Mary Anne Oshnock decided to work part time at Weleski Transfer Inc. in 1974, when she was in high school, for job experience before college.
A student at Highlands at the time, Oshnock was interested in getting into the business field.
She ended up staying a Weleski employee for 50 years, working a variety of positions and meeting many people through her work, including sports greats such as Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann and Hines Ward.
“I like what I do,” said Oshnock, 67, of Harrison. “I like people and I understand the business. I enjoy being with clients and keeping busy. It’s a great company to work for.”
Weleski Transfer celebrated its 115th anniversary Thursday with a party for employees. The fourth-generation, family-owned business, based in Tarentum, has been helping people move and relocate since 1909.
Owner Gary Weleski said his grandfather, Andrew Weleski, started the moving business and, over time, passed the business down to Gary’s father, Anthony “Tony” Weleski.
Tony Weleski also was regional director for Atlas Van Lines. He earned the Tarentum Community Citizens Award in 1993 and the Allegheny Valley Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award in 1996.
“(Tony) just hired good people,” said Gary Weleski, 72, of Natrona Heights, Harrison. “I was honored to get in the business.”
Over the years, the Weleski portfolio has diversified, having transported newsprint to the Valley News Dispatch, becoming an Atlas Van Lines agent, and franchising local gas station/convenience stores and other businesses.
Weleski employs more than 200 people.
Weleski and his cousin, Lynn Thompson, currently own the business.
“Lynn and I were raised like brothers,” Weleski said. “He and I have both been involved in the business since grade school.
“I owe a lot to Lynn and his administration and finance skills. I was the mouthpiece of the organization, and he was the administration and accounting end of it. We were a good match.”
The business is “family-oriented,” said General Manager DJ Swigart, who is Weleski’s son-in-law. Swigart married Weleski’s daughter, Lauren, who serves as director of business development at Weleski Transfer.
“We have a high number of tenured employees that have been here 20-plus years,” Swigart said. “We always make the joke: We have four guys that run the warehouse with over 100 years’ experience.”
Swigart said the business has an exceptional staff.
“Everyone takes pride in what we do,” he said.
Weleski looks forward to what the future holds with the business. In addition to the Swigarts, key team members are Lynnea and Greg Selinger, who serve as director of finance and operations, respectively. Lynnea is Thompson’s daughter.
“It’s a fun business,” he said. “It’s pretty prevalent in the moving industry.”
“We have a great bunch of people. They work hard. … We try to treat people right. It’s been a great experience.”
