Junk removal company G.I. Haul seeks military vets for franchises

The transition from the battlefield to the labor force can be a challenge for veterans returning home.

Mike and Dave McCloskey, two brothers who served in the military overseas, understand the challenge. As owners of G.I. Haul, a residential and commercial junk removal company, they are recruiting fellow veterans for franchise opportunities.

The brothers started the business in 2007 under the name Major Deeds Hauling before being deployed to Iraq, where they each served about eight months. In 2013, they rebooted the business, with an emphasis on hiring veterans.

“Our target is the vet who is in the same boots now that we were in 10 years ago,” said Dave McCloskey, 33, who served as a corporal in the U.S. Marines. Mike McCloskey, 36, a former U.S. Army sergeant, said, “We built the model to employ vets.”

The brothers hope to add as many as five G.I. Haul locations in the next year. In addition to Pennsylvania, the McCloskeys are targeting Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina for their expansion.

The franchise business model has long been attractive to veterans.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, vets account for 7.3% of the population. But they represent 14% of the more than 70,000 franchisees in the U.S., according to VetFran, an initiative of the International Franchise Association, a member organization.

Veterans can purchase a G.I. Haul franchise fee for $4,000 for a populated territory of 100,000, the minimum required. The initial investment can vary from $46,500 to more than $150,000, depending on the size of the territory or whether a franchisee leases or buys a truck. Costs include equipment, training, computer hardware and software and local advertising, among other things.

“The same qualities that help service members thrive in the military make them great candidates for owning their own businesses,” Dave McCloskey said.

Details about G.I. Haul and franchising are at gihaul.com