The Muhlenhaupt Story
NOW, IN OUR FOURTH GENERATION, ALTHOUGH WE ARE NO LONGER IN THE “MOVING BUSINESS” WE ARE MOST CERTAINLY CONTINUING THE FAMILY TRADITION - WE’RE MOVING COMPANIES FORWARD.
1924 | Company is Founded
Family Patriarch founds “Paul Muhlenhaupt Trucking.” The family business had begun in Northport, Long Island, New York.
1945 | Second Generation Joins Company
Ronald, Paul’s son, joins the business immediately after returning from service in the European Theater establishing the tradition of growing the business from generation to generation. Company name changed to “Paul Muhlenhaupt and Son Trucking”.
1950 | Moving and Storage Business Formed
First household goods storage warehouse constructed. Peggy Muhlenhaupt joins her husband in business. Company’s name is changed to “Muhlenhaupt Movers” and becomes an affiliate of nationwide Stevens Van Lines (later U.S. Van Lines) to facilitate interstate moves.
1952 | Company is Formally Organized
On July 14, 1952, the company is incorporated in New York State. Additional storage buildings, trucks, vans and tractor-trailers are added to accommodate an ever-growing customer need.
1968 | Offering International Moving Services
Muhlenhaupt Movers, Inc. joins United Van Lines to facilitate broadened international moving services.
1976 | Third Generation Joins Company
Ronald P. “Rip” Muhlenhaupt graduates from Fairfield University with B.S. in Business
Management and joins firm as Vice President, Sales & Marketing.
IBM System/32 (nicknamed "Mandy") purchased. The System/32 is recognized as the first affordable (at $45,000!) small business computer on the market. Rip is tasked with programming Mandy to handle payroll, storage locations and billing management, and accounts payable.
“MMI Data Transfer” founded as company's first move to diversify entering the data processing business.
1978 | Company Expands Into the Records Storage Business
First records storage warehouse area is constructed in outdated household goods storage space. “The Record Retention Center” is founded and first major client, St. John's Episcopal Hospital, is moved into storage.
Several floors of existing, outdated warehouse space are subsequently converted to accommodate records storage.
5,000 square feet of additional household goods storage warehousing is leased.
A new 60-foot electronic truck scale is constructed to replace the recently collapsed 24-foot scale built in 1959.
1979 | Largest Records Storage Company on Long Island
The Record Retention Center doubles, triples and quadruples in size with three additional, major hospital clients. The competitive advantage: computer indexing of files – no more index cards!
Muhlenhaupt Movers "Fine Arts Division" founded providing extraordinary packing services and safe deposit storage for high-value items.
1981 | Data Services Expanded
IBM System/34 purchased and installed dramatically increasing computing capacity.
“Compu-Tel Direct Mail Marketing System” is designed for newly formed, nationwide Merrill Lynch Realty. System is implemented by Merrill Lynch from coast to coast.
1982 | Company Name is Changed
Company name changed from Muhlenhaupt Movers, Inc. to The Muhlenhaupt Corporation and three divisions are formed: Moving Systems, Distribution Systems and Information Systems.
"We're Moving into the Future" becomes the company slogan identifying the name change.
1983 | Dramatic Expansion of Muhlenhaupt DirectMail
Direct mail marketing service expands and real estate firms are solicited beyond the Merrill Lynch company exclusive, now including Coldwell Banker and others.
“Muhlenhaupt FarmMail” is recognized as a transformative marketing tool for residential real estate companies nationwide. Rip’s wife, Mary, becomes the face of savvy real estate agents everywhere.
1984 | New Facilities Added
65 Engineers Road, Hauppauge leased as "Building 9", 23,000 square feet with 2,300 square feet of office space to be utilized for both Moving and Records.
365 Oser Avenue, Hauppauge leased. 20,000 square feet with 2,000 square feet of office space. Entire building to be devoted to records storage.
Muhlenhaupt Moving Systems breaks the top 500 United Van Lines Agents List at #86.
Preliminary lease signed for the Information Systems Center to be located at former Gristede’s Supermarket on Main Street, Northport. Initial plans are drawn and construction begins.
1985 | Honors and Continued Growth
United Van Lines Agent 506 - Muhlenhaupt Moving Systems, named “Worldwide Agent of the Month” for October 1985 (following worldwide honorable mention for a remarkable six months).
Muhlenhaupt Moving Systems achieves “Million Dollar Booker” status with United Van Lines for the first time.
“Muhlenhaupt DIRECT” exhibits for the first time in a National Association of Realtors Convention at New Orleans Convention Center.
1986 | A Year of Awards
The Muhlenhaupt Corporation wins Huntington Township Beautification Council's first place award for the renovation of the old Gristede’s Supermarket.
Company is awarded top honors for achieving the highest dollar amount of donations in the United Van Lines "Move in on Cancer" program.
Peggy Muhlenhaupt named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International, a very rare occurrence for a woman to be so honored.
Muhlenhaupt Moving Systems initiates free customer "Packing Clinics" and is subsequently recognized for this unique approach by United Van Lines.
IBM System/36 is purchased again dramatically increasing computing capacity.
Original property is placed on the market and search begins for new home for Muhlenhaupt Moving Systems.
Schlott Realtors, the fastest growing, privately owned real estate firm in America chooses Muhlenhaupt Direct Mail and becomes the company's largest, single-company client.
1987 | “Under New Management”
Ronald P. "Rip" Muhlenhaupt named President and CEO of The Muhlenhaupt Corporation while his parents move into Co-Chair roles.
1989 | Original Businesses Are Sold
Decision made to pursue divestment of the businesses to capitalize on current business climate.
Moving Systems sold to Hall-Lane Moving and Storage, another Long Island United Van Lines agency.
Direct Mail business is beneficially divested.
Pierce Leahy Archives, the largest records management player in the world, makes an offer to purchase Muhlenhaupt Records Management that included an offer of employment “that could not be refused” for Rip. Ronnie and Peggy gratefully retire.
1992 | The Move to Pennsylvania
Muhlenhaupt Records Management sale to Pierce Leahy Archives is finalized.
Rip joins the Executive Staff as EVP, Assistant to the CEO, J. Peter Pierce, and relocates family to Valley Forge.
Over the next 10 years, Rip supports Peter throughout Pierce Leahy's remarkable success, the 1997 Listing on the NYSE, and the 2000 merger with Iron Mountain.
2000 | Brand Consulting Begins
Pierce Leahy and Iron Mountain form a merger of equals. Later, J. Peter Pierce and Rip leave Iron Mountain to establish Pioneer Capital with intent to help startup and incubate new companies together.
Rip facilitates business relationship initiation between J. Peter Pierce and J. Brian O’Neill whose companies include TeleSpectrum Worldwide. Peter and Rip, along with several other former Pierce Leahy executives agree to assume leadership of TeleSpectrum for a comprehensive redevelopment effort beginning January 1, 2001.
2005 | Branding a World-Class Sporting Estate
Rip teams up full time with J. Brian O’Neill to assist in O’Neill’s development of the Carnegie Abbey Club in Newport, Rhode Island, and to lead its integration into O’Neill Properties Group, also creating / orchestrating the “World Leadership Guest Series” to differentiate it from all other high-end clubs. Rip assists Brian in arranging for and welcoming prestigious guest speakers including George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev, Prince Andrew of Monaco and The 14th Dalai Lama.
2007 | Returning to the Records Management Business
Rip assists J. Peter Pierce in his return to the records business by naming the new venture “Retrievex” and handling all initial branding efforts including the slogan “Your Records Within Reach”.
2012 | The Fourth Generation Jumps In
Newly recreated as “Muhlenhaupt + Company,” Rip’s son, Adam, joins his father and cousin Tara in business while still a student at La Salle University in Philadelphia, once again ensuring that new, young ideas would positively impact the company for its customers’ benefit and guaranteeing successful growth in the years ahead.
The slogan “Moving Companies Forward” is adopted to reflect the company’s proud heritage and its roots in the moving and storage business.
Offices are established on third floor of Rip’s Valley Forge home while Tara continues to contribute from her Long Island home office.
Adam and Rip are instrumental in growing Retrievex and marketing the $40M company for its ultimate sale to equally sized Access Information Management.
The Access Executive Team engages Muhlenhaupt + Company to handle a complete rebranding of the international company and to become the newly doubled-in-size company’s marketing and communications department.
2015 | M+Co Becomes a B2B Growth Agency
Muhlenhaupt + Company leads a service & SaaS client to #1. They do this through increasing annual revenue from $40m to $300m, up the number of customers from 2,000 to 35,000, and bringing the client from 200 employees to 2,500 employees.
2016 | Like the “Old Days”, Growth Requires New Facilities and Talent
During the first three years of remarkable development and growth, Muhlenhaupt + Company attracts top talent in the Philadelphia market, outgrowing its two-man Valley Forge and subsequent six-person Conshohocken offices.
To facilitate fueling growth strategies for businesses across the country, a new 4000-square-foot Manayunk headquarters is constructed in the Station Mill (former yarn factory) building.
2018 | Committing to Growth
Positioned like a rocket ship awaiting takeoff, 2018 marked the beginning of the next phase. A ten-year commitment to growth, talent development and excellent service, Muhlenhaupt + Company triples its Manayunk office space, additionally constructing a 3,000-square-foot creative workspace called “MNYK Studios.”
2021 | MNYK Studios Doubles in Size
MNYK Studios gains tremendous momentum and doubles in size.
2022 | Muhlenhaupt + Company Rebrands to The Moving Company
Muhlenhaupt and Company announce that they are rebranding as The Moving Company. The organization was fortunate to prosper during this time of global change, and now The Moving Company doubled down on their core competency - B2B growth strategy and execution.