Rock up to the head office of Southern Furniture Movers on a weekday morning and you find a man and woman standing outside, enjoying a takeaway coffee, vaping and having an earnest discussion. 

The woman has her long dark hair liberally streaked in a vivid red. A short, black skirt showcases a tattoo on one leg. If the weather was warm you’d catch a truly spectacular display of ink on both arms.

Welcome to the executive arm of Southern Furniture Movers, a relatively young company (not yet 11 years old) that is rapidly making its mark in the specialised world of commercial furniture transport. 

From just four staff and a single 4x2 box body unit delivering to Harvey Norman customers in metro Dunedin, the company now has 16 trucks, 37 staff, and distribution centres in Christchurch and Auckland, as well as Dunedin. 

Linehaul units cover the whole country on scheduled runs, while there’s a weekly service between Christchurch and Auckland…which is soon to be twice-weekly to keep pace with demand.

If you’re not tuned to the nuances of current business realities, you could assume that the long-haired, bearded guy in this casual meeting scene might be the senior manager of the pair. Let’s just say that the woman is not your typical boss of a burgeoning trucking business.

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