Nathan Farmer never thought he’d be spending his time hauling people’s junk and discarded items.
As a child, Farmer said his parents emphasized the importance of education, saying it was a gateway to avoiding physical labor, and for most of his life he listened to that advice. rice field.
Until last year.
Farmer said his interest in a new career was piqued last year after his childhood best friend Brian Battaglia nonchalantly remarked on how well his weekend gig carrying people’s old items was doing. I got
The two soon partnered and began using their lunch breaks and nights to haul old mattresses, piles of concrete, and large appliances.
On April 15th, they will start their company A1 Services full-time.
The move to full-time junk hauler is a far cry from Farmer and Battaglia’s previous occupations.
Farmer works as a full-time professor at Central New Mexico Community College, and Battaglia works as a petroleum engineer at New Mexico Gas Company.
Although Farmer and Battaglia are leaving their previous professions, Farmer said the decision made sense because both he and Battaglia always prioritized their need for flexibility and not having a desk job.
“The most important thing in my life has always been flexibility and never a desk job…and that’s why I got into teaching because you have a desk job. Because there isn’t,” Farmer said.
He also said it allowed them both to be their own bosses.
The business started on a whim when Battaglia nonchalantly posted an ad for a junk hauling service on Craigslist.
Soon, Battaglia’s phone was filled with requests from people in need of service, Farmer said.
The volume of business eventually allowed Battaglia and Farmer to purchase trailers and box trucks.
We expect it to continue to grow.
Farmer said he and Battaglia want to continue expanding the business because the need for the service is clear.
Many of our clients include the elderly who are unable to move heavy loads on their own, and family members who need to clean their homes after death.
“I never thought I’d do this as a job in my life, so I think I’ve grown to love this completely different type of life,” he said.
Farmer said he realized his new career wasn’t just about removing junk, it was about serving those in need.
“We are doing a service that actually helps people,” he said. “I never thought this would happen.”
Farmer uses the term “junk removal,” but items that are still in use are often donated to thrift stores such as the Family Thrift Center.
A1 Services currently serves Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, but Farmer said the company could begin weekly operations in Santa Fe.
Customers are billed based on the size of their shipments and the space they occupy in their trailers and box trucks.
For more information, please visit A1abq.com.
