Closer to the Hearts: A moving conversation with Two Small Men's CEO

As a kid growing up in Winnipeg, there were many local sights taken in by Addison Parfeniuk that were typical of the landscape; the snow of a long winter, the thunderstorms of a hot summer’s day, and the big red hearts emblazoned on the sides of moving trucks that drove around town. While many children across Canada would see those same trucks over the years, Parfeniuk would be the only one to eventually take the reins of the moving company itself.  

Now the CEO of Two Small Men with Big Hearts, Parfeniuk has come a long way since his days in Winnipeg, and so has the iconic moving company under his watch.

“I became a franchisee in Edmonton, which was the beginning of our journey,” he says. “Over time, we acquired more franchises and eventually purchased the franchisor itself.”

In existence since 1982, Two Small Men is today one of Canada's largest and most recognized moving companies with locations across the country. Getting involved with the company in 2011, Parfeniuk's rapid rise to the top is reflective of the spirit of hard work and determination that defines Two Small Men. Only 21 at the time, Parfeniuk would dip his toes into the waters of management and ownership, not yet fully aware of the deep dive ahead of him. 

“I was studying at the University of Winnipeg, and a friend who owned the Edmonton franchise at the time asked me to come out and lend a hand,” he says.

From that early experience, Parfeniuk began to see how much potential the company had, not just in an operational sense, but in terms of how the employees could be treated and how it could give back to the communities served. 

“Early on, we sensed that the industry paid little attention to creating a great experience for movers, despite the physical demands of the job,” he explains. “We’ve made it our mission to become the best place for movers to work.”

With safety protocols in place that vastly exceed the industry standards, the aim is to protect the moving crews and drivers at the heart of the company.

“Our safety culture is what I'm most proud of,” says Parfeniuk. “Our team has developed what we believe is the best safety program in the country, and it’s a point of pride across the company. There’s nothing more rewarding than stepping into a dispatch office or departmental call and hearing the team talk about jobs through the lens of safety."

This internal culture also shaped how the company connected with the outside world. As Two Small Men expanded across the country, Parfeniuk noticed something striking. 

“It doesn’t matter what Canadian city I visit — Saskatoon, Lethbridge, Kamloops, Vancouver — people say the same thing: ‘Two Small Men started here, didn’t it?’ That connection is a remnant of the old franchise model, and we’ve worked to harness it more intentionally through our community programs.”

As much as Two Small Men with Big Hearts takes care of its own, the company also goes to great lengths to take care of others who need the most help. 

“It started with the Boys and Girls Club of Calgary. They reached out through our line and asked for support moving young people to and from shelters. If they didn't have a mover to donate the service, they would have to allocate funds, which could go to other programs, toward hiring movers.”

What began as a single donated move for the Boys and Girls Club of Calgary evolved into the company’s Move of the Month program, supporting charitable organizations with relocation services at no cost. In 2024, the team launched Pack the Pantry, a food drive collecting non-perishable donations for local food banks. The impact of these contributions was almost immediately apparent. 

“They would send us back these letters, saying ‘The crew came and moved me from here to here, and they didn't judge me, and they made me feel very safe and very comfortable.’ We would read the letters back to the staff, to the movers themselves, and to the call center staff. It just felt so good.”

Today, Two Small Men is partnered with dozens of organizations and part of the company's overall mission is to give back a percentage of its earnings to all the communities in which it operates. 

“We give back, mostly in donated services, to a variety of local organizations in each market,” says Parfeniuk. “Whether it’s Mama’s for Mama’s in Kelowna or Ride the Roof in Calgary, we love working with our partners in the community and giving back. Our community committee meets to allocate the giving budget to our numerous partners and to explore new ways to leverage our platform to give back. 

At the end of the day, Parfeniuk explains, the community partnerships help to establish a sense of connection that runs two ways.

“We feel a sense of connection to that community, and the community feels connected to us. We’re working to live up to our name, as the movers with big hearts, and it comes from a very authentic place. Our team is deeply committed to these initiatives.”

Despite all that Two Small Men with Big Hearts has achieved under Parfeniuk's leadership, he says there's always room for growth in every aspect of the company.

“We’re focused on growing our market share in both local and long haul moving, but not just for the sake of growth itself,” says Parfeniuk. “Growth gives us the opportunity to invest more — in our teams, in our safety programs, in better tools for our customers, and in the communities we serve.

“It’s a flywheel. When we create a great culture, we attract great people. That leads to better service and more growth, which lets us give more back — to our employees and to the amazing communities that support us.”

And if any of this sounds especially lofty, remember that Parfeniuk was once just a kid, gazing at the trucks marked with big hearts.

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