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WILLIS HAS DEEP ROOTS IN TRUCKING John Willis, Willis Permian Movers, Inc.
BY STEVE BRAWNER Contributing Writer
John Willis, president of Willis
Permian Movers, has deep roots in Texas trucking and deep roots in the TXTA. His grandfather, J.J. Willis, started J.J.
Willis Trucking Company, an oilfield and heavy hauling carrier, with mule teams in the late 1920s. John’s father, Jerome, grew up in that business. After the company was sold, Jerome purchased Odessa-based Permian Movers in 1973 and changed the name to Willis Permian Movers. John grew up in that household mov-
ing business, like his father had done, and said he learned that “it’s an honest living” with a lot of hard work. “Dad would drop me off at jobs before
I could even drive to help load and pack and everything,” he said. “I rode with driv- ers out of town. In college I would criss- cross the country with drivers as a helper on long-haul trucks.” After graduating from what is now
Texas State University in 1986, John came to work for his dad’s business, first as a driver. He became president in 1990 when Jerome passed away. The carrier now has about 60 employ-
ees with 25 trucks and has expanded to four locations. In 2000, it bought El Paso- based Admiral Storage and Van, keeping the name because it was a recognized one in the area. Then in 2011, it bought Corpus Christi Transfer, again keeping the name for the same reason. Then recently, Willis Permian Movers opened another branch in Round Rock. The company’s trucks tra- verse the 48 states as an agent for Bekins
ONCE YOU GET INTO IT, IT’S LIKE A FAMILY THAT YOU DON’T WANT TO LEAVE.
Van Lines, and it can arrange for services anywhere in the world. Moving forward, the goal is to
become a household name for moving in Texas, particularly in midsize markets. This year the industry has been a little stagnant, John said, but he believes it will pick up next year after the election. Even today, John will get behind the
wheel. In fact, he had driven a Peterbilt 18-wheeler the day of the interview when one of his drivers had a medical issue. For him, Willis Permian Movers and
its sister companies are not only business enterprises but also opportunities to serve others. “While it’s somewhat the same, every
job is different, and it’s satisfying knowing that you’ve successfully helped somebody through a stressful time in their lives in the moving process,” he said. The carrier also has produced more
than a few stories. It recently moved a $100,000 jade table bought at an estate sale from Midland to Odessa. Under John’s father, the company moved an exhibit with the Apollo 11 capsule that had brought Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin back from the moon and hauled a huge research telescope to The University of Texas McDonald Observatory. The family has been a member of
Willis with his wife, Dolores
what is now the TXTA since the 1950s and has been very active in the Southwest Movers Association. As chairman of SMA in 2004-05, John helped engineer a legisla- tive victory by removing the regulatory dis- tinction between larger and smaller movers that had proven to be ineffective and easily abused. Movers are movers, he said, and the slogan for the campaign was “Size doesn’t matter.” The company has made it a point to
pay dues to both the SMA and the TXTA, even though membership in either provides access to the benefits of both. He has fond memories of taking his son to meetings, has been on TXTA’s board of directors for a number of years, and is now a vice chair- man at large on the executive committee. “Once you get into it, it’s like a family
that you don’t want to leave,” he said. R Issue 3, Fall 2016
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