The before and after, of the Lomita store. See what a face lift can do. Dave Collins with the help from Paul in the Redondo Beach Box Brothers did a great job on changing the whole store. You should be able to see this store from Palos Verdes or even Long Beach. If your ever in the area please stop by and visit Dave the new manager and buy a box or a roll of tape.
Box Brothers, founded in 1985 in So. California, is the industry leader in the sales of moving and shipping services, custom packaging, domestic or international. We offer fine art handling, storage, custom crating, auction fulfillment services, expert packaging and a full repertoire of shipping services, including air & ocean. Less than Truckload (LTL) service. We provide specialized logistical solutions and multi-national corporations. CALL 800-842-6937
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
The new sexy looking Lomita !
The before and after, of the Lomita store. See what a face lift can do. Dave Collins with the help from Paul in the Redondo Beach Box Brothers did a great job on changing the whole store. You should be able to see this store from Palos Verdes or even Long Beach. If your ever in the area please stop by and visit Dave the new manager and buy a box or a roll of tape.
Friday, August 26, 2011
We all need one of these.
Here's a pretty cool Water Massage table with a ticket to Jamaica.
I wouldn't mind having one or the other!
Box Brothers San Leandro
Well here we are, all settled in in San Leandro. We have some small improvements to make, but our retail face is almost complete with a crate-style countertop ready for a retail scale and plenty of flashy signs and displays.
A big improvement from the old West Oakland location, the new San Leandro facility has a sizeable warehouse, office spaces for all our hard working paper pushers, a nice kitchen and washrooms, and rooms for art and high value storage. We also have ample parking and a real loading dock! More to come as we build up this retail space into the pride of the North Bay.
Is the Weather really Causing People to Evacuate New York?
Normally, for those of us in the (retail and commercial) Shipping Industry, discussions of service
interruptions, due to weather, generally fall in at the holiday times. It is not abnormal for winter storms to cause havoc with shipping and travel schedules, due to unforeseen weather events that make traditional forms of transport either unavailable or to dangerous to undertake.
However, it is fairly rare and isolated, that during the latter part of the summer season, or the back to school season, that we are in the midst of our transportation system shutting down,
in large metropolitan areas, such as New York, New Jersey, Boston and Philadelphia, not to mention complete evacuations from all coastal areas of North Carolina.
I have heard reports of warnings, that airlines have already posted likely flight cancellations, which will only spur more cancellations, due to the hub and spoke nature of our transportation system.....if the short hop flight from Boston to New York can't take off, the next flight from New York to California, will get cancelled since the plane is stuck in Boston....and then it is just a game
of domino's, waiting for them to fall.
Same is true for the transportation or commercial transportation system, as I am sure that there will be some transit delays, for LTL shipments, and package shipments, for sure, but I am
of the opinion that the disruptions will be more limited, as the storm is hitting mainly during the weekend, when most commercial trucking operations will be limited, and even more limited on Sunday, when the full brunt of the storm may show up in the most populated areas of New York, Philadelphia and Boston.
Weather delays, are generally excluded from transportation service guarantees, so for anyone reading this blog today, it would be advisable to adjust ones plans if time sensitive shipments
are expected in the next few days and to plan accordingly, as the storm is coming, but with a little planning, firms, like ours, have other ways to effectuate time sensitive shipments, even for storm ravaged areas.....where there is a will, there is a way, and if you need these services, we can show you the way at Box Brothers
interruptions, due to weather, generally fall in at the holiday times. It is not abnormal for winter storms to cause havoc with shipping and travel schedules, due to unforeseen weather events that make traditional forms of transport either unavailable or to dangerous to undertake.
However, it is fairly rare and isolated, that during the latter part of the summer season, or the back to school season, that we are in the midst of our transportation system shutting down,
in large metropolitan areas, such as New York, New Jersey, Boston and Philadelphia, not to mention complete evacuations from all coastal areas of North Carolina.
I have heard reports of warnings, that airlines have already posted likely flight cancellations, which will only spur more cancellations, due to the hub and spoke nature of our transportation system.....if the short hop flight from Boston to New York can't take off, the next flight from New York to California, will get cancelled since the plane is stuck in Boston....and then it is just a game
of domino's, waiting for them to fall.
Same is true for the transportation or commercial transportation system, as I am sure that there will be some transit delays, for LTL shipments, and package shipments, for sure, but I am
of the opinion that the disruptions will be more limited, as the storm is hitting mainly during the weekend, when most commercial trucking operations will be limited, and even more limited on Sunday, when the full brunt of the storm may show up in the most populated areas of New York, Philadelphia and Boston.
Weather delays, are generally excluded from transportation service guarantees, so for anyone reading this blog today, it would be advisable to adjust ones plans if time sensitive shipments
are expected in the next few days and to plan accordingly, as the storm is coming, but with a little planning, firms, like ours, have other ways to effectuate time sensitive shipments, even for storm ravaged areas.....where there is a will, there is a way, and if you need these services, we can show you the way at Box Brothers
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Lovely Las Vegas
Well it has been another very hot week in Las Vegas, but that hasn't changed the way we do business. We got the opportunity to build a crate for a few paintings valued at $250,000 dollars. Let me be the first to tell you that we definitely go above and beyond. Who else do you know that would build a crate outside in the 111 degree heat? Well my thanks go out to Chris Best who since coming back to us has been a great help to have around especially when it's time to crate. Also another pretty neat thing to come our way was a hand crafted stealth plane model. We were able to pack and ship it for the client when a few of our competitors were unable to. It's funny how often we hear that. Speaking of that, we were also able to help a client who did not like the company she originally hired to move her hand crafted dresser to Hawaii by retrieving her items from them and taking care of the packaging and shipping to ease her mind. It goes to show you that how you talk to and treat a customer goes a long way. I hope everyone is having a great week and enjoying temperatures under the 100's.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
life can throw you some curve balls
Sometimes, life can throw you some curve balls. Once the pitcher releases his pitch,
a batter has two choices, really, to try to hit it, or to let it go.
I have been thinking, that life is a little like that. This past week, I went to two funerals, loaded
with emotion. I had to say goodbye to my 92 year old aunt Goldie, probably the closest relative
I have known in my life, my late father's sister. The other funeral was for a very close friend's
mother.
It may sound weird, but neither of these funerals were tragic in the strict sense of the word,
but more like sessions on life and how people live their lives.
My aunt, as long as I have known her, has a tatto, on her arm; it was a number the Nazi's put
on her arm to number her when she entered the concentration camp, Aushwitz. She was a Survivor, of some of the worst horrors of the 20th Century. She survived the camp, saved her
younger sister there and went on to mother two daughter and a full wonderful life.
My friend's mother, who I had known a little, had lived a remarkable life, herself. More than one person eulogized her as never having heard her ever utter a bad word about any other person her entire life. I do not think they were stretching the truth, by any means.
I was struck and mesmerized by the life stories of these women and all the people who gave tribute to both of them. So how does this relate to Box Brothers and our business? Good question.
Each and every day, we interact with other people, fellow co workers, vendors and of course,
customers. Sometimes, we get the chance to really help people both our fellow employees
and sometimes, customers who are trying to get some important things done.
It makes all the difference to be able to treat people with respect and with admiration, and to be
able to say you did a good job, at the end of a day of work. To take some satisfaction outof the little things we do to help our customers live a little better life. If it means packign a box for a customer in order to make it on the truck that day, so their package is on time for the birthday
they are trying to recognize. Or for the prospective employee, who needs his resume delivered
the next day, so he can find some work and support his family, or for our employees who get
caught with a sudden expense that they did not anticipate.
I have never turned down an employee who needs money for rent or food or for an important
need. They are my family and I hope they know that I will do whatever I can to protect them.
It is one of the reasons that I love my job, that I can actually help my customers and my employees to just have one less worry in the world. It may not sound like much, but if everyone
felt the same way, it would be hard not imagine a better world for all of us.
The loss of loved ones is signficant, but I do believe that the lessons of their lives will help me be a better person, for not only knowing them, but understanding that day by day, little by little, one's actions do mean something and they add up.
I have learned much and I hope to learn and do even more, in the future.
a batter has two choices, really, to try to hit it, or to let it go.
I have been thinking, that life is a little like that. This past week, I went to two funerals, loaded
with emotion. I had to say goodbye to my 92 year old aunt Goldie, probably the closest relative
I have known in my life, my late father's sister. The other funeral was for a very close friend's
mother.
It may sound weird, but neither of these funerals were tragic in the strict sense of the word,
but more like sessions on life and how people live their lives.
My aunt, as long as I have known her, has a tatto, on her arm; it was a number the Nazi's put
on her arm to number her when she entered the concentration camp, Aushwitz. She was a Survivor, of some of the worst horrors of the 20th Century. She survived the camp, saved her
younger sister there and went on to mother two daughter and a full wonderful life.
My friend's mother, who I had known a little, had lived a remarkable life, herself. More than one person eulogized her as never having heard her ever utter a bad word about any other person her entire life. I do not think they were stretching the truth, by any means.
I was struck and mesmerized by the life stories of these women and all the people who gave tribute to both of them. So how does this relate to Box Brothers and our business? Good question.
Each and every day, we interact with other people, fellow co workers, vendors and of course,
customers. Sometimes, we get the chance to really help people both our fellow employees
and sometimes, customers who are trying to get some important things done.
It makes all the difference to be able to treat people with respect and with admiration, and to be
able to say you did a good job, at the end of a day of work. To take some satisfaction outof the little things we do to help our customers live a little better life. If it means packign a box for a customer in order to make it on the truck that day, so their package is on time for the birthday
they are trying to recognize. Or for the prospective employee, who needs his resume delivered
the next day, so he can find some work and support his family, or for our employees who get
caught with a sudden expense that they did not anticipate.
I have never turned down an employee who needs money for rent or food or for an important
need. They are my family and I hope they know that I will do whatever I can to protect them.
It is one of the reasons that I love my job, that I can actually help my customers and my employees to just have one less worry in the world. It may not sound like much, but if everyone
felt the same way, it would be hard not imagine a better world for all of us.
The loss of loved ones is signficant, but I do believe that the lessons of their lives will help me be a better person, for not only knowing them, but understanding that day by day, little by little, one's actions do mean something and they add up.
I have learned much and I hope to learn and do even more, in the future.
Box Bros. West Hollywood Impressed Me!
I am writing to express how impressed I am with Box Bros., and specifically David, your West Hollywood store manager. He recently helped me ship a piece of artwork on 8/18 - his professionalism, personality, and genuine willingness to get the job done efficiently and most cost effectively was so appreciated. It's rare to receive the type of excellent customer service that David provided and certainly makes me wish we had Box Bros. locations in North Carolina! I have already recommended your store to all my Los Angeles friends.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Brian at Box Brothers Westwood.
Hello,
My name is Sherry and I am a long time customer of Yelp - Box Brothers in Westwood, I want to write to you about Bryan, the Manager of this location, he has always been nice, professional, helpfull and knowlegable with a million dollar smile.
I want you to know that I do appreciate the way he is handling this business and its customers and to say thank you in a more official way. I keep taking my business there, and I hope he gets more appreciation from his other customers as well as his management.
Sincerely,
Todays Pick up in Thousand Oaks
Hi Steve,
I am so happy with the service I received on today's pick up at our house in Thousand Oaks. Louie and Rick were great to work with and made the process flawless. I've moved our entire house 6 times around the country in the last 12 years so I have a lot of experience with large corporate moves using large moving companies. Your company is at the top of my list!
I look forward to the delivery in San Francisco at the end of the month.
Thanks again,
L.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Staying Busy In Las Vegas
We have been staying busy in Las Vegas this week. The beginning of the week started with a 4500 pound shipment of high end furniture to be shipped to Maine. The crew packed three lift vans to the top and still had to load a pallet to finish the job. The new Cosmopolitan hotel knows who to call for their guests' specialty packing and shipping. We received a call this morning to pick up the top of a wedding cake and overnight air service it to Ohio. As we were finishing the cake some frogs needed help getting shipped to Alaska, so we packed them and sent them on their way. We still have a few weeks until the summer ends, but the heat has been falling. I consider it a good week in August when it is only 105 degrees in the alley. We had plenty of pickups on the strip all week at the, Wynn,Cesar's,MGM,New York New York Mandalay,Hard Rock,Palms, and more....shipping to Texas,Shipping NYC,Shipping to Fla. and international shipping.
Friday, August 12, 2011
It's Still Summer But It's Not So Hot.......
If you have been following my recent blog entries, perhaps you noticed the continuing theme of seasonality and how it plays out for those of us in the Household Goods Segment of the Transportation Industry. Or Moving, to put it bluntly. Of Course, at Box Brothers, our service capabilities include activities broader than general household moving, (fine art handling, antique packaging and shipping, museum quality crating, customized packaging, custom and stock boxes, customized food shipping boxes), as nothing we do at Box Brothers is normal, as we work for our customers and everything we do for them is our immediate priority.
But back to the theme of this blog, "...still summer, but its not so hot..", it seems that our nation and our world, had one hell of financial ride, courtesy of our financial markets: stocks dropped
500 points and then went up 450 points, or it went down 600 and went up 500, and the same thing happened all over European markets and in the Asian markets, too. Gold went to new record highs, and oil even came down a bit (actually the oil guys were away on vacation and got
caught not driving the price of fuel up, artificially, but they are back now--oil went up the last two days..no rest for the wicked I guess....).
For those of us in this business, we had hoped for a traditional summer full of business activity above the norm, till September). However, as reported earlier, business has just largely stopped. Even traffic seemed less on the roads. Like they took the wind out of the sails....the boats were listless. A sense of dread came over the small business community, as the reality
of the rigors of this economy and the preceding recession, seemed to have returned.
I was talking to a friend just today, and he told me about the most unusual experience he had yesterday. He went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner yesterday, and not only was there no
wait, at peak dinner time, but the whole restaurant was empty. I asked if he was not having a dream......then I hear another story, one for the ages, ask me, that someone told me that they went to this nation's largest bank, Bank America, and for the whole banking day yesterday, all of their banking servers were down....and you could make a deposit yesterday, but you could not withdraw a dime, even if you had 10 million dollars in an active account at Bank America,
8/11/11.
Now lets think about this for a minute. The world's largest bank is saying its computers are down on the same day its stock hits an all time low......and you cannot withdraw your own money.....well, thank goodness that everything was fine today at the Bank, and today, the stock
market did not go down 500 points, but went up 125, so that is a good thing.
I am hopeful, that the economy can regain its footing and that these tremors can give way to better times. For those of us who have been trying to survive and persevere, it is not such a good feeling to see a slowdown, but I am going to be an optimist and believe that the best of times are a head, and for us, at Box Brothers, we will be ready, as that is how we roll, even if it is downhill......Have a great weekend.
But back to the theme of this blog, "...still summer, but its not so hot..", it seems that our nation and our world, had one hell of financial ride, courtesy of our financial markets: stocks dropped
500 points and then went up 450 points, or it went down 600 and went up 500, and the same thing happened all over European markets and in the Asian markets, too. Gold went to new record highs, and oil even came down a bit (actually the oil guys were away on vacation and got
caught not driving the price of fuel up, artificially, but they are back now--oil went up the last two days..no rest for the wicked I guess....).
For those of us in this business, we had hoped for a traditional summer full of business activity above the norm, till September). However, as reported earlier, business has just largely stopped. Even traffic seemed less on the roads. Like they took the wind out of the sails....the boats were listless. A sense of dread came over the small business community, as the reality
of the rigors of this economy and the preceding recession, seemed to have returned.
I was talking to a friend just today, and he told me about the most unusual experience he had yesterday. He went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner yesterday, and not only was there no
wait, at peak dinner time, but the whole restaurant was empty. I asked if he was not having a dream......then I hear another story, one for the ages, ask me, that someone told me that they went to this nation's largest bank, Bank America, and for the whole banking day yesterday, all of their banking servers were down....and you could make a deposit yesterday, but you could not withdraw a dime, even if you had 10 million dollars in an active account at Bank America,
8/11/11.
Now lets think about this for a minute. The world's largest bank is saying its computers are down on the same day its stock hits an all time low......and you cannot withdraw your own money.....well, thank goodness that everything was fine today at the Bank, and today, the stock
market did not go down 500 points, but went up 125, so that is a good thing.
I am hopeful, that the economy can regain its footing and that these tremors can give way to better times. For those of us who have been trying to survive and persevere, it is not such a good feeling to see a slowdown, but I am going to be an optimist and believe that the best of times are a head, and for us, at Box Brothers, we will be ready, as that is how we roll, even if it is downhill......Have a great weekend.
Friday, August 5, 2011
If Summer is Over...why is it still hot????
I have written in this blog numerous times about the seasonality of the Moving and Shipping
business, which is a large part of what we do at Box Brothers.
As few as 60 days ago, all hell seemed to break loose, after a few years of dismal not seasonal
summer months, for everyone in the Moving/Shipping Business. Things were said, like, we did
not have a summer, and to be frank, this industry shrank. More long haul drivers left the business, more retailers closed up shop, other firms consolidated and still, true to form, about
20% of the rest continued to lie about their results. One would think that misery would love company....but there is always some in a group who need to outshine the others, and they try to make the rest of think that maybe it is just us who is slow.
My vendors do that. They come to me and let me know that their sources, indicate, a busy month, for August. After all, for those of us on the west coast, due to the heat and tradition, most of our schools and universities, do not resume the fall schedule until after Labor Day.
Well, it is only the 5th of August, but every single mover from San Francisco to Los Angeles,
to Las Vegas, is slow. Same song....the phones are not ringing. Can you name this tune........
a big hit from 2009 and 2010: where did our summer go.........no no no no no no no more......
It is amazing and all kidding aside, it is hard to believe that the moving and shipping season seems to have come to a halt, for those of us in it. Of course, there are exceptions or pockets of
areas that seem to counter the overall flow, but it is a vivid reminder of how bad this economy is and how much people feel scared to spend.
I know that is how I feel at times, I always tend to second guess purchases, due to the fact that
no one can really say what the next six months will bring. And every day there is a mixed or bad signal, like the recent losing streak on Wall Street, that is really scary, as they used to say that the stock market is a bellwether indicator of what is going to take place in the next 3 to 6 months. Who can say for sure, as every week these guys (guru's???) tell a darn different story.
I was just getting excited to learn that we are going to have both college and pro football seasons,
with all their glory, and then we get kicked in the gut, reminding us that the struggle for survival is now on again, just like it was prior to June. We all need to get in gear and remember that no matter how tough things get, the ones with the best teams, always win, and for the last 26 years,
I am proud to say that there is no better company to take care of your moving and shipping needs like the Box Brothers Family, both in good and difficult times.
And don't worry, there has to be a number of procrastinators out there who did not get done what they need to get done and we will be waiting and ready to service them, in this heat.
O'h well, summer is almost over. Bring on the fall....
business, which is a large part of what we do at Box Brothers.
As few as 60 days ago, all hell seemed to break loose, after a few years of dismal not seasonal
summer months, for everyone in the Moving/Shipping Business. Things were said, like, we did
not have a summer, and to be frank, this industry shrank. More long haul drivers left the business, more retailers closed up shop, other firms consolidated and still, true to form, about
20% of the rest continued to lie about their results. One would think that misery would love company....but there is always some in a group who need to outshine the others, and they try to make the rest of think that maybe it is just us who is slow.
My vendors do that. They come to me and let me know that their sources, indicate, a busy month, for August. After all, for those of us on the west coast, due to the heat and tradition, most of our schools and universities, do not resume the fall schedule until after Labor Day.
Well, it is only the 5th of August, but every single mover from San Francisco to Los Angeles,
to Las Vegas, is slow. Same song....the phones are not ringing. Can you name this tune........
a big hit from 2009 and 2010: where did our summer go.........no no no no no no no more......
It is amazing and all kidding aside, it is hard to believe that the moving and shipping season seems to have come to a halt, for those of us in it. Of course, there are exceptions or pockets of
areas that seem to counter the overall flow, but it is a vivid reminder of how bad this economy is and how much people feel scared to spend.
I know that is how I feel at times, I always tend to second guess purchases, due to the fact that
no one can really say what the next six months will bring. And every day there is a mixed or bad signal, like the recent losing streak on Wall Street, that is really scary, as they used to say that the stock market is a bellwether indicator of what is going to take place in the next 3 to 6 months. Who can say for sure, as every week these guys (guru's???) tell a darn different story.
I was just getting excited to learn that we are going to have both college and pro football seasons,
with all their glory, and then we get kicked in the gut, reminding us that the struggle for survival is now on again, just like it was prior to June. We all need to get in gear and remember that no matter how tough things get, the ones with the best teams, always win, and for the last 26 years,
I am proud to say that there is no better company to take care of your moving and shipping needs like the Box Brothers Family, both in good and difficult times.
And don't worry, there has to be a number of procrastinators out there who did not get done what they need to get done and we will be waiting and ready to service them, in this heat.
O'h well, summer is almost over. Bring on the fall....
Monday, August 1, 2011
What I don't understand about YELP....They removed or filter and it's all legit reviews!!!
Santa Monica, CA
Ray at Box Bros in Santa Monica is my absolute go-to specialist for precise and light art packing.
He is a very skilled professional, and I completely trust him to tackle any size shape or variant of art that I bring him.
He is a please to deal with, and always makes me feel like he has/ I have the best pack job at an amazing price too.
Ask for Ray!
Los Angeles, CA
Ray is the best in the biz...! Have something fragile, precious or valuable? Ray's the man to take extra care to skillfully pack and ship the most delicate items. I'm in the art business and everything sent is fragile and valuable. I trust Ray completely to take extra precaution to see that my products get to their destination without incident. Ray is the best!!
Santa Monica, CA
While I might be new to Yelp, I am certainly no stranger to the Santa Monica Box Bros. outfit. To sum them up, I think Christopher Walken said it best when yelling "WOWZI-WOW-WOW!". Hands down, you cannot find a more pro & friendly team to package and ship your things. The only business I would entrust with my items to be handled without standing next to them. Drop off and pick up later: never been a problem. Top shelf and Ray is as good as it gets: fast, friendly (well, not to me, but in general) and, funny guy that he is, always good for a laugh. Simply doesn't get any better than this. Thanks guys & no worries: I'll pester you again soon enough.....
Los Angeles, CA
Thank you Ray for helping me get my package to the correct address!
Long story short I was given wrong mailing address and it delivered. Ray was able to get the package retrieved and delivered to the correct address within that same week! He even followed up with me during the process. Great, fast, efficient service. I was wrong and they made it right.
Santa Monica, CA
I bought an expensive guitar in Santa Monica on my last day of holidays...
The music guy said I should box the guitar because airlines tend to smash
nice things... he gave me Ray's number and I contacted him, his advice and help was fantastic [I had my boxed guitar within 2 hrs]
Flew 20 hrs home to Perth, Australia and not a scratch or a mark on the
guitar or the case!
Thanks Ray....."good on ya"
Marty Braine
Perth, Australia
Los Angeles, CA
Ray at box brothers was incredibly helpful to me today. I a rush i needed 18 flat boxes shipped to my boss in a hotel in Boston. he was very knowledgeable about the products that he carries, knew exactly how to help me. He took out all the guess work, math and measuring. My boss had VERY specific needs (don't they always??) that did't 'fit' the standard box sizes. Ray didn't hesitate- he knew just what to do. He held his ground pick up driver so my order could be rushed out tonight and even threw in some tape!
with out ray i would have an angry boss in a Boston hotel with no giant boxes. I will CERTAINLY be using Ray for all my shipping, boxing, packing needs from now on. he made what could have been a huge headache for me- into a breeze!
Los Angeles, CA
This is a great place. The guys are helpful, nice, and try to do what you want at the best possible price. They offer both UPs and Fedex. They email you the tracking number which makes life much easier. I highly reccommend them. Parking in back, and there's always streetside spaces anyway.
Santa Monica, CA
Box Brothers has been AMAZING in helping me move the family I work for. I've been going in almost daily for boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, tape, tape guns...everything!
They always have exactly what I'm looking for (and at reasonable prices) and have super nice and helpful. They make suggestions on what I need and how much and have always been totally accurate.
And BONUS!! they have ample parking in the back and even load my car for me!
Los Angeles, CA
These guys are the best - courteous, helpful and nice to deal with.
I've moved a lot over the years and often these places are dicey at best - the clerks act like they couldn't care less, the stock sucks, and the prices can be rediculous unless you buy a truckload of boxes and tape.
Not the case here with Box Bros. - at least in the Santa Monica store.
I would certainly come back when I need them and recommend them to others. They are good people.
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