ALL IN THE FAMILY: “We are proud to continue the family business founded by Edwin Bohren in 1924. Not everyone gets to celebrate a 100-year anniversary!” Ted Froehlich, Chairman of Bohren’s Companies, is pictured with his daughters Louise Froehlich (left), former Human Resources Director, and Denise Hewitt, President.

By Jean Stratton

Calvin Coolidge was president. Women were cutting their hair into short bobs and hemlines were getting longer! The Charleston had taken over the dance floor; jazz was the music of choice. It was 1924 and the “Roaring Twenties” were on the rise.

In the midst of all this excitement, Princeton resident Edwin L. Bohren decided to keep using his Ford Model T truck and his small warehouse on Chambers Street and start a moving company.

Automobiles were about to revolutionize American society. People were on the move, ready for new sights and sounds, and moving was part of everyday life in the 1920s.

Edwin Bohren had the foresight to recognize what was coming and founded a company that remains a mainstay to this day, while at the same time adapting to the challenges of changing times.

Marine Goat

“He was in the delivery business,” explains Bohren’s grandson Ted Froehlich, now Bohren’s CEO. “He delivered luggage from the train station to Princeton University students, and he once picked up the Naval Academy mascot goat, which came to the Princeton-Navy football game!”

The business started out locally and gradually expanded to other areas of New Jersey. As it grew, the company became more and more of a family business.

“My father, Warren Froehlich, joined the company in the early 1940s,” recalls Ted Froehlich, and the business began to expand. “In 1955, we became agents and shareholders of United Van Lines, and over time our trucks were running regularly to New York, Boston, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC.”

At the age of 12, Ted began working for the company after school, and by the age of 17 he was driving the trucks on various routes. He had the opportunity to learn the business hands-on from an early age, and benefited in particular from first-hand instruction from his grandfather. He also developed ideas about how to prepare for the future.

“In 1972, I became president and wanted to expand and diversify,” he says. Of course, the focus was still heavily on relocation, and Froehlich points out that Bohren employees are always aware that stress is often a big factor in relocation.

“We do everything we can to help our customers get through this as smoothly as possible. When you call us, our customer service team will schedule an appointment, come out to inspect the contents and give you a price.”

Time frames can vary, he adds. “For a small house, packing might take a day, and we can move the next day. We also do a lot of storage. For example, people might be moving into a new house that’s still under construction, so they need to store things. Anything we move, we can store.”

Quality work

The focus is always on quality work, emphasizes Froehlich. “At Bohr’s, you will be welcomed with the same courtesy, the same solution-oriented thinking and the same personal attention that have made our reputation since 1924.”

Loyal customers are an important part of the company’s success, says Bohren’s president and Froehlich’s daughter Denise Hewitt. “Most of our customers actually come through referrals. And previous customers also come back to us. For example, in the past we have relocated customers to Florida and recently we relocated them back to New Jersey so they could be near their grandchildren.”

Over the years, the company has continued to develop and diversify, which is an important element of Bohren’s success.

“We were involved in trade fairs, exhibitions and special products,” says Froehlich. “We had been involved in international transport by container shipping since the 1950s and 1960s. That is an important part of the business. Business customers also became increasingly important. IBM was a customer and we started transporting computers.”

As trade shows, the art world and commercial moving grew in importance, the company evolved into Bohren’s Companies, which includes three divisions: Bohren’s Moving & Storage, Bohren’s Fine Art Transportation and Bohren’s Logistics. Services range from residential and commercial moving and storage to trade shows, transportation and storage of fine art and high-end electronic and medical equipment.

3,000 pound stone lions

The variety of items the company has moved or stored is impressive. From Elvis Presley memorabilia, organs and harpsichords, and Andy Warhol artwork to Apache helicopters, RCA communications satellites, Rothko sculptures—and the list goes on!

“We even transported an actual subway car to be sent to an artist to eventually exhibit as a work of art,” says Froehlich. “We also transported huge stone lion sculptures to Saudi Arabia. Each one weighed 3,000 pounds!”

A key reason for Bohren’s continued success is its increasing focus on the transportation and storage of artworks. This can include packing small, valuable items into boxes or transporting multiple truckloads of artworks to museums.

“We maintain direct relationships with artists and also with museums and galleries,” Hewitt emphasizes. “Our trucks drive to JFK airport daily to pick up the crated artworks. They also make regular visits to the five boroughs, where the artworks are stored and transported in climate-controlled spaces.”

Due to the need for more space, the company moved to 3 Applegate Drive South in Robbinsville in 1999 and consolidated its operations on a 120,000 square foot site.

Hewitt became president in 2002, bringing her experience and knowledge to the company. Having worked in nearly every position in the company, she was uniquely qualified to look after Bohren’s future.

Women-owned

Additionally, Bohren’s became a member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) as a women-owned company. Recognized by more than 700 major companies nationwide, as well as a number of federal and government agencies, WBENC certification makes Bohren’s a top supplier for corporate decision makers looking to give the company access to hundreds of corporate customers and government agencies interested in supplier diversity.

Over the years, Bohren’s has received numerous awards including United Van Lines Customer Choice, United Van Lines Agent of the Month, Van Operators of the Year (three times), Trade Show Sales Achievement Award, President’s Club Award Winner and humanitarian awards, to name a few.

Both Froehlich and Hewitt are very proud to continue this important family tradition. It really is all in the family! From 1985 to 2021, Ted’s daughter Louise Froehlich served as human resources manager, and soon there will be five generations of family members when Denise’s son Wesley joins the company.

Through diversification and ingenuity, they have adapted to changing times while maintaining the company’s integrity and commitment to quality customer service. They have also earned the loyalty of their 40 employees, many of whom have been with the company for 25 to 30 years.
“I love what I do,” Hewitt says of the business. “I like challenges and I tackle them every day, keeping an eye on everything. There’s always something new. Now we’re looking forward to taking it to the next level, maybe adding heavier equipment and flatbeds. We’ll keep diversifying.”

The company’s 100th anniversary is a remarkable achievement, especially in today’s world where so many companies come and go seemingly in the blink of an eye. As one of Bohren’s long-time clients pointed out, “All of the founder’s core values ​​- hard work, dedication and a true commitment to customer service – have been passed down over the years.”

For more information, call (800) 326-4736 or visit bohrensmoving.com.