Charleston Junk-removal Franchise Finds Its Footing

(Saturday, August 01, 2009) - Brenda Vandervord hadn't opened the rusting 600-pound freezer in her garage for 25 years.

So she warned the three-man junk removal crew that had come to her house on Charleston's West Side last week that the freezer might still have venison inside.

"As long as they're no bodies, we're good," joked Jess Allen, who works for West Virginia's newest junk-hauling franchise, 1-800-Got-Junk?

There weren't any bodies. Nor venison.

In just three months, Got-Junk workers have been called on to remove just about everything from people's homes: old refrigerators, washers and dryers, furniture, scrap metal, mattresses, hot tubs and pianos.

"If we can get it in the truck, we'll take it," said Mark Saber, co-owner of West Virginia's first 1-800-Got-Junk? franchise.

Saber and his partner, Bill Sturgeon, already owned a Go-Mini's dealership, which provides trailer-size containers used for storage. They realized starting a new business amid the recession last spring wouldn't be easy. But so far, the Got-Junk franchise has exceeded expectations and complemented their container business, Saber said.

"It's kind of like a cleansing," said Saber, describing the junk-removal service. "It makes room for the other things in your life. We get a lot of decluttering people."

Saber acknowledged that West Virginia has junk haulers. They're frequently independent operators who drive pickup trucks and dispose of your junk at a landfill for a fee.

Got-Junk, which has 300 franchises in Canada and the U.S., distinguishes itself from competitors with its professionalism and service, Saber said.

Company employees wear blue uniforms. They go into homes, cart away unwanted belongings, and sweep up after they're finished.

They also drive clean, bright-blue trucks that double as moving billboards with "1-800-Got-Junk?" emblazoned across the vehicles from stem to stern.

The company typically removes junk within 24 hours of a request. Customers can book appointments through the toll-free number or on Got-Junk's Web site. Employees provide free estimates before starting a job.

"We quote the job based on what we see," Saber said. "There's no obligation. If they agree with the price, we'll haul their stuff away right then and there."

Got-Junk's hauling prices vary, depending on the size of the load. A full truckload costs about $400. The minimum cost is $88 - the amount someone typically would spend to have a single appliance removed.

Some city of Charleston residents may question the need for a junk-removal service. "Trash pickers" usually scoop up unwanted furniture and appliances from curbsides the night before city trash trucks sweep through the neighborhood. Also, Charleston sanitation crews will stop at your house and remove junk, provided you call first and set items beside the street.

Saber said waste haulers in other areas, such as Teays Valley, will only cart off discarded items that fit in a trashcan.

Even in Charleston, Saber said, homeowners often need assistance toting furniture and appliances to the curb.

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