Many area communities are just a little cleaner today thanks to a local company.
Goodrich-based Junk Monkey, founded by Metamora native Andrew Nicklas, specializes in debris removal for commercial and residential properties along with hazard claims, renovations and demolitions.
‘It all started in the 1990s when I noticed a company cleaning-up after a construction crew built a new home,? said Nicklas, a 1990 Lapeer High School graduate, who received an associate’s degree in business from Ferris State University. ‘A crew arrived at the home and picked up insulation, scraps of wood, and whatever was leftover from the building project. I thought I could do that, too.?
So in 2000, Nicklas founded Junk Monkey Pick-up Company which seeks demolition and site clean-up for residential home builders. The business expanded to working with real estate companies along with cleanup of bank-owned homes and businesses following foreclosures.
‘After the property is vacated we arrive and clear out everything that’s leftover,? he said. ‘Sometimes residents just walk out and leave furniture or debris all over the property. We also set up other companies that work on repairs such as roofs or any damaged that may have resulted following foreclosure.?
Common causes of damage to foreclosed homes are vandalism, pipes freezing due to cut off utilities and leaky roofs, he added. About 10 percent of the demolition is recycled.
‘A lot depends on where the home is located with regard to vandalism,? he said. ‘People would take the countertops and cabinets sometimes with them when they leave. When we come in, the home or business is vacant and secured. We use a network of about 40 companies in a Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio that we call to cleanup and repair the homes.?
The foreclosures have leveled off since the housing bubble burst about 10 years ago.
‘The boom in the foreclosures all started in about 2003,? he said. ‘Then between 2006 and 2008 the business really skyrocketed’it was crazy. Today the foreclosures have topped out, but still steady and higher than when we started about 12 years ago. There will always be foreclosures.?
The Junk Monkey website provides potential customers the tools to estimate the cost of the debris removal and cleanup. junkmonkeypickup.com 810-636-6026.