Resources to help keep your world moving

Relocating warehouses is no small undertaking. Warehouses are central hubs for business activities, ensuring that supply chains stay efficient and inventory moves quickly on and off the shelves. Moving to a new location can take months — or even years — of preparation, and insufficient planning can lead to wasted time, money and energy. Maximize the efficiency of your move and new space by considering these six factors. Port Accessibility Moving to a warehouse conveniently located near a port can help control drayage costs. When calculating the potential overhead costs of a new warehouse location, take the commute into consideration. A space far away from the nearest port may not be as cost-efficient as it initially appears if it results in steep transportation expenses in the long term. North Carolina offers two deep-water ports in Wilmington and Morehead City in addition to one inland port in Charlotte. The ports boast...

Named the second-fastest-growing metro in the country, Raleigh is becoming one of the top destinations for residential and commercial relocations. Over the past decade, Raleigh has gained more than 260,000 residents, nearly tripling the national growth rate according to Carolina Demography. As the area has boomed, it’s continued to receive national recognition for its high quality of life. U.S. News & World Report recently placed Raleigh at No. 2 on its list of the 2021 Best Places to Live, and Men’s Health named Raleigh the third-happiest city in America. Raleigh’s growth is far from over. In the next 15 years, the region expects to expand by another 125,000 residents. Check out these eight reasons why families and individuals are eager to move to Raleigh. 1. Top-Performing Economy The Raleigh-Cary region has one of the best-performing economies in the country. Known for its growing technology and start-up scene, Raleigh has attracted...

For many business leaders, the most daunting part of relocating an office isn’t the packing or price tag — it’s moving the technology. Information Technology (IT) infrastructure makes up a sizeable part of a company’s annual budget, with the average spend increasing every year. By 2022, companies will be investing more than five percent of their revenues on technology, according to Deloitte. Protecting those investments while relocating can cause pain for even the most well-prepared executives. If you are moving or downsizing your office, you can avoid costly damage to your IT equipment with careful preparation. Here are five tips to drive success in your IT relocation. IT Relocation Tip #1: Notify Your IT Providers Early As soon as you settle on a moving date, call your IT vendors and carriers. Most providers recommend that you notify them at least two months before you relocate so they can prepare to...

Regular upgrades are essential to stay competitive in the hotel industry. Experts used to recommend that hotels refurbish their rooms every six years. Now, some are beginning to advocate for refurbishment after only three years, according to Hotel Magazine. There are two key parts to refurbishing a hotel: upgrading your operating supplies and equipment (OS&E) and freshening up your furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E). Though replacing OS&E may only take weeks, more extensive renovations involving FF&E may take months. Meanwhile, getting a newly-constructed hotel ready for launch can take years. Whether you are giving your rooms a new look or building a hotel from scratch, attempting to manage all of the FF&E logistics in house can put unnecessary strain on your resources and personnel. A relocation partner can alleviate that stress and keep your project on track. Here are five benefits to partnering with a relocation provider for your hotel’s...

Key Takeaways: Office furniture contributes significantly to landfill waste, but disposal doesn’t have to. Businesses in Raleigh, NC have multiple sustainable options beyond dumping furniture. Office furniture decommissioning can include resale, donation, storage, relocation, or recycling. Armstrong provides end-to-end office furniture removal services that prioritize sustainability, compliance, and efficiency. The United States has a problem with furniture waste. The U.S. generated 12.1 million tons of furniture waste in 2018 — 80 percent of which went to a landfill, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Office furniture made up the majority of that waste, accounting for around 8.5 million tons. When you have furniture that you need to toss, looking up your local landfill may seem like the quickest solution. But in doing so, you may be missing out on ways to minimize your impact on the environment while saving some money. Whether downsizing, remodeling, relocating or decommissioning, The Armstrong Company...

There is a lot is at stake when it comes to moving a medical laboratory. Often, the work in your facility is irreplaceable, so there is little room for error. Whether you are growing, downsizing or renovating, your relocation will require a coordinated effort between your staff and your moving partner. Here are 10 tips for ensuring that your relocation goes smoothly: 1. Leave nothing to chance. Many experts estimate that planning to relocate a laboratory facility can take six months or more, so start preparing for your move immediately. Downsizing to a smaller facility will require even further planning to determine what will fit in your new space. The sooner you start planning out your move, the more time your relocation partner will have to accommodate your needs. 2. Open a line of communication with your team. Communicate to your internal team about the relocation and what it will...

If you are loving the work-from-home life, you’re far from alone. A recent survey by JLL found that 66 percent of workers expect to work in a hybrid remote and in-person model once the pandemic fades. Meanwhile, in a Limeade Institute study of more than 1,000 formerly onsite employees, 100 percent said they were anxious about returning to the office. And right now, companies are paying attention. Businesses looking to say farewell to a static space have two main options: fully decommission the office and embrace a remote workforce, or downsize to a smaller office and adopt a hybrid model. If you are torn between the two, here are 10 things to consider when making your decision. 1. Decommissioning provides the most cost-savings. Though both options will save you significant money on overhead costs, decommissioning is the most cost-efficient. By eliminating your office space altogether, you can remove the costs...

Efficient warehousing and logistics are crucial to the success of any business. Without proper management, your inventory would be a mess, and your order fulfillments would be riddled with errors. We’re here to break down everything you need to know about warehousing and logistics, starting with three frequently-asked questions. What are warehousing and logistics, anyway? Warehousing provides the secure storage of raw materials or finished goods, often in an off-site location. While warehousing focuses on storage, logistics focus on flow and the customer experience. Logistics management includes organizing the movement of items in and out of the warehouse according to your customers’ needs. Warehousing and logistics are vital for a successful supply chain, but performing it all in-house can cost you too much time, money and energy. Instead, many businesses have turned to outsourcing for better efficiency and end-to-end visibility. In 2019, a survey of companies found that a whopping...

The year 2020 was record-breaking for the housing market. In December, the National Association of Realtors projected 2020 home sales for the year would total about 5.7 million — the highest level in 14 years. Existing U.S. home sales experienced five straight months of growth last year, according to Reuters, and some experts are already predicting that housing sales in 2021 will outpace 2020 levels. In fact, during the first week of 2021, U.S. long-term mortgage rates reached new record lows. With a booming housing market and about 33 percent of the U.S. workforce still working from home, millions of Americans are moving. However, the pandemic poses unprecedented obstacles to the moving process and you will need to plan accordingly. Here are seven steps you should take to protect yourself when moving in the era of COVID-19: PRIOR TO MOVING DAY: Ask your moving company about its COVID-19 protocols. You...

Are you ready to downsize your office? Since the onset of the pandemic and the broad shift to remote work, many business leaders are now considering cutting down on square footage or keeping their teams remote long-term. You may still want to keep core team members in a physical office and rent comfortable conference meeting space, but if you want to downsize, you’re not alone! Armstrong – Raleigh has years of experience helping corporate teams meet their relocation and space configuration needs all over the Raleigh area, and we have the industry insights to help you get ready for this transition. Here are our tips and tricks for a smooth office downsize. 1. Give yourself time to purge One of the best parts of any move is a fresh start! Give your team a clean slate, free of clutter in your downsized space. Once you remove all the items that...