Every year we review the achievements of individuals within our association and our industry to seek out a person who has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to the moving industry through dedication and goal achievement. We know that it is challenging to operate a moving company and deal with a host of issues that range from cash flow to customers and still find time for family. We also know that a company grows by having strong leadership and gaining the respect of its community and peers.
Choosing the most deserving of this award is difficult since any company owner or key person that dedicates their life to the moving industry must take time away from their own lives to attend meetings, review reports and make decisions.
We are proud to award Ed Odell the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award. Ed has been an active board member since 1998. He has served in all positions, including past president and Chairman. Ed has served on many committees as a contributing member of the NJWMA board of directors to provide direction to our association.
Ed is the president of Wade Odell Wade Padded Van Services, an agent for United Van Lines. While his career as a mover became official in 1986, he got the itch to be a mover back in high school.
Ed grew up in Wyckoff, NJ, when the town was known for its dairy farms and apple orchards. His family built their home and relocated from Pelham, NY. While in college at the University of Dayton, Ed worked summers for Derbyshire, a moving company affiliated with Mayflower Van Lines.
After college, Ed had a short stint with Habitrail (remember those?) as a marketing manager. When his oldest daughter was a baby, he purchased an old moving van, and he and his buddies — Steve Wade and Larry Wade — started a weekend and evening side gig to make ends meet.
It wasn’t long before business started picking up, and a decision had to be made: either quit your day job and jump into the moving business full time or toss in the towel. In 1986, Ed decided to go all in with the moving business; unfortunately, the Wade brothers were all out. At that time, this young moving company couldn’t afford to have the trucks repainted or rename the company, so it stayed Wade Odell Wade Padded Van Services, agent for Paul Arpin Van Lines. It was also around that time that John Dack partnered with Ed, and together, they’ve made WOW Moving what it is today.
When asked what a turning point in his career was, Ed recalls two things: joining Unigroup/United Van Lines in 1998 and investing in his current location. “Becoming a real estate investment partner in the office complex I’m at now helped secure our business and become a major part of the community,” he said.
What is the secret to their success? According to Ed, it’s all about the people. “You need to know how to solve every problem in the business from start to finish,” he said. “It’s important to have a great relationship with all your employees, especially customers.” You also need to know how to shift with the changing market. Ed recalls the great recession of 2008 when his business came to a screeching halt. “We faced bankruptcy at the time and needed to make drastic changes in our business and personal lives to pull through.” Thankfully, the business did survive–and thrive. In January 2021, Ed and John turned the reins over to David Cohen, quickly learning the moving business’s ins and outs. Ed and John are contracted to help with the transition over the next few years.
Ed resides in Midland Park, NJ, with his wife Christine and their three children: Riley, Avery, and William. His eldest daughter Adrienne lives in York, PA, with her husband Mike and two sons, Bennett and Carson. When he’s not in Midland Park, he could be found at his farm in Jeffersonville, NY, or strumming the guitar with his band, the Odell Brothers Rhythm and Blues.
