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Allen & Son Moving & Storage
Founded: 1991
Location: Baltimore
Employees: 35 during peak season
Number of generations: Two
Allen Burrus has shared his company’s origin story countless times. Yet there was still a slight twinge of amazement to his tone as he told it again.
“I was feeling down … and then this guy walks up and says, ‘Do you want to buy a truck?’ And my thing is ‘yes.’ My next thing is, ‘How am I going to pay for it?’ ”
Burrus went to a friend of his mother to ask for a loan.
“I was hoping she’d say no because it wasn’t making sense to me. What did I do?” he said. “And she said, ‘Yes, no problem, I’ll give you the $500.’ I was looking at a truck then at that point.”
Moving people’s belongings became the new plan for Burrus, who had a degree in political science from Coppin State University and U.S. Army time under his belt but financial constraints that dashed law school dreams.
With his teenage son, Demetrick, at his side, he moved an entire home for $60. The rest is history.
Decades later his son is still at his side. Together they run Allen & Son Moving & Storage, which now has about 30 pieces of equipment, satellite offices and a warehouse in Miami. The pandemic pushed many New York, New Jersey and Maryland residents to Florida, Burrus said. Allen & Son moved plenty.
“The customers down there have received us and we’re able to provide them with the same quality of service that we provide Maryland residents,” he said.
Miami traffic is a little more harried than Baltimore’s, he said, but added it’s comparable to Northern Virginia traffic to which his employees are already accustomed.
He has resisted moving headquarters out of Baltimore because it would pose transportation problems for employees, who he once treated to a Bahamas cruise.
“As much as the crime in Baltimore City can be very challenging, we want to stay here and keep grinding,” he said. “We want to provide young men who want one, a meaningful job at a meaningful pay rate.”
He credits his son for catching the company up with technology times.
“Me being old school, it’s a pencil and a piece of paper,” he said. “But he got me there. I wasn’t fighting computers, but he pretty much took me to the place where we’re taking advantage of technology now.”
He also appreciates when his son says, “Pop, go play golf.” On this particular day, it was too cold and rainy.
“I’ll have to wait until I get down to Florida,” he said.
This article is part of the Baltimore Business Journals' 2023 Family-Owned Business Awards.