Our story is one of family

Frank “The Chief” Corrigan moved to Dearborn, Michigan, in 1923, enticed by the $5 daily salary promised by Ford Motor Company. At Ford, Frank worked third-shift on the Ford farms doing a range of varying jobs – sometimes even chauffeuring Henry Ford himself. The Chief was driven, and during the day when he was not employed at Ford he operated an ice delivery company with his brother. When the Great Depression hit, Frank used his trucks to serve families forced from their houses relocate their belongings.

And thus, Corrigan Moving Systems was born.

World War II brought about a new difficulty to Frank and Corrigan Moving because of the challenge finding help while WWII was happening. Frank’s oldest son, Paul Corrigan, was called back from the Air Force in 1945 to help support his family and the family business. Paul had hopes of going to a university. Instead, he assumed management of the business, going through what he named the “school of hard knocks”.

Paul was a talented leader, and with his guidance Corrigan began to advance. In 1949, Corrigan joined United Van Lines because the prospect of joining an agency-owned van line appealed to Paul. The co-op ownership structure allows family-owned companies, like Corrigan, management over the strategy of the van line.

During the following four decades, the Corrigan family grew in parallel with the company. Paul married Kathleen O’Hehir in 1954 and hand-in-hand they raised six kids. While growing up all six kids worked at Corrigan.

In 1969 Corrigan started its second office in Ann Arbor, Michigan and operated as a two-office business for the following 15 years. In 1984, it began a quick eight-year expansion and procurement phase. New warehouses were started in Auburn Hills, Toledo, Flint, Bay City and Grand Rapids. In 1987, Corrigan purchased a new office in Farmington Hills and transferred their headquarters from the Dearborn location.

In 1995, the third generation took over the executive positions at the moving business.

Corrigan Moving has always welcomed expansion possibilities that would help expand the quality and service reach. Two excellent opportunities presented themselves to David Corrigan, and so, in 2003, a branch was added in Rochester, New York. Then a Chicago, Illinois location came in 2006. These were the first Corrigan branches established in these states. More growth brought a warehouse in Cleveland, Ohio; and in 2018, a location was added in Buffalo, New York. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania warehouse was added in 2022.

As Corrigan has expanded, it has also advanced its services. Far from hauling ice, Corrigan now offers a broad variety of solutions including household goods moving, commercial and office relocations, record storage, systems furniture assembly and disassembly, logistics, and international freight forwarding.

Today, the Corrigan Family of Companies continues to live by Frank’s founding mission. And because of that, we have expanded into the most reputable moving company in the nation.