What is “IOMI®” and why is it important?
IOMI Founder Ed Katz and SWS SVP Bob Papuga
Article originally appeared in Suddath company newsletter, LiFT, May 2015)
It is often said that life’s best lessons are learned the hard way. No one would agree more than office moving pioneer and industry veteran Ed Katz. Desiring more professional accreditation in the commercial office moving sector, Katz founded the International Office Moving Institute (IOMI) in 1987 to offer vital training programs in office moving and project management methods, techniques and business best practices. Dubbed the “world’s only university of office moving,” IOMI is an independent, unbiased training organization dedicated to raising the moving industry’s image by educating both professionals and consumers…Read the rest of the article
Reaping the benefits
Catherine Ahaus, project manager with Midwest Moving & Storage, receives her diploma as an IOMI® Certified Office Mover® from GM Tom Pera, center, and congratulatory hand shake from IOMI® Instructor Ed Katz during company-wide training at its Elk Grove Village, IL headquarters.
Off to the races
More than a hundred Interstate Worldwide employees are set into motion after completing training to become IOMI® Certified Office Movers® at the Springfield, VA corporate headquarters.
Sunny Singh, right, owner of Ace Moving & Storage serving the Washington DC area, gets a VIP tour by Chief Craig Millsap of the Bartow Country Georgia Emergency Command Center during training held at Georgia Highlands State College. Singh and Ace are the latest to earn the right to call themselves IOMI® Certified Office Movers® Chief Millsap, an expert in emergency management, teaches Homeland Security for Office Moves, online training exclusively from the International Office Moving Institute (IOMI®).
Partnering with building managers
Midwest Moving & Storage trains as a group to become IOMI®-certified in Homeland Security for Office Moves. The online training taught by Chief Craig Millsap, an emergency management expert, equips moving companies with the know-how to protect the office buildings they work in by recognizing signs of criminal and terrorist activities.
Meeting of the minds
Ed Katz, left, head of the International Office Moving Institute (IOMI®), and Suddath Vice President Bob Papuga amidst race cars worth millions at Barrett Moving & Storage’s Milwaukee warehouse. After Suddath acquired Barrett’s three midwest offices, IOMI®’s Certified Office Mover® training unites the two in sales and operational performance.
Midwest on the go
Chicago’s Midwest Moving & Storage is meeting growing demand with new, customized local office moving vans. The company’s third IOMI® training session since 2006 resulted in all key employees earning recertification as Certified Office Movers®.
Powered by IOMI®
Instructor Ed Katz, left, empowers nearly 150 employees of JK Moving Services with IOMI® best-practice methods during training at the company’s Sterling, VA commercial division facilities, where all earned certification as IOMI® Certified Office Movers®.
Surprise
Lance Grooms, right, myBekins senior VP, Sales & Marketing, makes a surprise visit to the Sarasato, FL branch to personally thank IOMI® Instructor Ed Katz, left. Sarasota was the last stop in a year-long, cross-country odyssey in which Katz trained all key myBekins employees as IOMI® Certified Office Movers®.
Search only as far as the parking lot at BMG to see just how good business is at the UK’s largest office mover. Managing Director Rachel Houghton sports a new Porsche convertible, while her boss, Chairman Simon Darvall drives the four-door Porsche Panamera. Little wonder, since revenues grew more than 20 percent in the past 12 months and the company will invest approximately $2 million US dollars over the next 12 months for more trucks, moving equipments and ongoing employee training. Nearly 20 new employees hired to meet demand just completed IOMI® Certified Office Mover® training.
International Focus
While working in England recently, Ed Katz, left, head of the International Office Moving Institute (IOMI®), visited with long-time friend, Colin Quarrington, editor of FIDI Focus Magazine, UK-based voice of the international moving industry. The publication provides updates on the industry, profiles of key industry people and companies as well as light reading of interest to the industry public and periphery. At Quarrington’s invitation, Katz spoke before the British Association of Removers at their annual convention in Cambridge, England in 1999.
Still Moving on Peachtree
International Office Moving Institute (IOMI®) Instructor Ed Katz, left, founder and former owner of Peachtree Movers, presents current owner of the Atlanta moving company, Jim McKinney, Sr., with his IOMI® Certified Office Mover® diploma. All key company employees recently took part in recertification training.
Walking The Talk
Bekins A-1 Corporate Director Phyllis Kennelly, safety and compliance, and Kristen Slama, VP of human resources and administration, enjoy lunch on the boss during IOMI® training at the company’s Warrenville, IL headquarters. Commited to service quality training for all employees, corporate leads by example when all key Bekins A-1 corporate managers earned Certified Office Mover® diplomas.
myBekins Cares
Carolyn Hamrick, director of facilities for Georgia Highlands College in Cartersville, GA, gives Bekins A-1 a big thumbs up for protecting elevator lobby entrances with Mat-A-Doors® during a move. This set of patented doorway protectors with its “myBekins Cares” decal belongs to Bekins A-1 Atlanta, the first Bekins A-1 branch to become IOMI® Certified Office Movers® and now the first to take Bekins A-1 service quality to the next level by offering Mat-A-Door® protection to commercial customers.
Selling value over price
Gene Salaz, business development, and corporate Senior VP Lance Grooms during myBekins IOMI® training. All key employees at the company’s Georgia, Southern California, and Arizona locations have completed Certified Office Mover® training by the International Office Moving Institute (IOMI®). Training for more company locations is planned.
Getting away to think… (outside the box)
All key employees at Stevens Worldwide company-owned branches get away for offsite IOMI® Certified Office Mover® training, including (L-R) Joe Biskner, president and COO, Mike Sturm, Supervisor, and VP Al Wenzel.
Show Time
Three generations of Higdons run California Moving Systems in Sacramento, CA, where all key employees at the 43 year-old company became IOMI® Certified Office Movers®. With training complete, the troops are eager to put what they’ve learned into practice. (L-R) Jack Higdon, chairman of the board, Dave Higdon, vice president and his son, Justin Higdon, dispatcher, and Chris Higdon, president & CEO.
Holding the winning hand
Proudly displaying individual IOMI® Certified Office Mover® certificates are (L-R) Metro Washington DC GM Kregg Boreani, ACE CEO and President Larry Lammers, and John Burton, senior VP, Commercial Services Division. All key ACE employees at their metro DC and Orlando branches plus others from the Chicago branch and San Diego headquarters completed the three intense days of training. ACE Relocation Systems, Inc. has eight offices nationwide.
A bird in the hand
John Ramos, operations manager, Suddath Commercial Solutions in Los Angeles, takes time out during IOMI® audit to rescue first a bird then a puppy.
Passing grade
Mark Duke, right, awaits the outcome of the IOMI® Certified Mover® service and procedures audit conducted by Ed Katz, head of the International Office Moving Institute (IOMI®). Duke, owner of Apex & Robert E. Lee Moving & Storage Co., Inc., recently invited Katz back to his Nashville, TN facilities for more IOMI® training.
Industry shift
Mark Gray reports from MoverRecruiter.com this year’s hiring demands have taken “a distinct shift of emphasis away from the traditional first proviso/HHG towards a growing demand for O&I/Commercial talent.”
“Now don’t you wish you had listened to…Ed Katz,” Gray asks. He goes on. “Ed’s been telling you for years to establish and train an O&I division within your company…”
In his report Gray describes Katz, head of the International Office Moving Institute (IOMI®) and founder and former owner of Peachtree Movers in Atlanta, as the country’s foremost expert on the O&I segment of the moving industry.
Gray reports that “while office moving is not guaranteed to be recession proof, it is a fact that during slow economic times that most companies can still benefit from the services of an office mover.”
“One guy has preached to your industry for years about the need to diversify and establish a professional, trained and certified office moving division….Ed Katz,” said Gray. “Now, more than ever is the time to contact ED and avail yourself of his expertise to help you branch out into the O&I field…and do it the right way.”
Mark Gray has recruited exclusively for the moving industry for more than 15 years.
A Certified Smile/span>
Learning to operate a brand new Spider Crane® puts a smile on this employee of Wald Relocation Services, Inc. in Houston, TX, which recently completed IOMI® Certified Office Mover® training. Along with the Spider Crane®, which lifts fully loaded lateral file cabinets, Wald also invested in Space Gobblers™ and Mat-A-Doors® to offer customers earth-friendly Boxless Moves® and to protect office building elevator entrances and doors.
Time to expand office moving services?
Dan Hall, left, general manager at Move It Now corporate headquarters in Cleveland, OH, receives his IOMI® Certified Office Mover® certificate from Instructor Ed Katz. All key corporate personnel were certified during recent training. The company is thinking about offering IOMI® training to franchisees.
IOMI®-Certified
Suddath Commercial Solutions adds two more offices in its drive to IOMI®-Certify every key employee at every branch nationwide.
Top-level Commitment
Steve Suddath, left, chairman of the board of The Suddath Companies, sent a strong message of commitment to International Office Moving Institute (IOMI®) methods by attending a three-day training seminar in which key employees at corporate and two of Suddath’s 16 branches earned Certified Office Mover® status. Here he shares a light moment with IOMI® instructor Ed Katz at Suddath’s Jacksonville, FL headquarters.
Another JK First
JUNE 12, 2008 — Instead of following the followers, JK Moving & Storage has once again blazed a new trail. This time the Sterling, VA mover passed up an opportunity to deliver an infomercial at CBRE’s Washington, D.C.-area monthly property managers’ meeting. Instead, they invited experts in building surface protection and homeland security to speak to nearly 100 CBRE property managers. Rocco Balsamo, left, and Steve Kuhn with JK Moving & Storage show Lynn Neal, senior real estate manager, CBRE Asset Services, a set of JK’s Mat-A-Doors®, which protect elevator frames and lobby-side walls from damage during office moves. Here The Mat-A-Doors® have been set up at an elevator entrance of The Concourse Building, Vienna, VA, where the event took place.
Two Men And A Truck’s Annual Meeting
MARCH 16, 2008 — (L-R) Mara Crofoot, Jeffrey Crofoot from northern Michigan, and Steve Black from Minneapolis, MN hear Ed Katz, head of the International Office Moving Institute (IOMI®), explain the benefits of becoming an office mover during Two Men And A Truck’s Annual Meeting held in Birmingham, AL.
Homeland Security hits home
Chief Craig Millsap of the Bartow County Georgia Fire Department trains a delegation of key JK Moving & Storage personnel in the eye-opening role office movers play in Homeland Security during the company’s recertification by the International Office Moving Institute (IOMI®) as Certified Office Movers®. Homeland Security is the newest certification program offered by IOMI®.
FMWA Annual Conference
Ed Katz, left, head of the International Office Moving Institute (IOMI®) drops by to see Mark Gray at his Movers Search Group booth at this year’s Florida Movers & Warehousemen’s Association Annual Conference held in Orlando. Katz captured the attention of trade association members with his presentation on the profit potential of diversifying in office moving.
The Right Answer
Sales Consultant Chad Hopkins thinks he’s arrived at the right answer with IOMI’s proprietary formula for figuring accurate job estimates. Hopkins and other key employees with South Hills Movers of Bethel Park, PA, became the first in 2008 to complete Certified Office Mover® training by the International Office Moving Institute (IOMI).
BMG sets standard in the UK
BMG Branch Manager Dave Stacey, left, oversees an office move in downtown Reading, England. Using Mat-A-Doors® emblazoned with the company logo, BMG safeguards against damage to office doors and jambs. Since all key employees serving the company’s seven UK markets recently completed IOMI® Certified Office Mover® training for the fifth year in row, the company offers consistent office moving standards throughout the UK.
New Direction
When residential customers began asking Able Moving & Storage to move their offices, too, Jim and Joe Singleton knew launching a commercial division takes resources, people, and training.
Mat-A-Door®
The competitive edge that generates referrals
