Category: Furniture Removal

headshot of man smiling on the right with text and company mascot on the left

Partner Spotlight: Office Liquidation Solutions

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

Scott Cornblatt, President, OLS Office Liquidation Solutions

Meet Our Partner – Scott Cornblatt, President at OLS Office Liquidation Solutions

We love it when we make solid connections with other business owners who, like us, are interested in protecting our environment while helping others in need. In this post, we’d like to introduce you to Scott Cornblatt, president and owner of Office Liquidation Solutions, or OLS, a company providing office liquidation and decommission services.

What is your role at OLS?

I am the president and creative box maker. I work on business development and building strategic relationships, and serve as the creative branch of the company. The reason I am a creative box maker is this: in our business, we don’t get to make the rules. We have to work inside the box. I am good at making that box any shape it needs to be to get a client’s job done.

How did you get into this business?

I was born into the furniture business. This business was started by my father, Arnold Cornblatt, some 30+ years ago, and I’ve been involved since the beginning. I purchased the company in 2010.

What is your background?

I’ve always owned and run a business since I was 12. My first was a used book store. I put out flyers in the neighborhood to collect books and then I’d put out flyers asking people to buy used books.

I went to college as a sociology major at Adelphi University because I was too arrogant and thought I knew everything about business. I graduated with a BS in sociology on the 16th and started working at OLS on the 17th. However, I’ve learned along the way that life lessons sometimes cost more than college.

Who are your clients?

We have basically two groups of clients: 1) national Fortune 1000-and-above companies that we help with liquidation and decommissioning nationally as well as locally, and 2) our local clients who may also be in that same caliber, but most of which are local and regional businesses.  We are national liquidators and regional decommissioners. Most of the time we’re engage with our clients for their end of lease liquidation and decommission to prepare them for turning over the space per the lease agreement. We are a 100% one-stop shop. We’ll remove furniture, fixtures and equipment, personal property, generators, cabling and more. We’ll even patch and paint so our clients are ready to hand over the keys with no fear of hold-over rent.

Every office building you see turns over every 8-10 years. But we see only a small percentage of what goes on in this area. That means that up to 70-80% of what’s in these buildings is thrown away. I want to increase the percentage of product being diverted from landfills, but we need everyone’s help. We ask people that if they know anyone who is a mover, new furniture dealer or project/building manager to tell them that OLS is here and can help. It just takes a phone call and we might be able to divert 100 trucks from the landfill. We also pay substantial referral fees to show our appreciation!

How did you come to partner with 123JUNK?

I met 123JUNK through the Capital Chapter of IFMA, the International Facility Managers Association. I loved 123JUNK’s commitment to the environment and their willingness to step outside their comfort zone to look at what other opportunities might exist. Our goals are similar in that aspect.

One of our first jobs together was a logistically-challenging one with the USGBC, the US Green Building Council. It was surgical in its approach and had a zero-landfill requirement. We sat down with 123JUNK and created a strategy. Once the project started, they were easy to work with and willing to make whatever changes were necessary to make the job a success. It was all about planning in advance on the front end and flexibility on the back end. We liked that their mentality was all about getting it done.

How do you support the local community?

We have wonderful relationships with area school systems and groups like Habitat for Humanity and their ReStores, as well as computer refurbishers like the Phoenix Group. We donate school supplies, furniture, and things people might need on an ongoing basis. We also keep a check list of specific items charities need. We just donated, with one of our clients, 2,500 chairs to Habitat for Humanity, for example.

We also have in-house programs. For example, every six months, each employee gets $250 to give to any organization, as long as it’s not benefitting themselves. Two to three times a year, we do something out of the office as a group. In the past we have worked in a soup kitchen all day and built a jungle gym in a low-income community with other organizations.

Tell us about your Good to Go Green Program

The Good to Go Green Program is really the essence of OLS. It’s a way to make handling assets a priority by offering sustainable options. Our goal is (unless otherwise indicated by clients) to sell, donate, and give assets away. Then we’ll recycle. If we can’t recycle we go to waste to energy (where items are burned and the energy provides power, and gasses are scrubbed), and only as the last resort, do we utilize the landfill.

All of this is wrapped up in the OLS Sustainability Scorecard that demonstrates how many tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) were diverted from the atmosphere by reuse, recycling and waste to energy. We then translate that data into easily-digestible information, such as the number of average American homes that create the equivalent amount of CO2 for a year, and how many acres of forests were protected from having to absorb that CO2. Our ultimate goals are to 1) minimize or mitigate landfill contribution through 90-95% repurposing of assets, and 2) provide our clients with a clear way to tell their environmental impact story.

Do you have favorite aspect of the business?

It may sound corny, but my favorite part of the business is when I see the people who work for me succeed. I feel personal pride when they can buy a new home because we were the conduit to give them that opportunity. I love seeing them take great vacations—and they are not allowed to work on vacation. We want the people who work here to be able to live an enjoyable and fruitful life.

What would you like people to remember?

I hope that when people are planning a move that will create a lot of unused assets that they will look around and wonder, “Is there somebody else who might like this even though I’m replacing it?” rather than just throwing items away. Learn more about OLS and its services and how you can help or make a referral.

safety first

Safety First with Junk Removal

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

Around here, it’s always “safety first.” From the first moments on any appointment, safety is the number one priority for our clients, their property, and our team members.

Client Safety

Safety first always applies to the safety of our clients and their property. Our team members are trained in safety measures regarding lifting and transporting items to help our client avoid physical injury from doing it themselves. That’s why they call us here at 123JUNK! And although you may want to help us, there’s no need. It’s our job to clear away the junk you no longer want or need.  One of the reasons to call 123JUNK to help haul away a heavy load is to prevent injury to yourself, your family or friends. Since we’re trained in the proper procedures, let us do the heavy work for you.

We also pay attention to the safety of your home or office, and your belongings. We take great care to avoid damaging your walls and floors, paying especial attention to corners. We pad surfaces to avoid scratches and bumps. We also respect the items you are donating and take care to safely load and transport them to our donation partners where they can be re-introduced into the community

Team Safety from Physical Injury

The teams on our trucks are required to lift heavy objects, a task that could be hazardous to their physical safety if not done correctly. That’s where training in proper lifting techniques comes into play. We teach our team members to prepare for heavy loads, asking them to think about how best to lift and maneuver objects like pianos, sofas and refrigerators. We look ahead to the pathway to clear any obstacles, prepare for steps up or down, and talk about proper body position. Lifting, carrying, and even setting down a heavy load can tax the body in different ways. Working together with their teammates is the best way to avoid physical injury from heavy loads.

Safety First from Biohazards

Biohazards are any biological material that can cause a risk to human or animal health. Some of the biohazards we could potentially come into contact with at 123JUNK include blood and bodily fluids, human or animal waste, mold and fungus spores, and industrial chemicals. Biohazards can also include viruses, toxins or things like E.coli, HIV and tuberculosis.

If we encounter a biohazard that we are not equipped to deal with, we may refuse the job. The safety of our workers is too important to us to expose them. We may need to recommend another professional to handle the job of cleaning or clearing a home or items that present a biohazard.

Safety First from Infestations

Animal and insect infestations can post another safety threat for the 123JUNK team. In addition to the biohazards of animal waste and dead carcasses, insects like bedbugs can create an unsafe haul. We don’t want to carry insects back to our offices or team members’ homes, nor do we want to introduce them into client homes or our donation partners’ facilities. (Read our blog post on Bedbugs and Junk Hauling). There are proper ways to dispose of items exposed to infestations, and we may again refuse the pickup and recommend other professionals who can help with your particular issue.

Safety First from Hazardous Materials

There are certain items that we cannot take in a general junk haul; items that need to be handled individually to prevent biohazards. We don’t want these chemicals to spill into our trucks to contaminate other items, and potentially spill out onto roadways. Nor do we want to expose our team members to environmental hazards. Items like paint, kerosene, gasoline, fertilizer, pool chemicals, ammonia, bleach, antifreeze, mercury-containing fluorescent light bults, freon coolant and just some of the items we must avoid. 123JUNK is even prevented by law from hauling many hazardous materials. These items must be disposed of at appropriate waste collection stations. (Learn more in our blog post What’s on the Hazardous Materials List?)

Safety is something we’re not willing to take a risk with, and we apologize in advance to any customers for any inconvenience. It only happens rarely because we prepare our clients and our team members so well. We just want you to get the best service possible, with the safety of all in mind.

Ready to Schedule Junk Removal with 123JUNK?

When you’re ready to schedule your junk removal in Northern Virginia, Washington DC or Maryland, contact 123JUNK.

local-junk-removal

Why It’s Important to Support a Local Junk Removal Business

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

The year 2020 taught us many lessons. One of the most important lessons was that without your local support, your local businesses won’t survive. Here’s why supporting your local junk removal business is so important.

Local Businesses Create Jobs

Small businesses create approximately 1.9 million jobs annually, according to the Small Business Administration, and they account for almost all the net new job creation. In addition, small businesses—those with fewer than 500 employees—comprise 99.9% of all the companies in the United States, and employ about half of all U.S. employees.

Related: How Many Small Business are in the U.S.

Local Businesses Support Your Neighborhoods

On average, 67 cents of every dollar you spend at a local small business stays in the local community. In addition, the small business reinvests 23 cents of each dollar into other local businesses, reports SCORE.

Local Business Owners Support Your Community

Local businesses are run by people who live in your community, and help to make impactful decisions concerning your community. Their influence has a direct effect on your quality of life.

You Receive Personal Service

Local business owners are dedicated to providing exceptional customer service. We have to in order to compete with the national brands. Because we know and understand our local customers, we can tailor our services to what they want and need. For example, at 123JUNK, we actually pick up the phone and talk to customers rather than have them go through an automated process. It’s those little touches that make us different and provide you with a better overall experience.

You Support Entrepreneurship

It’s the entrepreneurs who fuel innovation and the economy. Our owner started in 2008 at age 23 by buying a small landscaping truck to help people move items they no longer wanted to keep. Today, 123JUNK employs dozens of people and maintains a sizeable fleet of trucks—some of the largest in the industry!

123JUNK Supports Your Local Charities

We have developed charity partners including Habitat for Humanity, the Humane Society, Passion for Community and A Wider Circle who rely on our donations to fund their programs. When you schedule a pickup from 123JUNK, we’ll sort through your items for things to donate, like household goods and furniture. People enjoy helping others, and you’ll get a real feeling of connection by helping to make the world a better place with your donations.

123JUNK is a Local Junk Removal Business

We sometimes hear that our clients are surprised when they find out 123JUNK is locally owned and operated. They think we’re much larger than we are. No, in fact, we’re a small business covering just Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. We worked hard during the pandemic to make sure that we kept our employees working and our customers satisfied, and your support helped us to survive.

For Local Junk Removal in VA, MD and DC, Contact 123JUNK

We make it a point to serve and support our clients and communities where we live. When you need local junk removal, appliance or furniture removal, or cleanout services, contact 123JUNK.

furniture removal Fairfax VA

How Do I Get Rid of Old Furniture?

Posted on | by collin

Getting a new couch or chair can refresh the appeal of a sitting room, and ordering a new mattress can lead to better sleep. But when you install new furniture, you may already have a problem: where do you put the old piece? Not many people have extra space to store a couch or mattress. Plus, as we’ll discuss below, disposal can be a hassle. 

But no matter what you need removed, the service professionals at 123JUNK can handle it. Once you schedule a pickup, we take care of everything for you. So whether it’s a box spring in your attic or a TV in your basement, our team will move the junk for you and load it into one of our premier service trucks. Customers in Fairfax and across Northern Virginia rave about our professional furniture removal services, and we pride ourselves in hauling away all kinds of pieces. 

Here, we describe your furniture disposal options and how we can help: 

What Are My Options?

furniture removal Fairfax VA

For one of many reasons, you might not dispose of old furniture right away. Perhaps your home contains storage space, and you find it convenient to hang onto the piece for a little while. Even so, that furniture will eventually need to move out. 

Removal can be tricky and call for extra hands or a dolly. And once you maneuver an old sofa or desk out of your house, you must have a proper means of disposal. Many garbage services will refuse to accept furniture or appliances due to company rules and lack of equipment. 

A sofa may be taken apart for disposal, but that’s a multi-step process that demands the proper tools. Or, if their city allows it, some folks might put an old couch out on the curb for anyone to take. But the only guaranteed disposal comes from a junk service. 

How Can 123JUNK Help?

furniture removal Fairfax VA

Our removal services require no effort from you. In fact, you can leave the furniture in question as it is; we’ll carry it out from any place in your home. We’ll also bring a company trunk to take away the pieces. 123JUNK takes the reins and gets the clutter out of your way. 

Our service time will depend on the amount of material you want us to move out. However, we expect to finish in no more than a few hours. Plus, 123JUNK is fully insured and our team works hard to avoid causing any damage during removal.

We’ve outlined a list of items that we accept online (though there are fewer things we don’t accept than we do). We also try to make our pricing as simple as possible. You can call us today at 1-800-364-5778 and we will provide an estimate based on the materials described. 

What Will Happen to My Old Furniture?

Many of our clients wonder what happens to the furniture that we remove. It’s heartening to hear that folks don’t want their junk to simply rot in a landfill. And, happily, we aim to do better than that. 

After picking up your junk, we pick out any items that are still in working condition. Then, we take that material to one of our charity partners in the DC Metro Area. The usable furniture thus supports a family in need rather than sitting in a junkyard. 

We also remove any recyclable materials from your junk. Only the remainder is hauled away and disposed of. We believe that this process helps to support our community and reduce waste. 

Call 123JUNK for Fast and Reliable Furniture Removal in Fairfax, Virginia

If you want your attic cleared out or space for a new couch, you should let 123JUNK handle the work for you. Our fast furniture removal services are now available for people in Fairfax and all over Northern Virginia. We take pride in providing holistic service and donating items to local charities. 
Avoid waste and hassle by calling 123JUNK at 1-800-364-5778 or filling out our online form. Get a quote or schedule a pickup today!