Two Men and A Truck

two men and a trucK conTinues expansion WiTh franchisees

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, the nation’s largest franchisor in the moving industry with over 380 units and 3,000 trucks in operation, continues to see franchisees who choose to expand their businesses, seeing 17 add onto their territory count over the past year. Take for instance franchisees Terry Bruns and Mike Lally.

Lally currently operates 12 franchise locations and is in the process of signing his 13th. He signed his first location in January of 2004 on the west side of Cincinnati. He now has locations in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Lally says the most compelling factor in his decision to join the brand was the opportunity to be hands-on. “Physical labor is something that has always suited me. It’s how I’m wired, and I appreciate the work that we do,” he said. “It’s hard, necessary work that makes a difference.”

When Lally first met TWO MEN AND A TRUCK’s executive team, he says he immediately felt he’d found potential partners who were aligned with his values, starting with the brand’s former CEO and one of the original ‘two men,’ Brig Sorber.

“Brig and I had a lot in common in terms of our values, our work ethic and how we looked at moving,” said Lally. “We recognize the roles we can play to help people to develop professionally and create opportunities for people looking for them.” Lally notes that the moving industry is not going anywhere anytime soon, and with the many reasons people move every day, it’s up to the moving company to make that often-stressful experience hassle-free. “There’s such relief and such appreciation that we’ve made a difference in people’s lives, including both our customers and our team members,” Lally said. “I watch the individuals on the team grow and not only accept but actively pursue more responsibility. At first, maybe they just wanted a job, to punch the clock and then collect a paycheck. But over time, they realize they can help people. They start on the trucks as movers or drivers and now they run a $25–$30 million operation. It’s very gratifying, and that’s why I continue to invest.”

“I just kind of bounced around from a lot of things. I always wanted to own my own business and enjoyed physical labor, so I worked really hard on living below my means and saving and investing so that I could have the money to go into business for myself,” said Bruns. Bruns says he especially appreciated TWO MEN AND A TRUCK’s existing systems, support and training the franchise provides, and he did extensive research to make sure the brand’s culture and leadership aligned with his goals and how he wished to operate a business.

“A potential investor needs to make sure they are aligned with the franchisor,” he said. “It’s obviously a very close relationship, and they want to make sure that they’re on the same page. There are going to be times of disagreement, but there needs to be way more positive than negative. Those core values should really align so everyone involved benefits from the agreement.”

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK finished 2021 stronger than ever after entering two new states, Vermont and Rhode Island, and driving revenue through an increase of long distance moves as Americans have been relocating amid the pandemic. Additionally, the company’s junk removal offering saw a record-breaking year.

The amount of people moving in 2021 was up nearly 20% nationwide compared to 2020, which had already seen record numbers as people fled cities and relocated due to the pandemic. Moving, storage and junk removal services were in high demand, and TWO MEN AND A TRUCK delivered, seeing double-digit growth across all revenue streams.