JDog’s Military Veterans Bring Professionalism and Reliability to Junk Removal Industry

The emerging junk hauling franchise is quickly becoming the go-to brand for consumers looking for a trusted name.

Junk hauling brand JDog Junk Removal & Hauling has carved out a unique point of differentiation in its segment by exclusively hiring military veterans and families to own and operate its growing network of franchise territories. The brand’s mission is to dramatically reduce the unemployment rate among U.S. military veterans by establishing a franchise in every zip code, but as JDog has grown, its focus on veterans has also proven an attractive consumer offering, engendering staunch customer loyalty and a rapidly expanding referral network.

“Veterans bring a level of professionalism and reliability that is really hard to find in the junk hauling business, and the customer response has been incredible,” said Kellie O’Brien, Marketing Director at JDog Brands. “People are so impressed by the work we do, and they want to tell their friends.”

And JDog’s customers aren’t just telling their friends; they’re telling the internet. Check out any of the franchise’s local Yelp pages, and you’ll find dozens of five-star reviews praising everything from the team’s punctuality to their friendliness to their ability to haul items other brands can’t or won’t.

“‘Exceptional and phenomenal’ service were my husband’s exact words,” wrote Gabby C in a Yelp review of JDog’s Elmhust, Illinois franchise. “The whole experience could not have gone better.”

Jerry Flanagan, a veteran who co-founded JDog with his wife Tracy 10 years ago, admits he is surprised by the fervent customer loyalty their brand has earned thanks in large part to its military orientation.

“We never expected our veteran focus to be such a big part of what consumers love about JDog,” said Flanagan. “We knew we wanted to do something to support the veteran community, and we knew that veterans are excellent at following processes and getting the job — any job — done right, but it was surprising to see just how dramatic a difference that made to our customers.”

When the Flanagans first launched JDog out of their driveway with just a Jeep and a trailer, they didn’t even promote a “veteran-owned” angle. It was a customer, impressed by Jerry’s quick and effective work, who gave them the idea.

“She asked how I’m so good at what I do, and I said it was probably because of my background in the Army,” Flanagan said. “The military doesn’t tolerate corner-cutting or ‘just-good-enough’ work. He said I should use that in my marketing, so I put ‘veteran owned’ on the truck, and things kind of took off from there.”

Soon, “veteran owned” became more than just a marketing highlight; it became an entire operational model, one that gave JDog a distinct advantage in a fragmented market with no clear brand leader.

“Before JDog, when people would look for junk removal services, no one brand would come to mind, so maybe you’d look on Craigslist and find a local guy with a pickup truck who hauls junk on the weekends, but guess how reliable those guys tend to be,” O’Brien said. “We found that by implementing a business model that emphasizes the processes and values veterans learn in the military, we brought a level of integrity that people were really hungry for, and it quickly established JDog as the name in junk removal.”

Now, backed by stalwart customer loyalty and positive brand awareness, JDog is continuing to expand it’s footprint in major metropolitan areas across the country. With 250 franchise locations, the brand is preparing to expand rapidly across the country, starting with locations in Louisville, Atlanta and Cincinnati.

“We have emerged as a leader in a very in-demand market, and we’re ready to take full advantage of that position,” said Flanagan. “We’ve got wide open territory availability and increasing demand for our services from prospective customers. Now, we’re just focusing on finding the right franchise owners to help us launch in new markets.”

The cost to open a JDog Junk Removal & Hauling ranges from $30,000 to $110,000, including a $35,000 franchise fee. For more information on franchising with JDog, visit https://www.jdogbrands.com/own-a-franchise.