- Top Workplaces
- Gentle Giant Moving Company
Gentle Giant Moving Company
Gentle Giant Moving Company is a nationwide residential and commercial moving company. With regional offices in Massachusetts, California, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Illinois, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington, Gentle Giant offers local, interstate, and international moves. The company has grown to include storage services, packing material delivery through its Box Xpress service, a full art and furniture restoration service through Gentle Giant Restoration and Conservation, and a piano moving division known as Gentle Giant Allston Piano Moving.
Additional Culture Details
When Larry O'Toole founded Gentle Giant Moving Company in 1980, he has a very clear goal to employ enthusiastic, athletic, and focused individuals that would introduce the highest level of customer service to an industry that desperately needed it. The founding principle was that by treating employees exceptionally well, they would in turn treat customers exceptionally well. This has fueled Gentle Giant's growth in to one of the largest independently owned national moving companies.
The company invests heavily in creating a high quality work force that one would expect to find at a 5-star hotel, and then keeping them fulfilled and motivated by creating a supportive and active culture that focuses on health and wellness for every employee. Initiation into the Gentle Giant culture starts at a gallop: New employees run the stairs at Harvard Stadium—all 37 sections—with 65-year-old O'Toole chugging right alongside them. In addition to highlighting fitness, the stadium run allows new employees to demonstrate their fortitude and determination.
The company provides the kind of care for employee's physical and emotional well-being normally given to Olympic athletes (which a few of them are). As a result, they become the kind of high-performing, motivated employees that have given Gentle Giant an unparalleled reputation in the service industry.
The culture of health and wellness at Gentle Giant extends outside of the workplace too. Many employees compete together in athletic events like the Boston Marathon, Spartan Races, softball and rugby leagues, charitable golf outings, and in crews at the Head Of The Charles Regatta. Gentle Giant also has an open door policy that encourages all employees to request funds to participate in these types of events.
Even when an employee moves on from Gentle Giant, we often hear that the GG culture of excellence is with them for life. "The people who have worked at Gentle Giant and performed at the highest level have gone on to greatness in their lives," says O'Toole, who loves to tell stories about successful alums. "The people I know who are great surgeons and great pilots and great scientists were great movers back when they were movers. When they were here, they wanted to be the greatest movers in the world. And they took that attitude out into the rest of their lives."
The company invests heavily in creating a high quality work force that one would expect to find at a 5-star hotel, and then keeping them fulfilled and motivated by creating a supportive and active culture that focuses on health and wellness for every employee. Initiation into the Gentle Giant culture starts at a gallop: New employees run the stairs at Harvard Stadium—all 37 sections—with 65-year-old O'Toole chugging right alongside them. In addition to highlighting fitness, the stadium run allows new employees to demonstrate their fortitude and determination.
The company provides the kind of care for employee's physical and emotional well-being normally given to Olympic athletes (which a few of them are). As a result, they become the kind of high-performing, motivated employees that have given Gentle Giant an unparalleled reputation in the service industry.
The culture of health and wellness at Gentle Giant extends outside of the workplace too. Many employees compete together in athletic events like the Boston Marathon, Spartan Races, softball and rugby leagues, charitable golf outings, and in crews at the Head Of The Charles Regatta. Gentle Giant also has an open door policy that encourages all employees to request funds to participate in these types of events.
Even when an employee moves on from Gentle Giant, we often hear that the GG culture of excellence is with them for life. "The people who have worked at Gentle Giant and performed at the highest level have gone on to greatness in their lives," says O'Toole, who loves to tell stories about successful alums. "The people I know who are great surgeons and great pilots and great scientists were great movers back when they were movers. When they were here, they wanted to be the greatest movers in the world. And they took that attitude out into the rest of their lives."
Recent Awards
2016
2008