CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee, September 22, 2022 – Today, Bellhop announces its newest partnership with SOLD.com, a leading online real estate marketplace and educational resource provider. Bellhop’s moving services will be promoted to home buyers via SOLD.com’s web portal and through its concierge service. Additionally, SOLD.com’s network of more than 40,000 agents will be empowered to offer Bellhop’s moving services to their respective clientele nationwide.

“Bellhop leverages both technology and best-in-class customer service to deliver a simple, stress-free, and transparent moving experience,” said Harrison Stevens, VP of Marketing for Bellhop. “By providing a free and unbiased service that allows consumers to compare dozens of home buying and selling options, SOLD.com shares our commitment to alleviating the headaches that are too often a part of the home transition process.” 

The current real estate market requires homebuyers and sellers to be savvy about their options, which often necessitates an unconventional approach. Both Bellhop and SOLD.com are seeking to modernize their industries by applying data and technology to eliminate common pain points associated with moving and home selling, respectively. 

To this end, Bellhop’s online customer dashboard streamlines the cost estimation and booking experience for customers, while assembling the best Bellhop team for the move; the Bellhop app provides a straightforward process for its workforce to find and receive job assignments. SOLD.com helps customers explore both traditional and alternative models of home buying and selling, while providing free analytics-driven recommendations. Its concierge team serves as an ongoing resource to sellers throughout the process.

“SOLD.com’s mission is to simplify the stressful home buying and selling process,” said Matt Woods, Co-founder and CEO of SOLD.com. “That mission extends beyond the purchase or sale of the home itself. We are assembling the best providers to assist through all aspects of the move, including mortgage, insurance, moving services, and more. Bellhop’s uniquely simple and cost-effective service makes them the perfect moving partner to promote to our customer base and network.” 

ABOUT BELLHOP

​​Bellhop was founded by millennials Cam Doody and Stephen Vlahos in the summer of 2011 as a simple solution for college students looking for help moving in and out of their dorms. After astronomical demand, the company quickly grew from serving just college students into a nationwide company with customers of every age and sized home. In 2013, the founders connected with Lamp Post Group for seed capital to aid national expansion, and the resources to develop the first-ever digital moving platform. To date, the company has acquired more than $50 million in venture capital from firms such as Advanced Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, Lowercase Capital, and Initialized Capital. Other investors include Silicon Valley Bank, Scott Banister, and rapper Nas. Visit bellhop.com to learn more.

ABOUT SOLD.com

SOLD.com is an online marketplace, educating and connecting homeowners with the best method to buy or sell their homes. SOLD.com uses its proprietary technology and personal concierge services to analyze objective and subjective factors – including local market characteristics, customer service rankings and personal preferences – to provide users with free and unbiased recommendations for the most efficient, cost-effective route to making their move.

CONTACT

Norah Whitmore, Sr. Brand & Communications Manager

norah@bellhop.com | 734-717-9773

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CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee, August 16, 2022 – Today, Inc. revealed that Bellhop is No. 2,781 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000. 

“Bellhop has experienced significant growth over the last few years as a direct result of our team’s collective tenacity, passion, and diligent work, despite the challenges that we – and virtually all businesses – faced amidst the pandemic,” said Luke Marklin, CEO of Bellhop. “Audacious as it is to challenge the status quo of an $20 billion industry, our progress demonstrates what we firmly believe: that there is huge demand for a move that is simple, stress-free, and transparent. We’re honored to be recognized on this year’s Inc. 5000 list, and all the more energized to build on our mission of changing moving as we know it: bringing excellent service, efficiency, and affordability to an industry that is known for letting customers down.” 

The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but have also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19. 

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. 

“The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. “Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today.” 

ABOUT BELLHOP

​​Bellhop was founded by millennials Cam Doody and Stephen Vlahos in the summer of 2011 as a simple solution for college students looking for help moving in and out of their dorms. After astronomical demand, the company quickly grew from serving just college students into a nationwide company with customers of every age and sized home. In 2013, the founders connected with Lamp Post Group for seed capital to aid national expansion, and the resources to develop the first-ever digital moving platform. To date, the company has acquired more than $50 million in venture capital from firms such as Advanced Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, Lowercase Capital, and Initialized Capital. Other investors include Silicon Valley Bank, Scott Banister, and rapper Nas. Visit bellhop.com to learn more.

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MORE ABOUT INC. AND THE INC. 5000

Methodology 

Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2021. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2021 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places. The top 500 companies on the Inc. 5000 are featured in Inc. magazine’s September issue. The entire Inc. 5000 can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000. 

About Inc. 

The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

For more information on the Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala, visit http://conference.inc.com/.  

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Atlanta, GA – July 21, 2022 — In June, Bellhop was recognized as one of the top movers in the nation by U.S. News’ 360 Reviews guide — a major milestone for the company’s 11th anniversary. The trusted consumer watchdog ranked Bellhop as the No. 2 mover in three categories: The Best Interstate Moving Companies, The Best Long-Distance Moving Companies, and the overall Best Moving Companies in 2022. In their review, the U.S. News team considered features like full-service moving, storage options, customer service, quality, pricing, and insurance coverage.

“It’s an honor to be regarded so highly on a list of legacy movers,” says CEO Luke Marklin. “To rise to No. 2 after a relatively short period in the market compared to some other movers on the list is a testament to the value of our innovative platform, as well as the incredible level of service and care our employees put into each and every move.”

Bellhop is one of the earliest disruptors in the moving industry, being the first to develop a digital platform to improve the booking process, scheduling, and customer service. The technology benefits even extend to movers, who are automatically matched to customers based on proximity, skill level, and expertise.

Now, Bellhop is a leading moving platform for Millennial and Gen Z customers who are drawn to the ease of booking online, as well as the ability to give cashless tips to movers. The Bellhop team is hard at work building additional features and services that will soon drive it into the No. 1 spot for movers in the U.S.

ABOUT BELLHOP

​​Bellhop was founded by millennials Cam Doody and Stephen Vlahos in the summer of 2011 as a simple solution for college students looking for help moving in and out of their dorms. After astronomical demand, the company quickly grew from serving just college students into a nationwide company with customers of every age and sized home. In 2013, the founders connected with Lamp Post Group for seed capital to aid national expansion, and the resources to develop the first-ever digital moving platform. To date, the company has acquired more than $50 million in venture capital from firms such as Advanced Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, Lowercase Capital, and Initialized Capital. Other investors include Silicon Valley Bank, Scott Banister, and rapper Nas. Visit bellhop.com to learn more.

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Zak Million

Associate Product Manager

I have been with Bellhop for six years now, and I was one of the first openly gay employees (some have called me the “trailgayzer”) at Bellhop. The company has grown a lot from the beginning in terms of becoming more open, inclusive, and diverse in the hiring of individuals from all types of backgrounds. I am happy to be a part of the ever-changing culture that is Bellhop

Pride Month is important to me because representation and celebration are important to me. Pride Month allows individuals to celebrate not only how far those in the LGBTQIA+ community have come but also to celebrate where the community is going.

I will leave you with some names to research on the LGBTQIA+ community: Marsha P. Johnson, Larry Kramer, Michael Sam, Alan Turing, James Baldwin, Christine Jorgensen, Bayard Rustin, Sylvia Rivera, Billie Jean King, Laverne Cox, Harvey Milk, Gilbert Baker, RuPaul Charles, and Lena Waithe.

And to those mentioned above and beyond … thank you. 

Samantha Zimmerman

Long Distance Move Coordinator

Pride Month is truly so important, in my opinion, because it highlights aspects of a community not often seen in everyday life. Though LGBTQ+ pride is something that should be celebrated and felt all year long, I think the education, visibility, and encouragement behind Pride Month is extremely crucial. One of my favorite parts about working for Bellhop is the open-mindedness and accepting culture we have here. Not only do we have a Pride Group, but everyone as a whole is extremely accepting, non-judgmental, and the culture itself fosters the freedom to be yourself at work, which is something I feel many companies lack, even in 2021. I feel this is important, especially in this day and age where not all queer individuals receive that same level of acceptance in their workplace, unfortunately.

Pride Month is an exciting time for me as a pansexual woman because I get to not only celebrate my own sexual orientation but also those who do not always receive the same level of visibility— such as transgender and non-binary individuals. Being a local performance artist in the LGBTQ+ community, Pride Month is also a time that local businesses show their allyship by hosting queer events and donating profits to local and national LGBTQ+ organizations, which I’m fortunate enough to be a part of so many this year. Performing is such a big part of my life and being able to do it for a good cause alongside many wonderful local venues and businesses just really instills that Pride is very alive in Chattanooga.

Ahmi Minakawa

Quality Associate

I am an immigrant with a passion for traveling and learning about new culture’s history, religion, and sociology. Originally from Brazil and raised in Japan, I moved to Chattanooga 7 years ago for school and I plan to graduate with a degree in International Studies. I love people and my job at Bellhop really allows me to learn new ways to effectively communicate with upset customers. Working here challenges me to humble myself and be better.  

I knew I was queer at 9 years old, but it was not until college that I started to embrace my lesbian self and find wonderful people who supported me. The journey is not easy but know that you are not alone, and that one day you will find those that will love you for you.  

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At Bellhop, we encounter people at many different stages in life. Jana’s story touched us, and we thought it might touch you, too.

Jana Keil and her husband Mark were facing a major renovation to their older home on Signal Mountain, Tennessee. Both in their 50s, they were looking to simplify their lives, and a project this monumental was not something they wanted to tackle. So, they decided moving to a smaller, newly-built house in downtown Chattanooga would be a lot less work and headache, and, in the long run, a lot less maintenance.

Little did they realize that the complications they tried to avoid in house repairs would manifest into something much worse.

When Jana’s doctor called her at work to tell her the results of some testing she had done a few days prior, she almost passed out at what he told her.

It was Stage 3 breast cancer, which meant she would have to start treatment immediately.

“The first thing I thought was, OK, what’s going to happen to my family if I don’t make it?” Jana says. And then she began to get dizzy. She had lost her father to prostate cancer in 2011, and the thought of losing him made her worry even more about whether or not she would survive

Jana called Mark to tell him the news. Later that night, they went to dinner with Jana’s cousin, and the three of them huddled around a table at a downtown restaurant, cried during the entire meal. In the midst of dealing with her illness, Jana and Mark still had to manage the logistics of their move, since their new house was still being built. Since it would still be six months until it was finished, they would have to temporarily rent an apartment.

“OK, I’ve got cancer,” Jana remembers thinking. “Can I still buy a house? Will I have a job in six months? What’s going to happen?”

Two days after she and Mark moved into their small apartment, Jana began chemotherapy.

“The mountain home was a lovely retreat that required a lot of upkeep,” Jana says. Once we found the home we wanted, the momentum and excitement overshadowed any emotional connections we had. We made the mental turn and never really looked back.”

Jana’s chemo treatments were every three weeks, for a total of six sessions, starting in September of 2016 and ending in January 2017. “I went through this process in which they pumped all of this stuff into my body, and then I would go home and just try to survive the next few days. And then, after about eight or nine days, I would start to feel better, but by that time I would have to go back. It messed with my mind. I would think, I’m going to let them do this to me again?”

Jana says this time was also hard on Mark. They prayed that it would work and be over soon. They took it one day at a time.

Within three weeks of starting her chemo, Jana’s hair had fallen out, which was devastating for her. “I cried probably more than just a little bit because it felt like everything was being taken away from me and I had no control over anything, she says. “The impact of the diagnosis and treatment happened so fast. It’s like being sucked into a riptide. I was immediately immersed. Life as I knew it was stripped away and replaced with a body that began to fail, a face I didn’t recognize, a home I had never lived in and a fear unlike any I had ever known.”

As a way to gain a sense of control, and after discussing it with Mark, Jana decided to shave her head. To support her, Mark shaved his head and sent her a photo of himself while she was at work. He texted, “We’re going to do you when you get home.”

Jana and Mark called their temporary apartment Camp Chemo, and it became a safe haven for Jana as she progressed through her treatment. Not only was it close to the hospital but it also provided the kind of simple living she needed in order to focus on her treatment and getting better. There, she could retreat to the darkness of her bedroom during the rough days, and help Mark pick out colors and materials for their new home on the better days.

Her last day of chemo was also her birthday, which was also the birthday of a nurse she had bonded with during her treatment. The staff celebrated with pink decorations and cupcakes.

After her chemo, Jana’s doctors declared her free of cancer, and a few weeks later, she and Mark moved into their finished house. They considered it a chance to leave that period of Jana’s life behind. Their new house would be a symbol of a new life.

Though Jana is cancer-free, her team of doctors keeps track of her recovery every three months. This follow-up period lasts for five years, at which time the risk of recurrence is minimal.

Jana is a religious woman, and during her cancer journey. A belief she’s had for decades is that God sends her pennies as a reminder of His blessing. She remembers that the week of her move, she found penny after penny at her feet. Then, at her first doctor appointment, she saw a large, glass jar full of pennies. These moments provided comfort to her, reminding her to have faith. And she did.

Now that they’ve settled into their new home, Jana and Mark consider their new way of life the new normal. They no longer have to worry about things breaking around the house from age, or yard maintenance, since they don’t have a yard, which frees up time to hang out with their neighbors, or have their children and grandchildren over, or just enjoy each other’s company.

“It’s a sense of lightness,” Jana says. “We left the darkness behind.”

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Walter Carr sent his friends a flurry of increasingly pleading text messages. The college student’s car had broken down, and he was supposed to begin his new job as a mover the next morning — at a home 20 miles from his apartment near Birmingham, Ala.

He struck out finding a ride, but he wasn’t about to miss his first day of work at a moving company called Bellhop. Carr, 20, needed the work. He mulled his predicament and concluded there was only one option: He would walk it.

“I sat there and I thought, ‘How can I get to my job? What streets would I walk through? How long would take me to get there?’ ” he said in an interview with The Washington Post.

He searched the route from his apartment in Homewood to the house in Pelham, and according to Google Maps, it would take eight hours on foot. As a former high school cross-country runner, he knew he could do it in less.

Carr ate a meal of bologna and eggs at 8 p.m. and took a nap. At midnight, he woke up, grabbed his wallet, phone, a baseball and a kitchen knife to protect him from stray dogs. He headed out into the dark.

“I’ve always been that person who figured things out on my own,” Carr said. “I went out walking.”

[This trooper pulled over a driver — then realized the man had delivered him nearly 27 years ago]

A few hours in, he did come across a dog. He threw the ball. The dog ran after it. Carr went the other way.

On the trek, Carr had the route mapped out in his mind. He jogged some. He walked a lot. When his legs began to burn, he stayed focused on his goal.

“I was just thinking about my route, how I was going to get there in the time frame I needed to,” Carr said.

He’d had jobs in the past as a cook at fast-food restaurants, but this paid better, and he needed the money for an apartment he’d recently rented.

At 2 a.m. he passed the city of Hoover. Around 4 a.m. he reached Pelham, but he still had hours more to walk to get to the house. He was about to enter the highway ramp, the most direct route to the job. He sat down in a bank parking lot.

“I decided I’d rest for a minute because my legs were killing me,” he said.

A police car pulled up and the officer, identified by the news site AL.comas Mark Knighten, asked if Carr was all right. Carr said yes, and explained what he was doing.

“I said, ‘This is crazy but I’m actually heading to work. It’s my first day in the job,’ ” Carr recalled.

The officer asked him when he last ate, and Carr told him about the bologna and eggs. Knighten offered to take him to get something more in his stomach.

“I said, ‘I just paid my rent. I have no cash on me at all,’ ” Carr recalled.

Knighten told him to get in the car, the meal was on him. They went to Whataburger with some other officers, and Carr ordered a chicken biscuit. At the urging of the officers, he ordered another one, he said.

Knighten drove Carr a few miles toward his job and dropped him at a church, saying it was a safe place to be. Knighten had to leave because of a shift change, but he said another officer would be by in a few hours to check on Carr, and perhaps give him a ride to work.

But after Carr got to the church, he became concerned he might not make it on time. So around 5:30, he started walking again.

Carr was walking on a two-lane road, and sure enough, a police officer came up and said he’d heard about him. That officer, identified by AL.com as Scott Duffey, drove Carr the last four miles to his job.

At 6:30 a.m., Duffey walked up to the house where Carr was supposed to meet the other movers for the job, and explained to homeowner Jenny Lamey what had happened.

“The officer told me, ‘I’ve got this nice kid in my car. He’s a great kid, he’s been walking all night to get to your house,’ ” Lamey said. “That’s when the tears started coming. I just started crying.”

Carr came to the door and Lamey offered him a bed to take a nap, and some food.

Carr replied, “ ‘No, I’d rather get started,’ ” Lamey said.

The other two movers from Bellhop showed up shortly after, and the three of them moved the Lameys across town to their new house. Everyone got along as if they were old friends, Carr and Lamey said.

After the move, Carr played basketball with the Lameys’ sons, ages 11, 13 and 16.

Lamey said she has no idea how he had the energy for it.

“I can’t imagine what kept him going,” Lamey said. “What came over him physically was supernatural. I think God helped him through.”

Lamey said this is just the beginning of what she hopes is a long friendship between Carr and her family.

“He’s such a humble, kindhearted person,” she said. “He’s really incredible. He said it was the way he was raised. Nothing is impossible unless you say it’s impossible.”

One of Carr’s new co-workers gave him a ride home.

The following day, Lamey called Carr’s supervisor, and the two cried together on the phone about what Carr had done. Lamey posted the story on Facebook, and it took off. She started a GoFundMe with a goal of $2,000 to help him with his car troubles. As of Wednesday morning, it had raised more than $44,000, and a financial adviser had volunteered to help Carr manage the funds.

On Sunday, Carr’s boss, Bellhop chief executive Luke Marklin, called to thank him. Marklin said he wanted to meet him in person to show his appreciation. They agreed to meet Monday at a coffee shop near Carr’s apartment. Carr walked the 20 minutes there.

When they met, Marklin gave him his own car, a 2014 Ford Escape. He said it would be in better hands with Carr than with him.

Read more at Washington Post

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