Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jul 17
McKinney Brothers Grow $8,000 Junk Teens Startup Into $5 Million Business
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jul 17

McKinney Brothers Grow $8,000 Junk Teens Startup Into $5 Million Business

2 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Jul 17

Summary

  • $8,000 in first-year spending helped Kirk and Jacob McKinney build Junk Teens into a seven-figure junk-removal company projected to top $5 million in 2026 revenue.
  • A $4,000 Ford F-150 bought with pooled savings in 2021 launched the business, which now operates from Norwood into Cape Cod, the North Shore and Rhode Island.
  • About 25 employees and seven dump trucks support that expansion, while the brothers kept early costs low by borrowing tools and reusing items collected on jobs.
  • Speed, transparent pricing and branding around their age helped them stand out in a low-barrier industry where customers often want same- or next-day pickup.

Insights

How did a local junk service gain 500,000 social media followers in a supposedly 'boring' industry?
Can a $5 million business run by college students sustain its rapid growth without sacrificing quality?