Brothers started junk business with $4,000 truck; it later made $3.04m

Kirk and Jacob McKinney started a junk removal business called Junk Teens with a $4,000 truck in Norwood, Massachusetts in 2021. The brothers, both teenagers at the time, began by scavenging at local dumps for discarded items and reselling them on Facebook Marketplace. They soon discovered a growing demand for junk removal services in the area and expanded their operations to include a fleet of dump trucks and two locations.

In 2025, Junk Teens generated $3.04 million in revenue, employing 10 full-time staff and around 10 to 15 part-time employees, who were mostly high school and college students. The company charged $300 to $600 per job, depending on its size and the required service. Kirk and Jacob, who are also studying entrepreneurship at Babson College, paid themselves salaries in the low-to-mid six figures, with their parents covering the remainder.

The brothers initially gained experience in administration and bookkeeping from their parents' tree service business, and supplemented their knowledge through online resources, particularly YouTube tutorials. They later started posting their own instructional videos, offering tips on pricing and item disposition.

As the company grew, the McKinneys had to manage their schedules around school commitments, sometimes working only part-time after school or on weekends. They eventually hired friends and gave up hobbies like video gaming to focus on Junk Teens. The company rented a warehouse for $1,450 a month and later moved to Cape Cod, which helped double its annual revenue and profit in 2025.

Looking ahead, Junk Teens aims to expand across Massachusetts and eventually into other parts of the East Coast. The company targets $5 million in annual revenue by the end of 2026 and may consider franchising or bringing in investors in the future. Kirk and Jacob remain optimistic about the company's potential and the value of their entrepreneurial experience.