Celebrities complete international house moves with Nottinghamshire removals firm

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 27 February 2022

The family-owned business has been praised by famous names for their successful relocations, including celebrities such as DJ Pete Tong MBE, New Zealand rugby union coach Vern Cotter, All Blacks star Lima Sopoaga, and prop for the Newcastle Falcons rugby team Rodney Ah You.

Ballards Group was founded in Nottinghamshire in 1978 and has been based beside the A1 dual carriageway near Retford since 2017. Ballards Group, which includes Ballards Removals, Steeles of Stamford and Bespoke Moving Solution has become a ‘go-to’ name for movers, both locally, regionally and internationally - including for celebrities and high wealth clients.

Matthew Ballard, Group Managing Director of Ballards Removals said:

“We treat every customer as an A-lister, but it’s especially exciting to be helping the likes of Pete Tong move home! The old adage of ‘celebrities - they’re just like us!’ might be true, but moving such high-value and one-of-a-kind items certainly put the pressure on the team. All our staff are all expertly trained, so there was no learning curve - just higher pulses and a very humbling experience all round.

“We’re very grateful to those who have shared kind words about our growing team and we wish them the best of luck in their new homes and in the next stage of their evolving careers.”

Speaking about the firm and their involvement in his recent house move, Head coach of the Fijian national rugby team and former player Vern Cotter said:

“Bespoke Moving Solutions by Ballards organised two moves for us from France to New Zealand. 

“We had a few red flag items and being in the middle of a global pandemic and stuck on the other side of the world made the move very complicated. We were so glad to have someone that we trusted and who knew the industry and the complicated NZ customs process inside-out. 

“We would unreservedly recommend Bespoke to anyone planning an international move.” 

BBC Radio 1 DJ, Pete Tong MBE said:

“Ballards have been a pleasure to work with for our removal and storage needs. Proactive, courteous, trustworthy and great value” 

As one of England’s best-known disk jockeys, the BBC Radio 1 DJ and Ibiza legend was assisted by the team in his recent international relocation.

Another famous face to advocate for the growing firm is professional rugby union player and rising star, Lima Sopoaga. The All Blacks player who recently transferred from Wasps to Lyon RFC enlisted Ballards to oversee his move from the United Kingdom to France. 

Lima Sopoaga said:

“Matt and his team have been fantastic in moving my family from the UK to Lyon, France. Everything was smooth from the get-go and nothing was too much trouble. 

“I will be using their services again for sure when the next move comes. Thank you Matt and the team for making moving so incredibly easy.”

These sentiments are echoed by fellow rugby powerhouse Rodney Ah You. The former Ireland player departed Newcastle Falcons for Rugby Club Vannes in the summer, and Ballards helped the prop move into his new home in France.

Rodney Ah You said:

“Waiting for our house to be built in Brittany, the date changed 3 times on us and Ballards Removals were very accommodating! When we finalised the date, Matthew had our date for moving things so that our furniture could arrive immediately the following week, which we were very grateful for.”

“They were so polite and friendly and made the move much more enjoyable in making sure our things were moved into the rooms we needed them in (and with a two-storey house and winding stairs, it wasn’t an easy job to do!)

“Their hard work was very much appreciated and we would definitely recommend your company to anyone who is looking for a moving company for a local or international move!”

The high-profile praise comes on the back of a record year for Ballards in 2021, which has quadrupled their annual turnover since 2017, with profits reaching £8 million in the last year. Now employing 90 people, including 35 full-time drivers, the company is optimally positioned to manage relocations on domestic soil and internally.

For more information on Ballards Removals, please visit www.ballards-move.co.uk.

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