Why Premium Service Brands’ Chief Legal Officer Invested in Rubbish Works Junk Removal as a Franchisee

Rubbish Works Junk Removal, the junk-removal brand on franchisor Premium Service Brands’ roster, is appealing to more and more entrepreneurs as the junk removal industry booms in popularity. One of those savvy entrepreneurs is Russel Kruse, who is certainly no stranger to the Premium Service Brands name — he has served as the company’s chief legal officer since early 2021. 

“Prior to Premium Service Brands, I was a transactional attorney for several businesses, mostly in private practices all over the country,” said Kruse. “I worked with firms of all different sizes for over a decade. For two or three years, I served as outside counsel for Premium Service Brands, handling contact managing, employment, HR, acquisitions and more. I worked very closely with CEO Paul Flick, and as I got more and more involved in the company as outside counsel, I was asked to join the corporate team full-time in February of 2021. I was very excited by the team and by Paul's vision.”

From Corporate Team to Franchisee

As Kruse settled into his new role with Premium Service Brands, he quickly started to feel a familiar, entrepreneurial itch. “I have always been entrepreneurial — I was a part owner of my law firm before I joined PSB — but it was the simplicity and ease of our operational model that really attracted me to business ownership,” said Kruse. “PSB does a great job of putting brands together that let people operate easily in semi-absentee capacity. Just seeing the success that franchisees had out in the world got me excited about owning one of my own.” 

And in his role as chief legal officer, Kruse says he has plenty of visibility into the life of franchisees both from a macro-level as a corporate team member, and from a day-to-day perspective. 

“I help oversee our network from a financial performance perspective, as well as help institute programming to support franchisees who have not yet met their goals,” said Kruse. “On a basic level, I interact with everyone that comes through the door because I draft all agreements and compliance for new franchisees. After that, I continue to work with them as they scale their business.” 

How Rubbish Works Junk Removal Stands Out

When Kruse decided to invest in one of Premium Service Brands’ many concepts himself, he says the choice was obvious. “I was one of Rubbish Works Junk Removal’s biggest proponents internally,” Kruse said. “I helped with the acquisition back in 2020 and have loved the model since day one. We have set it up in a good way that positions owners for success. In addition to the simplicity of Rubbish Works, it does not require a high degree of technical skill. Franchisees just have to be focused on having a committed team making smart, customer-based decisions out in the field.”

Franchise ownership with Rubbish Works also does not require a brick-and-mortar location, allowing for a scalable business model with a low initial investment. 

Beyond the proven business model, Kruse also recognized the well-positioned and recession-resistant nature of the Rubbish Work Junk Removal’s concept. “Junk removal and convenient home services are very in-demand right now,” he said. “I like to think of it as satisfying a demographic sandwich of the two biggest generations. The baby boomer generation seeks to age in place and stay in homes as long as they can, maintaining autonomy longer and longer, while millennials start to move into buying homes as they grow older and hope to outsource this kind of work.”

Additionally, Kruse says the sustainability aspect of the Rubbish Works model was important to him as well. “We are trying to keep junk out of landfills through recycling, donating and repurposing,” he said. “As someone who is committed to helping the environment, I really liked that part of the Rubbish Works opportunity. We are doing what we can to help our community in our small way.”

Rubbish Works’ Plan for Growth

Now, Kruse has officially opened the Rubbish Works of Charlottesville, which is where Premium Service Brands is headquartered, and he says he is excited to continue supporting other franchisees while operating as one himself. Charlottesville is also already home to several other PSB concepts, which means Kruse will have the opportunity to leverage a built-in network of potential customers and referrals from surrounding Premium Service Brands franchise owners. 

Looking ahead, the Premium Service Brands team is ready to expand the Rubbish Works footprint by partnering with qualified entrepreneurs across the country. According to Iric Wexler, Premium Service Brands’ chief development officer, the team hopes to add five to six new locations by the end of 2021, as well as an additional 15 to 20 next year. The team has identified several markets across the country as primed for growth, including Phoenix, Denver, Orlando, Tampa and Atlanta.

“Russel is one of Rubbish Works’ first franchisees and, as our very own chief legal officer, we know the kind of passion he will bring to the brand because we’ve seen him apply that same dedication to ensuring success for our other owners,” said Wexler. “For those prospects looking for an opportunity to provide a valuable service to homeowners in their community while meeting their personal and professional goals, Rubbish Works is a perfect choice.” 

For more information, visit: https://www.rubbishworks.com/