Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Johnson.
Hi Kelly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was in the restaurant business for over 20 years, but in the small three years break I took from it to do property management, I discovered how much stuff people leave behind when they move out. My maintenance staff would just bag it all up and throw it away, and it was perfectly good stuff that could be provided to someone else and not taken to the landfill. I went back into the restaurant business (where I made more money than property management), saved up to buy a pickup truck and a small trailer, and started a side business called IREP (I Recycle Everything Possible). I hired one helper to work with me on my days off from the restaurant business and starting building up my client base. Then, in September of 2015, my mother was in a horrible car accident. She was hit by a 27-foot box truck and ended up in a coma for a month, followed by two years of rehab. I knew I couldn’t juggle a full-time restaurant job, a side junk hauling job, and take care of my mother. So, in early 2016, I left the restaurant business and put all my faith in my ability to make this business work in order to survive. IREP slowly grew from 2016 until 2019. In 2019, I joined an amazing business networking group, hired another guy to take my place so I could build the business. It grew a little faster, so in early 2020 I bought a second truck and trailer. Then, the pandemic hit, and everyone was locked at home, cleaning out their houses. We exploded! That brings me to today. I now have four trucks and trailers, a Sales and Marketing Director, a Sustainability Manager, one assistant, four drivers, four haulers, and I’m about to bring on a Director of Operations.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Leaving a steady paycheck to enter into the unknown was definitely challenging. Fast growth caused for frantic hiring and training and a LOT of hours of work. At one point, I had one truck’s engine go out in the same day that a different truck’s trailer axle broke. Recently someone stole the catalytic converters off of 2 of my trucks on one of the busiest days of the year, causing us to frantically have to find a rental. Current struggles are keeping up with the demand in business, but it’s a great problem to have!
We’ve been impressed with IREP LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are junk haulers, in short. We remove unwanted items from both residential and commercial properties. IREP stands for I Recycle Everything Possible, so we are experts at keeping things out of the landfill by recycling, repurposing, liquidating, and donating everything we possibly ban. What sets us apart from others is our On Time Guarantee. We only give a 2-hour window for appointments, and we guarantee that we will be there during that window. I am most proud of the professional, courteous, and hard-working crew I have brought on board. We specialize in household and office goods, but we will also haul off paint, tires, small remodeling project debris. The only thing we don’t do is dirt, gravel, shingles, concrete, and landscaping materials (other than small brush). We also have a resale shop online (irepaustin.square.site) where we sell items that we are liquidating for businesses or individuals, as well as some of our own stuff to help pay for our storage and keep our junk removal pricing competitive.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We are always looking for non-profits to donate our stuff too! Share our resale site, let us know some apartment complexes or businesses that may be struggling with furniture being illegally dumped at their dumpsters.
Pricing:
- $1.45 per cubic foot plus tax
- $125 plus tax minimum
Our pricing is going up to $1.60 per cubic foot on October 1st, but our minimum is still the same.
Contact Info:
- Email: kellyjohnson@irepjunkremoval.com
- Website: www.irepjunkremoval.com
- Instagram: @irep_atx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IREP.ATX
Image Credits
Tiffany Hofeldt Photography
