RPM Brings Fox Firm Full Circle

BOSTON-Companies often change their name to reflect a new approach or service, but the opposite is true for the erstwhile Fox Relocation, which is marking its 20th anniversary being recast as Fox RPM Corp. Founder Gretchen Fox had mulled the idea over for an extended period, she explains, ultimately determining that her firm was being incorrectly “pigeon-holed” in the role of hired mover of non-residential operations.

“The term ‘relocation’ became something of a hindrance,” Fox tells GlobeSt.com in a recent interview. “It doesn’t begin to describe the full scope of what we do.” The operation she launched at the dawn of the professional relocation industry has evolved to offer a soup-to-nuts menu for clients, a diverse constituency including corporations of all ilk; academic, artistic and health-related institutions; and entities as diverse as baseball’s Washington Nationals and the Newseum, a 250,000-sf homage to media that was moved from Virginia to Washington, D.C. in 2005. The “R” shows relocation remains a big part of the firm’s identity, says Fox, but “PM” reflects that project management is also high on the play list.

“We have been doing project management for years, but we are just not as well-known for it,” says Fox, who estimates that arena presently makes up about 35% to 40% of her company’s book of business. Fox is hiring more construction and project managers as the firm ramps up to service an expanding footprint that now extends down the east coast and into Puerto Rico. Fox has more than 100 projects underway and has handled assignments in 42 states, often repeat ventures on behalf of loyal clients such as Harvard University, Sovereign Bank and Staples. The company has about five dozen employees, and Fox says she anticipates a 10% increase in staff over the near term, and a spike of 50% to 100% in the ensuing years.