For any franchise brand, the bottom line of company success comes when the franchisees within your brand find happiness and achieve their own success.
Successful, dedicated franchisees who are bought into the mission of the company are crucial for any franchised brand, and here at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, we have just that. Since the beginning, when TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Founder Mary Ellen Sheets made the decision to franchise her local moving business based out of Lansing, Mich., we’ve gone on to open more than 350 locations across the United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
A commitment to high-quality moving services and customer care were key in the growth of the brand, but it’s a franchisee network of like-minded individuals from all backgrounds who keep pushing this mindset and allowing TWO MEN AND A TRUCK expansion. Many of our franchisees started out as movers and drivers before working their way up and know exactly what it takes to open and operate their own successful moving franchises.
Are you interested in learning more about franchising with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK? Check out some of these success stories below to see what is possible when investing with us!
Moving People Forward: Juan Gallegos
Moving People Forward: Anthony Jent
Moving People Forward: Rob Wallace
Success Story – Johnathan Cuttino
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.
As TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® has continued to grow over the years, so too has our franchising model and how we position our franchisees for success when they invest with our brand.
We’ve dedicated years of research and development into building the best service options possible for our franchises, which has helped us become leaders within the moving industry. We offer more than just moving options, but also junk removal, packing services, storage, long-distance and corporate relocation, load and unload services, and more. With all of these services available, franchisees are able to reach even further with their customer base and increase revenue for their locations.
“After speaking with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK and learning about their core values and what they stood for, I was hooked,” said Samantha Miller, a new franchisee with our brand with a location in California. “I knew I could be successful with their support behind me. Growing up, my brother worked for a local moving company, and I saw how successful the owners were. By partnering with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, I didn’t have to wait to build brand recognition, I could jump right in.”
To see how the franchising process can benefit you, and to learn more about who we are as a brand, check out these TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchisee testimonials and find out why we’re a smart option for business ownership!
Holly Stewart – Multi-Unit Franchisee
Steve West – Multi-Unit Franchisee
Jonathan Crain – Multi-Unit Franchisee
Justin Tangeman – Multi-Unit Franchisee
If you’re looking to learn more about franchising with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, visit our Franchise Development website to learn more!
If you had to describe Nick Bailey’s relationship with the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK brand, there’s one simple word: “Lifer”.
It’s the best way to describe Bailey’s time with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® because for more than 20 years now, he’s been involved one way or another. His start can be traced all the way back to the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where Bailey began as a mover for the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Madison franchise.
Nearly 23 years later, he’s as committed as he’s ever been as a multi-unit franchise owner.
”During my time as a student, I worked as a mover and driver for the Madison franchise,” Bailey said. “My parents had been in business my whole life, and they were looking for a change at about the same time. When I talked about what I was doing, they looked into purchasing a franchise and taking the steps to become a licensed mover in Minnesota.”
“When I graduated in 1999, my father and I started up our first TWO MEN A TRUCK franchise in Burnsville, Minn., while my mother continued to teach. In 2013, we bough the St. Paul North territory and added a storage office/warehouse in New Brighton.”
In 2020, despite the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bailey and his team also opened a new franchise in St. Cloud, Minn., and a storage facility to complement the brand in Shakopee, New Brighton, South St. Paul, and Burnsville. In addition to storage offerings, Bailey has also placed a heavy emphasis on adding significant junk removal options for these locations as well.
He’s had the opportunity to expand throughout the state of Minnesota and build a footprint for his franchise group as they find new ways to reach customers with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK services.. He’s got the mindset, experience, and drive to do what it takes to keep growing, and he’s not looking to slow down any time soon.
“Purchasing new territories is always a possibility, and we always have our eyes open,” Bailey said. “We try to focus on digging deep into the markets we have, though, and feel like that is the best strategy for long-term success. We’ve been in Burnsville for over 20 years, and we continue to grow in that market. There is a lot of strength in longevity.”
Although the opening of the St. Cloud location was interrupted by pandemic complications, they’ve still built a footprint in the community while continuing to develop brand presence. Bailey and his team have the experience necessary when it comes to entering a new market, and they know how to tackle this new challenge and show how they can provide for customers in the area.
“You only get to stay in business if you add value to the communities you are in, so we’ll add value to the area by doing what we do in all of our markets: sending professional moving teams out to do a really difficult job very well at a fair price,” Bailey said. “Moving is stressful and kind of scary for a lot of people. Having a recognized and well-reviewed brand with high internal and transparent service standards and high integrity is a welcome option for just about any community. That’s what we try to bring to the table every day.”
Twenty-three years is a long time with any business, but it’s been a rewarding and successful journey for Bailey as he’s continued to open additional locations across Minnesota. For those interested in franchising, he encourages people to strongly consider what you’re looking to get with your money before deciding to invest.
The support he’s received from the brand – and from the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK corporate office location in Lansing, Mich., – over the years have played an instrumental part in his success. It was this kind of dedication to franchisees that sparked his family’s interest in the first place.
“We ultimately chose franchising with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK because I knew something about the business from my time working at the Madison franchise, and my father saw how other franchises were performing,” Bailey said. “He had a strong business and accounting background, and he thought the opportunity was good for all of us.”
“The brand is very powerful. Those trucks and that logo are immediately recognizable and memorable, and there wasn’t really anything like it in the industry at the time. We were very confident we would thrive.”
Like so many people around the world, Samantha Miller was growing in her marketing career for a large retailer when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, causing her office in California to relocate to New York.
She found herself faced with a difficult choice: move to New York with two newborn twins or move into a new position elsewhere. After some time off to mull the decision, she ultimately opted for a new role in marketing for an environmental science company, but during this time began to explore the world of franchising and what it might entail. After researching more than 20 franchising brands, she came across TWO MEN AND A TRUCK and began the process – a move that ended up being a completely new start for Miller.
“After speaking with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK and learning about their core values and what they stood for, I was hooked,” Miller said. “I knew I could be successful with their support behind me. Growing up, my brother worked for a local moving company, and I saw how successful the owners were. By partnering with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, I didn’t have to wait to build brand recognition, I could jump right in.”
Jump right in she did, as Miller and her husband Aaron recently opened their first TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchise in Pomona, California.
“I was ready to be my own boss, and we had looked into the franchising industry before COVID-19 and saw TWO MEN AND A TRUCK was still going strong two years later,” Miller said.
It was a major life move for Miller, but one she was ready to tackle after thorough research and concluding the decision to step into franchising was the right move.
“I read every page on their website, looked on Yelp reviews, and even searched on their franchisee Instagram pages to see how involved they were with the local community. I called every franchise owner in California and many across the country and basically interviewed them to learn more about their experience with the brand. I didn’t meet anyone during this time who didn’t love TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. I also went to the Pasadena location and walked through their operation – from dispatch to storage – and saw how strong their team culture was.”
Miller was attracted not only to the business model set in place by TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, but also their involvement in each of the communities they currently operate in. She also enjoyed how the brand develops employees into becoming leaders, and she looks to provide these same opportunities for her own employees down the road on top of her other business goals – one of which includes future expansion.
“I definitely have plans for growth, and I would love to own multiple territories in the future,” Miller said. “My next goal would be to open another territory in about three years. We’re currently looking to fill our team with six drivers and nine movers.”
Franchising allows Miller to be her own boss and build something of her own – a welcoming change as the mother of two twin toddlers and stepmom to a teenager. Family time is a priority to Miller and this allows her to continue working hard while still giving her the flexibility of spending quality time with her family.
She would encourage anyone who is interested in franchising to do extensive research and don’t give up right away. She pointed out how finding a good fit for you personally is arguably the most important thing in franchising, which is exactly what she found with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK.
Now, it’s time for the Millers to build up their franchise and establish themselves in this new California market.
“I want to create a successful business not only for myself and my family, but for my community, which is why I chose to franchise,” Miller said. “If I hadn’t partnered with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, I would be starting in an industry that I didn’t come from and had no experience in. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK has the experience and a successful business model developed from trial and error that will give me a head start at success.”
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.
Spencer Esmond, Zach Serafine, Zachary Gonzales, and Terry Bruns all come from different walks of life and have different business backgrounds, but the four of them all shared one thing in common: the desire to own a business.
In December, the group did just that when they partnered together to open the Twin Falls, Idaho location. It’s one of the newest chapters in the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchise model, which allows franchisees to open smaller operations in smaller territories. And it’s gaining traction — and success — quickly!
Bruns was the only existing franchisee of the bunch, as he owned the Boise, Idaho location where Gonzales – the location’s general manager – and Esmond – a former mover and office staff member – also worked. Serafine spent over 25 years in the food industry as a general manager, bringing his business expertise over to the world of moving when he partnered with Bruns more than two years ago at the Boise location.
Together, the four have teamed up and are tackling their goal of expansion throughout the state of Idaho.
“Our goal is to grow the Twin Falls market as much as possible over the next few years,” Esmond said. “We’re in a fast-growing city that’s in high need of our services, and we want to take every opportunity possible, hit the ground running, and take the area by storm over the next five years. Our goal is to get operating with four to five trucks consistently and have a fully staffed office.”
The group is hoping this shows what’s possible in the fast-growing state of Idaho for the moving industry. As they expand their franchises, they hope to become a destination for employees looking to start new careers.
“Echoing some of what Spencer said, we’re taking the formula we’ve already used here and just operating our business and with our core values, we’re thinking the future is bright. With everything going on in our state, we have very high expectations, and I believe confidence is at an all-time high. I think we can be very successful.”
For Serafine, Esmond, and Gonzales, this is a new experience for them as they become official franchisees with the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK brand.
Each brings a different flavor to the vast franchisee network of our brand which will be beneficial with new voices and new ideas involved.
“For me, I’ve always wanted to be a business owner and work for myself,” Esmond said. “I never had an opportunity or knew how to do that on my own, and in the couple of years leading up to this, I had a few big life changes, got married, and had a kid. I was looking to the next step in my professional life to start a business and do something as a career. When this popped up, I thought it was ideal because I love the moving industry, and I love working with Terry and Zach.”
The three new franchisees also pointed to the excitement and passion of Bruns, who painted a picture of success for them and sold the idea of partnering together to achieve big things.
“When I was hired, speaking to Terry in the interview process, there was talk of potential growth and how great of a company TWO MEN AND A TRUCK was as far as promoting that growth,” Serafine said. “When you have an owner who’s excited to branch out and bring other people on, it’s infectious, and for myself I don’t know how you could pass up that opportunity. It’s a natural thing. I’ve been a general manager for twenty-something years, so the potential for ownership was something I always wanted to do.”
For now, with the Twin Falls location being so new, the group is still working on the initial steps of opening a franchise that include building out a strong team, tweaking their internal processes, and raising awareness of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK in the Twin Falls community.
It’s a never-ending grind, but the group is more than ready to deliver. Bruns recommends franchising with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK to anyone who feels they are good fit personally with the brand, as fitting in with the company’s goals will go a long way in helping a new franchisee find success.
He also stressed the importance of making sure you have a good relationship with the people you partner with in the business, as there are many tough decisions which need to be made as franchisees.
“I really believe you need to make sure you’re a fit with your franchise,” Bruns said. “It’s a very close relationship, and you want to make sure you’re on the same page with everything. You’re not going to agree on everything. You’ll disagree on decisions, but you need to have more positives than negatives, and if you pay attention to having your core values aligned – that’s important. I don’t always agree with everything, but I wouldn’t do it any other way because the positives outweigh the negatives.”
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.
There are plenty of ways an individual can reach their dream of business ownership, and one way which should be highly considered is through the avenue of franchise ownership.
Buying into a franchising brand gives you plenty of the perks you’d imagine with business ownership, but instead of dreaming up an idea and building everything from scratch, you’re buying into a proven model of success with brand recognition to match. You’ll also tap into a wealth of knowledge and resources from the existing franchisee network, full of individuals who have been in your shoes and understand what it takes to get a successful franchise up and running.
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK has been in franchising for nearly four decades now, and we’ve built a vast network which spans 46 states across the U.S. We’re a proven name in the moving industry – one which people know they can trust – and we have a wide-range of service options to meet all customer needs which help our franchisees diversify their revenues.
“There are very few brands that are as committed to franchisee support as TWO MEN AND A TRUCK,” said Nick Powills, CEO and founder of Mainland. “From the depth of corporate departments to the depth of training at the corporate headquarters, franchisees can clearly see their royalties at work. This is a business focused on never being satisfied, which in turn, will continue to change the lives of those who are allowed to join this exclusive club.”
If you’re interested in franchising with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, we encourage you to take a look at our franchising timeline below and get a feel for how the process works. If you find yourself interested in learning more, visit our Franchise Development website and see how you can start the franchising process with the “Movers Who Care®”!
Step 1: Review (7-10 days)
This is the initial step in the process where we get to know the candidate to find out what they are looking for, what their expectations are, and walk them through important details such as financial requirements that are necessary to kick off the process.
Step 2: Application (7-10 days)
This is where you’ll fill out a request for consideration, giving you a chance to put into words why you think you’re a good fit with us. Where do you want to be in five years? How involved will you be? What are your goals as a franchisee? All of these questions come into play during this step.
Step 3: Acceptance (14-30 days)
The expectations for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchisees are presented with our Franchise Disclosure Document, and we also encourage potential franchisees to speak with current or former franchisees to ask questions about their time in the system to learn more about the role.
Step 4: Planning (30-60 days)
The longest stage of the process, we will provide the potential franchisee with a business plan template for them to fill out. Various team members from our Home Office departments are available to assist you with developing your plan and answering questions you might have about various parts of the operation.
Step 5: Discovery Day (14-30 days)
Come meet our team! This day is all about you as a new franchisee, and you’ll see all of the work involved with the franchising process starting to come together. You’ll learn who we are, what we do, and get a chance to meet various people throughout the business.
Step 6: Awarding (30-60 days)
Congrats – you’re a part of the team! Now, it’s time to get working. We’ll work with you to get your doors open and your business running, with operational experts helping you work through the transition of opening your first TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchise.
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.
Since TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Founder Mary Ellen Sheets made the decision to franchise the brand in the late 1980s, we’ve done our best to build a franchisee network of people from a variety of backgrounds and give them the opportunity to find lasting success.
This requires effort from everyone involved with the brand, as we continue to build out additional services and systems to continue attracting new customers and allowing our franchisees to expand their reach. But at the end of the day, it’s our franchisees and their hardworking teams that keep the brand moving forward.
Without their business-savvy leadership and commitment to driving the brand in the right direction, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK wouldn’t be what it is today. We continue to add new franchisees to our network and have several open territories still available.
Curious as to what life is like as a franchisee? Check our some of our newest testimonials to learn more!
Anthony Jent
Juan Gallegos
Rob Wallace
To learn more about franchising with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, click here!
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.
There’s no one clear cut path to franchise ownership with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, and new franchisee Mackenzie Kilgariff is a perfect example of this.
While a number of our franchisees started on the trucks as movers or drivers and worked their way up, a large chunk of our franchisee network carved out their own path in their professional careers. For Kilgariff, franchising with a moving company might not have seemed like something she’d ever do just five years ago when she was attending college for criminal justice, but a love for the brand and its people is what set her on the journey to business ownership.
“When I was about to finish up my freshman year of college, [franchisee] Brittany Ishman was actually the one to tell me the Philadelphia location was looking for a marketing intern to help with social media and grassroots, and I thought I would be a good fit,” Kilgariff said. “I had no idea what I was doing and hadn’t even heard of terms like ‘ad words’ and ‘SEO’. Once I jumped in, though, I immediately fell in love with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. I quickly switched my major to business management, and I knew I wanted to continue with the company. It was like I had an epiphany.”
This epiphany set off a domino effect for a rapid climb up the franchise system for Kilgariff, who went from marketing intern to working in sales as a customer service representative, before her transition to logistics manager and finally landing as the general manager at the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Princeton location.
Throughout this time, she quickly formed a bond with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Franchisee Brittany Ishman, and it paid off in a big way for Kilgariff after she participated in the Mary Ellen’s Moving People Forward Scholarship program, which gave her the training and education to open the New Brunswick, N.J., franchise with Ishman at the end of 2021.
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind for the young franchisee, but she’s taking it stride and doing everything she can to grow into the role.
“One of the things I love about TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is the sky is the limit. You can hold every single position, you can move to another state, you can work with other franchises, you can work at home office, and so on,” Kilgariff said. “If you love the brand, you can go anywhere with it. I also loved the idea of the scholarship program and that TWO MEN AND A TRUCK gives you the opportunity to grow as an individual. I love this brand and everything it has done for me, so becoming a franchisee was an easy decision.”
While it’s been an exciting time for Kilgariff, it’s also been a challenge to learn the intricacies of business ownership, and it’s something she’s working each day to take on and improve with.
“This job isn’t for the faint of heart,” Kilgariff said. “At first, it was a struggle for me to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. This is probably the most notable and important thing I’ve learned as a franchisee. A TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchise has a lot of moving parts working together.”
Still, learning and all, it’s been a successful journey for Kilgariff already, and she’s just getting started. When asked what her goals are moving forward, she doesn’t hold back when saying she wants to be the “queen of moving” in the state of New Jersey, and wants TWO MEN AND A TRUCK to be the only name people care about when it comes to home moving in the state.
She also is extremely focused on making sure her New Brunswick location lives up to the company core values at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, specifically “inclusion”, and she hopes to build a diverse workplace culture.
The process of being a franchisee has just begun, but the options are endless for Kilgariff. At the end of the day, she would recommend TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchising to anyone who is interested.
“I experience something new and exciting every day,” Kilgariff said. “Owning a franchise never has a dull moment. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a lot of work, but the payoff is equally – if not better – than what you can imagine. Basically, what I’m trying to say is: there will always be a challenge and there will always be bad that comes with the good, but working at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK? The good is always great.”
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.
For the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® brand to continue reaching new heights, it takes a commitment from our franchisee network to push the brand where it needs to go with innovation, creativity, and hard work.
We like to describe this mindset as “moving people forward”, as it’s quite literally what we do as a brand. But this doesn’t just mean moving our customers forward – it means moving our own people forward, too. The “Moving People Forward” award was created to recognize franchisees in our system who go above and beyond the normal roles of running a moving franchise and help their employees find success in their personal and professional careers.
This year, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK named Franchisee Mike Lally as the 2022 recipient of the award. Lally currently owns locations in Connecticut, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and has helped numerous people in his network work toward opening franchises of their own.
“[We get so many] great comments from folks when we mention Mike Lally,” said TWO MEN AND A TRUCK President Randy Shacka. “When they respond to that name, it’s always a smile and it’s always somebody that says ‘man, he’s always there to help and always willing to listen when something is going’.”
Check out the video below to see Lally receiving news of his award while hearing from a few long-time employees about how he has impacted their careers!
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.
To get where we are today as a franchising brand, a strong commitment to our franchisees, their franchises, and the overall franchising system we built was critical.
Today, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK proudly operates over 380 franchises across four different countries, and we recently completed our 9 millionth move as a brand. We’ve come a long way as a company from the days of two high school brothers trying to earn a little extra spending money in the Lansing, Mich., area in the mid-1980s, and this is in large part due to the franchise network we have built.
Our franchisees come from all different business backgrounds and walks of life, and we have kept growing our franchise footprint with each passing year by offering a franchising model built for success. With proven systems in place, a sustainable business model, and brand recognition to go with it all, an investment into a franchise with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK can be a lucrative and worthwhile experience.
Click the links below to see the layers of our franchise model and how it can benefit you!
It all starts with training and support for new franchisees, and we offer extensive training opportunities to make sure you’re ready to go when it’s time to open the doors of your new franchise.
The support you receive as a TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchisee is never-ending. From our Home Office support teams to a diverse network of successful franchisees, you have endless resources to help you succeed.
Any business plan needs to show the ability to grow, and we’re always looking for ways to expand who we are at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. From new service options like junk removal to how we operate, we’re always innovating.
After you open your TWO MEN AND A TRUCK location, you continue receiving ongoing support on all levels of the business.
If you’re interested in learning more about franchising with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK or you want to begin your franchising journey, click here!
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.
Franchising You. 