It's been a year of change at Move One and we're looking forward to updating our HHGFAA friends on the expansion of our global office network and improvements to our moving and relocation services.  It will be a busy week for all of us but do take the time to drop by our exhibit booth and say hello.  We'll be stationed throughout the week at booth 517 in the main exhibition hall and  one of the Move One attendees introduced below will be on hand to greet you...

It will come as no suprise that China continues to be a focus of Move One's global operations.  Move One's investments in China are continuing to grow, a reflection of that country's growing economic importance.  Of course, as a "people first" company, the key to Move One's success in China is the hard work and dedication of the China operations staff. 

The Beijing team is headed up by Andy Harris, a Canadian with several years of experience in the moving industry including previous postings in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  Andrea Weng, Beijing's office manager, brings years of administrative experience culled from her previous positions with a number of international hotels including, most recently, the Kempinski hotel chain.  The core of the Beijing team is rounded off by Yang Hu, Sales Director, whose experience in dealing with clients in the local market has proved invaluable to Move One's growth in China. 

Claire He and Betty Ma oversee cargo and moving operations from Move One's global headquarters in Hungary.

Of course, the Beijing staff also gets plenty of help from their counterparts at Move One's global headquarters in Hungary.  As a company dedicated to providing customers and clients with      quality service through one point of contact, our moving services are coordinated from our centralized communications hub at HQ.  Overseeing our China operations at HQ are Betty Ma (Moving Operations) and Claire He (Cargo Operations).

If you have any questions regarding Move One's China services please do not hesitate to contact us at global headquarters either via email (moving@moveone.info) or at telephone number +36 1 266-0183. 

Sales representatives from across the Move One map descended on Budapest this September for a week of training seminars and socializing with their fellow colleagues. 

The annual sales meeting is a useful way for Move One staff to meet face to face and discuss common challenges and strategies.  It's also a way to ensure that all Move One offices are operating under standard procedures and delivering the same top notch service that our partners and clients have come to expect from us. 

While conditions at the orphanage have improved thanks to the work of foreign aid, NGO's and other like-minded members of the private sector, there is still a great deal of work to be done.  It is hoped that the washing machines will provide for improved hygiene amongst the approximately 800 children living at the orphanage.    

On the home front, Move One was a sponsor of both the Independence Day and Canada Day celebrations in Budapest, Hungary over the month of July.  Contributions to the Independence Day celebrations in Budapest included sponsoring a giant trampoline castle which kept the children busily bouncing throughout the day.  On the other hand, Move One's sponsorship of the July 1 Canada Day celebrations was geared towards the adults with the company delivering kegs of Dreher – a popular Hungarian lager - to the party's thirsty attendees.  

However, the prize for the most unique national sponsorship initiative has to go to Move One's Beijing office which hosted what must be an uncommon event in China – a game of street hockey!  The tournament was held on the grounds of the Sino-Canadian University, which also played host to the day's official Canada Day celebrations. 

Move One China's manager, Andy Harris, was on hand to oversee the tournament and partake in the day's celebrations.  A native of Canada himself, Harris was impressed with the level of competition and sportsmanship displayed by the 8 teams entered in the tournament.  “The final was pretty intense and with good reason - the winners took home ice cold Molson Canadian beer while second place had to be satisfied with, well, warm Molson Canadian beer.  Sure, it's only a slight difference but when you take into account Beijing's hot summer it means a lot!”

However, some are more unique than others and a recent move in Moscow would certainly rank as one of the more “out of the ordinary” roadblocks that removal companies can encounter. 

On a Saturday in early July, Move One's Moscow office had a local move planned in the heart of the Russian capital.  Both the pickup and the delivery were scheduled for that Saturday so time was of the essence.    

On any given Saturday the streets of Moscow can be a headache to traverse, the city's central boulevards struggling to cope with the ever increasing traffic congestion that arrived with Russia's post-communist era.   As if this wasn't enough of a challenge, on the day before the move, John Heisler, Manager of Move One's Moscow office, was informed that the Olympic torch would pass through central Moscow on Saturday afternoon. 

John recalls his reaction to the interesting, but otherwise disconcerting news:  “I immediately contacted the local authorities and sure enough the torch run was scheduled to cut right across our planned move route.  I then had to make one of the stranger phone calls of my life, explaining to the clients that their move schedule would have to contend with the Olympic torch relay of all things!”   

“In a situation like this, we were fortunate to be dealing with a client who was both understanding and possessing a good sense of humour!”

As always Move One was quick to come up with a solution to overcome the scheduling difficulties.  Relying on an alternate route plan and an earlier schedule that did not inconvenience the client, Move One managed to avoid most of the traffic snarls and complete the move that day.  For our Moscow team it was an Olympic moment not soon to be forgotten…

Of course, work aside, Bojan has also experienced a great deal of political change and turmoil in his native Bosnia over the course of the past decade.

“During my first three months with the company I was primarily doing packouts and driving small shipments around,” Bojan recalls.  “It doesn't sound like much but at that time tensions were still running high following the implementation of the peace agreements.  No one else wanted to be venturing around Bosnia  - the country was essentially separated into three parts and I was the only driver who was willing to take shipments to all three of them. Maybe I was crazy…!”

Thankfully, Bojan emerged unscathed from his driving adventures and the peace in Bosnia has held.  Since that time Move One has cemented its position as one of the country's leading moving companies and handled some interesting moves along the way.

“One of the more ‘glamourous' shipments we've handled dates from the time that then U.S. President Clinton visited Sarajevo,” reflects Bojan.  “There were some framed photos commemorating his visit that needed to be shipped back to the White House.  Since we were the moving company of choice for the U.S. embassy we handled the shipment.” 

Indeed, Bojan notes, Move One has provided moving services for every American ambassador since the U.S. embassy first opened in Sarajevo.  The very fact that there is even an American embassy situated in Bosnia is a testament to how far the country has come since breaking away from the former Yugoslavia.  The fact that Move One is the preferred mover for the country's diplomatic community is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Bojan and the Move One Bosnia team.