More than 15 years ago, Christine Crum felt like receiving her business license from the R.I. Division of Public Utilities and Carriers to own her own moving and storage company was a difficult hurdle.
“I had a whole room full of men that came to contest me,” Crum said her of license hearing. “I never felt like a minority of sorts until then. And I was bracing myself for them to throw tomatoes at me.”
But when she obtained her license, Gentry Moving and Storage was born, and “took off running.” Now she owns one of the only woman-owned and -operated moving businesses in Rhode Island.
Crum and her team in Cranston have weathered storms that many other companies have fallen under – from the 2008 housing market crash to the most recent economic havoc that the novel coronavirus has caused.
“When the market is great, we are here to move everyone in,” said Crum. “When the market isn’t so great, we are here to move everyone out. We really got our feet wet with evictions during the 2008 recession.”
COVID-19 has been an entirely different animal, but Crum said she is keeping up by maintaining her strong reputation. Unlike in 2004, it helps to be a woman in such a male-saturated industry, she said.
“I’m very aware of the fact that most times when a move is taking place and things are getting packed, it’s a woman that’s there and possibly with kids. She’s making the calls to these companies and wants to hear more than the basic questions,” said Crum.
Beyond the “basics” means more than the date of the move, starting and endpoints, and budget information, said Crum, who helps individuals and families with long-distance moves as far away as Chicago and local moves as close as another unit in the same building.
Crum also outfits her moving crew in matching uniforms of collared shirts, khakis and matching jackets to keep them neat and professional when going into clients’ homes. Her employees also undergo background checks.
Aside from residential moving, the company offers services in commercial and business relocation, storage and furniture installation, like many other companies in the industry in Rhode Island. However, one of Gentry’s niche divisions is its Seniors-on-the-Move program, which specializes in helping aging populations downsize to communal living facilities, in-law apartments or smaller spaces.
“We just have a little bit more empathy and compassion for what people are going through,” said Nancy Garcia, the operations director of Gentry.
In addition to move-in assistance, Gentry’s senior program also helps with spatial planning, furniture selection and placement, as well as packing and unpacking services. The all-in-one package of Gentry managing the move, Crum said, eliminates much of the stress that is usually put on seniors’ family members.
Crum and Garcia said it’s their favorite part of the business.
“The small details matter, especially working with seniors. They require a lot of patience and our willingness to take that time is what makes us special,” said Garcia.
Looking back, Crum said she had a lot stacked against her in 2004, looking to be the only woman in Rhode Island to own a moving and storage company. Since then, she said it might be what has made her so successful.
OWNER: Christine Crum
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Moving and storage company
LOCATION: 1425 Cranston St., Cranston
EMPLOYEES: 25
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2004
ANNUAL SALES: $2 million-$3 million
Alexa Gagosz is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Gagosz@PBN.com.
