Local moving company launches free storage program

Hurricanes Helene and Milton had major impacts on the Tampa Bay area last year. Wade Swikle, CEO of 2 College Brothers Moving and Storage, saw it firsthand. 

To provide peace of mind, the company has created a hurricane storage program for community members. Individuals can store one box at the company’s 11,000-square-foot Tampa warehouse free of charge. 

“Last year when the hurricanes came through, we had a lot of frantic calls,” he explained to the Catalyst. 

“We had to rescue a lot of people who lost a lot of things and we were only able to take the things that weren’t destroyed,” Swikle continued. “We don’t want people to be calling us when it’s too late.” 

In order to be proactive, he decided to introduce a service ahead of this year’s hurricane season. 

Individuals can place items such as documents, photo albums, their children’s artwork and certain family heirlooms in the boxes. These are important “things that people don’t logically want to evacuate with, but also don’t want to lose,” Swikle explained. 

However, valuables, cash, weapons and other expensive belongings should not be included. 

The company will provide complimentary boxeslif needed, Swikle said. Once the boxes are prepared, they will be stacked in vaults.  

Residents in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, New Port Richey, Tampa and other parts of the Bay area will be able to use the service. 

“We run free box delivery routes every Tuesday,” he added. “So we can even swing by and pick up a box from somebody’s home if they’re out of town or don’t have a way to get to our office or just don’t have the time.” 

For Swikle, the program is about serving the community.

“My goal is that we are able to prevent catastrophe in people’s lives,” he said. “You can’t control Mother Nature, but you can control how you prepare for the devastating aftermath of a storm.” 

The program will continue until the end of hurricane season, in November. Swikle added that the company plans to offer this service every year moving forward. 

To learn more about the program, visit 2 College Brothers’ website.