Moving Matters with Retired Remover Phil Hambleton

In this episode, Phil Hambleton, who has just retired, discusses how he got involved within the industry in 1984, when he and his parents decided to buy a small removal company and rebrand it as Hambleton’s.

After building up Hambleton’s, Phil’s parents decided to retire in 2002, and Phil consequently sold Hambleton’s in 2004 to North West Removals after it became too much for Phil (as one person) to run. At the time of selling Hambleton’s ran 6 trucks and housed approximately 500 containers in a 10,000 sqft warehouse.

Since selling Hambleton’s Phil has remained within the moving industry, where he has worked for Pickfords (for a 12-month period, under incoming BAR President Mike Andrews), Anglo Pacific (for 7 years, until he was made redundant) and finally GB Liners, where he has spent his past 12 years, before retiring at the end of February 2023.

Phil has overcome several challenges during his time within the industry, transitioning from owner to employee being one, staff was another (from the point of view of questioning his industry experience and background), and learning new IT systems within each employer.

The one thing Phil would change from his moving past is selling Hambleton’s, where a last minute change of circumstances meant he could have continued running the business.

Phil has a couple of highpoints of being within the industry, the first is being awarded the Michael Gerson Medal for the best essay in the BAR Higher Certificate of Removals Management, and the second being the recognition of industry peer Robert Bartup after being asked to take on 2 of the GB Liner branches.

The one thing Phil would like to change within the industry is completion times, citing there needs to be time between exchange and completion to allow people to arrange their removals.

The advice Phil would give himself just starting out within the industry again is to seek out experienced people and pick their brains, and to join an association, such as the BAR.

In the next 5 years Phil doesn’t see much change within the industry, although he does see technology playing a bigger role. Phil doesn’t see electric trucks playing a major role within the industry due to their restrictions on distance, but he does see them playing more of a local role.

Outside of the industry Phil enjoys walking, he’s massively into sports, enjoys dining out and he’s joined a gym (but doesn’t go a lot).

And as always we end Moving Matters with a funny moving story, regarding a survey that ended up in the master bedroom, only to discover another room.

Enjoy!