A long term profitable and invaluable relationship

As a person who was working in the moving industry prior to joining Box Brothers, I became
aware of a trade group that promoted the entire moving industry, in California, the CMSA, or
the California Moving and Storage Association.

I was a senior manager out of graduate school, and the moving firm I was employed at, was
having some issues with the Public Utilities Commission, the agency who regulates movers,
among other industries here in California. I can only tell you that, at that time, we had minimum
rate regulation, that all licensed carriers were not allowed to charge less than the prescribed prices.
I believe Tom Hays, now deceased, was the head of the organization at that time, and my first
chapter meeting was at an Italian Restaurant, Little Joes, in Chinatown.

I will never forget that meeting, as I believe there were a few people from Relocation Systems,
and a few from Bekins and some others. I recall Tom informing those present that the CMSA
medical plan had to, at the time, raise the monthly medical premium from I believe, $58.00 for
a single member, to $69.00 (yes, for an adult)….those present were complaining that Blue Cross
was taking advantage…..if they only could see it now…….

Anyway, I thought that they were going to kill Tom Hays. I don’t know how long these members
were in the bar before dinner, but they did not hold back in anyway. I thought maybe there would
be a brawl or something. I think that was in the early 1980’s, when Mayflower was briefly in the
school bus business and I think Doug Hill was still selling at Beverly Hills Moving & Storage, if
my memory is still working.

Maybe a year or two later, I became Chapter President of the Los Angeles Chapter, and Tom Hays
had moved on, and Doug Hill became the director of the CMSA. I recall going to the CMSA conventions
at the Del Coronado…..many years ago, when I recall former chairman, Armour Smith and Ralph Meyer
as the incoming chairman. I was a rookie, but I know the value of the organization due to the fact that
it was a place where you could sit down with your competitors and your suppliers and talk about ideas
and hear what was going on. I was a good Chapter president and I worked the members for good
attendance. I think Doug was surprised then, but more telling was the fact that while I was serving
as President of the Chapter (I was also the treasurer—since no one volunteered for the job), I took
on a member to handle the treasurer’s job. It was, in fact, our current Chairman of CMSA, Steve
Wittenkamp. I have to apologize to him one more time for the condition of those books…….enough
said on that point.

To me, this story illustrates how people from differing backrounds, can come together to communally
make things better for all industry participants. It is true sometimes, that there are cliques that exist
in groups like the CMSA, and I think that has something to do with organization activities, but you
cannot find a better ally than the CMSA organization, as they are a great resource, a great source
of information and an ally when you have an problem move or shipment.

I was always proud of the fact that Box Brothers is still, 25 years after we started, an operation that
cares about its customers and the service we provide. That is one reason why we align ourselves for
many, many years with the CMSA.

When Box Brothers opened locations out of the state of California, I was able to speak to people in the
moving industry in New Jersey, Florida, and Illinois. They were all impressed with the CMSA and its
magazine and its reputation all over the United States—was simply unparalleled.

There is great value in a relationship with this fine organization. It has been a pleasure to be one of its
long term members. Mark Frydman