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Case study · College HUNKS Hauling Junk

How College HUNKS Hauling Junk grew from a borrowed cargo van to a national franchise

TL;DR

In summer 2003, 21-year-old Omar Soliman borrowed his mother’s cargo van to haul junk, advertised with fliers and earned more than $8,000 that summer. He and Nick Friedman later turned the idea into a branded, systematized company and won a $10,000 business plan prize. The lesson: a simple service, a memorable brand and clear systems can become a franchise.

How it started

Omar Soliman’s mother owned a furniture store in the Washington, D.C. suburbs. Customers often asked to have old furniture removed, sometimes offering $50 or more. In the summer of 2003, Soliman, then 21, borrowed her old cargo van and started hauling junk.

He and his high school best friend, Nick Friedman, brainstormed the company name one night. Friedman, a senior at Pomona College at the time, and some friends used a cargo van for junk removal, light moving and deliveries to earn summer money.

Sources differ on exactly when the company was officially founded: the company dates its start to 2003, while other accounts list 2004 or 2005.

How they got the first customers

Soliman advertised with fliers, and jobs came in the first day. That summer the business earned more than $8,000.

Friedman has described the low-cost methods used early: homemade signs on telephone poles, a small newspaper ad, parking the truck in visible spots, cold calls to commercial clients and referrals from their network. They budgeted about $1,500 a month for advertising but spent nearly three times that.

What drove growth

While a student at the University of Miami, Soliman entered the Rothschild Entrepreneurship Competition with a plan for a branded, systematized company using a central call center and centralized scheduling. Out of 150 entries, his plan was one of 20 finalists and won the $10,000 first prize. After briefly working office jobs, both founders launched the business full time.

They had not planned for licensing, and local authorities stopped them, threatened arrest and fined them. They later adopted the mantra Ready, Fire, Aim: launch first and fix administrative details afterward. Friedman also warned about hiring friends: some took advantage of the relationship, and he concluded it is essential to be the boss first.

The company began franchising around 2007 to 2008 and moved headquarters to Tampa, Florida. It appeared on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies in 2009. Wikipedia lists 177 franchises as of 2025.

Lessons you can copy

  1. 1Borrow the first truckA mother’s cargo van meant almost no startup cost. Test a service with equipment you can borrow or rent before buying.
  2. 2Name the business so people remember itA memorable, slightly funny name gave a plain service a personality that helped word of mouth.
  3. 3Check licenses before your first jobThe founders were fined for operating without proper permits. Ask your city and state what you need before you start.
  4. 4Build systems that can be copiedA central call center and scheduling plan was what won the competition. Systems are what you sell to a future franchisee.
  5. 5Be the boss before you hire friendsClear roles and accountability prevent problems that come from hiring people you know well.

Frequently asked questions

How did College HUNKS Hauling Junk start?

In summer 2003, Omar Soliman borrowed his mother’s cargo van and started hauling junk. He and Nick Friedman later built the business into a franchise.

How much did the founders spend on advertising early on?

Nick Friedman said they budgeted about $1,500 a month but spent nearly three times that, using signs, a small newspaper ad, a visible truck, cold calls and referrals.

When did College HUNKS start franchising?

Sources vary between 2007 and 2008, when the company also moved its headquarters to Tampa, Florida.

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