Canadian waste franchise turns rags to riches

A Vancouver-based company has transformed itself from a one-man operation carting off people’s unwanted waste 16 years ago to one that expects to have 250 franchises throughout North America by the end of 2006.

The firm, 1-800-GOT-JUNK, is the brainchild of CEO Brian Scudamore. In its first year of franchising, the company brought in nearly €733,831 in revenue. It expects to see €73.36m in revenue this year.

Now, however, the company finds itself a victim of its own success. Six members of its executive team have given up their offices to run company franchises.

“They want to get a franchise before we’re sold out,” says company spokesman Christopher Bennett.

There are only 400 franchises remaining in North America; 244 have already been sold.

One franchise owner once picked up 50 boxes of books which were bound for the paper recyclers. Looking inside one, he found early editions of three books by Charles Dickens, including a copy of Bleak House.

“It was totally by fluke,” he said. “I just happened to look on top of the boxes and ... saw it was worth going through the boxes.”

These finds are not as uncommon as it may seem, says Bennett.

California franchise operator Bronic Gold found a 1954 Martin Parlor Acoustic Guitar worth almost €7,500, said Bennett, who himself has recovered a document signed by President Teddy Roosevelt worth nearly €15,000 and a rare Spider-man 1 comic as a result of junk jobs.

“You’d be amazed at what people throw away,” Bennett said. “It’s junk. You’re really going into people’s basements and backyards and grabbing junk and taking it to a landfill site.”