Gentle Giant Moving Company Acquires Allston Piano Moving Company

BOSTON, MA (05/18/2011)(readMedia)-- Gentle Giant Moving Company, an award winning moving and storage company based in Massachusetts with locations in eight additional states, today announced the acquisition of the renowned Allston Piano Moving Company. The Allston Piano Moving brand, which includes piano moving as well as rentals, now exists as a set of service offerings from Gentle Giant Moving Company and is headed up by former Allston Piano owner Bob Franklin out of the Gentle Giant headquarters in Somerville. The acquisition was officially completed in January.

The purchase of the Belmont, Mass. based piano mover provides Gentle Giant with use of the proprietary equipment moving methods developed by Franklin and his father, who founded the company thirty years ago. Gentle Giant is also able to leverage longstanding institutional and personal relationships maintained by Franklin as a way of creating additional business opportunity for Gentle Giant. Because of its expertise with an array of piano models, Allston Piano has been the piano mover of choice for such prestigious organizations as The New England Conservatory of Music, The Boston Conservatory of Music, Longy School of Music, Harvard University, Wellesley College and Wheaton College.

"It has always been the goal of Gentle Giant to bring our customers the highest level of service," Gentle Giant Founder & CEO Larry O'Toole stated. "Now with Allston Piano, we will be able to serve an additional segment of clients, such as institutions, piano owners, and piano manufacturers, all while providing learning and growth opportunities for our employees."

"This is a terrific opportunity for both companies," explains Franklin. "By combining forces, we will be able to reach a broader base of clients looking for exceptional service and ability in the art of safely moving any kind of piano."

Operating for over 30 years in Boston, Mass. Gentle Giant states that acquiring Allston Piano enables the company to extend its reach within the high end moving community, increase revenue, and provide growth opportunities for loyal and ambitious employees. Expert piano moving joins a number of other professional services offered by Gentle Giant, including Restoration, In-Home Moving, Interstate Relocation, Climate Controlled Storage, White Glove Packing, and Craning.

Specialists from Allston Piano have already begun conducting moves for customers in tandem with Gentle Giant movers. With Allston Piano Gentle Giant is also helping support charitable organizations with pro bono work, offering free services to Andover Public Schools Music Association, Cambridge Community Center, and Somerville High School. Franklin and the combined Gentle Giant team will continue to pursue more opportunities to demonstrate the high quality service Gentle Giant and Allston Piano can offer.

About Gentle Giant Moving Company, Inc.

Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, Gentle Giant is a premier residential and commercial mover, offering local moving, interstate moving, and international moving. Gentle Giant offers storage facilities and dispatches crews from its seventeen offices in Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, DC, Washington state and now California. Named one of the Boston Globe 100's Top Places to Work in 2008, Boston Business Journal's Best Places to Work in Massachusetts in 2004, 2005, and 2006, winner of the 2006 International Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics by the Better Business Bureau, winner of the Better Business Bureau's Torch Award for Excellence in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2008, nine-time winner of Boston Magazine's "Best of Boston," six-time winner of The Improper Bostonian's "Boston's Best Moving Company" award, eight-time winner of the Angie's List "Super Service" award, and 2007 Top Small Workplaces award from the Wall Street Journal and Winning Workplaces, the company's services include craning, piano moving, complete packing and unpacking services, furniture and art restoration and conservation, and other related services. For more information, please call (617) 661-3333 or visit the company online at http://www.gentlegiant.com.