Happy New Year from all of us at Colin Batt Removals Firm and we hope you had a great Christmas. While you were enjoying some well earned time off you may have sat down with the Kentish Express on Christmas Eve and seen a great article on us. We’re very excited that the Kentish Express journalists wanted to write a piece on us and found our removals firm story interesting.
We’re really proud of our history and our reputation. We have worked hard to grow and nurture this from the very first day that Colin Batt started the Company back in 1978. We have grown a lot since those early days but the Removals Firm is still family owned by Simon Batt and now covers house removals, piano moves, storage and document archive. In fact, we have a new and expanded store on Maidstone Road in Ashford, Kent.
If you missed the article or didn’t get a copy of the Kentish Express here is a copy of the great editorial.
The Removals Firm that knows Reputation is Key
By Aiden Barlow abarlow@thekmgroup.co.uk @aidanbarlowKM
An RAF Typhoon fighter pilot turned businessman says business is booming after his removals firm completed the purchase of new premises.
Simon Batt, 39, took over Colin Batt Removals from his father just over three years ago alongside childhood friend Andrew Urquhart.
As a Royal Air Force pilot and father of one he is keeping alive the family business that his father started in Challock in 1978.
The company originally prided itself on being one of the best at moving musical instruments such as pianos and has even carried out work for the Royal Household and moved Beethoven’s piano across Europe.
But now Mr Batt says things are really moving after he took over the Move-It Storage Warehouse in Maidstone Road off the A20.
He said: “We have pretty much doubled our workforce and completed our move to the new location. So we’re really pleased with the progress, especially given the growth of the business even when the economy has been fairly stagnant.
“My father started the business, but my passion while I was growing up was always for flying. I met Andrew in the RAF Air Cadets as youngsters and we’ve been friends ever since.
“We thought it would be a good idea to work together here with him managing the business day to day while I finish my career in the RAF.
“We’re very lucky that my father built such a great company with a great reputation. He started it as a piano-moving business on his own with a van.
“It included for the Spencer family and later for Royals including Prince Charles.”
He said the business grew such a big reputation that musical performers like Duran Duran and Elton John also used the company’s services.
But the greatest honour was perhaps moving Beethoven’s famous piano from a museum in Hungary to tour Europe.
Mr Batt said: “It is insured for about £7 million, but it is 175 years old so it is really priceless.
“Moving it was a fantastic accolade for the business and we’re all really proud of it.”
His friend Andrew had left the Air Training Corps to pursue a golfing career.
He said: “I came on board to help push the company forward, so when we took over the Move-It site it presented a big opportunity and we had to grab it with both hands.”
- For more information, visit www.colinbattremovals.co.uk
