San Diego Van & Storage Co

San Diego Van & Storage was established in 1943 as a local delivery company. Our primary business was the delivery of pianos for the Thearle Music Company and their subsidiaries. We only had one truck with a liftgate. The business was operated by Ed and Shirley De Bolt from their home. At first, Ed operated the piano delivery business on a part-time basis. As the company grew and prospered, private piano and organ moves were added, then local moves. Additional equipment was added and the business was expanded to larger local moves and moves to the Los Angeles area. In the mid-1950's, a warehouse was leased at 9th and K Street and storage was added to the services provided. The office was moved from the De Bolt's residence to 9th & K Street. Carrier representation was secured and San Diego Van was in the long distance moving business. Filings were made with the Naval Supply Center and the military business was added. San Diego Van & Storage was moving world wide, storing household goods and delivering pianos and organs throughout San Diego County and Southern California. In 1960, Ed and Shirley built their first warehouse at 20th and Commercial Street and the company moved into it's new quarters. Early in the 1960's, Mr. De Bolt purchased Hayden Transfer & Storage, the San Diego Mayflower agent, and leased a warehouse in Lemon Grove to facilitate the additional volume of business. The company's growth resulting from the Mayflower agency was phenomenal. In June, 1971, the warehouse on Miramar Road was built and the operation at Lemon Grove was moved into that location. A branch was opened in El Cajon in the late 1960's and later an agency was opened in Oceanside. The Oceanside operation was moved into a new facility in San Marcos in the 1970's. The El Cajon agency moved into a new facility also in the 1970's. In 1983, the newest warehouse was completed at 19th and Commercial Street. This newest facility brought San Diego Van's total warehouse space to 129,000 square feet. San Diego Van & Storage has come a long was from the modest one-truck beginning in Ed and Shirley De Bolt's kitchen to five warehouses totaling 129,000 square feet, with approximately 100 units of equipment. Ed De Bolt guided his company from it's humble beginnings in 1943 to the largest moving and storage company in San Diego county by providing outstanding service to the moving public.