Frank “The Chief” Corrigan came to Dearborn, Michigan, in 1923, lured by the $5 daily salary promised by Ford Motor Company. At Ford, Frank worked nights on the Ford farms performing a variety of jobs. Sometimes he even chauffeured Henry Ford himself. The Chief was ambitious, and during the day when he wasn’t working at Ford, he ran an ice delivery service with his brother. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, Frank used his trucks to help families forced from their homes relocate their belongings. And thus, Corrigan Moving Systems was born.
World War II presented a great challenge to Frank and Corrigan Moving because of the difficulty of finding good help during the war. During the war years, Frank became seriously ill from the stresses of running the business. When Frank’s eldest son, Paul Corrigan, returned home from his World War II service at the conclusion of the war he had to step in and take over the small family business in order to support the family. Paul had always dreamed of going to college but instead took over the company, putting himself through the ‘school of hard knocks.’
Paul proved to be a gifted business leader, and under his guidance Corrigan began to grow and expand. In 1949, Corrigan joined United Van Lines because the idea of being part of an agency-owned van line appealed to Paul. The agent-owned structure gives agents like Corrigan control over the direction of the van line.
Over the next four decades, the Corrigan family expanded along with the business. Paul married Kathleen O’Hehir in 1954 and together they raised six children. As they grew up, all six of the children worked at Corrigan in some regard, either on the trucks or in the office.
Paul negotiates the first national account for Corrigan Moving & Storage with Ford Motor Company.
In 1969, Ford Motor Company invited Paul Corrigan to establish a dedicated operation for a new division, leading him to create Air & Sea Pak Co., later rebranded as Corrigan Air & Sea Cargo Systems in the early 1980s. Initially focusing on export services for Ford Tractor Operations, this division quickly expanded to provide comprehensive export crating, air and ocean consolidations, and freight forwarding.
Corrigan expanded for the first time in 1969 when it opened its second office in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Corrigan operated as a two-office business for the next 15 years.
Corrigan begins a relatively rapid eight-year expansion and acquisition phase. Between 1984 and 1992, offices were opened in Auburn Hills, Toledo, OH, Flint, Midland, and Grand Rapids.
Corrigan moves its headquarters to a new 87,000-square-foot warehouse and office facility in Farmington Hills, Michigan and Corrigan Record Storage opens.
The Michigan Movers and and Warehousemen’s Association presents its “Mover of the Year” award to Paul and David Corrigan – a first for any father-son team.
In 1995, Paul’s sons took over the top positions in the company. David was named President and COO, and Michael was promoted to Executive Vice President. Paul Corrigan became Chairman of the Corrigan Board and CEO and has remained actively involved in the business well into old age.
Corrigan Moving Systems has always been open to expansion opportunities that will help the company increase its quality and service reach. Two excellent opportunities presented themselves to David Corrigan, and so, in 2003, an office was opened in Rochester, New York, and, in 2006, a new office was opened in Chicago. These were the first Corrigan offices in both of these states. Additional locations were opened in Cleveland, OH in 2015, Buffalo, NY in 2018, and Pittsburgh, PA in 2022.
The company continued to grow and thrive under David’s leadership. As the company grew it also expanded its service offerings. Corrigan has branched out into commercial and office relocations, systems furniture assembly and disassembly, logistics, trade shows, record storage, and international freight forwarding. David has also been a big contributor to the success and growth of United Van Lines, where he served on their board of directors for 25 years, including many on the executive committee.
Corrigan receives top Moving Industry Awards – United Van Lines “President’s Quality Award” and the American Moving and Storage Association Mover of the Year.
Corrigan receives top Moving Industry Awards – United Van Lines “President’s Quality Award” and the American Moving and Storage Association Mover of the Year.
Today the 4th generation of Corrigan’s have begun running the company. David’s sons Nathan and Kevin are actively involved in company management. Nathan was promoted to President in 2024 and Kevin works on the senior leadership team. Together they are working to guide Corrigan for another generation. A long way from hauling ice, Corrigan is now one of the largest and most respected moving companies in the country. The Corrigan team continues to uphold Frank’s founding code of ethics to always do the right thing, and thanks to that, continues to grow and thrive to this day.
