by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Elizabeth and John McQuarry are both in the middle of second careers and they may have picked one of the most physically demanding.
Neither lifts boxes or totes sofas up and down stairs, but the McQuarrys are the Duval County franchisees for moving company 2 Men and a Truck. Elizabeth joined the business after 30 years as a teacher in the Duval County School System where she spent her last years teaching gifted classes. John at one time was a McDonald’s franchisee.
Through both, they learned patience and customer service. Their daughter manages the Beach Boulevard location and their son owns a franchise in St. Augustine. They opened the franchise in 1997 on Arlington Road and have moved twice since.
The company was founded by Mary Ellen Sheets, an accountant by profession who graduated from Michigan State. She had two sons — Jon and Brigg — and a daughter — Melanie.
“They (the sons) are the original 2 Men and a Truck,” explained Elizabeth. “They had a 17-foot truck and no logo. She (Mary Ellen) started the company and designed the logo.”
Today, Melanie runs the Lansing, Mich.-based company that operates in 32 states with 200 franchises and 1,500 trucks.
The family atmosphere and attitude extend beyond the McQuarrys. There are two adopted cats that roam the office and many of the company’s employees have been around for years. Their dedication is thanks to appreciation shown by the owners. There also an air of professionalism.
“We are not the highest (in cost) and we are not the lowest. Our men are full-time employees and show up in a uniform,” said Elizabeth McQuarry. “Some of our clients we have moved nine times. Some of our employees have been here 10 years. We have a ‘mover of the year’ and we get reply cards back from clients. There are monetary rewards and we have a wall of fame.”
They, too, have adopted the McQuarry’s belief in giving back to the community. Over the years, the company has helped everyone from the Humane Society to the Sulzbacher Center to the American Cancer Society. They have moved organizations for free and offered their trucks for service when the Humane Society caught on fire.
“The guys ask, are we gonna do the (breast cancer) walk? Can I do the sweater drive?” she said. “One of our guys, Mike Richardson, is 40 years old and he has been here 10 years. This is not an easy job.”
McQuarry said the company is full-service and will move folks as “far as they are willing to pay.” She said just about the only thing the company won’t touch is hot tubs — they are too wide — and snakes.
Like most the economy has affected the moving industry. McQuarry said people aren’t buying or selling homes, so they aren’t moving. Reliant on 80 percent of its income from residential moves, McQuarry said 2009 was a struggle and she’s hoping things improve this year.
From a corporate perspective, the local franchise has been noticed. The last two years the Jacksonville operation has been among the top in the company’s Achievement in Excellence program and in 2007 and 2008 received the JD Powers Award for excellence in a full-service moving environment.
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