Fourth generation family removals company P.W. Archer & Son has won the prestigious BAR (British Association of Movers) Commercial Mover of the Year award 2022.

This was the first time the North Yorkshire-based company - which celebrated its centenary in 2020 - had entered the competition, having only joined the Commercial Moving Group (CMG) in 2019.

“The news that we’d won came out of the blue,” said Director Geoff Archer. “You don’t really expect to win, especially when you know you’re up against the big boys in the industry. It was all a bit humbling.”

The Commercial Mover of the Year competition is very much about the quality of service, rather than the size of the jobs the companies perform, so everyone has a chance to shine.

“Most of our commercial moves are small; the local solicitors for example, or a business that wants a couple of desks moving to a new office,” explained Geoff. “That’s not to say we don’t take on bigger jobs as well. During the pandemic we set up three vaccine centres in Northallerton and recently moved a full school with around 700 pupils.  One of our more unusual jobs was moving steel bogie wheels and locomotive parts for the Sir Nigel Gresley restoration at the National Railway Museum using our lorry-mounted crane.”

To enter the competition entrants are required to present three case studies of recent moves to a judging panel appointed by BAR, comprising three senior members of the industry.  Each judge individually contacts the customer and askes the same nine questions about the move, awarding points for each answer in line with the judging criteria. Out of a possible 300 points Archers scored an impressive 296, not surprisingly putting them in first place. 

“I think in some ways being a small company gives us an advantage because we’re very hands on,” said Geoff. “I do the project management and attend the pre-move meetings myself and we have a maximum of ten porters working on a move.  I think our customers feel they are more in touch with the shop floor, so to speak.”

Geoff believes that being a member of BAR and the CMG gives his company a distinct advantage when pitching for business. “It’s all about credibility and reassuring the customer, especially on the commercial side where people are accountable for their decisions,” said Geoff.  "Being a member of BAR’s CMG, along with our five ISO accreditations, means that our customers can tick a lot of the boxes knowing that the company they’re appointing meets the highest standards and doesn’t just have a van with commercial movers on the side.  As time goes on, I think that will become even more important.”

Needless to say, everyone at Archers is proud and delighted to have won CMG Mover of the Year 2022 and is looking forward to a special celebration dinner to mark the occasion.

“Our centenary was back in 2020 during the first lockdown, so there wasn’t much to celebrate. This is a fitting time to make up for that disappointment and to thank our loyal workforce for all the hard work they’ve done to win this award,” said Geoff.

Photo: Geoff Archer, Director, P.W. Archer & Son