Jay Sachetti joined Jeff O’Brien, partner at Husch Blackwell and Dyanne Ross-Hanson, president of Exit Planning Strategies talked about the market for mergers and acquisitions, exit planning opportunities for companies that don’t end up for sale and how companies can maximize their eventual sale price during an early October panel at the first Upsize on Tap event at Summit Brewing Co. in St. Paul.
When the state Legislature passed a law requiring employers to provide paid leave and safe time for employees, Justin Bieganek started hearing differing details from friends, colleagues and peers.
If you’ve seen a couple of guys in curly blue wigs, waving and holding a banner that says 1.800.GOT. JUNK?, it was probably Andrew Knutson’s drivers.
Knutson owns the St. Paul area rights for the franchise that picks up any trash except for the hazardous kind for individuals and businesses. He’s bought two territories with an option to buy two more in the north metro area; another franchisee has rights in the south metro.
Knutson says the “wave,” as he calls the banner stunt, works. “When you first do it, it seems silly, but it’s really the funnest thing,” Knutson says. “I’ve been around to several meetings and presentations, and people say they’ve seen us.”
Knutson bought the franchise after his contract as a computer consultant went away at the end of 2002. “I knew I didn’t want to work in a restaurant. When I read the article about this, I was intrigued,” he says. The computer consultant in him likes the high-tech aspect of the business. “If you call in a job for today, it will send an e-mail to the drivers,” he says.
The franchisor is in Vancouver, and charges $10,000 for the initial fee, plus $6,000 for each territory of 250,000 people. On top of that he leased a truck. “It’s a relatively inexpensive start-up,” Knutson says.
The service costs $94 for an eighth of a truckload, to $448 for a full load, including all loading and dumping fees. His business is about 70 percent residential, 30 percent commercial. Knutson’s targeting the latter for expansion, by meeting with real estate brokers and property managers.
Andrew Knutson, 1.800.GOT.JUNK?: 651.487.7926; ak******@*********nk.com; st****@*********nk.com
