Moore has ‘moving’ moment
Farragut resident Melanie Moore is on the move with her new business, Moore’s Moving Company.
Actually, it was Moore’s move from a previous residence, plus some prodding from future employees, that gave berth to this company in Powell.
Mooore earned a Master’s degree in speech language pathology and taught in the public schools for six years. But after adopting her son, Moore decided to stay home.
“I got divorced. I was moving, and the guys who moved me asked me what I was going to do next,” she said. “I was a stay-at-home mom for 14 years, so I didn’t know what I was going to do.
“They suggested I start a moving company,” Moore added. “They said they would work for me, and it was kind of a joke.”
“I had worked for another moving company,” said James Bolden, a Moore’s Moving salesman with management duties who has been in the moving business for about five years. “I just didn’t like how they treated people. I moved Melanie Moore. She loved the way we did things and we took care of her.”
Bolden said he tries to move people “with a sense of kindness … and understanding of what they are going through.”
“He started as a driver, but as we’ve grown, he’s stepped into sales,” Moore said.
When she had to move again, she used the same movers, and they again urged her to consider opening a moving company.
Rather than returning to education, she said, “I’ve always wanted my own business, and I guess I just felt like these guys, the friends who moved me, were placed in my life at the right time. The idea sounded good and after researching, I ran with it.
“It’s a good industry, a very lucrative industry,” Moore added. “It’s not really affected by a downturn in the economy, and not a lot of women are in the industry. That kind of intrigued me.”
Owning such a company also would give Moore the flexibility to be at home with her son, now a high school student.
“I decided I wanted to provide really excellent service, without damaging anything, at reasonable rates and no hidden costs,” she said. “I also felt like I could use the company to help people build their own lives.”
The company, which has seven on the payroll, “fully pad-wraps and shrink-wraps the customers’ furniture to ensure a good, steady ride with no damage,” Bolden said. “We do full packs, which means pack up your whole house if you need it.”
“And, we have all the supplies,” Moore added.
“We offer discounts to military, seniors and anyone in emergency response teams, and right now Melanie is running a promotion offering $50 off your first move right now,” Bolden said.
“We do small to big jobs, as well as staging a home for sale,” Moore said.
Moore graduated from Farragut High School, so “it’s kind of my community,” she said.
Moore’s Moving Company’s hours are from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It is closed Sundays.
To book a moving appointment, call 865-275-6816.
