Steve Jordan interviews Jeremy Chandar as his new move management company aims to carve a niche in a competitive world.
Jeremy Chandar, and his wife, Jane, started a new business, Pinewood Relocations, in 2022. As with all new ventures, it was a bold decision but one in which they felt confident making after 30-odd years in the business. But is there room in the industry for another move management company, and what do they feel is unique, or at least different, about the way they do things?
Jeremy has some early experience of relocation from his childhood. He was born in England but his father was from Fiji and his mum was French. When he was a small child they moved to France where they stayed until Jeremy was 12 years old. When the family came back, he remembers clearly the contrast between the Mediterranean sunshine and a somewhat bleak London. “We left Antibes with just a couple of shipping trunks,” he said. “In London it was a dull autumn day, the station was dark, the taxis were black, even the buses were dark red.” He spoke no English and must have wondered what on earth was happening.
For the first year the whole family stayed with an aunt in Hayes. He slept on the floor of a box room. But, just nearby, was Heathrow airport. So, when it came time to find a job, that was the obvious choice - and so came the world of shipping and forwarding. When he was made redundant at just 20 years old, someone suggested he join a moving company. “I didn’t think it would be very stimulating, but I was surprised that it wasn't all men in leather aprons. It was very professional.” The company was Transeuro, and Jeremy was quickly taken under the wing of Tony Squire and Paul Evans. It was here that he met Jane and they were married a year later.
32 years on, and after a few changes of company, most recently with Bournes, Jeremy decided to go it alone. “I looked at the market to work out how a new relocation move management company could slot in among the 5,500 moving and relocation companies in the UK ..."
Photo: Jeremy and Jane Chandar.