Veteran's junk removal business is using trash to create civilian jobs
When Jerry Flanagan retired from the military, he went straight to college.
"I went into college for five months, ran out of money, went into the civilian world, worked about 15 to 20 years in business, learning business," Flanagan told FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo during an interview on "Mornings With Maria" on Veterans Day.
It was then that he decided to embark on a new mission: starting his own business.
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JDog workers (JDog Junk Removal)
Flanagan and his wife Tracy Flanagan formed JDog Junk Removal in 2011.
"My original goal was to just knock on every door and say, 'I can clean your house out for you. I'm a veteran. Hire me.' And it took off," Jerry Flanagan, JDog president, CEO and co-founder, said.
JDog credits its growth on the strong work ethic provided by military training.
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Tracy Flanagan said while it was wonderful to be able to support her husband in his endeavor, they actually started the business "kind of out of desperation."
"We had had a retail business that fell with the 2008 economy," Tracy Flanagan said.
"So I was nervous and scared but got behind him, and it's been a wonderful journey."
"We're hiring a lot of veterans," Jerry Flanagan said. "That's our main goal. Sometimes you can't hire a veteran in certain towns because there's not enough help. But our goal is to hire veterans, put veterans to work."
JDog workers (JDog Junk Removal)
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Jerry Flanagan said the company works with the VA to connect with other veterans who need jobs.
JDog employs more than 1,000 veterans nationwide over its 230 franchises. The company just launched carpet cleaning and already tackles other household tasks.