CLEARWATER – As thousands of new residents continue to relocate to the Tampa Bay region each year, demand for professional moving services is growing alongside the area’s population.
With nearly 124,000 additional residents projected to move to the region by 2026, according to the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, 2 College Brothers Moving & Storage is investing in a new training facility and expanded office space at its Clearwater headquarters to help meet the area’s growing workforce and moving needs.
Slated for completion in late July, the new facility will have a grand opening in fall 2026. It will feature a fully furnished one-bedroom model home inside the company’s office.
Rather than learning solely in customers’ homes, new movers will be able to practice real-world moving techniques in a controlled environment before handling a family’s belongings.
“The first time a new employee experiences a home move should never be the first time they handle someone’s heirloom furniture or baby grand piano,” said Wade Swikle, CEO of 2 College Brothers Moving & Storage. “Customers deserve a team that has already developed those skills before they arrive.”
Swikle said the concept addresses one of the moving industry’s biggest areas of growth, which is that right now new employees at moving companies nationwide gain their first hands-on experience while moving customers’ most valuable possessions. Inside the new interactive training apartment, employees will learn how to properly protect furniture, navigate tight spaces, safeguard floors and walls, and work together as a professional moving team before entering a customer’s home.
The realistic setting allows trainers to coach employees through common moving scenarios without the pressure or risk of working inside a customer’s residence.
In addition to the hands-on training facility, Swikle co-founded Titan Up Training, an online education platform that includes “2 College Brothers University.” Titan Up Training is designed to help moving companies develop more skilled, consistent teams while enhancing their branding and procedures.
The platform also teaches other companies nationwide professional moving techniques to avoid injuries or damaging customer items, as well as courses on employee conduct, professionalism, moving terms, safety and procedures.
As more people relocate to the Tampa Bay region, Swikle believes companies must invest not only in trucks and equipment, but also in the people responsible for serving customers.
“We’re growing because Tampa Bay is growing,” Swikle said. “As more families choose to make this area home, it’s our responsibility to make sure we have well-trained professionals ready to serve them.”
On the web: 2CollegeBrothers.com
