50 Year Anniversary at East End Transfer

Have you ever met someone who had been at a company for over 30 years? How about 40? It’s becoming increasingly rare because times are changing and people now view “what a job is” differently. Now you have people who become rich overnight, simply by making a viral video or creating a product that holds attention just long enough to bank on it. That makes milestones like a 50th anniversary at a single company feel even more extraordinary.

So what is the draw of staying with a company for over half of your lifetime? This September, Joe will celebrate 50 years with East End Transfer. We sat down with him to reflect on his journey, the changes he’s seen, and the stories that made it memorable. True to Joe’s style, he gave answers that were thoughtful, funny, and straight from the heart.

The Biggest Changes in the Industry

When we started our interview, the first question I asked Joe was “What are the biggest changes in the industry since when you started to now?”

Joe replied, “When I started in September of 1975 at East End Transfer, I had been working at Mayflower for almost two years as a dispatcher. At the time 95% of all moves were household goods and very basic office moves.” He mentioned that technology and equipment advancements have driven some of the biggest changes.

“Back in the day, we only had dollies and a few bookcarts, and now we have panel carts, genie lifts, and bobtails with liftgates.” Before these tools existed, crews needed a lot more personnel to lift and roll items out of the trucks.“There was a lot more man handling back then as opposed to now.” Since then, we’ve upgraded the trucks, equipment, and technology to handle more complex relocations.

“I think the desire to work has gone down. You know, people want to come in and apply, but they don’t want to put their shoulder to the ground and give it all to the job.’” It’s a sentiment that comes from experience; Five decades of seeing what it takes to do the job right. And if anyone knows the value of hard work, it’s Joe.

Advice to His Younger Self

Looking back on half a century with East End, Joe had this to say to his younger self, “I believe that every person you hire has potential, and what you’ve got to do is bring that potential to light.” Joe explained that one of the reasons he’s stayed so long is that East End shares his values, especially The Golden Rule, “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them…” We’ve kept this framed in our downstairs lobby since East End started in 1946.

He also believes in leading from the front,“As a manager, you jump in and do the work with your team. Never ask them to do something that you couldn’t do yourself.” That approach earned him his crew’s respect. As Joe put it, “The boss is the boss, but the boss isn’t always right.”

Joe’s Journey

1975 – Joe started his first day on the job in 1975 with the Dispatch team.
1992 – Bought a pack truck, built his own crew, rented a tractor trailer, and became East End’s #1 driver for many years.
2008 – With the economy shifting, Joe returned to the office as a dispatcher and found it was the perfect fit after years on the road.
2025 – Celebrating 50 years with East End Transfer – a milestone few can claim.

The Most Unexpected Job

“I got sent out on a local move that ended up in the boonies. When we pulled up to the house, the woman came to the front door and said, ‘I’m so glad you’re here, how fast can we get everything packed up?’

I walked through her house and told her it would be about four hours. She said, ‘Great, let’s get started.’ About two hours into the job, I was in the truck loading a piece of furniture when I heard a noise behind me. I heard the sound of a gun cocking, so I froze and turned around.

There was a man standing in the truck pointing a gun straight at me.He asked, ‘What are you doing?’ I told him, ‘I’m stacking the furniture, we’re here to do a move.’ He said, ‘Why?’ I replied, ‘The office sent us out for this job.’

Then he says, ‘Well here’s what I suggest.’ I said, ‘Okay, I’m listening.’ And he tells me, ‘Unpack everything and put it back in the house.’

I told him, ‘Okay, I hear you. Can you tell me first of all, why you are pointing that gun at me? I am ex-military and if I would have had a gun, we would have just had a shootout, but I don’t carry anymore because I’m a mover now.’

We agreed—I’d move everything back inside if he put the gun down. When I went inside with the furniture, the wife said, ‘What are you doing, you’re supposed to be taking the furniture outside!’ I told her, ‘You’re gonna have to go speak to the man out front with the gun — your husband.’”

Joe said the couple yelled at each other for a while, and then the crew had to put everything back in the house. It was one of those days that reminded him just how unpredictable moving could be, and why he’s never surprised by anything on the job anymore.

What He’ll Miss Most

Joe smiled at this one. “What I’ll miss the most is the day-to-day challenges that come with this job and this industry. I’m not really looking forward to retirement, this is what I like doing every day.” For Joe, work has never just been a way to pass the time. It’s been a purpose, a passion, and a part of who he is.

The “You Had to Be There” Story

“One time I sent a 3-man crew out to a household goods move, and a few hours in I got a call from the customer. He told me two of the men were doing great, but the third one was asleep on his kitchen table.

I asked the customer to repeat himself and he said, ‘Yes, one of the men is asleep on my kitchen table.’

So I asked to speak with the other guys on the job, and they confirmed it. They told me, ‘We can’t wake him up, he’s alive but not responding.’

At that point, I drove out to the site and brought another guy with me. Sure enough, there he was, still out cold on the kitchen table. We had the crew help us carry him to the truck and laid him down inside. I drove him back to East End and stretched him out on the patio table.

“He slept there for the rest of the day.”

If East End Transfer Made a Movie About His Life

If East End Transfer made a movie about his life, Joe said, “What you see is what you get.’” Later, he added, “You don’t have to be big to be bad!” I told him, “That’s the perfect name for your movie!”

CELEBRATING A LEGEND

From moving trucks to moving sleeping crew members, Joe has truly seen it all, and somehow managed to keep us going the entire time. Fifty years of hard work, stories, and a few ‘you had to be there’ moments later, and Joe still shows up ready to do what he loves. Here’s to Joe, proving you don’t have to be big to be bad, and that a great attitude goes a long way.