J
osh Cohen was a 21-year-old college student hanging out with a group of friends in 2004 when one of them mentioned how he’d made $100 hauling away a neighbor’s refrigerator. It was a lightbulb moment for Cohen who thought, “I can do that!” Cohen bootstrapped his operation in the early days, handing out flyers and going door-to-door informing his neighbors that he was a “professional, responsible college student” able and willing to donate or recycle their items. He borrowed his mom’s SUV, and later added a trailer for bigger jobs. A year later, he purchased his first dump truck. “It wasn’t much to look at, but it got the job done,” recalls the 36-year-old CEO today. The company turned to franchising 6 years ago, and today The Junkluggers is a national brand with more than 200 employees and nearly 80 trucks. In the 15 years since he founded The Junkluggers—an eco-friendly junk removal company committed to the environment and the communities it serves—the company has donated more than $1 million worth of “junk” on behalf of customers and prevented more than 50 million pounds of junk finding its way to landfills. When Covid-19 struck, The Junkluggers was deemed an essential business. At the corporate level, Cohen approaches his leadership role with an attitude of empowering his team through open and regular communication. “I have a team I trust, and they are great at what they do,” he says. “They step in when needed to coach each other, as well as our franchise partners, and I really rely on them to help conquer and divide.”
ONE PERSON’S JUNK… SUSTAINABLE JUNK REMOVAL IS A GROWING BUSINESS FOR THE JUNKLUGGERS Written By KERRY PIPES
Founder, CEO
Company: The Junkluggers Units: 22 Age: 36 Years in franchising: 6 Years in current position: 15 FRANCHISEUpdate
“We are about to blow this company up (in a good way) across the country,” he says. “We have improved internal processes, added franchisees, and growth in the next year will be significant.” A new equity partnership with Connecticut-based Contractor Nation gives The Junkluggers access to expanded sales capabilities, a growing network of contractors, and proprietary training and professional development programs. With a goal of accelerating the brand’s growth, The Junkluggers remains dedicated to its original mission to protect the planet by minimizing what goes into landfills. Even in a pandemic, the state of the “junk” business is strong. LEADERSHIP What is your role as CEO? As both the CEO and founder of The Junkluggers, it’s very important for me to be involved in the dayto-day operations of the company. I’m not only the face of the company, it’s my job to make sure everything is running smoothly at both our headquarters and our franchise locations. I have an office at our HQ in Seymour, Connecticut, right down the hall from other members of the executive team. Being present each day in the office makes it easier to manage the overall operations of the business, as well as to work closely with others on my team.
JOSH COHEN
24
To support the brand’s franchisees and keep the health and safety of customers and staff a top priority, Cohen says he has relied on communication and flexibility. “By staying in close touch with our franchise partners and adapting our service options to meet the needs of our customers, we have come together and learned lessons that will help us continue to grow in the future,” he says.
ISSUE 3, 2020
