1-800-Got Junk comes to Greater Sudbury.

• Author: Stewart, Nick
• Position: SPECIAL REPORT: SUDBURY

Junk removal may be their game, but don't refer to the workers at Northern Ontario's first 1-800-GOT-JUNK franchise as garbagemen. "We're a solution to a problem of clutter and space re-acquisition," says Gord Ouimet, franchise partner. "When our crews show up at a home or business to do a clean-up, all the client has to do is point and pay the fee. We make sure that the space that was occupied by the debris before is ready to be used again immediately, which sometimes means raking outside or sweeping indoor floors, and your garbageman won't do that."

As the only Ontario franchisee north of Barrie, Ouimet and his two employees have been specializing in collecting unwanted items and material within the Greater Sudbury area since the company took root in the area in early September.

With a pair of blue-and-white trucks which feature 400 cubic feet of space and a 3,200-pound capacity, Ouimet's prices for removal start as low as $100, and reach as high as $500 for larger-scale jobs, which thus far have been evenly split between residential and commercial customers. Acceptable items for collection include nearly anything that can fit into the vehicle, from old vinyl records to furniture to discarded tires, though certain categories are excluded, such as toxic solvents, wet paint and asbestos.

Most items collected by the company are carted away to landfills, though this isn't necessarily automatic, as specific items can be sent away for recycling or even to charity should the customer request it.

The idea to establish a franchise in the North first struck Ouimet a year ago, when he read an article on the company's founder who created 1-800-GOT-JUNK as a summer business while at a university in British Columbia. Seven years later, there are 276 franchises across North America, with additional outlets across the world, including the United Kingdom and Australia. Ouimet was further impressed with the streamlined system; call the company's titular number at any hour of the day to book a time for collection or for an on-site estimate, and the franchisee will be made aware of the relevant information within minutes.

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"This business has worked everywhere that it has been tried," he says. "Why not try it in Northern Ontario?"

While Ouimet and his pair of trucks are primarily servicing the Sudbury area, his business plan involves expanding across Northern Ontario. North Bay will officially be included in his...