Rubbish royalty

As a contractor it has always been imperative to maintain good relationships with suppliers and fellow trades professionals — but sometimes those ties just have to be cut.

While we won’t get into the bitter details, thanks to myriad changes at a junk removal company we regularly hired to clean up jobsites, a relationship that had once been mutually beneficial inexplicably fell apart and the search for a replacement company was on.

Luckily, severing those ties led me to Mack Whitely from Student Junk Removal. A rather large junk pile resulting from a demolition for an impending bathroom and kitchen remodel project had accumulated at a jobsite and Whitely and his business partner, Calen Christensen, both students with tuitions to pay, were on the scene in record time.

The two-man crew shed some light on their new venture. "After a year and a half of gaining experience working in the junk removal industry, I realized how much I enjoyed each day’s new adventure, travelling to every part of the city and visiting with clients. I found the management side of the business intriguing, as well. So, we created Student Junk Removal because we thought we had the ability to offer competitive rates within the Winnipeg market while providing quick, and friendly customer service," says Whitely.

"The independence and pride that comes from owning your own business is intoxicating," added Christensen. "I grew up helping my grandfather with his electrical business. I always admired his work ethic and interaction with clients. Using a truck borrowed from my father we were able to start hauling small jobs resulting from ads on Kijiji, which has since turned into a two-truck, two-trailer operation. We’re good buddies that work hard. It seemed inevitable that combining our skills would create the best potential for a successful business."

While watching the two young men diligently chip away at the pile of rubble that had grown over the course of a two-month period of renovations, it was again apparent these gentlemen have what it takes to truly flourish within the junk removal market. Christensen says expansion is a possibility, but things are presently working out well. "Currently, it’s just us two, and lucky for us, we get along exceptionally well. For larger jobs (when we need an extra hand) we have friends, as well as Mack’s little brother who are happy to help us out. We also aspire to hire someone full-time over the summer, provided we have enough jobs. And we hope to purchase a dumping trailer by spring to cut down on our overall time at the landfill. A dumping trailer will also allow us to more efficiently load aggregate material like dirt and yard waste."

The guys did a great job loading up and securing the refuse and with a touch of the elbows and a grin behind our masks they were off with their loaded truck and trailer.

It is always unfortunate when an association between businesses falters. The time spent forging and nurturing healthy relationships between all parties involved can feel like time wasted. However, a phoenix often rises from the ashes producing a new and improved kinship. And in this case, there is no doubt in my mind that Student Junk Removal is on the cusp of great success. Forge ahead boys, you’ve got what it takes.

BossEnterprise@outlook.com