Transitioning from a military lifestyle to a civilian lifestyle isn’t always easy, but Jerry Flanagan, U.S. Army veteran and founder of JDog Junk Removal & Hauling, believes veterans can make that transition easier. We help make it easy.
After years of working minimum wage jobs and launching and operating other businesses such as a seasonal Halloween retail store and birthday party supply store, Flanagan launched his eco-friendly residential and commercial junk removal business in 2011. Founded JDog Junk Removal & Hauling, a company that specializes in services.
What began as a one-jeep, one-trailer neighborhood junk removal service has grown into a company with more than 200 locations nationwide serving more than 40 million Americans.
“After working for others and embarking on an adventure to run my own business myself, I quickly learned that I needed enough capital to get me through the off-season. , most of my money was tied up in inventory, so I had to close and think of another idea,” says Flanagan. “Four years later, my wife and I started a birthday party supply store. , rapidly downsized and eventually went bankrupt.We lost almost everything, so I started looking into the “recession-proof” industry. “
Waste management and junk removal came up frequently in Flanagan’s Google searches, so he decided to give the industry a try. With little money, he bought a trailer and started hauling junk around the neighborhood in jeeps and trailers. About two weeks later, the customer said he needed to be advertised as a veteran because he was polite, clean, and a hard worker. He had been out of the military for so long at that point that he didn’t think it was relevant, but he decided to switch the business to being veteran owned and operated (the company’s name is JDog is a play on military terminology (the first letter of Wire Dog and Flanagan’s name), and that’s when the company really took off.
“We went from one truck and one trailer to adding more employees and filling out a seven-day week calendar,” says Flanagan. “I decided to franchise the business, but I quickly realized that I couldn’t do it and carry junk at the same time. So I wanted Julip Run Capital to invest in the business. I asked them if they were there and they said yes, we still manage the company and they have helped build over 200 companies from 5 in 2014 to now. It helped me.”
At JDog Junk Removal & Hauling locations, we recycle, refurbish or reuse approximately 60-80% of what we collect and work with organizations such as VIQTORY, which owns GI Jobs. Orion Talent working directly with veterinarians. Another of his veterinary organizations, RecruitMilitary, recruits veterans into the business.
One JDog career veteran is Jim Andrews. Jim Andrews is a former Army Commander in the U.S. Navy, General Manager for the Bucks County area and Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, and chairman of the Lehigh Valley Military Commission. business group.
Andrews enlisted in the military at age 27 and expected to become a police officer after he left. But when he left home at the age of 32, he had a different mindset and decided to explore other possibilities.
“I didn’t want to go through the break-and-build game any more, so I ended up replying to a friend’s Facebook post about a position he had open in the Porta Toilet and Septic Tank business. I had no idea,” says Andrews. “About a year and a half later, deciding to look for a new job, on Indeed he found a job posting for General Manager of JDog. I was intrigued, so I applied and got the job.”
For Andrews, working at JDog has been both fulfilling and self-sufficient. He has spent the last three years helping the location grow, helping a wide range of customers with different needs.
“One of the main highlights of my job is learning my customers’ stories and helping them with what I can do,” says Andrews. “Whether they are veterinarians or have family and friends attending the service, I am happy to help them and let them know we are here for them.”
Andrews points out that JDog is more than just a junk removal company. The company helps customers transition (e.g., cleans the homes of people who have moved into nursing homes or those who have passed away), meets donation needs, and prepares homes for rent or sale after cleaning is complete. , to help veteran organizations. In his eyes, JDog employees are problem solvers, entrepreneurs, hustlers, and also have a sense of purpose, which is important for veterans accustomed to accomplishing missions.
“Over the years, by supporting veterans organizations like VALOR, we have also been able to help homeless veterans,” Andrews adds. We have a location in the Poconos called Home. I have supported you.”
JDog is also part of Veterans Advantage, which offers military discounts on various services, and runs The JDog Foundation, led by one of JDog’s strategic advisors and a prisoner of war, Ralph Galati. The Foundation’s mission is to develop and implement programs and services that support veterans and veterans-related groups, and to provide funding and related assistance to individuals and organizations that benefit veterans.
Based on that success, JDog recently launched JDog Carpet Cleaning. This is a new franchise opportunity for veterans and military families leveraging the JDog brand to provide floor cleaning services to customers nationwide. JDog plans to add 10 more services under his JDog brand in the future.
“Looking forward, I hope that every zip code in the United States will have some sort of JDog service,” says Flanagan. “We know it’s a difficult task, but we want to see JDog service areas that big franchises don’t really care about: Bismarck, ND; Helena, Montana; Cheyenne, Wyoming; My goal is to provide employment opportunities for veterans wherever they are, and we hope to eventually employ approximately 50,000 veterans in 5,000 locations nationwide.”
