston, ON, by fax to 613-544-6296 or by email to careers@pleasemoveme.ca.

Office furniture installer (Delivery and installation of Office Systems)  (2 vacancies) – Kingston

Our office installation branch – Capital Office Installation Services – is looking for skilled installers to work in professional environment with opportunity for skills growth. View full job details here.

Apply in person Monday-Friday, 10AM – 4PM to Glenn C. Warner, 56 Railway Street, Kingston, ON, by fax to 613-544-6296 or by email to careers@pleasemoveme.ca.

August 2011

We are looking for sales consultants in two of our markets – Kingston (including Gananoque, Napanee, Westport) and the Quinte region (including Trenton, Belleville, Tweed, Picton and Cobourg).

These are contract, commission positions with fantastic growth opportunity and an ideal fit for the professional who wants to increase life’s rewards or the semi-retired person looking to stay active.

Perks include a flexible schedule, complete training and orientation, the opportunity to meet and engage your community and to provide people with the “Perfect Move!” If you’re a go-getter who loves to make clients happy and see the rewards of a job well done, this could be the role for you.

Experience in sales and customer service is preferred. Knowledge of the moving and storage industry and the local areas is an asset. Bilingualism also a plus.

Are you looking to complement and enhance your current lifestyle? Feel you have what it takes?

Please forward your resume and a covering letter to Roger Dorey, Sales Manager, at sales@pleasemoveme.ca or by fax to (613) 546-0976.

The show was a grand success with sold-out ticket sales and proceeds in support of the Pediatric Unit at KGH and the Music Program at the Boys and Girls Club. Capital was proud and happy to be a part of this special event.

Here’s how four professional movers transport a 490 kilogram piano from floor level to a stage several feet high … !

What will it take?

Padding to protect

Now the hard part begins! Heading to the stairs.

You can do it!

All done! Congratulations men!

Another great move by the Capital crew!

And how did it sound after all of that?

“All is well with the piano! Chris was thrilled with the sound! Thanks again, Reg.“