Moving business turned junk removal service sets up shop in Lake County

A national moving chain is entering the junk removal market, and a new location recently opened up in Lake County.

Two Men And A Junk Truck is affiliated with the national moving brand, Two Men And A Truck. According to the company website, the new business offers junk removal — from single items to “entire property clean outs.”

“You can imagine when you’re in a move, there’s lots of things that customers want you take from their current home to their new home,” owner of the Lake County franchise Scott Brutosky said.

With that comes the desire to clean house so customers often would request, “Can you take this away for us as well?” Brutosky said.

The moving business started in Lansing, Michigan, more than 40 years ago when brothers Brig and Jon Sorber used their truck to help transport items for people and do odd jobs. When they went to college, their mom continued to receive calls, and the business expanded from there to more than 200 locations, according to Brutosky.

Since 1985, the business has grown into a fleet of more than 3,000 trucks. Today, Two Men And A Truck is the nation’s largest franchised moving company, covering 48 states along with locations in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, according to the company website.

A few years ago, the company was purchased by the ServiceMaster. From there, the owners decided to start and separate the junk business from the moving business. Each franchisee was given the option to open up junk removal services.

Currently, the Lake County location has one truck, but Brutosky says it’s early. The ultimate goal is to get a second truck up and running by spring, and then eventually continue expanding services, he said.

In addition to picking up junk from homes, Brutosky says other franchises have worked bigger events. In that case, they would utilize four “roll-off” cans that travel with the truck and can be placed at event sites for later collection.

“Some of our peers have done local community events, and they would be responsible for taking care of the trash that would be taken away,” Brutosky said.

According to its website, junk removal prices vary and are determined by how many cubic feet of the truck is filled. Specific information is available on the Two Men And A Junk Truck website, twomenandatruck.com.