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Former packer wins medal for highest marks on practical estimating exam

A former packer who “came in off the road” to try his hand at practical estimating won the Gerson medal for achieving the highest marks on the certification exam. Peter D’Arcy, an international sales consultant for Leicestershire-based Atlantic International Movers, beat the exam scores of many who had been estimating for years.

The results, which came by post from the British Association of Removers (BAR), shocked and thrilled the former packer. “I was just hoping to pass, let alone come out on top,” said Peter. “First I saw I got a pass; then I saw that I got an A; and then I saw that my test estimates were the closest to the actual volume. It felt absolutely fantastic.”

For Peter, the win marked the end of a transition from packing to surveying. He is thankful that Atlantic has allowed him to make such a transition during his eight-year career with the international moving services company.

“I’d been working as a packer for years and wanted to try estimating,” continued Peter. “Atlantic gave me the chance to come in to the office and have a go at it. They even paid for me to take the test. “

Not all estimators have certificates in practical estimating, and only an exceptional few can boast of having won a Gerson medal from the BAR. With his years of packing experience and a medal in practical estimating, Peter now has a unique blend of qualifications that make him something of an “all-star” in removals.

The BAR is the industry’s largest trade association for removals in the UK. The Gerson medal is named after the late J L Gerson, one of the founder members of the Movers Institute.

Peter, whose Gerson medal is on display in his living room, also holds a certificate in overseas packing and an advanced certificate in packing.