United digestAPRIL 2006

The election of the UniGroup Board of Directors and asalute to a retiring Board member highlighted the 2006meeting of UniGroup Shareholders, held at the Hyatt

Regency Hotel in St. Louis’ Union Station in early April.Robert L. Eckhardt of Mayflower

agency All American Moving Services,Denver, Colo., was elected to the UniGroupBoard, filling one of nine two-year termsup for election. He succeeds James H.Alexander from United agency CentralMoving Systems, Waco, Texas, who hadserved as a director for 12 years. Alex-ander has also retired from the Centralagency.

Re-elected to two-year terms wereRaymond W. (Chuck) Mattes, William B.Meyer, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn.; Dan McCol-lister, McCollister’s Transportation Group,Burlington, N.J.; Barry Vaughn, SuddathRelocation Systems, Jacksonville, Fla.; JohnPlanes, Planes Moving & Storage, Cincin-nati, Ohio; Dave Sabada, A-Mrazek MovingSystems, St. Louis, Mo.; Gerry Stadler, S & MMoving Systems, Santa Fe Springs, Calif.;Steve Komorous, King Relocation Services, Santa Fe Springs,

Robert Eckhardt

Calif.; and Tom Andresen, T. E. Andresen, Inc., Salem, Mass.During the Board’s organizational meeting, which followed

the Shareholder vote, the Board’s officers were re-elected toone-year terms: Gerry Stadler was re-elected chairman; Dan

McCollister, vice-chairman; David Corrigan,Corrigan Moving Systems, FarmingtonHills, Mich., secretary; and Steve Herman,AAction Movers, Bismarck, N.D., treasurer. In a joint presentation, Stadler andUniGroup President Rich McClure reviewedUniGroup’s achievements during 2005,along with ideas for “writing new chap-ters” in the story of the company’saccomplishments. Chief Financial OfficerJim Powers presented the year’s financialreport. Special business presentations wereheld in the afternoon covering the 2006peak season and labor background checks,a technology update, and the SAM (Storeand Move) program.

On the afternoon and evening beforethe meeting, Shareholders enjoyed anopen house at UniGroup Headquarters

along with an evening reception.

Shareholders Elect Bob Eckhardt to UniGroup Board of DirectorsJim Alexander Saluted for 12 Years of Board Service

Parks Crew Packages, Ships Large Mural to Italy

The gift of a large mural from CarnegieMellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa., and

other sponsors to the University of Rome(Italy) proved to be a preparation andshipping challenge for Parks Moving &Storage, Cranberry Township, Pa.

The mural, some 160 feet long, con-sisted of 350 canvas panels of differingsizes. Gary Piehler and Terri Brewer ofParks coordinated the project. Crewleader Marty Selby and Tom Stika wrappedeach individual panel and prepared themural for transit. The mural has beeninstalled in a large lecture hall at the

university and completely encircles thewalls of the room.

The mural’s creator, Carnegie Mellonarchitecture professor Douglas Cooper,has created several other large murals forbuildings in the United States.

Cooper and four students spent con-siderable time learning the Italian lan-guage so they could interview Romansabout their recollections of history in theEsquillino region of Rome, near theColosseum. The oral histories were thenreviewed and events culled from them forinclusion in the mural.

Wrapped mural pan-els were secured ina container.

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Good Communication Makes for a Good Peak Season

UniteddigestApril 2006, VOLUME XVI, NO. 4

1 UNITED DRIVEFENTON, MO 63026

(636) 349-2509

E-mail: wayne_king@unigroupinc.com

Wayne King, Editor

United Digest is written, designed, and publishedmonthly by the Corporate Communications Department

and is distributed to all United Van Lines-affiliatedagencies.

Send news items to:UNITED DIGESTCORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPT. (B-28)1 UNITED DRIVEFENTON, MO 63026

FROM CHAIRMAN GERRY STADLER

As we are all aware, peak season is just

around the corner.Projections andpositive economicsigns indicate that

this year will again be strong. Because asolid summer means heavy volume, weneed to make sure that we are preparedfor what lies ahead. I want to share withyou a few reminders about how we canmake this a great peak season for bothour enterprise and our customers.

Communication is one the mostimportant aspects of a successful peakseason. Take a few minutes to remindyour van operators to always call torequest their labor at least 24 hours inadvance. And speaking of labor, don’tforget our initiative of retaining a trained,quality labor force. You should be takingthe time to develop a trained and quali-fied labor pool so your van operatorsaren’t struggling to find someone at thelast moment.

Van availability and ETAs can easily becommunicated by updating order statusin a timely manner into VCOM. Inevitably,

unexpected situations will arise, soconfirm that your agency has provided avalid after-hours emergency contact.

Good communication can’t happen ifour systems aren’t in working order, somake sure that all equipment is checkedand that Maystar/VanStar units areinstalled as required. Also, don’t forgetthat all van operators in UniGroup serviceare required to have a working cell phone.

Handling increased volume takes pre-planning. To improve equipment utiliza-tion and hauling profitability, make sureyour van operators are not deadheadinghome. By always trying to haul a shipmentor automobile on a return trip andmaximizing our fleet capacity, service willimprove for everyone and your haulingexpenses will decrease. On the other hand,don’t overplan your equipment; berealistic as to your van operator’s loadingabilities. If you are in a market that seemsto run short of warehouse space, alertyour area planner when limitations onspace occur. By monitoring your agencyworkflow and hauling obligations, you canmake certain that you fulfill your servicecommitments to your fellow agents andyour customers.

Overflows are another area that needto be addressed. If it becomes apparentthat an overflow will occur, make sure acall is placed to the original planner for acontrol authorization number per the newpolicy. When an overflow occurs, notifythe origin agent and Headquarters im-mediately. Don’t forget that it is also im-portant to speak with the customer regard-ing items that will need to be left behind.

While we all know that accurateestimating is always important, theimportance grows to an even greater levelduring peak season. So from the firstpoint of sale to the delivery of theshipment, make sure all of your agencystaff, including van operators, is familiarwith binding estimate procedures,weighing rules and shuttle responsibili-ties. Also re-emphasize the importance ofnot over-committing. If you set the properexpectation level for the customer,Headquarters and fellow agents, everyoneinvolved will have a positive experience.

By communicating in a timely mannerthroughout the move process, preplan-ning to handle increased volume andother situations, and estimating accu-rately, we can make this a positive andprosperous peak season.

How tall are your tires? Do you get tired a lot?Fourth and fifth grade students at St. Matthew’s Elementary School, St. Paul,Minn., had lots of questions for Driver Dave (van operator Bill Balogh of BallardMoving & Storage, St. Paul) during his recent visit. Mr. Faber’s fourth graders wereespecially interested in how often fuel must be purchased, how many hours DriverDave drives and specific places he had been. The teacher wrote that his class eruptswith cheers when a package from Driver Dave arrives.

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In the Mail✯ Armstrong Relocation, Orlando, Fla.Everyone involved in our move to Floridawas helpful, courteous, respectful and justplain nice. We have moved 11 times in 20years, and this was by far the most satis-fied we’ve been with any moving company.Van operator Jeff Winsett and his crewseemed to take great pride in what theydo. What a fabulous work ethic! Yourcompany should be proud of these hard-working individuals. They truly did makeone of life’s most stressful experiences somuch more tolerable than we ever expect-ed. The crew that unpacked us was equallywonderful. I hope we won’t have to moveagain, but if we do, we know who to call.Linda Carter.

✯ Capitol Moving & Storage, SouthWindsor, Conn. and Conlon MovingSystems, Seekonk, Mass. For our movefrom Rhode Island to North Carolina, wehad decided to get a few estimates fromdifferent companies because we had neverrelocated this far. When Michael Carolla(Conlon) arrived at our home, he greetedus with a very warm and professional de-meanor. I immediately felt that this processwould not be as awful as expected. Mr.Carolla explained everything to us andmade sure we were completely educated.He also thoroughly explained the estimateand how he came to that number. When Icalled to confirm we had chosen United, Ispoke with Laura Davis who was verypleasant and extremely helpful. The men(from Capitol) making the move for uswere van operator Rich Houle, MikeBosner and Sean Garland. During thewhole process we felt very confident thatwe had made the correct choice of United.Overall, our moving experience was a verypleasant one. Stefanie Orton.

✯ Central Transportation Systems, Hous-ton, Texas. This is the third time we havemoved and the first time we have usedUnited. Before we contacted you, we did athorough search among all major movingcompanies, and you and United wereevaluated the best. From our first conver-sation to the final box being unloaded atour new home, I have been very satisfied.Your crew of van operator Paul Rubin,David Lafleur and Ronald Pacely were

professional, courteous and very prudentwith our belongings. Thank you again foryour professionalism. Thad Rispone.

✯ Fry-Wagner Moving & Storage, Lenexa,Kan. I wish getting settled was as easy asour move. Moving back into a house thatwe never moved out of is tricky for us. Wewant to compliment you and your staff forthe friendly and professional service. Vanoperator Mike McDaniel was (and is) thebest. He was very helpful and obviouslycan take everything “in stride” – which is agreat comfort in a stressful situation. Dickand Carol Vermeil.

✯ Hilldrup Moving & Storage, Charlotte,N.C. I wanted to say how incredibly im-pressed and pleased I am with your staffand services. Van operator James Jonesand his co-workers were superb. Theywere a delight to work with and wereextremely professional. Mr. Jones is a greatleader, whose crew wanted to work withand for him. He has solid customer serviceskills, making the customer number one. Iwas equally impressed with his vision andability to meet my needs in packing certainitems for storage and other items for temp-orary living. I also want to recognizecoordinator Paula Timmons. She waspleasant to speak with and met my needswith a wonderful attitude. Kelly Sapp.

✯ Miller Brothers Moving & Storage,South Windham, Conn. I want to mentionhow pleased we were with van operatorPaul Spellman and David Zoboblish whomanaged our move. They went beyondbeing helpful and competent. Their cheer-ful friendliness meant a lot to me. Weremain grateful to all of you. JamesWalworth.

✯ Schroeder Moving Systems, New Berlin,Wis. Not one more day will pass before Isaw how deeply grateful my family is forthe excellent and expert service yourcompany provided to my parents. Our

van operator Bob Messman is an extraor-dinary, exceptional, indeed singularlywonderful man. He is a rare spirit whowove a net of integrity and grace over myparents’ move. Willie Thomsen and CraigBecker energetically and cheerfullyworked to Bob’s exacting standards, allthe while making it look effortless. Thecrew who packed the house was alsoterrific – efficient, focused, careful andcourteous. These employees have earnedour greatest respect by providing thehighest caliber service during the finalphase of an exhausting move. DebraLemonds.

✯ Sullivan Moving & Storage, Vista, Calif.I have moved with my husband in themilitary for over 30 years. This was ourfirst move outside the military system. Ithought I knew what to expect, however Iwas absolutely surprised by the trueprofessionalism, courtesy and total carethat our move was given. Van operatorRalph Carrasco supervised every step ofthe move and it was perfect. His crewincluded Leon Martinez, David Carrasco,Robert Carrasco, Christopher Watts andAnthony Castenada. I have completedunwrapping and found zero glass broken.This is very important to note consideringthat I had 17 dishpacks of very delicateantique glass. Packers were DarrellHalowed, Pat Ugarte and Steve Hernan-dez. Ralph and Anthony did an exceptionaljob with my favorite piece, an antiquearmoire from Switzerland. They made itlook easy and I know it could not possiblyhave been so. I would also like to mentionthat each and every member of the crewslooked me in the eye, smiled and shook myhand before they started to work. Thatmarked every employee in this group assomeone I could trust to do a fine job. Ourcoordinator, Kasee Delgado, and our salesrepresentative, Dave Young, are also to becommended. They did a great job makingsure that all of our needs were met andthat everything went smoothly Megan Boyd.

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United’s Agent of the Month program recognizes those United representatives whohave made especially noteworthy contributions to our system through their profes-sional performance. Agent of the Month winners and runners-up reflect the qualitycommitment that sets United apart from other carriers. We salute them for theirsuccessful efforts in making the quality show in every move we make.

WinnerBATES MOVING & STORAGESalisbury, MarylandSalisbury, MarylandSalisbury, MarylandSalisbury, MarylandSalisbury, Maryland

Bates Is Top Agency in FebruaryAGENT OF THE MONTH

Runners-upCHIPMAN MOVING & STORAGESpokane, WashingtonSpokane, WashingtonSpokane, WashingtonSpokane, WashingtonSpokane, Washington

HILLDRUP MOVING & STORAGEDuncan, South CarolinaDuncan, South CarolinaDuncan, South CarolinaDuncan, South CarolinaDuncan, South Carolina

JACK TREIER MOVING & STORAGELancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster, Pennsylvania

Short Hauls

Hilldrup Van &Storage, Stafford,Va., has announcedpromotions on itsQuality team. LindaRivera has beennamed director ofquality and will headthe Quality andCustomer Assistance department. She waspreviously manager of loss prevention.Scott Caple has been named qualitysystems supervisor and will be responsiblefor the day-to-day tasks of the qualityprograms and supervision of the depart-ment. He was previously loss preventionanalyst. Justin Johnson has been namedcorporate quality labor trainer, respon-sible for ensuring quality services andimplementing the Quality Labor trainingprogram.

Also at Hilldrup, Edwin Lewis hasjoined the company as director of busi-

Linda Rivera Scott Caple

Justin Johnson

ness development inthe Stafford office.He has more thaneight years’ experi-ence in the movingand storage industry.Jeff Salaita hasjoined the companyas director of busi-ness development inthe Greenville, S.C.,office. Salaita hasmore than 11 years’experience in mov-ing and storageservices and specialproducts services.Both men will be

responsible for developing new customerrelationships and maintaining currentpartnerships.

Terry Black has been named vicepresident of corporate sales at MohawkMoving & Storage, Minneapolis, Minn. Hehas more than 20 years’ experience in themoving and storage industry. Alsoannounced was the promotion of DirkStevens to director of business develop-ment. Stevens is an 18-year employee andmost recently worked in the company’ssales division.

Edwin Lewis

Jeff Salaita

Suely D’Andrea Verahas been promotedto general adminis-trative manager atLiberty Moving &Storage, Hauppauge,N.Y. She has been atLiberty for six yearsand has served as

assistant sales manager, claims manager,quality control manager and, mostrecently, customer service manager.

Julie Cobb HonoredBy Habitat for Humanity

The Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) chapter ofHabitat for Humanity recently hon-

ored Julie Cobb, president of SuddathRelocation Systems, Ft. Lauderdale, withits Heart of Habitat award.

Six years ago, Cobb was approachedby Habitat to assist in the opening of the

local Re-Store, ahome improvementstore whoseproceeds help fundHabitat homes.Today her buildingcontinues to ware-house overstockitems for the store,

and Suddath provides transportation fordonated furniture, fixtures and textilessold at the Re-Store. Cobb currently sitson the board of directors for Habitat andserved as board chair from 2003-2005.

Armstrong Relocation,Birmingham, ReceivesAlabama Safety Awards

In the Alabama Trucking Association’srecent announcement of safety awards,

Armstrong Relocation, Birmingham, wasawarded first place in the HouseholdGoods (2005) category and the President’sSafety Award for Zero Accidents in 2005.

The contest compared accident fre-quency per million miles traveled, usingonly accidents that occurred within thestate, divided by miles run in Alabama.Awards were presented for local and long-haul carriers categorized by mileage.

Suely D’Andrea Vera

Julie Cobb