Former Surface Warfare Officer for the Navy Opens Veteran-Centric Junk Removal Company With His Brother to Follow Their American Dream

When Robert Reichardt began his leave from the Navy, he took a fellowship in corporate America. Reichardt liked his role but still found himself wanting more. It had always been his dream to open a business with his brother and create their own American dream, all while providing a great service to the community they grew up in. And as of October 24, Reichardt can say he finally achieved that goal by opening veteran-centric JDog Junk Removal and Hauling Oak Lawn.

Reichardt’s JDog location will serve areas near Chicago like Oak Lawn, Orland Park and Tinley Park. He’s looking forward to creating career opportunities in his hometown and serving the community. Reichardt has growth plans for the future that are completely service-oriented such as opening a location that focuses on repurposing and refurbishing the junk items JDog collects to donate to the community.

1851 Franchise spoke with Reichardt to learn more about his franchising journey with JDog Brands.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Robert Reichardt: I’m on leave from the Navy and will officially retire on December 31st. I started my career in the Navy, enlisted and worked on the Aegis Weapon System. I was a surface warfare officer, where I drove ships and navigated them around the world. The last job I had for the military was as an operations officer in surface warfare.

Once I took leave from the military, I had a corporate fellowship. I enjoyed corporate life, and I even built a small company in project management based on a similar business model. But I wanted to own a business that I could bring others into, like my brother, who is a union carpenter. We always wanted to open a business together. It was the American dream to us; as a bonus, I could pass it on to the family. It would be more than just a 9-to-5 job for everyone involved and would give them an opportunity for a better life. 

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Reichardt: I really didn’t have a perception of franchising prior to being involved with JDog. I work with franchise brands for the project management company I started, so I had some experience with franchises. As the owner of that company, I see the value of franchising. The brands give you a playbook, and you just have to follow it to be successful.

1851: What makes you stand out as business owners in your local community?

Reichardt: I think that my brother and I will stand out in the community because we are the average joe. We are born-and-raised Chicago Southsiders. So we are local to the community that we will serve. We also have the mindset of giving back and serving the community that we came from. I think that people will appreciate that, along with the fact that we are veteran owned, so there is a certain level of trust that comes with that.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Reichardt: I don’t think that I was drawn to franchising specifically in the beginning. I was looking at different business models when I stumbled upon JDog Brands. I looked at the brand’s business model and the values of the company. I loved that JDog is exclusive to veterans and its core values are respect, value, and trust. We’ve only been open about a month so far, but I already see tremendous value in what we do for the community.

I’m excited to see what else we can do for our community in the future. It’s great to see the business grow, especially because I never thought in a million years that I could own a business. But with JDog, they prepackage everything for you to make business ownership more attainable. While you get to own a business, you get to stand for great causes with JDog. I’m excited to help with the brand’s mission to decrease veteran unemployment and repurpose and recycle the collected junk for a more environmentally friendly process. 

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Reichardt: With JDog Brands there are so many different methods to expand and grow. I’ve nailed down exactly how we are going to expand in the future, but I would say that expansion for us looks like opening a few territories and eventually opening a shop. I would love for the shop to be a nonprofit that resales the junk we collect and gives it back to the community. That is where my heart is.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Reichardt: I think the best advice I’ve ever heard was through a quote from Ferrah Gray. “Build your dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.”

I think that quote hits the nail on the head. If you work for corporate America and help others meet their dreams, then you are necessarily following your own passions. You have to take that step into the uncomfortable parts of life and apply the lessons that you learn as you go.