October 15, 2018 // Franchising.com // BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. - In the U.S., nearly 1 out of 10 homeless adults is a veteran. Another 1.4 million veterans are at risk for homelessness, due to poverty, lack of support networks and dismal living conditions.
A local family from a long line of first responders wants to help. They’ve launched a crusade to help homeless veterans with the opening of their new UNITS® Moving and Portable Storage franchise. Chicago native Tom Koenig and his family will celebrate the Grand Opening of their portable storage business with a mission - to serve the men and women who sacrifice everything for our freedom.
Grand Opening with a Grand Cause
To introduce Northwest Chicago to their 24,000 square-foot warehouse full of moving and storage containers, they are partnering with Military Outreach USA, a veteran’s service organization based in Northbrook, Illinois. They want local families to donate furniture, kitchen supplies, clothes and anything a veteran might need when moving into a home.
“I have such admiration and respect for those who serve in the military that I want to use my new business to help them,” says Koenig, the son of a Chicago firefighter, with a family full of first responders. He was born in the Chicago area and along with his wife is raising his two daughters here. “Soldiers, like first responders, put their lives on the line to protect all of us, Koenig says. “I want to fill up my storage containers with as much as possible to help military members and their families land on their feet and enjoy the basic comforts they deserve.”
Grand Opening Celebration
Event Details
*UNITS Moving and Portable Storage Grand Opening, Thursday, October 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 355 Hastings Drive, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089.
Native Son Gives Back
Since college, Koenig has always been interested in becoming his own boss. After graduating from the University of Illinois, he would eventually begin working at Zeman Homes in Chicago, where he spent more than two decades. While at Zeman Homes, Koenig saw the impact a business can have on their community. Zeman Homes owned and operated thousands of mobile home sites, keeping them affordable, clean and safe for the lower income population.
As he climbed the corporate ladder, taking on more and more responsibilities along the way, eventually becoming their Controller, Koenig gained the confidence that he could one day run his own business. With people (and their stuff!) moving in and out of the Chicago area every day, Koenig saw an opportunity to serve his community and population in a more direct manner, with a new level of local and portable storage service.
“This is a great community and I can’t imagine living or working anywhere else,” Koenig says. “This is my home and it’s where I want to build my business to help my community with an unmatched level of service and Chicago pride.”
?Established in 2004, UNITS® Moving and Portable Storage was founded by Michael McAlhany during the emerging moving and portable storage industry. The company's mission was to provide personal customer service and supply the most innovative and highest quality equipment. Nationwide UNITS® Moving and Portable Storage are locally-owned and operated and familiar with the communities they serve. UNITS® Moving and Portable Storage offers high-quality constructed containers featuring barn-style doors and all-steel construction. The UNITS® Moving and Portable Storage container is clean, weather-resistant, spacious and available in 16-ft. lengths. The UNITS® Moving and Portable Storage robotic delivery system is the most technologically advanced in the industry, virtually eliminating any shift in contents when lifting containers on and off transport vehicles. The container may be placed in a UNITS® Moving and Portable Storage service center or at the customers desired location, always at ground level for easy access. The national network of UNITS® Moving and Portable Storage and Service Centers currently services over 500 cities in North America with additional locations scheduled to open in 2018.
Matt DeMargel
mdemargel@919marketing.com
919-459-8164
SOURCE UNITS® Moving and Portable Storage
Containers from UNITS Mobile Storage are the efficient and affordable moving and self-storage alternative to storage facilities and moving companies.