A Family, Moving People for Over 25 Years
TFM was started in 1992 by Ralph Coleman, with the support and help of Rita Coleman, his mother. From these humble beginnings, TFM had one truck and used a third party company to offer storage services, fast-forward 25 years and TFM are now one of the largest and most respected BAR (British Association of Removers) companies in the area.
We have one of the largest storage facilities, which is used by many other removal companies, and a large fleet of modern vehicles, in all shapes and sizes. One thing which hasn’t changed however, is the family-run nature of TFM. The Coleman family still run TFM; Ralph still makes an effort to build a professional relationship with each and every customer and his sons are now also directors. It’s rare you will not meet at least one Coleman at some point throughout your removal experience.
A large number of our staff have been with us for many years, making it feel like one tight-knit family, and it is this, we believe, that means each and every customer who moves with TFM receives a personal service, just as they would have 25 years ago when Ralph and his small team would have carried out a single removal each day.
Much More than a Local Removal Company
TFM are the leading provider of removals and storage solutions throughout Essex, North Kent and East London, specialising in UK-wide, European and worldwide removals and storage. Our business is moving you, to wherever you want to go!
In addition to having more than two decades of experience, we are members of the BAR (British Association of Removers), the only removals trade association which is regulated and approved by the Trading Standards Institute (fewer than 600 companies in the UK can boast this), and also FEDEMAC (Federation of European Movers Associations), regulating removal companies throughout 22 European countries.
We are a close-knit team and are committed to ensuring that our trained and professional staff maintain, at all times, the high level of care to both property and your possessions that you would expect from your removals provider and that we have become so highly respected for over the years. Our staff are highly experienced and capable and they all receive regular training to ensure this.
The BAR Seal of Approval
At TFM we are committed to providing the most professional services. That is why we are proud members of the British Association of Movers (BAR) and work hard to exceed their standards wherever we can. By doing this we can assure clients that they will always receive the best service from us.
BAR’s benchmarks cover everything from the quality of the materials we need to use to the of our vehicles and storage site. It even details how clear the price and removal plans must be. In addition it sets out training requirements. We adhere to these and ensure our team are all very highly qualified.
The BAR code of practice is the only one in the UK that is monitored by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI). They work to ensure it works properly and protects the interests of the consumer. This is equally important to us.
In addition the CTSI supports members of the BAR, helping them to boost their performance. This is fantastic and means that companies are always heading in the right direction, pushing up standards in the whole industry.
Meet Some of the Team
Ralph Coleman
Director
Ralph Coleman
Director
Having built up the business from scratch, Ralph has always been 100% committed to ensuring TFM is amongst the best removal companies in the South East of England. In equal measure his pig-headed stubbornness, attention to detail, vision and absolute commitment to excellent customer service has driven TFM toward his goal. Ralph still strives to deal with every customer himself, at some point in their removal process, and on the rarest of occasions he can even be spotted out on the lorries (even if it is just folding blankets and drinking coffee!). Lucky enough to have his sons working alongside him, he enjoys sharing his experience and knowledge, knowing that the next generation are there to help him continue to drive TFM forward.Adam Coleman
Director
Adam Coleman
Director
Adam has been working at TFM with his dad since before he went to school! And whilst he has been a Director of the firm since 2013, he is very much hands-on with the removals side of the business, and this is where his passion lies. Growing up he spent Saturdays and school holidays learning what it takes to be a removal man and has completed courses in export wrapping, packing fine china and glass and moving specialist furniture. He passed his Class 1 HGV licence in his early twenties and now drives our largest 44-tonne lorries. He is now second to none when it comes to specialist packing, wrapping and managing large removals. Adam is the complete removal man and has patiently helped his two younger brothers and other young members of the TFM team as they learn the ropes of removals, while earning his nicknames of 'Dachshund' (due to his very long body and short legs) or 'Larry' (because he really is as happy as).Joshua Coleman
Director
Joshua Coleman
Director
Like his brother Adam, Josh has never known life without removals! He has, since he could walk, learnt about all aspects of removals and storage, and started working full-time at the age of 16. He passed his HGV test when he was eighteen and his International Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) shortly after, meaning he is a qualified Transport Manager and therefore holds the operator’s licence at TFM. He became a director in 2013, and whilst a lot of his time is spent in the office or out visiting customers, carrying out estimates, he can, like his older brother Adam, regularly be found on removals driving the lorries and putting his skills and knowledge in all things removals into practice. Like his father, Josh is also short. He can also be grumpy and argumentative and is therefore regularly confused on the phone for his father, even by Tricia, but of course he says he is nothing like his dad.Rita Coleman
Rita Coleman
Rita had already reached retirement age when she helped her son Ralph start TFM in the early nineties. Growing up as a butcher's daughter during and after the war, and later running pubs with her husband Michael, Rita knew that for a business to succeed hard work was essential. The time she spent as a PA in London taught her good office management and in the early years at TFM she ran the office, answered the phones and kept the books up to date. Now there is a third generation of the family working at TFM and Rita can be proud of what she helped to start. Thank you, Nanny Rita!Chloe Brockwell
Office Administrator
Chloe Brockwell
Office Administrator
Chloe joined TFM as part of our apprenticeship scheme when she had just left school. She studied Business Administration at South Essex College whilst also working from our Burnham-on-Crouch office, learning the in’s and out’s of the removals and storage industry. Chloe has now worked for TFM for a number of years and has become an integral part of TFM, looking after all of our storage accounts and our daily household removals accounts. If something is happening at TFM, Chloe is sure to know about it! Be warned though, although Chloe is the only person working for TFM who is shorter than Ralph, nobody here would dream of arguing with her... Apart from, perhaps, Nick.Kes Murphy
Removals Porter
Kes Murphy
Removals Porter
Kes is the youngest member of the family to join the ranks and now works full-time at TFM. His years working at TFM during the school holidays and at weekends have really fast-forwarded his development and he is already a huge member of the team (literally and metaphorically) and a proficient porter. Kes will be taking his driving test this year, which will only further his TFM career even more. At 6’ 1” he towers over (in a gangly way) some of the other guys, but he is quiet and respectful in his manner, not that he has much choice with two older brothers to keep him in line. Kes enjoys the camaraderie and team spirit that TFM is built upon, and what better way to start out in the world of employment than learning the ropes from your family."From the first phone call to Ralph I knew our removal was in safe hands. We cannot say thank-you enough to Adam, Josh and Kes for their professionalism, politeness, efficiency, hard work and calm nature. I hope they didn't get stuck in too much traffic on their way back from Derbyshire! We would recommend TFM without hesitation. You took a lot of stress out of our moving day. Thanks again!"
Jenny Cox, Southminster