Resources to help keep your world moving

It’s a good year to be a Raleigh business. Part of the esteemed Research Triangle, Raleigh has long served as home to a thriving life-sciences sector, cutting-edge technology and top educational institutions. However, during the pandemic, Raleigh’s rapid economic growth has even exceeded that of its Triangle neighbors. Forbes named Raleigh one of the best places for business and careers in the United States — an honor that was no surprise to local employers or employees. Data from 24/7 Wall Street shows the Raleigh-Cary metro area grew by 25.6 percent from 2010 to 2020, exceeding the state growth rate by roughly 14 percentage points. The metro’s median annual household income is around $80,000, compared to North Carolina’s median of $57,341. Raleigh’s gross domestic product has increased by more than 72 percent over the past decade, reaching roughly $95.3 billion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. As Raleigh...

To say business is booming in Dallas would be an understatement. In recent years, Dallas has become a hub of talent and innovation, pulling international headquarters away from locations like Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York. Today, the Dallas-Fort Worth metro is home to 24 Fortune 500 headquarters, according to the Dallas Regional Chamber. It’s also the only region in the United States to host three Fortune 10 companies: AT&T, McKesson and Mobil. Before the pandemic hit, Dallas had already attracted some of the country’s top businesses, such as Kimberly-Clark, Deloitte, Charles Schwab, Liberty Mutual, Toyota, CBRE and more. In 2019, the Dallas Business Journal reported that more than 30 companies were considering relocating to Dallas or expanding their local operations. Then families began moving to the DFW area in droves, and their employers followed suit. In the past year, multinational engineering firm AECOM, global fiber company Alkegen, construction...

It’s no secret that most Americans have more stuff than space. An average household in the United States has 300,000 things, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Times also reports that more than 25 percent of families with two-car garages use them for storage, not cars. Every home represents a lifetime’s worth of belongings. When moving to a new home, most people need extra time and room to get all their belongings from one destination to another. That’s where storage in transit (SIT) comes in handy. Here’s what you need to know about this value-add service before your next relocation. What is storage in transit? Moving companies offer storage in transit as a short-term option for people who need to clear their current home of belongings but aren’t yet prepared to settle into their new residence. Rather than racking up charges with a self-storage unit, you can ask your...

The retail industry is proving its resilience by reporting solid earnings and optimistic outlooks for 2022. Despite supply-chain and inflationary pressures, big-box, wholesale and e-commerce retailers have announced new store openings, growth strategies and shopping experiences. Here are four trends experts are watching in the retail landscape. Brick-and-Mortar Shopping Bounces Back After the pandemic upended the global brick-and-mortar sector, physical stores appear to be making a comeback. Fueled by a seven percent year-over-year rise in retail sales, brick-and-mortar retailers performed better than their online competitors in March 2022 — the first time since COVID-19 emerged, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). The NRF reported that U.S.-based retailers announced plans to open more than 4,000 brick-and-mortar stores in the first quarter of 2022 and close only 635 locations, compared to the 2,100 store closings in the first quarter of 2021. Experts predict a sunny forecast for clothing and apparel stores...

When a commercial-printing company decided to consolidate two locations into a single facility, they knew they needed a moving partner with full-service capabilities, wide-ranging expertise and experienced project managers to stay on time and on budget. They partnered with Armstrong for a more effortless, efficient relocation experience from start to finish. Project Challenges This client has office and warehousing locations around the globe, two of which were only hours apart from each other. The printer wanted to consolidate the two facilities by moving the personnel, storage, equipment, materials and products from one regional site to the other. With extensive experience moving both offices and warehouses, Armstrong was the ideal partner for this undertaking. The project required end-to-end services, from packing desks and pallets to decommissioning the old office and warehouse location. Faced with ongoing supply-chain disruptions, Armstrong leveraged a nationwide network of owned agencies and vetted partners to ensure the...

Server rooms are foundational to the success of many modern businesses. As a hub for Information Technology operations, server rooms keep your most cutting-edge equipment safe and provide efficient networking. When you need to relocate your server room, it’s not as easy as packing up your hardware and driving it over to your new location. Server-room relocations can take six months or more of careful planning, budgeting and coordination. With the right moving partner and procedures, you can ensure a seamless transition that minimizes impact on your team, company and customers. Here are six tips for moving your servers like an expert. Schedule your relocation for after-hours. Prevent downtime for you and your customers by scheduling your move to occur over a long weekend, with servers staying offline from Friday afternoon until Monday morning. Build in time for troubleshooting by planning the relocation to take twice as long as you...

Key Takeaways Retail storage solutions help retailers manage inventory more efficiently and reduce operational costs Outsourcing to a 3PL provides flexible storage capacity during seasonal or unexpected demand shifts Armstrong offers advanced security measures to protect inventory and reduce risk A national 3PL network helps minimize delays and improve fulfillment speed Partnering with Armstrong strengthens customer satisfaction and frees retailers to focus on growth Delays at factories, shipping yards and ports are contributing to rising prices and product shortages, forcing the retail industry to get creative to keep up with orders. Brick-and-mortar and e-commerce retailers have fought to maintain some semblance of normalcy in the supply chain by expanding their warehousing footprints. However, today’s tight industrial market makes building, buying and leasing new warehousing space expensive, inefficient and unproductive. Instead, retailers are increasingly turning to third-party logistics providers (3PL) to deliver short- and long-term storage solutions that reduce overhead costs...

With Atlanta’s booming life-science market and record rates of industry investment, local laboratory facilities are in high demand. Georgia already ranks in the top 15 states for its large population of life-science graduates, and the local life-science workforce will grow by seven percent over the next decade, according to projections by Georgia Power. The demand for lab space in Atlanta is so high that landlords have started to transform office buildings into laboratory facilities in a rush to expand the sector, reported the Atlanta Business Chronicle. For the many institutions moving their labs to the Atlanta metro, finding an expert relocation partner, especially with the Atlanta Northside Hospital Expansion plan underway, is crucial to maintaining the health and integrity of your research. Avoid future obstacles in the moving process by planning for these special considerations and local regulations. Sensitive Equipment Laboratories often have fragile or sensitive equipment that requires complex...

Explosive Huntsville development brings new meaning to the nickname “Rocket City.” Exciting new dining, apartment, shopping and recreation options are popping up all over Huntsville, attracting national headlines and rocketing the city up to No. 1 on the U.S. News & World Report’s prestigious Best Places to Live list. Huntsville is teeming with possibility, and families are taking note. The metro’s high quality of life, low median housing costs and groundbreaking new development make it the perfect relocation destination. One of the city’s most highly anticipated developments is The Orion Amphitheater. This new music venue has the potential to bring even more jobs, families, energy and status to the greater Huntsville area. Here’s what to know about The Orion, its legendary opening and its anticipated impact on Huntsville. Inside The Orion Amphitheater The Orion Amphitheater was an ambitious $40-million project to build an 8,000-capacity outdoor venue in the heart of...

Moving is a big decision, and like any service, there is an unignorable price tag. The process can range anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on your origin location and destination, the weight of your belongings and which services you need. Global trends such as inflation, supply-chain constraints and product pricing can also impact moving costs. Knowing the factors that contribute to the cost of relocating is crucial to developing a budget and getting the most of your dollars. Start building your budget by noting which of the following standard charges may impact your move. Professional Moving Costs Costs for professional movers include the labor, time and fuel charges required to get your belongings from point A to point B. Keep in mind that your professional estimate will likely reflect the current gas prices. Base Moving Fee Contact a professional mover to receive an up-to-date estimate on the...