By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Shawn Murrey is a go-getter who is ready to move mountains, or at least couches, dressers, boxes or anything that needs to be moved.
As owner of Murrey’s Movers, the only moving service currently based in Bowling Green, Murrey is eager to provide stress-free moving experiences. He combines his desire to provide quality services with an entrepreneurial spirit in his first business venture.
The company specializes is loading, unloading, packing, junk removal and all labor jobs, he said.
The 2017 University of Toledo graduate has several years under his belt as a moving contractor for moving companies in California. He also brings 12 years of discipline as a wrestler, first at Central Catholic High School and later at University of Toledo, where he was a four-time National Collegiate Wrestling Association qualifier.
It’s that wrestler’s mindset that gives him the can-do attitude, he said. “When I was wrestling, I might have been down two points, but I was determined to find a way to get it done and win.”
He was born in California but moved to Toledo with his single mother and five siblings. Even as a young child, attitude and ambition have always been a part of his life. He recalled that on Halloween nights, he would trick-or-treat with family and friends, and while they filled their bags with candy, he wrote down addresses of houses that might need help with raking or shoveling. He would go back the next day and ask if they wanted help.
“I saw the opportunity in everything,” he said.
After graduating from college, he thought opportunity might be better in his birth state, so he and his girlfriend, Bowling Green native Kylie Ladd, moved to California. He tried his people skills selling insurance door-to-door, but in 2020 COVID-19 shut the door on that opportunity.
“Think about going door-to-door and no one wanted you to come to their house. It wasn’t working. Insurance is a personal, face-to-face business, so I took a step back from that,” he said.
He signed on as an independent contractor with three moving companies in California. The companies trained him on the best practices for packing, loading and unloading. He was working 10 to 12-hour days, and Ladd had moved back to Bowling Green.
“I was working for the companies, but when I came to the houses, it was Shawn who was making the connections, it wasn’t the company. I had testimonials from clients who said, ‘Shawn made sure everything was wrapped properly. Shawn stayed an extra three hours because I forgot about the garage, but he still made it happen for us,’” he said.
In 2021, Murrey moved back to Bowling Green to be with Kylie and to continue to pursue a career in the moving industry.
They had a daughter in July 2022. After 20 days of life in the NICU with baby Avah, Murrey said he knew it was time to start his own business. He created an LLC for Murrey’s Movers in February 2023 and kicked off the business.
“She’s my ‘why’ for starting the company and being able to control my time to do things like take her to swimming lessons or play in the park,” he said. “
The business is an important part of providing for his family, but it is also a service that is a big need in Bowling Green and surrounding communities, Murrey said.
In addition to loading and unloading moving items, the company also can assist with junk removal and other similar labor jobs. Customers may be townspeople who are moving across town or to another city. He also hopes to tap into the college business by helping students move to and from campus.
He has completed moves from the area to Columbus and Tennessee. He has also moved a woman from Florida to Bowling Green after her sister contacted him.
Until he can purchase his own truck, he uses moving trucks from U-Haul, Budget and Penske.
“I use their trucks but I’m the muscle,” he said, along with a team of two Toledo area men and two Bowling Green men.
Customers will work directly with Murrey from the first call through the final delivery.
“From the first call, I will know their stories, who they are, and what they need. In turn, they will know who they are getting. They are getting me from Step A through delivery,” he said, stressing that he provides reliable and quick service.
Murrey has relied on word-of-mouth advertising but recently joined the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce to capitalize on the unequaled networking opportunities.
For business inquiries, Murrey can be reached at 419-277-9937 or murreysmovers@gmail.com.
The Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. on Feb. 13 at the chamber office, 217 S. Church St. RSVP to join city officials as they welcome Murrey’s Movers to the community and learn more about the company’s services.
