Allied is please to announce its Van Foreman of the month winner for September. This prestigious award is presented to the Master Mover who continually exceeds our customers’ expectations. These Van Foremen are not only dedicated to our van line, but have a proven track record of success in safety, hauling and customer experience.

September Van Foreman of the Month: Terry Sloan Agent: Citizen’s Transfer and Storage, a Tucson, Arizona moving company

Congratulations to Terry – keep up the good work!

Believe it or not, there are very cheap and easy ways to recycle your existing décor to completely change the look of a room. Here are some quick tips.

1. Love a certain fabric or pattern? Frame it! From pillowcases and scarves to dinner napkins, don’t be afraid to re-use these household items by framing patterns for all to see!
2. Paint décor for consistency: Paint can be a great way to dramatically change the look of a room – if you’re painting an accent wall, consider using the extra paint to also paint some of your décor. Think about updating shelves, picture frames, or tables to add an extra splash of color in your freshly painted room.
3. Get inspired: Browse through communities like etsy.com or lonnymag.com to view handmade artwork, pictures and décor. Try to replicate some of the ideas in your own home!

Have other ideas? We’d love to hear them!

Allied is please to announce its Van Foreman of the Month winners for May, June and July. This prestigious award is presented to the Master Mover who continually exceeds our customers’ expectations. These Van Foremen are not only dedicated to our van line, but have a proven track record of success in safety, hauling and customer experience.

May Van Foreman of the Month: Philo Frost Agent: Kent Moving & Storage, a Grand Rapids, Michigan moving company

June Van Foreman of the Month: Dax Mahaffey Agent: Citizens Transfer & Storage, a Tucson, Arizona moving company

July Van Foreman of the Month: Chris Casasanta Agent: Federal Warehouse Company, an East Peoria, Illinois moving company

Congratulations to our drivers and keep up the good work!

On October 8, 2010, hundreds of Allied agents gathered for the 2010 Allied Agent Convention in San Antonio, Texas. As a conclusion to this 3-day event, the Allied corporate leadership team hosted an awards dinner to congratulate the network’s top agents and recognize commitment to the moving brand. Below are the highlights:

Allied Award Recipients

International Awards:

• Customer Choice Awards – NC Texas Moving Services, Houston, TX (North America); TEAM Allied UK, London, United Kingdom (Europe); Allied Pickfords Japan, Tokyo, Japan (Asia Pacific)
• Top International Sales Europe – Pickfords LTD, United Kingdom (Europe); Allied Pickfords, Australia (Asia Pacific); G-Inter, Sao Paulo, Brazil (Central and South Pacific); Reliable Van and Storage, Elizabeth, NJ (North America)
• International President’s Award – Berger Transfer and Storage, Houston, TX; NC Texas Moving Services, Houston, TX; Westheimer Transfer and Storage, Houston, TX
• International Agent of the Year – Reliable Van and Storage, Elizabeth, NJ

Allied Special Products Award:

• Outstanding Sales Achievement – Federal Warehouse Company, East Peoria, IL
• Salesperson of the Year – Jackie Taylor, Federal Warehouse Company, East Peoria, IL
• Driver of the Year – Steve Wells, SPD Direct Lease Fleet
• Agent of the Year – Coleman American Moving Services, Midland City, AL

Safety Award:

• Safety Award - Westheimer Transfer and Storage, Houston, TX; Circle Moving and Storage, Long Beach, CA; All American Van and Storage, North Las Vegas, NV
• Senior Safe Driver of the Year – Alan Pinnigar, Quality Move Management, Calgary, AB

Government/Military Award:

• Most Improved Military Booking Award – Atlas Transfer and Storage, Poway, CA
• Customer Quality Award/Military “Packing Services” – Circle Moving and Storage, Long Beach, CA
• Customer Quality Award/Military “Destination Services” – Bailey’s Moving and Storage, Colorado Springs, CO
• Most Improved Government Booker Award – Berger Transfer and Storage, Addison, IL
• Government Agent of the Year – Simonik Transportation & Warehousing Group, Burlington, NJ

Quality Award:

• Rising Star – Jobbers Moving and Storage, Aberdeen, SD; Berger Kansas City, Shawnee, KS; Morse Moving and Storage, Romulus, MI
• Customer For Life Award – Siracusa Moving & Storage, Inc., New Britain, CT; Morse Moving & Storage, Inc., Romulus, MI; Morse Moving & Storage, Inc., Traverse City, MI; Blanchette Moving & Storage Co., Lewiston, ME; Clancy’s Transfer & Storage, Inc., Walla Walla, WA; American Moving Services, Lubbock, TX

Sales & Hauling Award:

• Outstanding Sales Achievement – Berger Transfer and Storage, Roseville, MN
• Most Improved Booker – Azalea Moving & Storage, Inc., North Charleston, SC
• Consumer Salesperson of the Year – Kevin Staley, Berger Transfer and Storage, Columbus, OH
• Biggest Growth Consumer Salesperson of the Year – Julie Pinkey, Berger Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
• Consumer Agent of the Year – Coleman American Moving Services, Inc., Dothan, AL
• Corporate Account Salesperson of the Year – Charles Farrugia, Westheimer Transfer and Storage Co, Inc., Houston, TX
• Corporate Agent of the Year – Rose Moving and Storage, Belleville, MI
• Outstanding Hauler – Berger Transfer and Storage, Roseville, MN
• Most Improved Hauler – Coleman American Moving Services, Inc., Dothan, AL
• Driver of the Year – Donald Carlisle, Beverly Hills Transfer and Storage Co, Inc., Gardena, CA

Agent of the Year 2009-2010: Berger Transfer and Storage, Inc.

Moving to a new state can be pricey. That’s why it’s important to consider how you’ll be affected from a tax perspective. This topic is so important we decided to do a series of tax tips that could save you quite a bit of money in your new state.

Tip #1: Consider Moving to a State Without Income Tax

Not sure where you want to move? Think about moving to a state that doesn’t have income tax. This decision alone could save you tons of money each year. Here’s a list of states that impose no income tax:

• Alaska
• Florida
• Nevada
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Washington
• Wyoming

Allied Van Lines is pleased to welcome the following agents into our Allied network.

Quality Move Management, Inc. has added an Allied agent in Edmonton, Alberta. This Edmonton, Alberta moving company handles residential, commercial and corporate moving, as well as specialized shipping. For more information, visit: http://www.qmm.com/

Premier Worldwide Movers, Inc. is one of Allied’s newest agent additions in Montreal, Quebec. This Montreal mover services local, long-distance and international moving, as well as storage needs. For more information, visit: http://www.pwminc.ca/

Greg and Sons Moving & Storage, Inc. located in Toronto, Ontario and has also been added to the Allied agent network. Greg and Sons has been a family owned business since 1985. For more information about this Toronto mover, visit: http://www.gregandsonsmoving.com/

Allied would like to welcome its newest agents and thank them for being a part of our network.

Allied Van Lines is pleased to welcome Fox Hollow Movers as its newest full service mover.

Fox Hollow is an Oswego and Syracuse, New York moving company that services the greater Syracuse and central Upstate New York areas. Fox Hollow Movers began in 2002 as a local family owned and operated moving company and two years later affiliated with Carlyle Van Lines. Kenneth Fox, the owner, still runs his own crews and personally trains all new employees in order to make certain his drivers and crews consistently deliver the highest quality service possible.

"Our customers are our top priority and always come first,” explains Fox.

The dependability and attention to detail of its employees has enabled Fox Hollow to grow and develop a reputation for excellence in its market. Allied would like to welcome Fox Hollow to its network.

Fox Hollow Movers is located at 8011 State Road 104, Oswego, New York. More information can be found on their website at: http://www.foxhollowmovers.com/

The 2010 Allied Agent Convention brought 100s of agents together from all around the globe. During this educational week, the agents were able to mix and mingle, share best practices and celebrate successess.

Some of the highlights included:

• The Allied Agent Awards dinner
• Tucker Carlson's keynote address
• The Big Orange Bash
• New marketing technology presented by vendors
• Bill Cowher's motivational presentation

For an insider view into this event, photos, comments and keynote pictures -- go to our Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/AlliedVanLines

Allied Van Lines agent, Federal Companies, was awarded with an “All Star Award” in the category of open book management by The Great Game of Business Company in St. Louis. Open book management is a philosophy of involving every employee in making a firm more successful by sharing financial and operational information. The Great Game of Business Company is dedicated to promoting open-book management across the private and public sectors. Over 6,000 companies participate in the Great Game of Business, including many FORTUNE 500 companies.

Congratulations to the entire Federal organization!

Ready for a change? Maybe you’re looking for a new job? Before you make a final decision, it’s always important to do your research and understand exactly what you’re getting into. Here’s our recommendation for finding the best and cheapest city for your specific situation.

1. Decide what’s important to you. It’s best if you sit down with all involved with the move and agree on your priorities. Maybe your first priority is for the city to be pedestrian-friendly, while you’re wife wants to ensure the schools are highly-rated. It’s important to sort these things out before you start your search.
2. Once you pick a few cities of interest, compare them: Use tools similar to the free tool below to compare neighborhood and community statistics. a. Free community comparison tool: http://www.onboardnavigator.com/1.5/webcontent/obwc_search.aspx?AID=63
3. Find best option for your profession: Use the below salary calculator tools to get an estimate of your potential salary in the new city. a. Salary calculator tool by Monster: http://monster.salary.com/
4. Do a cost of living analysis: Use this free tool to analyze cost of living for the new city. a. Cost of living tool by Sperling: http://www.bestplaces.net/col/
5. Talk through the pros and cons: Once you’ve pulled together all of this information, get together with your family to discuss the pros and cons of each place.
6. Make a collective decision and start the move or job search process!

Does anyone have other tips? How did you decide where you were going to move?