Franchise Spotlight: Francis Hill - The Junkluggers Long Island Junk Removal Franchise
Francis Hill has been a Long Island guy all his life. Looking for the right location and education, he went down to Florida to study marine science, but ended up coming back to Long Island to intern with Merrill Lynch. He later went to Washington DC and got an undergraduate degree at American University in Business Administration in 2007. He then came back to “The Island” working for a family foundation called Adikes Foundation, a small charitable foundation focused in environmental conservation. Francis then went back to school at Long Island University to get a master’s in Public Administration with a focus in non-profit management.
During the time he was finishing up school and looking to put money in his pocket, Francis got in touch with Josh Cohen and started with The Junkluggers and began discussing taking over a franchise location of his own. With an established presence already and business referrals, Francis received a territory discount for being a past employee and is now in the process of opening in May.
How did you learn about the brand? I found out about The Junkluggers originally on Craigslist.
Why did you choose an opportunity with Junkluggers? It was interesting to me and I was looking for work, as I was finishing up with school. I also liked the idea of getting out of the house for the workday. Also, a lot of people want to know their stuff is going to good use. We really pride ourselves on being the removal company with the least carbon footprint. When people get rid of items, some of them are going through hard times, so being responsible and sensitive to those emotions is also part of the job that stuck with me.
Are you involved with any charities or do any community outreach with your business? I was part of The Junkluggers team helping during Hurricane Sandy relief. Volunteering is part of our company and what separates us from competitors. It’s part of our green initiative to bring the least amount to the dump as possible, so community support will remain part of our business.
What’s it been like to be the first franchisee in the network? As the first franchisee, I’ve been able to get more support to get up and running. Every step of the way Josh and the team have been there to help me grow the business.
How many employees do you plan to have? I’m looking at between six to seven luggers. We have three trucks, and three to four guys on board. We spend tons of time together, so establishing a good rapport is very important.
What are your expansion or development plans? What is your end goal with The Junkluggers? We’re going to focus on our territory for now. Being the first franchisee it’ll be important to set the standard in this market.
What are some of the publications you read? Local? National? What is your goal publication with your business? We’d love to be in Long Island outlets such as Newsday or News 12 Long Island, for example. Long Islanders take pride in being from the area and the news outlets care about the local headlines.
Do you have any other interesting hobbies or passions? Anything marine I like. I’ve been a scuba diver since I was 12 years old and also like to golf.