MOVIN’ ON UP

For many, finals week is over after the Scantrons are filled out and the final papers are stapled and submitted. But for those students graduating, studying abroad or changing their living arrangements next semester, they've got another hurdle to clear: moving.

Two university juniors have found a way to ease the torment. This semester, roommates Josh Heckelman and David Rothenberg launched the College Move-In Guys, and they do exactly what it sounds like they do — they'll move you in or out of your dorm, apartment or house for between $50 and $100, and their business is growing fast. What started as a simple idea to make a few dollars has grown several months later into an operation spread out across four universities that pays about 40 people to keep the boxes moving.

The idea originated in the summer, after a woman hired Heckelman to move belongings to a Silver Spring storage facility. Heckelman, a marketing and supply chain management major, soon made the connection between moving and college students, most of whom have to move every year they're in the dorms.

"I realized a lot of college kids and parents don't like the burden of spending hours moving stuff from their car," Heckelman said. "A lot of families don't want to spend that last hour with their kid sweating and worrying about setting up the TV."

He bounced the idea off Rothenberg, a history and Jewish studies major, who liked it. They became the College Move-In Guys.

The two launched a Facebook page at the beginning of the semester with the intention of merely gauging interest — but they were suddenly moving things anyway.

Their first job was to help freshman vocal performance major Hayley Tevelow move her things into a fourth-floor dorm room — including a refrigerator, in a building without an elevator.

"We were definitely sweating, but I'd much rather us be sweating than a mom and her daughter after having to carry a refrigerator up four flights of stairs," Rothenberg said.

Freshman psychology major Jennifer Rollman, moving to the campus from New Jersey, also hired them early in the semester.

"At first I didn't tell my parents, because I didn't think it was something they would be interested in," Rollman said. "They actually thought it was a really good idea in the end. My stepdad had a bad back, so it was even better because he didn't have to lift anything."

Heckelman said the company has moved about 15 students, and he anticipates the number will reach two dozen by the end of this semester end. In addition to operating on this campus, the duo has already launched moving programs at three other universities — Salisbury University in this state, along with Armstrong Atlantic State and Kennesaw State universities in Georgia.

The pair admitted being roommates has been the most beneficial aspect of their business partnership, especially on the nights they stay up until 2 a.m. talking about the company.

"If we had to call each other every time we had a new idea, I think my phone would die before noon," Rothenberg said.

Heckelman said the company is focusing its efforts on brand name recognition, and will eventually look to expand to even more campuses around the country. The company is developing a plan to donate a percentage of their fall 2012 revenues to a green organization on the campus in an effort to increase support for sustainability, Heckelman added.

Both Rollman and Tevelow said they would recommend the College Move-In Guys to other students, and they would likely employ them again when the time comes to move out of their dorms next spring.

"It's such a simple idea, and it's finally time that someone thought of it," Rollman said. "It's a great thing to have on campus."

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