College Hunks Franchise Helps Property Owners and the Environment

When Nancy Ziatyk made the move from corporate America, she looked no further than her own home for inspiration.

The long-time township resident explained, “We live in a house with a basement full of junk.” A College Hunks Hauling Junk franchise seemed like the perfect fit.

College Hunks Hauling Junk is a national fully licensed and insured company that hires college students to remove junk and unwanted items from commercial and residential properties. There are currently 35 franchises nationwide. The “Hunks” in the company name stands for “Honest. Uniformed. Nice. Knowledgeable. Students.”

“I looked at a couple of different franchises,” Ziatyk said. “I knew I didn’t want retail or a storefront. I kept coming back to this one. I felt it filled a niche.”

It also was a good way to put her corporate experience in sales and marketing to good use. After meeting with the owners, Ziatyk joined the company in July 2008 and began the 15-month process to get licensed by the Department of Environmental Protection.

Today, the local franchise operates two trucks and employs as many as nine people working seven days a week.

In addition to helping customers clean out their “stuff” or assist with labor, College Hunks plays a key role in recycling.

“Anything that we can donate, we do,” Ziatyk said. “We are a resource to the community. We try to get the stuff reused. You need to find a home for things as opposed to it winding up in a dump.”

On a national level, the company diverted about 12,000 tons from landfills in 2010. Locally, a recent collection at the Somerset Valley YMCA (SVY) in Bridgewater saw approximately 90 percent of the collected items donated.

Furniture, for example, goes to a Union-based furniture bank called Furniture Assist. Items are also donated to the Rescue Mission of Trenton and Vietnam Veterans.

“We furnish the equivalent of about 30 apartments a week,” Ziatyk said.

The cost for using the College Hunks service is based on volume.

While scheduling a crew of college students can be challenging, the biggest challenge, Ziatyk said, is “making sure it all gets disposed of in the most ecologically efficient way, based on the company’s core values of keeping as much out of the landfills as possible. We want to make sure that things that can be donated are. Plus, we want to show a level of respect for what is collected.”

All donation receipts, she stressed, go back to the clients.

“I also enjoy matching up things with people,” Ziatyk added, such as giving a lift chair to someone who needs it. “I love being involved in the community.”

In addition to participating in events such as the SVY fundraising collection event for the National Swim Team, the Hillsborough franchise is a sponsor of the Hillsborough Hop, the annual 5K race that promotes family fitness and raises funds for the SVY.

“I like being a business owner and not having the political nonsense of going up the ladder. I have met such great people along the way.”

To make an appointment, call 1-800-586-5872 or visit www.collegehunkshaulingjunk.com.