INMAN, S.C. (WSPA) – The unemployment rate for veterans has remained below 3 percent since April, according to the Labor Department. But a company in the north wants that number lower.
JDOG Junk Removal is a Veteran-owned, Veteran-operated company located in Inman.
Boss Brandon Clark says company aims to bring veterans’ unemployment down less than one percentt in Spartanburg County.
: A lot of people, when they come back from out of town or from other countries, they don’t have a choice, they have no one to support them knowing what they’re going through,” Clark told 7 News.
He served four years in the Marine Corps.
“I went to 93 in August, at Parris Island,” Clark said. “After that, I went to Quantico. So I worked at Officer Candidate School.”
Clark said he’s had a lot of work done since his return.
Warehouses, vehicles, but none of them satisfied him.
Until he met JDog.
That’s when Clark decided to buy a veteran-run franchise.
Two months into his business, Clark is now working on recruiting other veterans to his team.
“I’m just looking for any veteran who’s looking for hard work. But still fun and enjoyable work,” Clark said. “We come here every day. Yeah, it’s not the greatest job in the world. You open the fridge and it hasn’t been opened in three months. It’s full of food. It’s nasty. You’re having fun though. “
Clark said he hopes to add about a half-dozen veterans to his company.
As the franchise grows, he aims to partner with VFW, the Department of Veterans Affairs and other local organizations to provide benefits to his employees.
Working with veterans who have gone through the same experience can support each other, he said.
“There are people who come back from the battlefield, they’ve fought in the infantry and fought overseas and haven’t transitioned much into civilian life, and that’s where JDog starts to help,” Clark explained.
He said it wasn’t just about removing trash.
“Haulage is no big deal. It’s what we do with it afterward,” Clark added. “Our goal is to keep 60 to 80 percent of everything we collect out of landfill.”
Much of what they collect is donated or recycled.
“Sometimes we’ll resell it just to help keep costs down. It’s like having a canoe there. I’m going to donate it to the local Boy Scouts,” he said.
That’s what makes work fulfilling, Clarks says.
Being able to give back to the community with the help of his older siblings.
“There’s not a single client we’ve helped that didn’t get the most million-dollar smile when they saw their space come back,” Clark said. “They finally saw, oh my gosh, I can use it again. You know, it’s really fulfilling to do that.”
Brandon Clark, thanks for your service.