The Large Man Cometh
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“My arms are my tools,” said Joshua Bingham, the brains behind the brawn of Large Man. [/caption]
By Kathie Meyer
Joshua Bingham, 34, had one thing—himself—so he turned himself into a business. He wasn’t thinking big when he named it, but the response to Large Man was overwhelming.
The year was 2022, and Bingham, who had been working as a caregiver, noticed he seemed to get scheduled for clients who might need him because Bingham is on the larger end of the size scale. Whether it was for help moving their body or keeping the client in check if they became difficult for some reason, Bingham was that guy.
So he named himself “Large Man of PT” and posted on NextDoor. The business model is simple: he will move your stuff around or help you move it, as the case may be. Forty bucks an hour. Do you need to move out of an unsafe domestic situation? Don’t have a truck? Large Man does, and he’ll move you out for free. His social media posts are good for putting a smile on your face in trying times.
The original NextDoor post got hundreds of responses, he said. “It was that night I realized there was something there. It wasn’t just a weekend gig.”
What started as a joke on social media has now “…got me eating Green Crow tacos, stocked with recycled bamboo toilet paper, and organic laundry detergent in a newly purchased double wide,” Bingham said. Recently, he received first place as the best new business in a Peninsula Daily News readers’ poll.
Typically, his clients are 65 or older, female, living alone, and need something moved – a demographic of which Port Townsend has no shortage. But Large Man has helped with holding sheep’s feet while their nails get clipped “while they’re freaking out.” The one thing he won’t do is operate power tools for you. He’s your manual labor guy, and that’s it.
“My arms are my tools,” said Bingham.
In just two years the Large Man business has grown to include “amazing, reliable helpers” for those two-person jobs, large or small, on short notice. When he put out the call for more labor, one of the 14 requirements was that applicants, “when handed a sledgehammer on a demo job, the joy that emanates from your body must be palpable and felt from 3 streets over.”
As funny as the marketing may be, it’s likely that Large Man’s success is due to flexibility and reliability. Large Man can show up for short jobs on short notice. Bigger jobs obviously require some scheduling. Sometimes, he’ll combine jobs like dump runs to give the best deal to clients.
Mara Lathrop used Large Man on the recommendation of a neighbor.
“I had a hide-a-bed that I needed moved. It weighed a gazillion tons. He and his assistant showed up when they said they were going to. Got it done in 10 or 15 minutes, and he charged me the minimal. It was great. It was done,” Lathrop said..
The Large Man love affair is mutual. Last August, Bingham showed his gratitude for his clientele by throwing a three-hour party – the Large Man Fan Jam – at the Pourhouse. Close to 100 people attended, he said. Now, there’s even Large Man merchandise for the self-proclaimed Secretary of Labor.
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Joshua Bingham has been going to Nepal for 12 years to lead micro-projects in rural regions. This year will be his last trip as he focuses on his local business, Large Man of PT. [/caption]
The thing is, Bingham’s Large Man business and local cult of personality is so, well, large, he’s decided, in January, he’ll take his 12th and last trip to Nepal and close down a small, nonprofit known as Nana’s House. Nana’s House is a non-church affiliate he started that has provided small-scale social service projects to impoverished people in rural Nepal. Sewing classes, dental and eye exams, tampons, roof repair, and water systems – the projects served schools and women’s centers and raised over $100K in support over 10 years. This year, like other years, he’ll be gone for two months.
When he gets back, Bingham will focus on the details of his thriving business, which now requires a 12-month presence. He keeps himself limber for the job with a regular yoga practice.
What drives him to help others all over the world? Without hesitation, Bingham credits his parents, Sue and Chris Bingham, whom he followed here when they moved from Vashon Island, where he was raised, to Marrowstone Island. His mother worked for Child Protective Services in the drug division in Tacoma and directed the Vashon food bank for a time. His father was a mental health and drug counselor as well as a judge at one point. They now work with Stephanie Moran and the Trash Task Force, he said.
Recently, with his tongue in his cheek, Large Man informed social media followers there is now a $20 surcharge “if the words ‘I thought you were going to be bigger’ are said during the job.
Alternative?
“Terrific marketing; now go move that 200-pound dresser.”
Large Man only responds to texts and can be reached at 206-707-2379.
Photos courtesy of Large Man
