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Brig Sorber: Two Men, A Truck and a Dream

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CBN.com In the early 1980s, Brig Sorber and his younger brother, Jon were searching for ways to make extra money while they were in high school. They started moving things for people in Lansing, Michigan, using an old pickup truck. “We started moving trash and other types of things to the dump,” Brig said. “From there, we slowly worked our way up to appliances and then actually started moving apartments and small houses.”

In 1982 they placed an ad in a local, weekly community shopping guide newspaper including a stick figure logo designed on a napkin by their mother, Mary Ellen Sheets. Today, that same logo remains the international corporate logo for Two Men and a Truck International and rests on every truck, sign and advertisement.

After the brothers left for college (they would come home on weekends and holidays to help with the business), Mary Ellen decided to pick up where her sons left off. She continued to field calls for moving services while she also worked a full-time data processing job with the State of Michigan. In 1985, she decided to hire two movers and purchased a 14’ truck for $350 – her only investment in the company. Her experience with data analysis, combined with her commitment to customer service, earned her a spot on a 1988 graduate business panel at Michigan State University. When a fellow panelist suggested she franchise her little company, Mary Ellen decided to consult with an attorney on the matter.

“In the beginning, Two Men and a Truck didn’t make much money, so all of us kids had to go out and do other things,” Brig said. In 1989, Mary Ellen awarded the first location outside of Michigan to her daughter, Melanie Bergeron. The office was in Atlanta, Ga. When the company reached 39 franchises, Mary Ellen asked Melanie to assume the role of company president while she pursued a seat in the Michigan State Senate. Melanie is now chair of the board.

Two Men and a Truck’s long track record of aggressive growth continued under Melanie's progressive leadership and keen business strategies. Melanie's accomplishments have been showcased on the cover of Franchising World magazine and in numerous other publications, including Franchise Times.

REAL VALIDATION
Brig and Jon Sorber returned to their Lansing roots in the mid-1990s to team up with their mom and older sister. Upon graduation from college, Brig worked as an insurance agent in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. “When the business became about 25, 30 franchises, I started feeling pretty good about myself. I felt good about all of my accolades and accomplishments.”

He also operated his own Two Men and a Truck franchise in Marquette, Michigan, with his wife, Francine. Brig was under the impression that success was by his own power, and he believed that the harder he worked, the more successful he became.

“The validation that I got from other people and really the world from working so hard, that was what I was going to hang my hat on.” And although Two Men and a Truck was a rising success, Brig was miserable and in search of something more. “My wife, Fran, was strong Christian when we were married, but my belief wasn’t as strong as my wife’s,” he said. “I was always under the impression that if it was going to be, it was up to me. And, God helps those who help themselves. I found out later though that those were not biblical terms.”

Success came fast, and after Brig and his family moved from their $15,000 home to a bigger home with a swimming pool, Brig felt like he “made it.” “I thought successful men drink scotch on the rocks, so I bought a bottle of Johnny Walker Red Scotch and a cigar,” he said. “I know I’m painting an ugly picture, but it’s the real thing. I kinda sat there and said, ‘I finally made it.’ But, I felt at that point very, very empty and that’s when the Lord started working on me.”

Brig said that God plowed away at him in the midst of his success. “I started looking at my wife and our relationship was really strong and our kids are doing well. Two Men and a Truck is growing faster than it ever was. The franchises were happy, but I just felt empty and hollow inside.” Brig figured out that his pursuit of validation from the world and people wasn’t enough. “I finally figured out that Christ gave me validation by dying on the cross for me. In God’s eyes I’m already loved and appreciated. I already have value,” he said.

In September of 1996, Brig sold his franchise to move to Lansing so he could help restructure the Two Men and a Truck system. “I had to allow God to be as big as He is even though I can’t see it all and give Him everything,” he said. “I pray every day when I come to work, ‘help me to open my eyes and open my ears to the way you want me to run this business.’ What I found is our God is not a soft God. He’s a God that wants the best out of us. He can place us in a situation that we never thought we could handle.”

Brig draws from the Bible as inspiration for his business. “The main characters of the Bible were dealing with the same issues we’re dealing with now in business. I made a lot of tough decisions based on Biblical principles.” For example, Brig drew from the life of Solomon and how he prayed for wisdom, discernment and a hunger for knowledge. “Solomon didn’t ask for riches,” he said. “There were broken men in the Bible God still used as a tool.”

That first truck Mary Ellen bought in 1985 has now multiplied into a fleet of more than 1,300 trucks. Now, almost 25 years later, the company has grown to about 1,300 trucks and about 3,500 employees in 32 states at more than 200 locations worldwide including Canada, Ireland and the UK. Two Men and a Truck is the nation's largest franchised local moving company.

Brig is now the president and chief executive officer. Jon serves as executive vice president.

 

 

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