“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure” is an age-old adage that rings true to everyday business for 1-800-GOT-JUNK? The brain behind the business that will pick up the all-but-forgotten is Brian Scudamore, the CEO who turned a college gig and a pickup truck into a worldwide business.

From small back yards to big office spring cleanups, the company prides great service. The end result? Items make it to the bin instead of the alleyway — and some will get recycled. Now, that’s a win-win, and one of many things that makes 1-800-GOT-JUNK? an easy choice, according to Scudamore, who 1-800-RECYCLING was able to slow down for a quick interview.

1-800-RECYCLING: Tell us what makes 1-800-GOT-JUNK? different from any other recycling competitor.

Scudamore: What sets us apart from other junk haulers is our exceptional customer service. Our intention is always to “wow” our customers with our professionalism. This means on-time service; friendly, uniformed drivers; up-front rates; and clean, shiny trucks. 1-800-RECYCLING: So, you’ll pick up my old sofa or office desk. What is the maximum pick-up amount, and what can’t I include? Scudamore: We do not take hazardous materials. Other than that, we will take away whatever the customer needs. Our largest job was about 47 truckloads. 1-800-RECYCLING: What are some of the strangest things you’ve received over the years? Scudamore: We’ve picked up hundreds of “weird” junk items, including a truckload of dentures, nudist colony awards, Clark Gable’s piano, John Wayne’s bible, anatomical skeletal parts, a mortician’s cabinet, thousands of cans of expired sardines, an antique birthing chair and many, many more. 1-800-RECYCLING: Tell us your experience with one of the most memorable odd items you’ve picked up. Scudamore: One of our franchise partners was cleaning out a house after the customer’s father had died. They emptied a freezer full of frozen food, and ran the food back to the office and threw it in a freezer. A few days later, the customer called and explained that her father’s harvested stem cells were in the freezer in a red tea box. Luckily, we found them. 1-800-RECYCLING: One thousand trucks, 200 offices and tons of junk to pick up… Do you have busy seasons or is it constant go, go, go with all of your resources? Scudamore: Our busy season is typically May to October, year in and year out. 1-800-RECYCLING: From one office in 1999 to over 200 now, when you look back over the last 11 years, when was the point when you said, “Aha! We have our system down; 1-800-GOT-JUNK? is ready to take over the world!”? Scudamore: We expanded into Australia in 2005, and today we have four franchise partners there. We just opened up Melbourne, and it’s been hugely successful. We do have further expansion plans for the future, so I’d say we’re ready for the world! 1-800-RECYCLING: What does the future hold for 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Scudamore: We have a vision of being a globally admired brand — admired for our customer experience, as well as for being a leader in community charity and good will. We do have an international expansion plan and will grow the business by one exceptional customer experience at a time.