Extra Mile and Some Labor

Entrepreneur strives to meet a need of area’s underprivileged families.

When Collin Wheeler, 24, tells his friends he is the president of his own company, a regular response he receives is, “You have a college degree, why are you dealing with junk?” Wheeler started his own business, 123Junk, in January of this year and business has been growing ever since.

The business is simple, thus the numbers in the name 123Junk; customers decide they want to get rid of things from their homes, including large furniture pieces. The company — comprising Wheeler, who is responsible for marketing, advertisement and customer relations, two full time workers and a couple of part time workers — then charges the customers per truck space their “junk” takes up. Wheeler said the junk industry is still developing, but competition exists in the area from companies such as 1-800-GOT JUNK and College Hunks Hauling Junk.

“I don’t think there is any way we can’t continue to grow,” said Wheeler, a lifelong Herndon resident and 2002 graduate of Chantilly High School. 123Junk was doing two jobs per week when it first started in January, then in the April-May period calls for service increased a great amount. “In the summer, it just exploded,” said Wheeler.

Read the rest of the story at the Herndon Connection.