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Eager Beaver – Celebrating 32 Years

Eager Beaver – Celebrating 32 Years

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Photo by Rebecca Lippiatt

Eager Beaver Moving & Storage provides local and long distance residential, office, apartment/condo and senior moves, along with packing and storage services. With an incredible 4.9/5 Google rating across nearly 1,800 happy clients and an A+ BBB rating, what else makes Eager Beaver stand out?

Owner and president John Watson believes it is the efficiency, professionalism and empathy Eager Beaver brings to every job.

“Moving is in my blood,” he says. “My grandfather founded the original Eager Beaver Moving in Winnipeg in 1984. In 1992, my father opened Eager Beaver in Edmonton. At 14 I was helping on the packing side and at 16 I helped with the moves. So, it truly is a generational business for our family.”

However, life was calling Watson in a different direction. Eager to travel and get some experience to underscore his university undergrad in history, Watson struck out on his own.

“At 25 I left the company to pursue some passions and do some traveling, but by 30 I had married, bought a house and saw that my father was ready to retire. He was about to just close down the business. I thought, ‘well it’s now or never!’ We came up with a succession plan and a transition period for me to take over the company, and I officially took over full ownership of the company on July 1, 2013.”

His father had, by that time, scaled back. What Watson stepped into was a small clientele base, one employee, and a single 20-year-old moving truck; but at the same time, there was a lot of opportunity for growth.

Since 2013 Watson has expanded the business to include 20 trucks, 100 portable storage containers (think PODS), a 22,000-square-foot warehouse and a large team of around 60 people all focused on making people’s lives easier during what can be a difficult transition.

“What has always meant a lot to me,” says Watson, “is that we have taken a blue-collar industry and applied a level of professionalism for which it is not always known. Our movers take a lot of pride in performing the job the right way and treating our clients with courtesy and respect. Moving is one of the most stressful things people go through in life, and we want to make it as easy as possible.”

“Storage is where we can truly add value to our clients. Often, people need temporary storage while moving due to misaligned possession dates, renovations or homes not being ready after a sale. We provide storage options at different price points to meet clients’ needs. Whether it’s a portable container that can be loaded by us or by them or indoor climate-controlled warehouse storage in a secure facility, we offer more than many others can locally.”

When Karen Bodoano opened Move Coordinators, a service that coordinates moves and efficiently helps clients, especially seniors, sell unwanted items while ensuring their move is handled from packing to unpacking, she turned to Watson and the Eager Beaver team.

“We are always at the top of the list for Move Coordinators’ referrals. When Karen left Sentinel Storage, she and I had lunch and she told me her plans. I said we would love to become her mover of choice again in her new venture. It is nice working with her. Her clients are very well looked after. Sometimes clients are stressed and easily upset on move day; she really knows how to set them at ease.”

The client-focused culture extends through the internal operations.

“The culture that we have cultivated as a company helps us stand out,” says Watson. “The employees take a lot of pride in our reviews and there is a niche-level mindset. The team wants to be the best at what they do. Everything is professional; keeping the truck clean, maintaining equipment, protecting homes during the move and wrapping furniture and art.”

Watson is very passionate about educating the public about how to choose a safe, ethical mover.

“People don’t know what a bad moving experience is like until they have one. Some, unfortunately, shop based on price or other factors, succumbing to high-pressure sales tactics and promises of a quick and easy move. It’s crucial to check reviews and online reputations across multiple sites. Ask friends, family and colleagues for referrals – this is often one of the best ways to find a reliable mover. Be cautious of lowball quotes. Companies that offer significantly lower prices than others typically end up charging by the hour, or introducing hidden fees after the fact, leading you to pay the same or more as you would have with a reputable business, often with some extra damage to your home and furniture that likely isn’t covered. On moving day, there’s no turning back, so don’t be deceived by someone offering half the quoted price from others.”

“I have spent countless hours on the job, directly involved so I can see and understand the client’s experience,” he continues, “Now I manage and lead a team of movers, sales and drivers in such a way that we all work together for an outstanding, stress-free client experience. When I read a good review about our team doing a great job, that is the most rewarding aspect.”

Watson says a very big thank you to the team, clients, Move Coordinators, BNI, Entrepreneurs’ Organization and the community he feels privileged to serve. He is also grateful to Ben LePage.

“Ben was a long-term employee who shared the vision I had in terms of professionalism and service. He was instrumental in setting the standard for our movers. He was such an amazing person and such a hard worker. Everyone wanted to be like him. Sadly, Ben passed two years ago. A monthly internal company award has been created in his memory and winning the “Best of the Month” award is the highest honour that an Eager Beaver can get.”

When it comes to moving, choose the company that handles each job with professional, caring, ethical service while empowering its team.

7043 56 Avenue NW 780.434.1100

Learn more at eagerbeavermoving.com, and on Facebook and Instagram.

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