Nick Halcovitch and James Gibb have been best friends since high school, and now they’re business partners bringing TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® to Brantford, Ontario, this August. After years of talking about building something together, the timing was finally right. Gibb had already established himself as a respected business owner in the area, running several ServiceMaster franchises. When he recognized the potential for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK to complement his existing businesses, he pitched the idea to Halcovitch — and the decision came easily.

“I was tired of working 50 to 60 hours a week for someone else and wanted to put that energy into something for myself,” Halcovitch said. “Building a business has always been a dream — something I can maybe pass on to future kids. A lot of it is about providing more for my future family.”

With Halcovitch’s background in customer service and management and Gibb’s business acumen and local ties, the two are focused on building more than just a successful moving company. They’re aiming to become a trusted part of the community, known for professionalism, empathy and the values that have always grounded their friendship.

1851 Franchise sat down with Halcovitch to talk about going into business with his best friend and the journey the two of them have made with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. Here’s what he had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?

Nick Halcovitch: James and I have been best friends since high school. We’ve always shared a vision of building something meaningful together — something that reflects our values and makes a real impact on the community. He’s been a respected business owner in the Brantford area for about eight years now and has built a strong reputation, not just for running successful businesses but for supporting others and being a part of the community.

I come from the customer service and management side of things, where I’ve always focused on putting people first. Whether it was managing teams or handling day-to-day operations, I’ve tried to lead with integrity and make sure every customer interaction is a positive one.

When the opportunity came up to open a TWO MEN AND A TRUCK location in Brantford, it just made sense. James brings the business side and the deep community ties, and I bring the operational side and the focus on service. It’s the perfect blend. We’re excited to bring something really special to Brantford — something built on professionalism, trust and genuine care for the people we serve.

1851: What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Halcovitch: I was a senior manager for a large landscape company in Hamilton.

James owns a few ServiceMaster locations, which are franchises owned by the same corporation that owns TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. He figured it would complement his ServiceMaster business really well for pack-outs and things like that.

He came to me with the idea of buying a franchise, and I’ve always wanted to be self-employed. I was also looking for a career change, so the timing was perfect. I was tired of working 50 to 60 hours a week for someone else and wanted to put that energy into something for myself. Building a business has always been a dream — something I can maybe pass on to future kids. A lot of it is about providing more for my future family.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Halcovitch: It’s more work than I thought. I knew it would be a lot, but for some reason, I assumed you’d just follow the steps and it’d be easy. But there’s a lot more setup involved, which is totally fine — it was just surprising.

That said, the amount of support TWO MEN AND A TRUCK provides their franchise owners is incredible.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Halcovitch: Definitely the core values — the Grandma Rule and the focus on customer service.

When I worked in landscaping, it was a similar industry where everyone thinks they can do it, and it’s hard to stand out. But seeing how TWO MEN AND A TRUCK puts customer service front and center really stood out to me. That was a big selling point.

1851: What is the Grandma Rule?

Halcovitch: It’s basically treat every client as if it were your own grandmother. It’s simple, but it definitely goes a long way.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?

Halcovitch: We want to grow the business as large as we can. We’re starting with two trucks and hope to add a third in a few months. We want to be the number one moving company in our area.

We also want to be active in the community — get involved in charitable programs and be known for more than just moving. Being a big part of the community is really important to us.

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Halcovitch: James and I have known each other since we were about 15. We’ve always been close — hung out every week before we were working together. He’s an old soul and someone I’ve always gone to for advice. He knew I was looking for a career change, and when he brought me the idea, it was a no-brainer. I’ve always wanted to work with him.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?

Halcovitch: Find a good partner. I’ve got a great one, and that’s been incredibly helpful.

When we met other new franchise owners at the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK head office in Michigan, we saw what some of them were going through. Having a strong partner beside me was a huge benefit.

ABOUT TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Canada:

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is an international, full-service franchised moving company with more than 430 locations and 3,000 trucks operating in 48 U.S. states in addition to Canada, Ireland, and the UK. Each location is independently owned and operated, and together, the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK network has performed more than 10 million moves since its inception in 1985. The moving company has been in Canada for the past 20 years, and more than 30 franchise locations are operating within Canada. In 2024, the Canadian locations moved 26,000 customers while maintaining a 95% referral rating, living up to the brand’s tagline as the Movers Who Care®.  TWO MEN AND A TRUCK offers comprehensive home and business moving services, professional packing and unpacking, and storage and junk removal services.