IOWA CITY — Eric Jones didn't set out to run a moving company. That opportunity just fell into his lap.
Jones, 52, moved to Iowa City for the nonfiction writing program after working as a high school English teacher and coach. When he finished that program, he knew he didn't want to go back to his teaching job, so he was wondering what to do next.
“A guy I lived with started a moving company that just rented truck loading and unloading services,” Jones said. “He hadn't done anything with the business for the last two years. …He said I could advertise, get a cell phone and start moving furniture. I changed jobs. I had never done it before and had no experience in the industry. But it's what I did.”
That was over 20 years ago, and it literally seems like the decision was the right thing to do.
Jones currently co-owns Adamantine Spine Moving with his business partner, history major Bill Hawk of Mount Vernon. (“Adamantine” means that the hardness and luster are similar to diamond.)
The company serves customers in the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids areas and also has a location in Des Moines with two co-owners.
Nursing care and moving
When Jones entered the moving business, she was working as a nursing assistant in the burn unit at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
“There are actually many similarities between caregiving and transportation,” he said. “Both are really intimate professions. You're meeting people who are in a period of change and transformation…and you have to treat that vulnerability with respect and kindness and consideration.
“In both jobs, people are incredibly grateful. Sometimes I get hugs in the hospital, sometimes I get hugs on the road.”
As the moving business grew, Jones transitioned to full-time work and brought on a partner, Hawk, around 2005. “He was a farm kid, just a good guy, and he was able to do a lot of things. So we partnered and we grew the business.”
In the early days, he and Hawk acted more as workers than owners.
“We used to drive around in trucks and do sales and everything. It's only been in the last four or five years that we've really stopped moving around in trucks.”
sustainability, travel
Jones said there are two approaches that set Adamantine Spine Moving apart from other companies.
“We pride ourselves on our commitment to sustainability,” he said. “Our warehouse is covered in solar panels. It's about 10,000 square feet, but it costs probably a few thousand dollars a year to heat, cool, and light it.
“We also use recycled agricultural biodiesel to run our trucks. It's delivered to our warehouse where we have tanks on site. I think that's what makes us so unique. .”
“But the really big thing that makes us unique is that I haven’t seen any other small moving company in the country that does so many long-distance jobs in the first place.” said Jones. “One of the best things about this job is that you get paid to travel. …Trucking is a fascinating and very diverse world.”
Half of the company's revenue comes from long-distance work, primarily because Iowa City and Des Moines are, to some extent, “places where people come and go temporarily. You might get trained there and then go to the coast. …We run a tractor-trailer business, which most small mommy companies don't.”
“Making people happy”
Over the years, the company has developed specialized areas such as senior citizen relocation, art and antiques relocation, piano relocation, and vehicle relocation. We also provide packing and storage services.
“I love making people happy,” Jones said of his job. “I think our job is more like a date than a marriage. … We have to put on our best faces and butts for our customers, be really polite, and go the extra mile.”
He also said, “It's great to be physically active and use your body to serve others.” It's great that they appreciate your work. ”
Of course, challenges arise.
“People's individual situations are so complex that every movement is custom-made,” Jones says. “They want us to move their bed at the last minute, they don’t want us to touch their office, or they want us to store their belongings for a week before they move into their new home.
“And then you multiply that by 2,000 or 2,500 movements a year and try to make everything work efficiently. It's a never-ending challenge, but surprisingly, most people are almost always happy at the end of it.” It becomes.”
busy summer
The company grows to about 55 employees during the off-season, then doubles in size during the busy season from May to August.
Jones now spends most of his time working on the business side, thinking about systems and processes.
He said he and his partners want to grow the business' revenue from $6 million to $12 million.
“The growth of the business now depends on me and the other owners' personal and professional growth,” he said, adding that he is working to increase transparency with employees to foster a spirit of ownership. He pointed out that the company has introduced open book management.
“That requires more cooperation, more organizational skills, more clarity and better meetings,” he said. “Those things we didn't have before, and now we have the time to do that design level of work.
“And I was able to participate in a lot of coaching and leadership groups that helped us work on our vision and values. It was interesting. We are a 22-year-old company, but We're kind of in the teenage life stage in terms of our professional organization.”
Do you know a business that should consider implementing the “My Biz” feature? Email us at mary.sharp@thegazette.com.
Adamantine spine movement
owner: Eric Jones, Bill Hawk
address: 656 S. Governor St., Iowa City
phone: (319) 519-4564
Website: https://spinemoving.com/