April 2022- Jacksonville Real Producers ~ Partner Spotlight

Hank Pellegrino, owner of Jaguar Moving

HANK PELLEGRINO

partner spotlight

Jaguar Moving

Making Jacksonville Home

After graduating from Florida GulfCoast University with a degree in musicperformance in 2015, Hank Pellegrino beganto plan his next steps. He had all intentionsof becoming a professional musician andtook a year off to prepare for graduateschool auditions. In the meantime, he workedas a teacher and violinist.

“Being that I was a musician, I needed a second job because we all know how well music pays,” Hank quips.

One of Hank’s best friends had started working in the moving industry, and he lined Hank up with an interview. Hank headed in to meet the owner, who was skeptical about bringing Hank on.

“I’m not exactly built like your typical mover,” Hank continues with a laugh. “I’m 5’8”, 160 lbs. soaking wet. But my buddy gave me a great recommendation for my work ethic and dependability, and I was hired.”

Hank began working as a mover just two days a week. As he settled into his role, he realized there was more opportunity in moving than he initially realized.

“A few months in, the owner explained to me that he had a network of moving companies that were locally owned and operated. His goal was to be different — to have a local presence, not a franchise, with an owner at each location that is truly a part of the community,” Hank reflects. “That really interested me. The way he spoke about it — I remember coming home that night after a long move saying, ‘If I ever had an opportunity like that, I would take it because it sounds amazing, the opportunity to be a business owner and impact your community.’”

In early 2017, Hank was preparing for a trip to New England to audition at several graduate schools. That’s when he got a message that would forever reshape his professional life.

WHETHER IT’S INDUSTRY VETS OR NEW MOVERS, WE’RE BRINGING ON THE BEST OF THE BEST.

FUN FACT In his free time, Hank fences competitively. “Gets my mind off work, for sure. There’s nothing like charging at somebody with a sword,” he laughs.

BUILDING A BUSINESS

“I got a message saying they wanted to promote someone to management with the opportunity to start and own their own moving company. I went for a meeting with the general manager, and I was all-in.”

Hank canceled his graduate school auditions and promptly began his new role in management. Over the next year and a half, he learned the ins and outs of the business from a management perspective, and by summer 2018, he was ready to open his own business. Hank and his wife, Annamaria, picked up their lives, moved to Jacksonville from Cape Coral, Florida, and opened Jaguar Moving in July 2018.

“We wanted to go somewhere different and start our own story,” Hank reflects. “And Jacksonville was at the top of our list.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY

At Jaguar Moving, everything starts with the team. Hank has prioritized his team by paying them industry-best salaries, which has led to better recruiting and higher retention. That gives him one of the area’s most experienced and well-rounded teams.

“Whether it’s industry vets or new movers, we’re bringing on the best of the best,” Hank says.

Jaguar Moving offers customized moving plans, so whether a client is looking for basic moving support or a turnkey solution, they only pay for the services they receive.

Perhaps the most relevant characteristic of Jaguar Moving is its commitment to the community. Hank, along with Annamaria, who helps with administrative work for the company, has embraced Jacksonville with open arms. Their family has grown during their time here, too. They now have two young children, Julia (3) and Judd (1), and hope to grow their family in the coming years. Hank and Annamaria just recently went under contract for their first home.

“We don’t see ourselves moving away from Jacksonville. We’re settling our roots here,” Annamaria says.

“We live here. We love it here,” Hank adds. “Family is the most important thing outside work. That’s why we do what we do.”

For more information, please visit www.jaguarmoving.com.