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When Ellen Lemisch would drive her father to his home in Manhattan's Lincoln Towers, he would point to the bright red trucks often riding along West End Avenue.
"Moishe's . . . Moishe's . . . Moishe's," the old man would chant.
So earlier this month, when Ms. Lemisch had to help her father move out of his apartment, she decided on a mover quickly. "Of course . . . I called Moishe's."
Getting his 18 red trucks out onto the streets of New York, where they're seen and remembered, is all part of the enterprising strategy of Moishe Mana, the aggressive, colorful owner of Moishe's Moving & Delivery Inc. In just three years as a licensed mover based on 10th Avenue in Manhattan, Mr. Mana claims to have made Moishe's the second-largest residential mover in the city, carrying as many as 1,200 households a month.
In doing so, the 30-year-old Israeli has also shaken up the residential moving business in New York, which has never been short of competition to start with. Using hard-working immigrants to provide good old-fashioned service, Moishe's has aggressively cut prices -- in some cases, illegally. And, while many larger moving companies have trimmed their ad budgets, content to live off referrals, Moishe's is waging & highly visible advertising campaign.
"Marketing is a game I really enjoy," says Mr. Mana, whose friendly, intense manner dominates most conversations. "This is a very competitive business. You always have to try something new."
Although 17% of New York City's seven million-plus residents move each year, according to the Metropolitan Moving & Storage Association, the state lists some 225 residential movers in the...