Making the Move

Jim Henderson
President of William C. Huff Companies and national speaker for estate downsizing and lifestyle transitions

It’s not enough to say ‘handle with care’ or add a ‘fragile’ label when transporting a fine art piece or an irreplaceable masterpiece. The person handling the art or collectable needs to be properly trained in the field of art handling to ensure best practices are being followed and damage is prevented.

That’s the exact sentiments and philosophy of William C. Huff Companies. As a full-service logistics provider, we have fully-trained art handlers who use proper procedures and the best industry standards for handling, wrapping and crating fine art. A service provider with appropriate training provides an art collector with the knowledge that the best care and attention have been taken to protect against damage and insurance claims.

Each year, millions of dollars of artwork are damaged as a result of improper moves by service providers such as decorators, remodelers and transport companies. Knowing that most damage can be eliminated with properly trained handlers, we hired one of the most respected experts, Mervin Richard, to conduct a three-day intensive workshop on handling priceless art. Richard is currently the Chief of Conservation at the National Gallery and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Heritage Preservation: The National Institute for Conservation.

It is estimated that 78 million baby boomers are facing retirement over the next several years and will be downsizing their estates. This means more art will be transported from one location to another; more damage and insurance claims will surely rise. We want to be prepared for the added influx of art and precious collectables by taking a proactive training approach.

With a 100 year history of providing personal attention to our clients’ needs, our experience and reputation play a major role in why we are involved with some of the most prestigious homes in America.

Continual education and improvement have made our company stand out in the past and will no doubt be the same for the future. When making the move, ask your logistics provider if they have been trained to handle artwork, if not, I suggest you reconsider  the service provider. Remember, priceless means priceless, why take the risk?