Integrity, honesty and encouragement.
That’s what you’ll find at Junk King, because that’s the Pete McCreary way. Peter McCreary, owner of the Junk King facility in Sharonville, Ohio, passed away in July, leaving the company to his wife, Judy, and colleague Jack Brendamour, who are both determined to carry on Pete’s legacy.
“I know when my husband started the company, he was very interested in creating something that would help the community and that would create long-term relationships between people. He wanted to do something that was going to help people, that was going to provide jobs for individuals, that was going to provide aid for people who could not do these things themselves,” says Judy, owner and chairwoman of the company.
As a junk removal service, Junk King drivers travel to homes and offices in the Greater Dayton and Greater Cincinnati areas to remove various appliances and electronics, furniture, tools and more. They also have 12 cubic yard dumpsters at their facility available for rental services which they can drop off and pick up for clients who want to clean out their own spaces. Such services are especially important for those individuals who don’t have the means necessary to complete removal and transport on their own.
“Our goal is to repurpose items as much as is viable. Donating items that we remove is the utmost important aspect of our efforts to not only do what is right, but help out our local community. If items are not in a condition to be donated, our next goal is to keep things out of the landfill and recycle whatever we can,” says Jack Brendamour, CEO of Junk King and personal friend of the McCreary family. “The vision that Pete always had has come to life, more in the last year than ever with our tremendous growth and new recycling facility. I endeavor daily to find new ways to give back to different charities. We are open to any and all avenues to put the items we come across back into good use.”
Junk King not only focuses on junk removal and recycling, but also works with various charities to meet needs in the local community. Among these are The Dragonfly Foundation, New Life Furniture Bank and Habitat for Humanity. The Dragonfly Foundation receives brand new toys that are often left at homes, while New Life Furniture Bank and Habitat for Humanity receive new and gently used furniture that Junk King may pick up at various locations. The company also partners with Hope Worldwide, which now has a scholarship in Pete’s name.
And it’s not just charity that sets the company apart – they also have veteran employees who properly fold American flags retrieved from jobs. The flags are then retired with the American Legion. Junk King also goes above and beyond for their clients – not only will they complete typical junk removal services, but they will also remove basketball hoops, concrete, yard waste and hot tubs. They will even remove sheds and fences. It is this ‘above and beyond’ mentality that has led to three straight years as the most outstanding Junk King Franchise out of over 100 in the country for the new Sharonville facility.
“We just moved into this 23,000-square-foot facility about three months ago. We have about 40 employees, 12 trucks, and we don’t see ourselves slowing down any time soon. What Pete created works,” says Brendamour.
“The company was formed on integrity, honesty, and encouragement. Pete always tried to create a very positive atmosphere where people felt respected and listened to, but were expected to uphold the company standards of honesty and integrity and hard work. He really paved the way and set the example in that,” adds Judy.
“The new employees coming in? Every employee knows what Pete was all about. And they will always know Pete, because that’s part of my hiring and training processes. This will aid our ongoing ability to have team members that exhibit our core values of being full of integrity, honesty and respect,” says Brendamour. “We are going to continue to build what he started, not only for him and his family, but for our local community. What he created is never going to end. And I think that’s the most riveting part about it. Onward and upward!”
The Sharonville Junk King facility is located at 11430 Gondola St., Cincinnati, OH 45241. For more information, call 513.206.8945. To donate to Hope Worldwide, please visit https://hopeww.kindful.com