Max Chorus • David W. Graebel • Tim Helenthal

IAM is proud to announce the 2026 Hall of Honor recipients. These are individuals whose leadership, dedication, and impact have shaped the moving, forwarding, and mobility industry. Hall of Honor inductees represent the highest standards of professionalism and service, leaving a lasting legacy through decades of contributions to their companies, communities, and the industry. Their stories reflect a spirit of innovation, integrity, and commitment.

Please join us in congratulating the 2026 Hall of Honor Class. Their achievements will be formally recognized at the upcoming IAM Annual Meeting in San Diego, where we will celebrate their careers and contributions with the global moving community. The Hall of Honor Recognition awards and remarks will be presented during the Closing Celebration: Advancing Leadership in the Moving Industry at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California on Saturday, October 24, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

These leaders inspire us all to move the industry forward with purpose and pride.

Max Chorus (1958–2024)

Max Chorus devoted his life to building stronger companies, stronger relationships, and a stronger international moving industry. A respected industry leader, mentor, and friend to movers around the world, he combined professional excellence with humility, integrity, and a genuine passion for helping others succeed.

Born into a family whose roots in the moving industry dated back to 1884, Max grew up immersed in the values that would guide him throughout his life: hard work, trust, service, and responsibility. After completing his studies and gaining management experience outside the industry, notably in human resources, he joined the family business, Streff, in Luxembourg in 1994. Together with his brother Stefan, he transformed the company into Luxembourg’s largest and most innovative moving and relocation business, widely respected for its quality, innovation, and early commitment to sustainability.

While his business achievements were considerable, Max’s greatest impact extended far beyond his own company. He firmly believed that the strength of the international moving industry lies in shared standards, collaboration, and trusted personal relationships. Throughout his career, he dedicated countless volunteer hours to industry associations and professional networks, always seeking ways to strengthen the industry for future generations.

His closest professional home was FIDI. As a founding member and long-serving President of FIDI ADA, a long-standing member of the Professional Cooperation Guidelines (PCG) and Dispute Resolution Committees, and an active contributor to numerous industry initiatives, Max played a pivotal role in strengthening cooperation and quality standards across the global moving community. He was particularly passionate about the PCGs, helping develop them into a common language of excellence that would later be embraced by moving associations around the world.

Max was equally committed to learning and personal development. He attended every FIDI LiM throughout its history and became a trusted mentor whose thoughtful advice, candid feedback, and encouragement helped countless industry professionals grow. Newcomers to FIDI, OMNI, IAM, and other gatherings often remembered him as one of the first people to make them feel welcome and part of the community.

Despite his influence, Max never sought recognition. He preferred to contribute from behind the scenes, often shaping discussions through thoughtful questions rather than standing in the spotlight. Colleagues regarded him as a critical thinker and pioneer who challenged conventional thinking on sustainability, technology, and industry cooperation long before these became mainstream priorities.

Beyond the moving industry, Max was deeply committed to his community. Whether as a youth handball coach, founder of a local Lions Club chapter, or supporter of charitable initiatives helping those in need, he brought the same generosity and sense of responsibility that defined his professional life.

Following his passing in July 2024, tributes arrived from every corner of the world. They spoke of a visionary leader, a sustainability pioneer, a trusted mentor, and above all, a kind and generous person. His legacy lives on in the industry he helped shape, the people he inspired, and in his family as the heart of a business built on trust across five generations.

David W. Graebel (1929–2023)

David W. Graebel was founder and Chairman Emeritus of Graebel Companies, Inc., the global relocation management company he built from a single truck into a worldwide organization spanning three continents with more than 1,000 employees.

David was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, in 1929. He left the University of Wisconsin (Marathon County) in 1950, at age 21, to enter the moving industry with his father, Ben, purchasing a Mayflower statewide moving authority and renaming the company Graebel Movers. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, David returned home and ran the company for his mother until he and his wife, Lois, purchased her share of the business in 1960.

In 1956, David affiliated the company with Allied Van Lines, where he introduced packaging innovations such as wardrobe boxes and cell-packs, and expanded operations from the Midwest into New York, Florida, Georgia and Texas. By the 1970s, Graebel Movers handled nearly 10% of Allied’s national volume and operated the group’s largest U.S. fleet.

Following industry deregulation in 1980, David took the company independent, establishing Graebel Van Lines in 1982 and building a nationwide hub-and-spoke transit system. Under his leadership, the company grew from 13 locations to 32 within two years, and annual revenue reached nearly $50 million within five. David and his teams introduced a series of industry firsts, including price and delivery guarantees, 24-hour customer hotlines, driver certification programs and performance-based contracts.

By 2000, Graebel Companies was the largest independent relocation company in the United States, employing 2,200 people across 40 locations. David moved company headquarters to Aurora, Colorado, in 1990, and championed a servant-leadership culture along with employee benefits including scholarship and tuition-reimbursement programs.

Recognizing a shift in the industry toward relocation management companies (RMCs), David launched a full-service relocation division in 1996 that grew into Graebel Relocation Services Worldwide. Working alongside his son Bill, he later oversaw the divestiture of the company’s moving and storage operations in 2015, redirecting the organization fully toward relocation management. Bill Graebel was named CEO in 2007 and Chairman of the Board in 2018, with David serving as non-executive Chairman Emeritus.

Beyond Graebel Companies, David was a charter member of Overseas Moving Network International (OMNI) and served on the boards of the American Movers Conference and the American Moving & Storage Association. He was active in his community as President of the Wausau School District, President of the Samoset Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Founding President of Northern Wisconsin Junior Achievement, and a board member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation. David was an avid skier who competed in downhill races into his 80s.

David received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Moving & Storage Institute in 2008 and the Champions of Business Founder Award from Junior Achievement of Wisconsin – Northcentral District in 2021. He passed away on November 29, 2023, at the age of 94, leaving a legacy built on service, trust and the belief that “commitments made are commitments kept.”

Tim Helenthal

Tim Helenthal assumed his role as Chairman & CEO of National Van Lines in January 2020, after seven years as President of National Van Lines and 18 years at its sister company, National Forwarding Co. (NFC), where he held leadership roles instrumental in driving the organization’s growth.

His philosophy, “We truly operate on the basis of small-company values with big-company resources,” captures National Van Lines’ approach as a mid-sized mover with the scale and capabilities to compete at the highest levels. Throughout his career, Tim has led key initiatives that strengthened the company’s operational foundation, expanded core business functions, and enhanced performance across divisions, positioning the organization for sustained long-term growth in both commercial and government sectors.

Recognizing that the future of the moving industry lies at the intersection of technology and operations, Tim spearheaded National Holding Company’s acquisition of Moving.com, one of the nation’s leading consumer moving marketplaces, in 2026. The acquisition represents a transformational step for the organization, bringing together a category-defining digital platform with nearly 100 years of moving expertise. By combining technology, consumer demand generation, and operational excellence under one organization, Tim is positioning National Holding Company to redefine how consumers connect with trusted movers while creating new growth opportunities across the industry.

Tim is widely respected for his industry leadership and long-standing service. He served three terms as Chairman of the International Association of Movers (IAM), beginning in 2017, after several years on its Executive Committee. In this role, he represented more than 2,000 companies across 170 countries. He also serves on the American Trucking Associations’ Moving & Storage Conference Executive Committee and is Chairman of its Government Traffic Committee, contributing to policy and operational improvements across the industry.

As a leader, Tim is known for his straightforward, collaborative approach. He encourages input from subject-matter experts, prioritizes accessibility, and believes in empowering people at all levels. His open-door philosophy fosters a culture of accountability and engagement throughout the company’s network.

His leadership has been recognized with honors, including the Daily Herald Business Ledger C-Suite of the Year Award. He is also committed to community impact, supporting organizations such as Move For Hunger and Aspire, and championing initiatives that encourage employee volunteerism and giving.

Tim enjoys spending his time hiking, golfing, reading, doing yoga, and hanging out with his three adult daughters. He earned both his B.A. and M.A. in economics from Eastern Illinois University.