If one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, then Fred Friday is the richest man in Chattanooga.
As the owner of the local Junk King franchise, Friday and his crew have hauled off untold riches from homes, businesses, and more. Some of the spoils ended up in a landfill; some were recycled or donated to a local charity; and some were stored in Junk King’s warehouse on Jersey Pike.
Friday’s crew has come across bona fide treasures while gutting a garage or basement, including an Edison dictaphone, complete with wax cylinder for recording, and what the homeowner claimed was the hobby horse from the movie, “Gone With the Wind.”
“It’s not been authenticated,” Friday says, “but that’s what we were told.”
Junk King has also hauled off exercise equipment, refrigerators, and microwaves – all in working condition. New appliances still in the box, clothes with the tags still on them, and perfectly good computers have also found their way into Friday’s 22-yard dump truck – a cherry red conveyance with the company name emblazoned in big, gold letters on either side. In many of these cases, the customers were simply downsizing, and didn’t want to go through the hassle of selling their things. “If you can sell it; great. If you can donate it; great. If you can’t, then call us,” Friday says.
Friday, who’s sometimes called “Mr. King” by his customers, has also seen his share of horrors.
“We were doing a job for a trust company, which was the conservator for a man’s estate,” Friday says. “The gentleman who’d lived there had been something of a hoarder. We went in and took everything out of the property. The man had a $3 million estate, but he lived in a two-bedroom apartment. You would’ve thought he’d abandoned it years ago, but we found where he slept.”
Regardless of the size of the task, Junk King does all of the work. “Simply point out what you want removed, and we’ll take it away. You don’t have to set it aside,” Friday says. “Then, before we leave, we’ll clean up. People like that.”
Junk King has even cut up and removed a trailer home. Per the company’s policy, Friday’s team recycled every scrap they could. “We’re a green company,” Friday days. “We’ll strip the rubber and cloth off of a mattress, and take the metal out. We also recycle cardboard in large quantities.”
According to customer feedback, Junk King’s crew is fast, friendly, and careful. Regardless, Friday says his men have made mistakes. Although these occurrences have been rare, Junk King is fully bonded and insured, so if it happens, Friday will take care of that mess, too.
As an affiliate member of the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors, Friday has introduced himself to many real estate agents to let them know Junk King is available to help their clients prepare their homes for sale. “I’ve made presentations at their offices helping them to understand how we can declutter a home,” Friday says. “A decluttered home sells faster.”
Realtor Mary Sanders, an agent with Real Estate Partners, recommended Junk King to a seller with a large house containing over 30 years’ worth of accumulation. Her client was pleased with the results. “She was overwhelmed, and didn’t know what to do,” Sanders says. “Fred and his crew were wonderful. They reduced her stress level and helped to get her house ready for sale.”
Working with a clean slate, Sanders was able to sell her client’s home.
Junk King also works with conservators of every ilk, and insurance companies that want to clean up a property before it’s inspected. Friday’s crew has even removed the remains of a yard sale that didn’t sell out. “The customer had brought everything out, priced it, and sold what he could, and he didn’t want to take what was left back inside,” Friday says.
Junk King is a California-based company with national franchise opportunities. Friday owns the Chattanooga-area branch, which covers the territory stretching from Cleveland, Tenn., to Dalton, Ga. He purchased the company after his 30-year job with Olan Mills was phased out. “Gray hair isn’t a good thing, so I was looking for a good opportunity that would give me the freedom to run my own business,” Friday says. “So, I went to California, toured the place, and thought it would be fun. You see a lot of interesting things, and I like the idea of recycling. I hate to throw things away.”
While Friday loves finding treasure amongst the clutter, the thing he values the most about his job is the response to his team’s work. “I love seeing how thrilled people are once we’re done,” he says. “I love hearing someone say, ‘Wow! This is great! I can walk into my storeroom,’ or, ‘I can get my car in my garage!’”
For a free estimate, call Junk King at 888-888-JUNK.