National Van Lines, Inc.
 | |
| Industry | Moving and storage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1934 in Broadview, Illinois, United States |
| Founder | F.J. McKee |
| Headquarters | Broadview, Illinois |
Key people |
|
| Website | nationalvanlines.com |
National Van Lines, Inc. is a privately held American moving and relocation company based in Broadview, Illinois[1] with agents in 48 states and service partners around the world.[2] The company’s services include residential and commercial moving and storage domestically and internationally. National Van Lines has been designated a Pro Mover company by the American Moving & Storage Association.[3]
History
The company began in 1929 by F.J. McKee, who originally used a single wagon to deliver ice and coal to Chicago-area customers. He eventually branched out his business, moving vaudeville sets for acting troupes as well as individual acts, including Charlie Chaplin. McKee had a fleet of moving trucks.[4]
McKee’s son, F.L. McKee, took over the business in 1931, and the company was incorporated in 1934. By 1945, the company was one of only five operators designated to service the entire United States. McKee’s daughter, Maureen Beal, became CEO when he died in 1993 at the age of 91.[5] The company experienced 20% growth every year for five consecutive years when Maureen took over.[6]
Company overview
National Van Lines employs over 140 people in its Broadview headquarters.[7] The company serves an average of 20,000 customers per year and its trucks log approximately 8.5 million miles a year performing residential and commercial moves.[8]
Under CEO Maureen Beal, National Van Lines grew from $45 million in revenue when she took over in 1993 to $105 million in 2013. A breast cancer survivor,[9] Beal is a strong advocate for women’s health issues as well as women entrepreneurs. Beal serves on the Board of Directors of the American Moving & Storage Association,[10] is a Benedictine University trustee[11] and is Chairman of the Board of Directors for Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital.[12]
In 2013, Tim Helenthal was selected to serve as President & COO. Tim began his career in the moving and storage industry in 1994, as Manager of the Total Quality Assurance Program (TQAP) for National’s military division. In 2000, he was named Vice President of Agency Services for Military. In 2015, Tim was elected for a 2nd one-year term to serve on the board of the International Association of Movers (IAM) as the Vice Chairman.
Recognition and awards
- From 2010-2013, the Chicago Tribune named National Van Lines at one of the "Top 100 Workplaces" in the Chicago area.[13]
- On June 21, 2011, the Chicago Tribune reported that the company has changed its structure to become an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP-owned) entity.[14]
- Crain’s Chicago Business magazine named National Van Lines one of the top 10 woman-owned businesses in Illinois in 2012.[15]
- The Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois rates National Van Lines as an A+ Accredited Business.[16]
Charity work
National Van Lines supports Robert Wyland, a world-renowned artist who is devoted to environmental conservation. The company has joined with the Wyland Foundation to provide educational outreach tours, as well as public art, to families across the United States and Canada. The company also partnered with the Wyland Foundation to bring the Clean Water Mobile Learning Experience[17] to students across the U.S. and Mexico. The Experience features a theater and interactive stations that educate students on the impact humans have on various watershed habitats.[18]
The company is also an active participant in the Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby, raising funds for Special Olympics Illinois[19] as well as serving as long-time supporters for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.[20]
In 2015, National Van Lines teamed up with Move For Hunger, a non-profit organization that partners with the relocation industry to reduce food waste and fight hunger.
References
- ↑ "National Van Lines Incorporated". http://usplaces.com/. US Places. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "National Van Lines, Inc.". http://www.topworkplaces.com/. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Moving America Professionally". American Moving & Storage Association. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ "National Van Lines becomes ESOP-owned". http://articles.chicagotribune.com/. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ Josephs, Mary. "Exit Strategies: ESOP Becomes Family Company's Fourth Generation". http://www.forbes.com. Forbes. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ Heffernan, Margaret (Jan 2007). How She Does it: How Women Entrepreneurs are Changing the Rules of Business Success. Viking Adult, First Edition. p. 288. ISBN 0670038237.
- ↑ Josephs, Mary. "Exit Strategies: ESOP Becomes Family Company's Fourth Generation". http://www.forbes.com. Forbes. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Company Snapshot NATIONAL VAN LINES INC.". http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Info Junkie: Maureen Beal". http://www.chicagobusiness.com. Chicago Business. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Officers and Board of Directors". http://www.promover.org. American Moving & Storage Association. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Maureen Beal". http://www.dpwomen.com. Dynamic Professional Women's Network. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Marianjoy Board of Directors". http://www.marianjoy.org. Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Chicago's Top Workplaces". http://apps.chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "National Van Lines Becomes ESOP-Owned". http://articles.chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Chicago's Largest Women-Owned Companies". http://www.chicagobusiness.com. Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "BBB Business Review". http://www.bbb.org. Better Business Bureau. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Clean Water Mobile Learning Experience". http://www.wylandfoundation.org/. Wyland Foundation. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Putting America's Watersheds in Focus". http://www.wylandfoundation.org/. Wyland Foundation. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "8th Annual Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby to Benefit Special Olympics Illinois". http://www.soill.org. Special Olympics Illinois. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Board of Directors". http://www.humanitarianservice.org. Humanitarian Service Project. Retrieved 13 August 2014. External link in
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