Your Moving & Storage Experts for Over a Century
The Weleski
Story
Weleski Moving & Storage has grown from humble beginnings into a trusted, full‑service mover for families and businesses alike.
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1909
Founding as a Local Hauling Service in Tarentum
Andrew Weleski, a Tarentum entrepreneur who hauled milk, soda and coal with a horse and wagon, was asked by a friend to move furniture. He borrowed a horse and wagon from a local livery and delivered the furniture successfully. Word‑of‑mouth led to more moving requests, so Weleski incorporated the service as Weleski Moving & Storage. The company operated from his home in Tarentum and remained family‑run.
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1957
Warehouse & Diversification
By the late 1950s, Andrew’s sons were working in the business. In 1957 the family built a warehouse and diversified the company’s freight business. They used the new facility to move rolls of newsprint from a nearby paper mill to the Valley News Dispatch newspaper. This diversification paved the way for commercial storage services.
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1963
Atlas Van Lines Partnership
In 1963 the company became one of roughly 400 independent agents for Atlas Van Lines, providing a national network for interstate moves. This affiliation allowed Weleski to offer long‑distance and international moving services.
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1964
Incorporation
The Better Business Bureau lists January 1, 1964 as the date when Weleski Moving & Storage was formally incorporated. The company continued to operate from Tarentum and remained family‑owned.
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1974
Gary Weleski Joins the Company
After earning a business degree, Andrew’s grandson Gary Weleski joined the firm in 1974. He expanded the company’s international relocation services and supervised moves for military families. This marked the entrance of the third generation into company leadership.
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1988
Agents Buy Back Atlas Van Lines
In 1988, a group of Atlas agents (including Weleski Moving & Storage) pooled resources to purchase Atlas Van Lines from a corporate owner. Gary Weleski, then a regional director of Atlas, participated in the buy‑back and later served on the board of directors. He later recalled that the buy‑back “allowed agents to work for ourselves again,” giving the agency network a voice in the industry.
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1990s
Geographic Expansion & Awards
Expansion to Johnstown and Cleveland – As the demand for moving services grew, Weleski opened full‑service branches in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and Cleveland, Ohio. A 1990s expansion was noted in a 2009 TribLive retrospective, which said the company “added locations in Johnstown and Cleveland during the 1990s”. The Cleveland branch eventually operated under the name Weleski – Fridrich Moving & Storage, reflecting the acquisition of the Fridrich moving company (originally founded in 1915) and giving Weleski an Ohio base.
Community awards – Tony Weleski, Andrew’s son and second‑generation leader, served as an Atlas Van Lines regional director while managing the company. The TribLive 115th‑anniversary story notes that he received the Tarentum Community Citizens Award in 1993 and the Allegheny Valley Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award in 1996. These honors recognized the company’s community involvement and business excellence.
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2000s
Quality Recognition
Early 2000s – start of the Milt Hill quality streak – The Atlas Milton M. Hill Quality Award is the van line’s highest honor for overall quality, safety and customer satisfaction. After missing the award in one year, the team made it a mission to win consistently. By 2014 the company had earned 13 consecutive Milt Hill awards, and by 2015 the Pittsburgh operation achieved 14 straight wins while the Cleveland branch received the award for the first time.
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2005
Federal Supply Schedule
In April 2005 the U.S. General Services Administration awarded Weleski a Multiple Award Schedule contract (MAS GS33F0030R). The contract description notes that the ordering period was later extended to 2025. This contract allowed Weleski to provide moving services to government agencies.
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2010s
Fourth Generation and Philanthropy
The company remained family‑owned into its fourth generation. Gary’s daughter Lauren Weleski Swigart became Director of Business Development and an operations manager. She authored many of the company’s blog posts and continues to play a public role in marketing and community outreach.
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2015
Holiday Charity & Quality Recognition
A PRWeb release from 2015 celebrated Weleski’s “double win”: the Pittsburgh office earned its 14th consecutive Milton M. Hill Award, while the Cleveland office received its first; the release quoted Lauren Weleski Swigart emphasizing high customer satisfaction and minimal claims. That same year, employees in both cities orchestrated holiday drives to gather toys and donations for Toys for Tots, the Children’s Hospital, and local charities.
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2016
Continued Awards & Community Outreach
Quality service and a 15-year Milt Hill streak, achieved by 2015, are central to the company’s identity, reflecting a long-standing commitment to reliability and excellence. In addition, Weleski actively supports the community through participation in the Angel Tree and Adopt a Family programs, providing gifts and groceries to families and children in need during the holiday season.
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2020
Adapting to the Pandemic
A Bowles Rice article profiling Weleski Moving & Storage reported that the fourth‑generation company employed more than 150 people and adapted to the COVID‑19 pandemic by implementing sanitation protocols, using virtual surveys for estimates and adopting remote work. These measures allowed the business to continue moving customers safely during a challenging period.
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2022
Cartus Commitment to Excellence
Atlas Van Lines’ 2022 press release announced that Weleski Moving & Storage received Cartus’ Commitment to Excellence – Silver award at the Cartus Global Network Conference. The award recognises agents that provide exceptional relocation services; Weleski was listed among the Silver winners.
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June 2024
115th Anniversary
TribLive published a feature marking Weleski Moving & Storage’s 115th anniversary. The article recapped the company’s origin story, the succession from founder Andrew Weleski to his son Tony and grandson Gary, and noted that Gary’s cousin Lynn Thompson helps run the company. It highlighted the family’s diversification into convenience stores and other businesses, emphasized the 1957 warehouse and the 1963 Atlas affiliation, and said the company employed more than 200 people. The article also mentioned that Weleski continues to win quality awards and maintain a family‑oriented culture, with many employees working for the company for decades.
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November 2024
Specialized Transportation Group (STG) Quality Award
In November 2024, Atlas Logistics recognized Weleski Moving & Storage of Cleveland, Inc. as one of only four agents nationwide to receive the Specialized Transportation Group Quality Award. The award honors agents with exceptional safety, claims performance and equipment standards; Weleski’s Cleveland branch was highlighted as a recipient.
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June 2025
State Association Membership
In 2025, Weleski Moving & Storage became a member of the Pennsylvania Moving & Storage Associates (PMSA), an organization that requires its members to maintain fair and honest business dealings. Weleski welcomed the opportunity to join the association and uphold its professional standards.