Franchisee Stories
Cousins Erik Andersen and Rikki Forgwe turned a long-standing family bond into a moving and junk removal franchise. They say going into business with family they love and trust made the choice easy.
After decades in the courtroom, Erik Andersen was ready for a different kind of challenge — one that would let him build something with his family instead of battling cases on his own. He found that chance with his cousin, Rikki Forgwe, through TWO MEN AND A TRUCK* and TWO MEN AND A JUNK TRUCK.
“I was a trial lawyer for about 25 years and needed something new,” Andersen said. “When the pandemic came along, my cousin and partner, Rikki, had been running two moving franchises for some time. The old owner always told him, ‘When I’m ready to sell, you get first dibs.’ Rikki brought me in, and we bought the two moving companies.”
For Andersen, the draw was less about chasing a particular brand and more about who he would be in business with.
“For me, it was my partner, Rikki, and the opportunity he gave me,” he said. “Rikki knew the business, and going into business with a family member you love and trust made it an easy decision. The franchises were already well established in our communities — TWO MEN AND A TRUCK had been here for about 20 years between the two locations — and I could see it was a successful business.”
That foundation of trust gave the cousins confidence to think beyond moving and look for ways to grow the business together.
Once the moving operations were stable in their markets, Andersen and Forgwe revisited an idea they had talked about for years: adding junk removal to the mix.
“We’d always wanted to do junk removal, but it took time to get our footing on the moving side and get established,” Andersen said. “Once we did, we started the junk business. We bought a new, larger building in North Aurora and doubled our space in McHenry, which allowed us to expand into junk removal.”
Customer needs made the opportunity hard to ignore. Moving clients were already asking for help with items they did not want to take to the new home.
“What I hope to achieve is to be a one-stop shop for families and community members who are transitioning — whether they’re moving or just doing a spring cleaning,” he said. “What really got us into junk removal was seeing a need. We’d be helping someone move, and they’d say, ‘I don’t want 20 percent of my furniture. Can you help me?’ At the time, I had to say no and watch them call another junk removal company. There’s such a natural connection between moving and junk removal, and it was frustrating not to offer the full range of services our customers needed. I want to change that.”
Andersen’s legal background gave him one view of franchising. Working alongside family inside the system has given him a completely different one.
“My perception of franchising was very different,” he said. “As a lawyer, when I represented a franchisor or franchisee, the goal was always to keep them as separate as possible so one wouldn’t be liable for the other. What’s been great about working with the TWO MEN AND A JUNK TRUCK and TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises is that it’s the opposite. Other franchisees root for you to succeed and help you out. The home office has struck a great balance — supportive but still giving you the freedom to do things your own way.”
That network and support structure have been especially important on the junk removal side, where they were starting fresh.
“Especially with the junk side, they’ve been very helpful,” Andersen said. “I was lucky to come into moving with an established business, but getting the junk removal off the ground was new. The franchise has been really supportive and has a solid playbook to help you get started.”
The cousins have also shaped the business around their shared values. Rather than treating every load as trash, they look for ways to keep usable items in circulation and support local families.
“We’re trying hard not to take everything to the dump and rehome items instead,” Andersen said. “I have a large warehouse that’s basically turned into a thrift store. What we don’t sell, we plan to donate. We’re trying to connect with local organizations that can make use of extra furniture and household goods. It does save us money on disposal fees, but more importantly, many customers care about where their belongings end up. They want to know their family heirlooms aren’t going to waste.”
For families thinking about going into business together, Andersen said the strength of the people behind the brand matters as much as the brand itself.
“My advice would be to talk not just to the franchisor but also to other franchisees,” he said. “If you can find a franchise like TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, where both the franchisor and other franchisees support you and work together, then the franchise model is a great one to be part of.”
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