For Dana and Terri Jones, the path to business ownership didn’t start in an office building. It started at a summer camp for children with cancer. Meeting as counselors, the pair established a foundation of service that has defined their personal and business relationship for 25 years.
When they decided to leave their lives in Texas and relocate to Pittsburgh in 2020 to be closer to Dana’s father, they weren't just looking for a change of scenery. They were looking for a way to continue weaving that lifelong commitment to helping others into a sustainable career.
The couple found their answer in The Junkluggers, a franchise dedicated to keeping items out of landfills. Today, as owners of The Junkluggers of Pittsburgh, the Joneses operate four territories and recently expanded their footprint by opening a physical location of The Junkluggers’ Remix Market, a secondhand concept breathing new life into the items they haul.
Pivoting from corporate finance and high school education into the world of junk removal might seem like a leap. But for the Joneses, the mission was a familiar one. Dana, who also holds a Master of Divinity, had previously founded a nonprofit in Fort Worth aimed at providing furniture to those in need.
"We met the owner of Junkluggers through a friend of a friend in Austin," Dana said. "He told us about a company started in Connecticut that did work similar to what we were doing through the church: procuring furniture and home goods for people coming out of shelters or arriving as refugees."
The ability to provide high-quality items to local nonprofits while giving employees a second chance at a career resonated with the couple. They opened in October 2021, starting with just one truck and a single employee.
Running a business as a married couple requires a delicate balance of shared vision and divided labor. From the start, the Joneses played to their individual strengths to manage the complexities of running a new business in a new place.
Dana handles the daily operations, managing the crews and the fleet of trucks. Terri oversees the back office essentials, including HR, technology and billing. This division of labor allows them to move quickly without second-guessing one another.
"I don’t know how solo owners do it," Dana said. "We both work full time. It’s nice not having to question whether the other person is doing what needs to be done."
Terri noted that while the work is constant, the trust they share is the business's greatest asset. "When you own a business, you bet on yourself — and your partner," she said. "One thing I’ve learned is not to wait until everything is figured out. Roll it out and figure it out as you go."
That mentality helped the Joneses successfully launch Remix Market Pittsburgh. What began as the online selling of items from a storage unit quickly became a 12,000-square-foot facility. The Junkluggers sister brand serves as a hub for rehoming furniture and home decor with a portion of proceeds benefiting local nonprofits.
The expansion has turned the Joneses into multi-brand franchisees, a growth spurt that has come to involve the entire family. Their children have worked on the trucks and behind the registers, witnessing firsthand the grind required to build a business from scratch in a new city.
"Whether I was in a conference room in a suit or getting trucks out the door, it’s work ethic," Dana said. "Any success we’ve had isn’t because we’re smarter than anyone else. We just work hard with the idea that five or 10 years of effort will pay off."
As they look toward the future, the couple hopes to add more routes and eventually step back into leadership roles that allow their employees to grow. But for now, they’re content building a business that reflects their values.
"We want to be profitable. But we also want to serve people," Terri said. "That thread has been woven through our relationship for 25 years."
About The Junkluggers
Founded in 2004, The Junkluggers provides sustainable junk removal services. This team of big-hearted professionals revolutionizes the hauling and removal industry by focusing on eco-conscious, community-oriented practices as they remove your furniture and junk. For more information, please visit www.junkluggers.com. For franchise opportunities, visit www.junkluggersfranchise.com.
The Junkluggers
SPONSORED
By combining four Junkluggers territories with a physical Remix Market storefront, the Joneses have turned a career change into a mission-driven operation serving the Pittsburgh community.
For Dana and Terri Jones, the path to business ownership didn’t start in an office building. It started at a summer camp for children with cancer. Meeting as counselors, the pair established a foundation of service that has defined their personal and business relationship for 25 years.
When they decided to leave their lives in Texas and relocate to Pittsburgh in 2020 to be closer to Dana’s father, they weren't just looking for a change of scenery. They were looking for a way to continue weaving that lifelong commitment to helping others into a sustainable career.
The couple found their answer in The Junkluggers, a franchise dedicated to keeping items out of landfills. Today, as owners of The Junkluggers of Pittsburgh, the Joneses operate four territories and recently expanded their footprint by opening a physical location of The Junkluggers’ Remix Market, a secondhand concept breathing new life into the items they haul.
Pivoting from corporate finance and high school education into the world of junk removal might seem like a leap. But for the Joneses, the mission was a familiar one. Dana, who also holds a Master of Divinity, had previously founded a nonprofit in Fort Worth aimed at providing furniture to those in need.
"We met the owner of Junkluggers through a friend of a friend in Austin," Dana said. "He told us about a company started in Connecticut that did work similar to what we were doing through the church: procuring furniture and home goods for people coming out of shelters or arriving as refugees."
The ability to provide high-quality items to local nonprofits while giving employees a second chance at a career resonated with the couple. They opened in October 2021, starting with just one truck and a single employee.
Running a business as a married couple requires a delicate balance of shared vision and divided labor. From the start, the Joneses played to their individual strengths to manage the complexities of running a new business in a new place.
Dana handles the daily operations, managing the crews and the fleet of trucks. Terri oversees the back office essentials, including HR, technology and billing. This division of labor allows them to move quickly without second-guessing one another.
"I don’t know how solo owners do it," Dana said. "We both work full time. It’s nice not having to question whether the other person is doing what needs to be done."
Terri noted that while the work is constant, the trust they share is the business's greatest asset. "When you own a business, you bet on yourself — and your partner," she said. "One thing I’ve learned is not to wait until everything is figured out. Roll it out and figure it out as you go."
That mentality helped the Joneses successfully launch Remix Market Pittsburgh. What began as the online selling of items from a storage unit quickly became a 12,000-square-foot facility. The Junkluggers sister brand serves as a hub for rehoming furniture and home decor with a portion of proceeds benefiting local nonprofits.
The expansion has turned the Joneses into multi-brand franchisees, a growth spurt that has come to involve the entire family. Their children have worked on the trucks and behind the registers, witnessing firsthand the grind required to build a business from scratch in a new city.
"Whether I was in a conference room in a suit or getting trucks out the door, it’s work ethic," Dana said. "Any success we’ve had isn’t because we’re smarter than anyone else. We just work hard with the idea that five or 10 years of effort will pay off."
As they look toward the future, the couple hopes to add more routes and eventually step back into leadership roles that allow their employees to grow. But for now, they’re content building a business that reflects their values.
"We want to be profitable. But we also want to serve people," Terri said. "That thread has been woven through our relationship for 25 years."
About The Junkluggers
Founded in 2004, The Junkluggers provides sustainable junk removal services. This team of big-hearted professionals revolutionizes the hauling and removal industry by focusing on eco-conscious, community-oriented practices as they remove your furniture and junk. For more information, please visit www.junkluggers.com. For franchise opportunities, visit www.junkluggersfranchise.com.
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