Why LiteMovers Partners with MSS for Specialty Crating

Not every item in your home can be wrapped in a moving blanket and loaded onto a truck. Artwork, ornate chandeliers, marble tabletops, OLED TV’s, family heirlooms, and fragile antiques require a different level of protection entirely. That is why LiteMovers partners with MSS (Movers Specialty Service) — a specialty crating company founded right here in suburban Philadelphia — to handle items that demand custom-engineered protection before they ever touch a moving truck.

When you trust LiteMovers with your Chester County move, your Philadelphia relocation, or your Main Line household move, you benefit from a partnership built on decades of specialty expertise. Here is a detailed look at what MSS does, what they crate, and why we choose them.

Who Is MSS?

MSS — Movers Specialty Service — was founded in 1978 in suburban Philadelphia. The company started as a third-party specialty services provider for local movers and has grown into a nationally recognized leader in relocation support, precision crating, and specialty item handling. Their headquarters remain in Montgomeryville, PA, just a short drive from LiteMovers’ base in Wayne.

That local connection matters. MSS understands the regional moving landscape — the narrow streets of Center City, the estate homes of the Main Line, the historic properties throughout Chester County. Their technicians are background-checked, trained through MSS University’s curriculum, and held to strict performance standards. When we bring them onto a job, we trust the quality they deliver.

MSS serves the full Mid-Atlantic region and maintains a nationwide network, which also makes them a strong partner for our long-distance moves and East Coast relocations where items need specialty crating at origin and professional uncrating at destination.

What MSS Crates for LiteMovers Customers

MSS designs and builds custom wooden crates for each individual item — there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Every crate is engineered to fit, protect, and stabilize a specific piece for transport. Below are the categories of items we most commonly refer to MSS for specialty crating.

Artwork and Fine Art

Paintings, sculptures, framed photographs, and mixed-media pieces are among the most commonly crated items in high-value household moves. MSS builds custom wooden crates to the exact dimensions of each piece. Interior foam, padding, and climate-buffering materials protect the work from vibration, humidity shifts, and impact during transit.

For oversized canvases or pieces with ornate frames, MSS crating prevents the kind of corner damage that moving blankets alone cannot guard against. If you are moving valuable artwork as part of your Main Line estate move or a Philadelphia high-rise relocation, MSS crating gives you and your insurance carrier peace of mind.

Chandeliers and Ornate Light Fixtures

Chandeliers are among the most painstaking items to crate properly. Crystal drops, intricate metalwork, and glass arms make even moderate vibration a serious risk. MSS technicians disassemble complex fixtures carefully, document each component, and build custom crates that secure and cushion every part for transit.

For customers keeping a light fixture and taking it to their new home, MSS handles expert removal at origin and professional reinstallation at destination. They can also remove a fixture and install a replacement in its place, coordinating the full job in a single visit.

Glass, Marble, and Stone Tabletops

Glass and stone tabletops present a unique challenge — they are heavy, brittle, and prone to cracking from flex or impact. MSS custom-crates these pieces with internal supports that prevent any flex during loading, transit, and unloading. Properly crated marble tops arrive intact regardless of the length of the move.

Family Heirlooms and High-Value Antiques

Antique furniture, inherited porcelain collections, hand-carved religious pieces, and other irreplaceable heirlooms deserve protection that standard packing materials cannot provide. MSS builds crates specifically for these items, taking into account weight distribution, fragility, and the emotional value that can never be replaced if something goes wrong.

If you are planning a full-service packing move and have family heirlooms that require extra protection, ask your LiteMovers estimator to include an MSS crating assessment in your plan.

Ceramic Grills — Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, and Similar

Ceramic grills are among the heaviest and most fragile items in any household move — and crating is not optional. A Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe can weigh 100–250 pounds, and the ceramic body is extremely brittle. A single impact or tip during loading is enough to crack the dome, the base, or both. Replacement ceramics alone can cost several hundred dollars, and in some cases the entire unit is a total loss.

MSS builds a custom wooden crate engineered specifically for each grill’s dimensions and weight. Internal blocking prevents any lateral movement, and the crate base absorbs the load stress rather than transferring it to the ceramic. The ceramic firebox, deflector plates, cooking grates, and the dome hinge are all protected individually before the crate is closed.

LiteMovers treats ceramic grill crating as mandatory — not optional — on every move where one is present. If you own a Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, Primo, Grill Dome, or any ceramic kamado-style cooker, expect MSS crating to be part of your move plan. The cost of crating is a fraction of what a cracked ceramic would cost to replace.

Taxidermy

Mounted animals and taxidermy pieces are fragile in ways that are easy to underestimate — delicate ears, protruding antlers, and painted eyes are all vulnerable. MSS has experience crating these specialty items with internal structures that hold pieces stable and prevent contact damage throughout the move.

How the MSS Crating Process Works

The process is straightforward and coordinated directly through LiteMovers. Here is what to expect when specialty crating is part of your move plan.

Step 1 — Pre-Move Assessment

During your LiteMovers estimate, we identify items that may benefit from specialty crating. We review artwork, fixtures, antiques, and fragile pieces together and flag anything that warrants MSS involvement. No surprises on move day.

Step 2 — MSS Pre-Move Visit (Origin)

An MSS technician arrives at your home ahead of the move date. They assess each item, take measurements, and build or source the appropriate custom crate. Items are properly disassembled if needed, documented, and crated on-site.

Step 3 — LiteMovers Loads and Transports

Crated items are loaded carefully by our crew alongside the rest of your household goods. The crates travel on the same truck, properly secured for transit. Our team knows how to handle specialty crates without compromising their structural integrity during the move.

Step 4 — MSS Destination Uncrating

At your new home, MSS coordinates with our delivery schedule to arrive and handle uncrating, reassembly, and reinstallation of crated items. Artwork is hung, fixtures are installed, and fragile pieces are placed exactly where you want them.

Why We Choose MSS Over Other Crating Options

Local roots, national reach. MSS was founded in suburban Philadelphia and maintains headquarters in Montgomeryville, PA. They understand our region, our customers, and the specific challenges of moves throughout Chester County, Delaware County, and Greater Philadelphia. At the same time, their nationwide network means they can support our long-distance customers wherever they are headed.

Custom-built crates, not off-the-shelf boxes. Every MSS crate is designed for the specific item it protects. Dimensions, internal padding, and structural engineering are all tailored to the piece. This level of precision is not available from standard packing supply vendors.

Background-checked, trained technicians. MSS technicians go through rigorous onboarding and ongoing training through MSS University. Every technician who arrives at a LiteMovers customer’s home has been vetted and is held to documented performance standards.

Established history with movers. MSS was specifically built to work alongside moving companies, not independently of them. Their coordination with LiteMovers is seamless because this is their core model — integrating specialty services into the broader move workflow without disrupting the schedule or creating additional stress for the customer.

Accountability at every step. MSS documents condition at origin and destination. If a question arises about a crated item, there is a clear record of how it was handled from start to finish.

When to Ask About Specialty Crating

Not every move requires MSS. But if your home includes any of the following, raise it during your LiteMovers estimate and we will assess whether crating makes sense:

• Original artwork, prints, or photography in ornate or oversized frames
• Chandeliers or complex pendant fixtures you plan to take with you
• Glass, marble, or stone tabletops
• Antique furniture with fragile inlays, carvings, or painted surfaces
• Family heirlooms with irreplaceable sentimental or monetary value
• Taxidermy mounts
• Ceramic grills — Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, Primo, or any kamado-style cooker (crating is mandatory)
• Sculptures, ceramics, or decorative pieces that cannot be safely padded

The cost of specialty crating is almost always less than the cost of repairing or replacing a damaged item. For irreplaceable pieces, there is no comparison.

Learn More About MSS and Specialty Crating

To explore MSS’s full range of specialty crating and relocation support services, visit mss1.com. You can also review their relocation support services page for a full list of what they handle for household movers. For related reading on how LiteMovers handles specialty and high-value items, see our guides on professional packing services and full-service moving and storage.