London-based Top Removals’ Directors, Emil Perushanov and Dimitar Dimitrov, met while working on a Kent fruit farm during their summer vacation from Sophia University in 2001. Since then they have built a successful moving company. Here’s their story. By David Jordan

The two friends kept in touch and, after graduating with degrees in International Business Studies, moved to London where they worked for a major hotel chain. “Working on the front desk during the night was usually fairly quiet so we had plenty of time and energy to plan our first business venture,” said Emil. “We decided to start a carpet cleaning company and soon had enough business to say goodbye to the hotel industry.”

 

The business flourished and the guys soon had over 70 cleaners working all over London doing domestic and commercial cleaning as well as their core business of cleaning carpets.

 

“The cleaning business was doing well, and still is, but several clients had asked us if we could use our vans to help them move house and the idea of starting a removals company was born,” said Dimitar. “We began advertising for experienced removals people and gradually built a first class team of removals professionals to help us develop the business.”

 

Top Removals now has a fleet of six Luton vans – a new 15 ton van will be added shortly - and a staff of 15 people working from its depot in Roding Road in east London, a short distance from the O2 Arena and Canary Wharf.

 

On the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games the company had the opportunity to tender for a large number of moves from tower blocks in nearby Stratford Park. “The local authority phoned us and asked if, as a local removals company, we would like to tender for the work,” said Emil. “When the paperwork came through is was pretty daunting, but with the help of a friend who was an expert in bid writing we completed the documents and sent them off.  To be honest I didn’t hold out too much hope, but a few weeks later we were contacted by the council and told we had won the contract.  It was worth about £150,000 so it really gave us a boost and put us on the map. We’ve had several other local authority jobs since then so the effort of completing the tender and making sure all the council’s requirements were in place has really paid off.”

 

Although Top Removals covers the whole of the UK most of their work is in and around London, the small Luton vans are ideal for working in the congested narrow streets of the capital.

 

“Over the years we’ve developed an extensive knowledge of London and how to deal with the difficulties of working around traffic restrictions and often over enthusiastic traffic wardens,” said Emil. “At first it was quite intimidating, but after a while you just take it in your stride.”

 

Emil and Dimitar are keen to do more work with the trade, especially removals companies from out of town who need to deliver into central London. “It’s almost impossible to use a large removals van in some parts of central London and some vehicles also have to pay the LEZ charge, which all comes off the bottom line,” said Emil. “We’re located just off the A13 close to the junction of the M11 and access to our depot is easy even with a large removals van. We’ll be happy to do the ‘last mile’ delivery and deal with all the hassle, so I hope people will give us a call.  Just one thing, don’t be put off by our Bulgarian accents, you can’t believe everything you read in the papers,” said Emil with a cheery smile.

 

www.topremovals.co.uk

 

Pictures:  From the top - Emil Perushanov & Dimitar Dimitrov; Top Removals at work; The sales and administration team.

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