ST. LOUIS — Marc Rogers is starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.
The president and CEO of Fenton-based transportation and relocation company UniGroup, the parent of United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit, said the company recorded a nearly 40% decline in volume in April as the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the U.S. economy.
But those numbers have started to bounce back, with volumes off by only 5% last weekend compared with year-over-year numbers, a sign that a bounce back is in sight
Even with the improved numbers, Rogers expects an overall decline in May and said uncertainty surrounds the rest of 2020 for the $1.5 billion company.
“We’ve forecast a broad range of future expectations but with many unknowns due to the impact of the pandemic and potential stress on the overall economy it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to speculate as this is a very unusual year for all businesses,” he said.
Meanwhile, UniGroup has implemented new safety measures and retooled operations to serve customers during the pandemic. In addition to increased cleaning protocols, new personal protective equipment for staff and the incorporation of social distancing measures to protect customers, the company has mandated digital moving surveys for all customers. The digital surveys, which quote moving services and pricing, were only used about 30% of the time before the pandemic with customers opting for in-person assessments, said Rogers.
Click here for the full story.
More from the Business Journal
- St. Louis medtech startup inks deal in Germany as it targets global expansion
- Amazon manager and single mom Cherita Washington presses on amidst COVID-19
- Vladimir Tarasenko’s Creve Coeur home finds a buyer
- As expiration dates loom, St. Louis brewers anticipate dumping draft beer
- SLU sees $20M deficit this fiscal year, outlines cuts
- BJC turns to furloughs, other cost-saving measures
