Meet our President's Award Winner John Brindle

Each quarter we shine a spotlight on team members who exemplify our dedication to service and our core values. For the third quarter of 2023, we are pleased to honor John Brindle, Facilities Manager, with our President’s Award.  

Managing the day-to-day operations for CRI’s warehouse, handling all storage that comes in and goes out, working with the drivers, supervising setup of the expansive new Dallas office…it’s all in a day’s work for John. 

“I take care of anything that needs to be done within the building, finishing projects and making sure they are done properly and not interfering with everyone else’s work,” he says. But there IS one area at CRI where John truly feels at home...

“I'm at peace in the warehouse. I love being in the warehouse.” 

With an impressive 44-year tenure in the moving industry, John's journey began as a young man, assisting his father and uncle with their part-time moving work at All American Moving Company. After completing his daily shift at the shutter shop, John would lend a hand with moving one or two pieces, which eventually turned into larger and more complex moves. He ended up joining All American Moving as an employee and over the course of 11 years, he steadily progressed through various roles, starting from the very bottom and advancing as high as he possibly could - from office industrial supervisor to tractor-trailer driver and main company driver to operations manager. When All American Moving merged with Mayflower Moving, he stayed on, expanding his already extensive skill set to include rigging work. 

“I’ve done a little bit of everything. As they say, ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’,” he says. “Most people wouldn’t believe the stories...they would think it's science fiction…some of the crazy things I’ve done in the past. Like…why are you hanging 12 stories in the air on a 4’ x 8’ platform taking 14’ things out of windows when you're terrified of heights? Stuff like that…those are some of the crazy things that I used to do.” 

John’s most notable job was while he was working with Mayflower in 1989. As the rigging lead, he was responsible for setting up the 27-foot, 52-ton granite statue of Egyptian pharaoh, Ramses II, aka Ramses the Great, at Dallas’ Museum of Natural History @ Fair Park, and then had to remove the colossus at the close of the exhibit and prepare it for the trip home to Egypt. That experience alone proves that John knows a thing or two about moving precious cargo, and it’s no surprise that he’s just as serious about his current role at CRI.  

After 31 years at CRI, John continues to handle every project with the utmost consideration, and although his work is a lot less physical than his days moving CAT scan and X-Ray machines, it’s far from a traditional desk job. 

“I have a crew, but I’ve done a lot of the work myself, too,” he says. “I’m hands on, and if I can’t do it, I don’t expect my employees to do it.” 

Q & A

What components make up a good team? 

Dependability and the ability to adapt to whatever is going on. One thing I’ve learned over the years is no matter how hard you plan an event or a job, you always have to be able to adapt because it doesn’t always go the way that you want. The people that I work with are able to do that and that is what makes it a lot easier to do what I do. This really extends to working with the customer. You have to be able to adapt to every single customer. They are all different – with different needs and wants.  

I’ve not only learned this through this business, but also as a Scouter. I’m very involved in the Boy Scouts and the Order of the Arrow. I plan a lot of major scouting events - I’m currently in the middle of planning the Wisdom 100 Celebration of Camp Wisdom here in Dallas - and that requires constant adaptation. 

What are three critical traits a client should look for in a prospective relocation management company? 

You have to be dependable, have good customer service and be able to adapt to each client. You also have to be flexible and communicate.  

If you could go anywhere, where would you relocate to? 

Out to the country or the mountains. Maybe the Smoky Mountains? I have relatives that live out there – in the Tennessee and North Carolina areas. Any mountain area, really. If I could get out of the city, I’d be happier. I guess that’s why I love Scouting so much, because I’m always out in the woods and in nature.  

What’s either the best advice you’ve ever received or worst advice you’ve ever received? 

Good Advice:

Communication is 9/10s of the job…and stay flexible. I was told that back when I first started in the business by a few mentors, and by my father. You’ve got to listen to the customer and take care of their needs because if they know that they're getting their needs taken care of, it makes it more enjoyable for your crew and for your company and for their company as well. 

I also believe in telling people how I feel about things. And I expect the same from them. You can’t be afraid to tell people what you think. 

Tell us something you’re excited about. 

I’m alive and kicking this morning! I’m also excited about the different things I have going on in my personal life - especially spending time with my family, and all the projects I’m doing with Scouting. I'm also excited about where this company is moving. From where this company is now and from where it was when I first started, it’s night and day. I have seen a lot of people come and go over the years, and I’m still here.