I’m Derek Vandenberg, and I built this crew in 2015
I grew up on the Dutch West Side of Grand Rapids, and I ran warehouse and freight logistics through the Furniture City industrial corridor for years before I ever owned a truck. I watched too many out-of-town outfits pad a phone estimate once the load was already strapped down. I wanted to run the opposite kind of company.
So in 2015 I started West Michigan Moving Company on one rule that hasn’t budged: lock the flat price in writing before the truck rolls. No hour-creep after a Heritage Hill stair-carry, no surprise fee because a township driveway turned to gravel. The number on your estimate is the number you pay.
What we look like on the ground
- About 15 uniformed movers on staff — every one W-2, background-checked, in a company polo.
- Our own trucks, staged and blanket-stocked nightly at our Fifth Street NW yard.
- Same crew, both ends on local Grand Rapids jobs — no handoff to a stranger.
- Properly licensed — Michigan household-goods mover authority plus US DOT and MC authority for interstate.
The West Michigan we actually move
We carry brick two-flats down the tight streets of Heritage Hill, load lofts near the Grand River, and reach the gravel two-tracks out in the Kent and Ottawa County townships. Winter is the real variable here — lake-effect snow off Lake Michigan can bury a loading day, so we stage early and plan the truck board around the forecast.
The team you’ll meet
- Hanna DeVries runs the office — your quote, your certificate of insurance, your Michigan paperwork.
- Marcus Poole dispatches, building the daily truck board across West Michigan.
- Wyatt Boersma is my lead crew chief — pianos, specialty pieces, and Heritage Hill stair-carries.
- Andre Coleman leads our long-haul runs down US-131 and out I-96.
- Cole Nyenhuis handles East Grand Rapids and the lakeshore corridor.
What you’ll spend with us
Local rate is $149/hr for two movers and a truck, $199/hr for three — blankets, dollies, shrink-wrap, and drive time included, one-hour minimum. Long-distance is a binding flat rate we put in writing before loading. See the local rate sheet or request a free written quote and Hanna will answer the same day.
