About MCCOLLISTER’S GLOBAL SERVICES, INC.

Mission Statement

McCollister’s Global Services, Inc., will be recognized as the premier provider of specialized transportation and logistics services. We will create customer satisfaction by continuing to exceed their expectations. We will accomplish that through innovative and creative solutions. McCollister’s will be acknowledged in the industry and the community as the employer of choice, providing our people with the resources needed to succeed. McCollister’s will continue to strive to improve quality and efficiency in all areas. That effort will result in profitability and ensure our long-term success.

About Us

McCollister’s Global Services, INC is a privately held asset-based, white glove, specialized transportation provider founded in 1945 in Burlington, NJ, by Daniel H. McCollister. Those days in 1945, McCollister’s was a small regional household mover, but strategic plans were in place for growth. As United Van Lines began to reorganize, the opportunity opened up for McCollister’s to become an agent in 1950.

During the early years of the 1950s and now a stockholder in United Van Lines, McCollister expanded the physical operations to an 8,000-square-foot warehouse and three docks to accommodate the growing business. During this decade, McCollister’s grew rapidly, acquiring over a dozen over-the-road tractor-trailers and several straight trucks. The company begins a new service in moving weather-weary Northeast residents to Florida using 35-foot vans. For a brief time, McCollister changed affiliations to Mayflower Transit, another well-known household goods carrier but returned to United Van Lines in 1961.

During the 1960s, there were continued acquisitions and growth. In January of 1962, McCollister’s purchased Viles Motor Service and began McCollister’s Express, a local freight company serving the tri-state area, to balance the seasonality of the traditional household goods moving business. McCollister’s Express continued to operate until it was sold in 1969.

More significant growth came in the 1970s as a direct result of the technology boom. H. Daniel McCollister took over the business from his father and built the company into a national leader in transportation, warehousing, and logistics. Dan’s efforts and involvement solidified the partnership as an agent-owner between McCollister’s and United Van Lines. This partnership positions McCollister as one of the largest revenue-producing agents in the nation for UniGroup INC., which operates United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit.

Today as we embark on a new chapter, President & Chairman, Daniel H. McCollister II is committed to carrying forward the tradition of excellence and integrity that has defined McCollister’s for generations. With a focus on innovation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction, we look to even greater heights in the logistics industry.

McCollister’s headquarters remain in Burlington, NJ, and we continue to operate as a family-owned, privately held company. Our full-service United Van Lines and Mayflower agent locations are placed in strategic markets with over 13 fully operational warehouses. McCollister’s continues to specialize in offering exceptional solutions for handling and transporting the common, the unique, and hard-to-service items, with service fleet, drivers, and in-house team members that provide outstanding service.

At McCollister’s, we’re proud of our history and commitment to delivering excellence to each customer. We’re confident that we can provide you with the highest level of service for all your transportation needs.

Excellence Delivered Every Day!

Core Values

Customer

Provide our customers the finest services available to ensure complete satisfaction

People

Develop and encourage the growth and professionalism of our people by providing the resources to succeed

Safety

Operate our company as a responsible corporate citizen with a commitment to the safety of our people and our community

Profit

Maintain a financially sound and profitable company to the ensure the future of the company and our people

Quality

Create a company-wide commitment to quality focusing on continuous improvement

The McCollister Story

Throughout our history, McCollister’s has leveraged our asset-based infrastructure to deliver tailored logistics solutions. We adhere to a consultative, market-driven approach to implement service mechanisms of uncommonly high value supporting the needs of our corporate clients. McCollister’s Global Services has a suite of services available above and beyond High-Value Product Logistics, Commercial Services, and Employee Relocation. The McCollister’s organization measurably differentiates itself with flexible solutions, quality service, safety, efficiency, and speed.

McCollister’s has a proud history of innovation and growth extending back more than seven decades. With offices coast-to-coast, we are recognized as one nation’s premier household goods and high-value shipment transportation companies. McCollister’s Global Services, Inc., represents two highly respected names in the moving industry, United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit.

The most valuable asset we have is our people. Without their efforts and commitment to serve our customers, we would not be successful.”
H Daniel McCollister

Our founder, Daniel H. McCollister, was a 14-year employee of the E.I Dupont de Nemours company in Deepwater, New Jersey, responsible for making high explosives for Dupont as part of the war effort.

Seeking to take advantage of opportunities created by the post-war economy, McCollister purchased Dixon’s Express, a small commercial cartage company in Burlington, New Jersey on November 1st, 1945. Dixons primary customer was the Pennsylvania Railroad for which the firm locally delivered baggage, packages, and other shipments.

1950

McCollister’s Becomes a United Agent Van Lines Agent

Hoping to become a full-service van lines agent, McCollister’s applied to United Van Lines which had been founded in 1928 but faced challenges with ownership due to the Depression and World War II . In March of 1947, United reorganized to a new group of shareholders, many of whom remain principles of the Van Lines today. McCollister’s officially became a united agent in 1950 and purchased stock in the company in 1953.

Early 50’s

Starting Expansion

In the early 50s, as businesses began to grow, land was acquired adjacent to Route 130, a major north-south highway, and an office and 8,000 square foot warehouse was built with three dock doors to accommodate the growing business.

Late 50’s

Mayflower

During the next decade, McCollister’s grew rapidly, acquiring a dozen over-the-road tractor-trailers and several straight trucks. The company began to specialize in moving weather-weary Northeast residents to Florida using 35-foot vans. In the late 1950s, McCollisters briefly changed affiliations to Mayflower transit, another well-known household goods carrier.

1960’s

Diversification Continues and Technology Growth

With the diversification started in the late 60’s now firmly part of the company’s service offerings, it was time to revisit other opportunities to drive growth.

McCollister saw the potential for expansion in ways that would grow volume and help balance the wide seasonal swings. This would ensure better labor and stability and service quality. A local x-ray company soon became a client, followed by a manufacturer of stock ticker-tape equipment. Commercial moving and office moving were added to its services

1961

McCollister’s Returns to United Van Lines

McCollister returned to United Van Lines in 1961. By then, its fleet had been reduced to a few pieces of long-distance equipment and local vans. Its operational size remained unchanged for several years. Later in the decade, the film began handling military personnel transfers through Ft. Dix and McGuire Air Force Base which were major staging and training bases throughout the Vietnam War era.

1962

Viles Motor Service

In January of 1962, McCollister’s purchased Viles Motor Service and began McCollister’s Express, a local freight company serving the tri-state area. McCollister bought this business in order to balance out the seasonality of the traditional household goods moving business. McCollister’s Express continued to operate until it was sold in 1969.

1967

Leadership Change

In October of 1967, H. Daniel McCollister, entered the family business. Excited about the industry and anxious to grow, he looked for additional opportunities that would help flatten out the cyclical nature of the core business. McCollister focused primarily on the computer and medical industries. These industries need high touch, time sensitive, dedicated staff. Additionally, they need specialized equipment that fits perfectly into McCollister’s long-term growth strategy.

1964

The Growth of the Computer

In 1964, there were only a few thousand computers in the United states. Fifty years later, there were hundreds of millions of computers worldwide. Starting in the late 60s, McCollister’s began to partner with firms in the rapidly growing technology field to transport computers. The company gained a reputation for its specialized expertise in handling high-value products, a reputation it maintains to this day. Seeking a more sophisticated way to handle these sensitive products, McCollister’s began to work with truck manufacturers to develop cutting edge systems capable of addressing the unique handling characteristics of these delicate shipments.

1969

McCollister’s Expands

By 1969, the foundation of McCollister’s management team had been established. A new state of-the-art, 20,000 square foot household storage warehouse was constructed in Burlington on what would eventually become the company’s 85-acre headquarters. In 1974, an 8,000 square foot office was added to the original building. The property included a fully furnished two-story house used to train personnel in the proper handling of packing and moving. Eventually, a 40,000 square foot cross-dock warehouse was added and a maintenance facility a few years later. This original site at Logan & Mitchell Avenues was converted into a commercial crating and packing center.

1974

Ground is broken on new corporate office

Ground was broken for the new corporate office in 1974 and construction was completed the following year

The 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s

The Expansion Years

Over the next three decades, McCollister’s opened more than a dozen new full-service locations.

The spectacular growth of McCollister’s both parallel and contributed to the prosperity of United Van Lines, which steadily advanced among movers to become the nation’s largest household goods carrier in 1992.

1980-81

The Corporate Footprint

In 1980, the household goods industry was “deregulated” by the federal government This provided van lines and their agents with new operational freedoms. However, it also presented challenges to those companies which were unprepared for the change and unwilling to adapt. The decade saw a number of carriers and affiliates merge or drop out of the industry entirely. By contrast, McCollister viewed regulatory reform as an opportunity to grow beyond its traditional geographical boundaries. Deregulation allowed it to expand its service menu to a rapidly growing client base by offering packaging, crafting, asset management and regional distribution services.

Early 80’s

Core Values Are Established

In the early 80s, McCollister’s established the Core Values of the company.

McCollister’s Core Values

Customer: Provide the finest services available to ensure complete satisfaction
People: Develop and encourage growth and professionalism of our people by providing the resources to succeed
Safety: Operate our company as a responsible corporate citizen with a commitment to the safety of our people and our community
Profit: Maintain a financially sound and profitable company to ensure the future of the company and our people
Quality: Create a company-wide commitment to quality focusing on continuous improvement

1982

Dan McCollister and UniGroup

In 1982, H. Daniel McCollister was elected to the board of directors of UniGroup, serving on and eventually chairing the Operations Committee. In 2001, he was elected UniGroup Vice Chairman, and he held that position for six years. In 2007, Dan was elected Chairman of the Board of UniGroup, a $1.7 billion company. He retired as Chairman of the Board in October, 2018.

1992

Daniel H. McCollister II Enters the Family Business

In 1992, Dan’s son, Daniel H. McCollister II, entered the family business on a full-time basis. He had worked in the business since he was 12 years old, from cutting grass to all phases of the business including driving. Starting in Operations, he eventually was in charge of the Long-Haul Operations. Today he is President of McCollister’s and is responsible for all of our operations and for the direction and strategy of the company.

1998

McCollister’s Technical Services (MTS)

In 1998, McCollister’s created McCollister’s Technical Services (MTS), a company whose main focus was servicing the needs of its technology clients including software integration, data center locations, installation and deinstallation

2006

McCollister’s Fitness

In 2006, McCollister’s purchased a small fitness installation company and expanded its services throughout the country. Today, they are the leading fitness installation company in the country.

Today, McCollister’s Fitness Systems, with over 150 technicians, is the largest fitness installation team in the country. They perform installations, relocations and repair services nationwide.

January 2011

McCollister’s Installation Services

In January of 2011, McCollister’s purchased another installation services company whose focus was on ATMs kiosks, etc. This Division provides warehousing and transportation opportunities for the core business.

2015

McCollister’s Auto Transport

Anyone who knows Dan McCollister knows about his love of cars. Dan has always wanted to one day have an auto transport company. In 2015, that vision was realized with the creation of McCollister’s Auto Transport. Today, the company handles thousands of requests from manufacturers moving new cars to dealers or moving cars to leasing facilities. They also handle cars for private shippers moving anything from the customer’s first car to a vintage racer. The experienced drivers are trained to ensure the finest protection for our clients. Our customized, life-gated, air-ride transporters ensure safe loading and delivery of the valuable cargo. It has grown to be its largest non-core division and has proven to have excellent growth opportunities far beyond where it is today.