Mustang Daily: Meathead Movers Going Strong

Mustang Daily – Meathead Movers going strong

by Samantha Sullivan
April 17, 2012

Following the “Great Recession,” many businesses closed their doors; many employees became unemployed. However, for 15 years, a local moving company has been growing.

California’s Meathead Movers is looking to add approximately 70 jobs that can be filled by local students. The company needs employees to replace those who are graduating, as well as fill the gap due to the business’ recent growth, president and CEO of Meathead Movers, Aaron Steed said.

Meathead Movers also intends to open an office in Orange County, Calif., Steed said. The company is hiring customer service representatives, as well as more movers and packers. According to Steed, moving is a very physical job, but applicants don’t have to play a sport or be a man to be hired.

“That would be discrimination,” Steed said. “(Employees) need to be strong enough to move things and jog to get more.”

Steed said jogging is a requirement during the job. Meathead Movers charges customers based on an hourly rate, therefore, jogging saves them time and money, Steed said.

“It’s definitely not a job for the lazy person,” Steed said.

Steed said the movers work around the students’ school and athletic schedule and try to get them as much work as possible. The movers offer a path to move up in the company, too, and get managerial experience — no one knows that better than James Powers.

Powers, San Luis Obispo County operations manager, wrestled at Cal Poly and worked for the Meatheads in his free time. When he graduated, there was an opening he said he couldn’t pass up. Powers has been working at that position for eight months.

“It was a part-time college job that paid well,” he said. “It was great.”

Powers said the raises and bonuses depended on what the client thought of you, and how aggressively you performed your job. Movers also get paid more if nothing is broken or damaged.

Powers is now in charge of payroll, managing the fleet and hiring and training the new movers. He says he looks for the clean-cut, athletic types because of the physical nature of the job. However, he also looks for individuals who could be future managers and are career-minded and want to grow with the company.

“I’ve promoted 10 people in the time I’ve been here,” Powers said. “It’s great to see someone blossom with the company.”

Powers said he finds his job very rewarding, especially since he was that same guy a few years ago — he started out as a Meathead and worked his way up to super meathead and mentor.

A mentor and Meathead for almost two years now, economics senior and club baseball player Ryan Dion said the work hours were very flexible.

“They understand you’re a student first,” Dion said.

Computer engineering senior and intramural basketball player Nick Powser has also been with the Movers for two years. Powser said the movers are all athletic guys, so they get along well.

“Most of them I see at school,” Powser said. “It’s a different kind of camaraderie.”

Steed said the movers have employed more than 1,000 Cal Poly students in 15 years of business.

Steed and his brother, Evan, started Meathead Movers while they were in high school playing sports. Since then, they’ve made sure to make their business a place people want to work.

“We pay more than most companies,” Steed said. “You get paid to work out.”

Meathead Movers is the presenting sponsor of Cal Poly wrestling and the Founding Circle for Cal Poly Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center. Steed said being a former wrestler and being in a position to give back is something he’s happy to do.

The center spoke to the Steed brothers on a personal level; he felt, in this economy, it was important to have one, he said.

“The new economy, in my opinion, is going to be having to create your own way rather than climbing the corporate ladder,” Steed said.

Original article can be found: http://mustangdaily.net/meatheads-going-strong/