UniGroup, C.A.

UniGroup's 2023 Van Operator Appreciation Week was a huge success! 🎉 With the help of various departments, we raised over $5,000 in donations, organized fun games, trivia, and provided lunches, swag bags, and 100+ prizes to show our deep appreciation to our dedicated van operators.

Several van operators were able to stop at our Home Office as they passed through St. Louis, helping themselves to free breakfast and lunch all week, while nearly 1,000 van operators joined in on our virtual games. We reached out to van operators through various channels to express our gratitude for all their hard work. Thanks to generous donations from our sponsors, we were able to give away exciting door prizes from clothing and work gloves to dollies and emergency triangle kits and even truck wash certificates and a grand prize of a 58” TV.

We're grateful to everyone at UniGroup, as well as our amazing sponsors, who contributed to this heartwarming celebration of our fantastic van operators! 🚚💙

Today is , a day that honors the accomplishments of the businesswomen across the nation and brings together businesswomen of diverse occupations to collaborate and network.

UniGroup is delighted to celebrate several of our local agents that are proudly women-owned or led by fearless women in the industry as we reflect on our 2023 Women's Leadership Workshop we held at our annual Learning Conference earlier this year.

Our Board of Directors Chairman Charles McDaniel, along with Board Member Daryl Flood, visited UniGroup's headquarters today to celebrate some of our cross-functional operational successes this year.

Wishing a Happy Labor Day to our employees that make it all possible. We couldn't do it without you!

We're less than a month out from our next Move For Hunger event and it's got us reminiscing. Over the next few weeks, we'll be collecting food donations in preparation for this year's Move For Hunger Truck Pull... the countdown is on!

A group of UniGroup employees volunteered at the Back-to-School Fair last month. This fair helps many kids get ready for their first day of school. It is a huge, well-organized event with a dental truck to offer checkups and cleanings, hair cut stations, hearing checks, new book-bags and shoes, and so much more.

One of our employees, Sandy Watson, reflected on the event,
"For myself, the Back to School Fair was a great opportunity to be involved in the community as I got to meet so many families and their children while helping them select a shoe for school. It was also a great time to be with several UniGroup co-workers and meet new ones as well. I would like to say 'Thank You' to UniGroup for letting employees select a non-profit organization to volunteer with this year and allowing us the opportunity to make a positive impact on our community. I would also like to thank all the UniGroup employees who volunteered for this event!"

Last week, we had our annual Hilldrup Treat event at our home office. Our agent, Hilldrup, provides UniGroup employees with Cold Stone ice cream to share their appreciation for the hard work and support UniGroup provides during peak season.

Happy Independence Day! We hope everyone is having a sunny and safe Fourth of July, celebrating with friends and family over the long weekend.

Last week we introduced Anne Balay, who trained and worked as a truck driver, recorded oral histories of sixty-six truckers, and spent several years immersed in big rig culture as an LGTBQ+ activist. Balay later wrote Semi Q***r, a book that uses these life stories to understand how truckers feel about government, race, sexuality, and the future.

Working people, especially if they’re q***r, black, or otherwise marginal, offer vital critiques of q***r activism’s focus on rights and families. Semi Q***r gives us the opportunity to hear their voices and bring about change. Truckers are at the center of almost every industry and possess legendary status among American workers. The stories collected in Semi Q***r explore the daily lives of the women, the LGTBQ+ community, racial minorities, and immigrants who make up a growing percentage of the trucking industry today.

From custom rainbow rigs rolling down the highway to online communities rooted in accepting all van operators, the trucking industry showcases support of the LGBTQIA+ community in a variety of ways. This month we’ll be sharing individuals and resources that are making a difference across the industry as we stay committed to promoting diversity and inclusion for the LGBTQIA+ community and honoring the progress made in the fight for equality.

Today, we celebrate the achievements of Anne Balay, an author and activist who graduated with a PhD from the University of Chicago, after which she promptly became a car mechanic. She later returned to academia as a professor both at the University of Illinois and Indiana University Northwest, though she never lost her interest in industrial work environments. Dr. Balay moved to Gary, Indiana to teach, and was immediately interested in the steel industry of the region. Her coworker and mentor, Jimbo Lane, suggested that she would be perfectly suited to meeting with and writing about the LGBT workers within the mill community where her first book, Steel Closets, was born.

Anne then attended commercial truck driving school, got her CDL, and drove over the road. Oral histories of truck drivers she collected over the years led to her book 'Semi Q***r'. Anne went on to teach in gender and sexuality studies at Haverford College as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Haverford College until 2019 and is now an Organizer for SEIU working with adjunct faculty in Saint Louis.

It's already been two months since we held our first Women's Leadership Workshop at our annual Learning Conference! We heard from a few of our participants as they reflected on the tools provided during the workshop.

"The importance of boundaries. In a world that is connected 24/7, it’s extremely important to understand how to create and implement boundaries in both the professional space as well as the personal space. As leaders, it’s just as important to understand and respect the boundaries of our team members. Just because our brain turns on at 3am, doesn’t mean we should expect an answer at 3am." - Angie Brindell

"I've found that the concept of understanding and embracing everyone’s differences has strong benefits and dynamics in contributing to a team as a whole." - Tina Conley

"The book ‘Strength Finders’ was a great tool to dive into and learn more about my leadership style and key traits I should build upon in my day-day activities. This was a homework assignment for the workshop, so it was refreshing to talk with other female leaders in attendance about their takeaways and strengths from this exercise too!" - Sue Pyles

We love hearing how female leaders in our network are able to use tools from the workshop to grow in their role.

Happy Memorial Day! Today, we celebrate those in our military who sacrificed their lives for our country's freedom. We hope everyone had a safe and sunny holiday weekend!

Celebrate Diversity Month takes place in April every year. It began in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity of the world around us. It is a time to recognize and understand our differences, be it gender, race, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation, and other factors, while honoring the common essence of humanity.

UniGroup’s Inclusion Council meets monthly in an effort to identify ways to continue to foster an ongoing culture of inclusion at UniGroup. This Council seeks to identify gaps and areas of improvement in our priorities of recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and building an environment and culture where all employees feel heard and valued. We believe that our work directly aligns to our mission and our UniGroup commitment to connect with all our employees and the customers we serve nationwide.

At our recent annual Learning Conference, we held our first Women’s Leadership Workshop. Led by Dr. Erika Michalski, it was geared toward new, seasoned and potential leaders from agencies in the UniGroup network. Emphasizing ways to improve, refine or grow one’s leadership skill set, the workshop provided impactful tools. Known by clients and colleagues as a person who believes even the most ambitious goals are possible, Dr. Erika encourages leaders to have a nimble, supportive plan rooted in authenticity and shared the following words about the workshop:

"In order to design a successful program dedicated to women’s leadership development, you need to create a space for them to celebrate successes and discuss challenges without fear of being labeled. Across my career, I have heard many women struggle with speaking up in mixed company. Some women are afraid to say, ‘This is something I am proud of’ because women are generally conditioned to keep pride in our accomplishments to ourselves. And others are afraid to say, ‘This is a challenge I'm facing’ because they worry someone will decide they aren't qualified for a role because they are facing struggles. So, they show up to a development opportunity with reservations about participation.

Celebrations and challenges are both part of the leadership process. Sharing those with others can be tremendously validating, opening doors to new solutions. Likewise, hearing others’ celebrations and challenges can generate new ideas or create opportunities to support someone else. Programs for women can honor their worth by ensuring they experience moments of validation and support. Crafting an experience like this isn't always easy, but it IS always worth the effort.”

We’re proud to have helped women in our network grow their leadership skills, regardless of what stage they are in their careers. We can’t thank Dr. Erika enough for her contributions and look forward to offering future learning opportunities to women in the UniGroup network. We will also continue to celebrate the important work they do for our industry.

At our recent Learning Conference, we were able to honor Martin Delaney, of King Relocation Services in Santa Fe Springs, California, as the recipient of our UniGroup Operations Excellence Award.

The Operations Excellence Award acknowledges excellent individual performance in the field of operations at both their agency and within the UniGroup system. This award recognizes Martin as someone who demonstrated a passion for exceptional performance, teamwork, professionalism, integrity, commitment and achievement for a common goal.

Congratulations, Martin, and thank you for your dedication to exceptional service! Read more about Martin here.

Martin Delaney of King Relocation Services Receives Unigroup’s Operations Excellence Award - UniGroup, C.A. SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA – (March 24, 2023) – Martin Delaney of King Relocation Services in Santa Fe Springs, California, was recently presented with this year’s UniGroup Operations Excellence Award.

We have the privilege of recognizing one of our own during Womens History Month, Dorothy Ann Marx. Dorothy’s history in the moving industry began when her husband, Clarence Jorgenson, took over ownership of Dorothy’s father’s business, Heick Moving and Storage Company, in 1951. Following his sudden passing, Dorothy assumed his role, developing new skills as a businesswoman and shepherding the brand’s affiliation with United Van Lines in 1962. Then, in 1970, Dorothy joined United Van Lines’ board of directors, becoming one of the first women in the position.

Dorothy continued to serve as a role model to other women and girls through the remainder of her life, long before the feminist movement began. Active in the Advertising Club in Madison, Wisconsin, she was also a guest speaker on women in business in the Madison region. Today, we celebrate her achievements and are honored to say she once represented our brands.

Today, we celebrate Victoria Sheehan, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) since October 2015. Elected president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in October 2020, Sheehan is the second woman to serve as president of AASHTO in its 108-year history.

Before joining the NHDOT, Sheehan spent 10 years at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), leading strategic planning and highway performance, managing the bridge consulting program and overseeing an eight-year, $3 billion accelerated bridge program.

But that’s not all! Just last year, Sheehan was named the new executive director of the Transportation Research Board by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

We honor Sheehan’s impressive — and impactful — achievements as a woman who continues to shape the transportation industry now and down the line.

Happy International Women's Day! The United Nations officially recognized International Women's Day in 1975, and today nearly 30 countries have adopted the day as a national holiday. This year's theme for International Women's Day is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality," highlighting gender gaps in STEM education and careers while encouraging all to and recognize that each person has different circumstances.

Today, we celebrate the achievements of women across the world, and all the outstanding women at UniGroup, while acknowledging that we must continue the push for progress across issues central to the lives of women everywhere.

We had a great few days at our annual Learning Conference, getting to network with our UniGroup members while attending some fantastic breakout sessions. It's always a pleasure to honor the accomplishments of our agency family. Thanks to all our attendees and keynote speakers who helped us move our path forward. Our final night celebration at the Armory STL has us looking forward to next year already!

This Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating female trailblazers in the transportation industry who lit the way for those who followed.

An indomitable adventurer, Blanche Stuart Scott was the first woman to drive across the United States, when only 218 miles of paved roads existed outside of cities. Having garnered much attention for the accomplishment, she then made her first public flight in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on October 23, 1910, becoming the country’s first professional, female aviator. She all-but-taught herself to fly in a dangerous, unstable plane when no career path awaited in this new, dangerous, male-dominated field.

Renegade that she was, Scott later solidified a career in screenwriting, becoming a recognized radio personality as well. Yet, her passion for flying never wavered. In September 1948, Scott became the first female passenger to ride in a jet plane and was subsequently honored by the Aeronautics Association of the United States in 1953.

One year later, Scott became a consultant to the United States Air Force Museum and is credited with helping the institution acquire more than $1,000,000 worth of early aviation artifacts. It's no wonder that — on the 50th anniversary of her first flight — the Antique Airplane Association commemorated her achievements. Today, the transportation industry — UniGroup included — continues to recognize her impressive, impactful contributions.

Transportation engineer Lois Cooper made history in 1953 as the first African American woman to be hired by the California Division of Highways Engineering Department (known today as Caltrans, or the California Department of Transportation.) The first African American woman in California to pass the Professional Engineers (PE) License Exam, and the first woman to direct the First Diamond Lane (the predecessor to carpool lanes), Cooper likewise played a leading role in the Civil Rights Division at Caltrans.

From 1975-76, Cooper served as president of the Los Angeles Council of Black Professional Engineers, helping hundreds of students see themselves in engineering careers. In celebration of Black History Month, we’re learning from Lois’ life and legacy. Her passion to improve both her field and the lives of people around her fueled a remarkable transportation career — and a lasting impact on a new, more diverse generation of engineers.

We’re back at St. Louis Union Station with our Mayflower and United agents. Our agents are spending the next few days networking downtown as well as at our home office and attending breakout sessions focused on this years theme - Our path forward.

Today we’re celebrating the achievements of Frederick McKinley Jones. In the 1930’s, Jones patented the mechanical transport refrigeration unit which made it possible for long haul trucks and railroad cars to transport fresh and frozen foods around the world. Up to that time, all the proposed trailer cooling solutions involved electric refrigeration units that needed to be plugged in.

Because of Fred Jones’ creative and mechanical ideas for the Re**er Trailer, we can enjoy fruits, vegetables and meat from other provinces, states and countries. Pharmaceutical companies can distribute temperature sensitive medicines to mass populations and blood banks can deliver life-saving blood to areas in great need. Not only has this invention helped to better feed the planet, but it has also helped to save and improve the health of people around the world.

This week, we’re sharing the story of William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr. His mark on transportation history was first made in 1975, when President Gerald Ford appointed him Secretary of Transportation. This made Coleman just the second African American to serve in the cabinet. While serving for President Ford, Coleman drafted the first Statement of National Transportation Policy in U.S. history and established the Materials Transportation Bureau to oversee programs for pipeline safety and the shipment of hazardous materials. Coleman also played an instrumental role in the development of Interstate 66, a major highway serving the region surrounding Washington, D.C., and approved federal aid for the section of I-66 between the Capital Beltway and the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge just before stepping down as transportation secretary at the end of Ford’s term in 1977.

In 2021, Congress moved to rename the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) headquarters after William T. Coleman, Jr., the fourth United States Secretary of Transportation and first African American to serve in the position. Renaming the headquarters of the federal department he made history leading is a fitting tribute that will help carry his legacy and the lessons of his leadership into our nation’s future.

In honor of Black History Month, we're highlighting industry-changing figures in transportation. Today, we celebrate Garrett A. Morgan (1877-1963), inventor of the three-position traffic signal. Traffic signals at the time only indicated when to stop and go — but not when the signal was going to change. After witnessing a fatal accident between a horse-drawn trolley and a car, Morgan designed a T-shaped pole with three settings, including a new “caution” signal. Like today’s yellow light, this addition gave drivers and pedestrians time to exit an intersection before traffic proceeded. Morgan’s three-position signal was awarded a patent in 1923 and remains crucial to road safety to this day.

Without the contributions of forward-thinking innovators like Morgan, we would not have the dynamic transportation industry we enjoy today. UniGroup proudly remembers the achievements of Black industry leaders like Morgan — and others you’ll hear about soon — as we celebrate their impact on transportation and American history.

UniGroup Chairman Charles W. McDaniel and President and CEO Jason Mills presented UniGroup's 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award to Gerald P. Stadler at our recent Convention. This award is designed to recognize individuals who have shown unparalleled dedication and extensive leadership within UniGroup and the moving and storage industry.

Over the last 40 years, Gerald has obtained several roles that have shaped the van line network. During his tenure on the Board of Directors, he was elected as the Secretary, Vice Chairman and eventually Chairman due to his leadership, tenacity and dedication to the agency family.

Congratulations, Gerald, and thank you for all you've done!

Gerald P. Stadler of S*M Moving Systems Win UniGroup’s 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award - UniGroup, C.A. ST. LOUIS (Nov. 29, 2022) -- UniGroup, the parent company of United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit, announced the winner of its 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award is Gerald. P Stadler of S*M Moving Systems.

We recently presented our first-ever Household Goods Member of the Year Award to Dodge Moving & Storage - Mayflower. Dodge, located in Earth City, Missouri, was recognized out of more than 200 members at UniGroup's Convention in Huntington Beach, California.

The Household Good Member of the Year award considers the standard measures of excellence such as on-time delivery and also includes factors such as network participation, support and engagement.

We're proud to have Dodge in our agent family!

Dodge Moving and Storage Named UniGroup’s Household Goods Member of the Year - UniGroup, C.A. ST. LOUIS (Nov. 10, 2022) - UniGroup presented its first-ever Household Goods Member of the Year Award to Dodge Moving and Storage.

We recently hosted our first UniGroup Convention in several years. Our agency family gathered to network, discuss the strategic vision and participate in breakout sessions. It was wonderful to see everyone in sunny CA!

Our headquarters smelled like fall this week as team members competed in a chili cook off! Congratulations to Nicol, Scott and Alex for taking home the title of best tasting chili.

Following the Truck Pull we hosted at headquarters, we're proud to announce Mayflower reached 1 million pounds of food donations through their partnership with Move For Hunger. Congratulations to everyone who contributed to this milestone!

Mayflower Reaches 1 Million Pounds of Food Donated Goal   | Mayflower® ST. LOUIS (Nov.

We're proud to share UniGroup was selected as the All-Star Award winner for U.S. Domestic Move Management Services by Altair Global at their sixth annual awards ceremony recognizing supplier partners’ outstanding achievements. Here's what our Executive Vice President of Sales Meghan Meurer had to say:

“On behalf of the UniGroup team and network, we are honored to receive this award from Altair. Altair is a tremendous partner to UniGroup and we are thankful for the opportunity to serve their customers.

Our industry has recently faced several challenges and Altair has continued to proactively reach out and ask how they can help support our supply chain during times of disruption. We continue to be impressed with their willingness to partner with us to offer a best-in-class customer experience. Our dedicated team of agents are at the heart of this award and the recognition is greatly appreciated.”

In honor of Veterans Day, UniGroup was a proud sponsor of the St. Patrick Center's 7th Annual Veterans Day 5K. Members of our team volunteered and ran in the event. Thank you to all the men and women who have served our country.

At the 2022 Worldwide ERC®’s Global Workforce Symposium, Altair Global recognized their supplier partners’ outstanding achievements. We're proud to share UniGroup was selected as the All-Star Award winner for U.S. Domestic Move Management Services.

This award is based on achieving the highest performance results in the areas of customer service, timeliness of delivery, quality of performance, responsiveness, commitment to the customer experience, utilization of innovative solutions and overall performance.

We look forward to our continued partnership.

Altair Global Announces 2022 Supplier Partner Awards Winners — Altair Global […]

Our team members got a little spooky today 🎃 From all of us at UniGroup, have a safe and happy Halloween!

As a co-op ourselves, we're celebrating National Co-op Month! Around the world, cooperatives offer a deep well of resources and services while remaining a valuable cog in a well-functioning economy’s wheel.

https://www.coopmonth.coop/

Our sales team recently traveled to New York to meet with two of our agents, Liberty Moving & Storage and Molloy Bros. Moving & Storage, on Long Island. The team conducted a deep dive of business metrics and strategized for growth in 2023. It's always great to see our agents in person!

We'd like to extend a special thank you and our deepest gratitude to our Customer Care and Operations teams who showcase our core values through their customer service.

They are appreciated all year long, however, this week is dedicated to honoring the commitment and diligence they give to our customers. We truly don’t move without them!

Some of our team members recently attended The Women's Safe House "Back in the Saddle Empowering Women Gala" at The World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park. The mission of the Women's Safe House is to empower women and families to rebuild their lives free of domestic and sexual abuse through emergency services, education and advocacy.

This event was designed to not only raise funds to further the mission of the organization, but to also celebrate the women’s whose lives have been impacted, and their amazing volunteers and corporate partners.