There are very few people at Boerman Moving and Storage who can say that they’ve worked there for more than half their life, but that’s exactly what Rachel Anderson, the Vice President of Administration, can say. Anderson began working at Boerman in 1995. “When I was 17 in between my junior and senior year at Lyons Township High School, I was working at TJ Maxx and Boerman needed summer help,” Anderson recalls. “They reached out to the local high school. I interviewed and got hired. I did basic, in the grind, stuff–things that didn’t require a ton of training. I was one credit shy of graduating early, so I went to night school, took civics class, and graduated early so I could work here because I love Boerman Moving and Storage.” Anderson worked her way up the Boerman ladder, and now, 28 years later, she is engaged to be married to her partner of 23 years. She and her fiance live in Bolingbrook with their two cats.
How have you seen Boerman change since you started working here?
I started working full-time in 1996 and accepted the office manager position in 2009. The company has been growing since then and so have the responsibilities. … I started in Hodgkins, Ill.. I saw [the company] build this building [in Woodridge] and move in here. We didn’t have road drivers when I started here, and now we have 25. We went from having one salesperson to having seven. It’s definitely evolved through the years and has had a lot of positive growth.
What’s your favorite memory of working at Boerman?
A scary memory I have was when the Harlem Room Place burned down next door and you could see the propane tanks on the forklifts exploding. I also reflect on all of the really good friendships I’ve made both with drivers and office co-workers. There’s a handful of drivers that live out of state, and I’m inviting them to my wedding because they mean so much to me.
What do you like most about working for Boerman?
The family mentality. The Boermans actually practice having a family mentality here, which is nice.
I like the people and [I like] that it is interesting, even after 28 years. For the most part, no two days are exactly the same. Even though I’m in the back office doing paperwork, there’s still a lot of variety, so it doesn’t get boring.