Brian Cassidy spent 14 years in the Employee Benefits industry in Los Angeles, California but with the changes in health insurance and Los Angeles getting overcrowded, he and his wife (Andrea) decided it was time to get out of California and do something different. Brian had spent his summers in Tahoe and shared with his wife that he had always wanted to move to Reno due to its proximity to Tahoe.
Brian and Andrea had friends in Reno, so they decided to pay them a visit. While they were in Reno, they explored the area, checking out the golf courses, neighborhoods, restaurants and such. They also took some time to sit at a local coffee bar and watch the people come and go on their way to work. Brian says, “Everything we saw we loved. Apparently at the time, Reno was just barely on the up from the recession, but we couldn’t tell.”
The Cassidy’s went home, Brian quit his job, they packed a truck and moved. He shares, “I didn’t have a job in Reno, but we knew our faith and God would take care of the rest!”
Finding the Right Business
Brian had worked with his father before when he owned a boutique Employee Benefits consulting firm in Pasadena, California. His Dad (affectionately known as “Pops”) had since retired but, sadly, his golf game had not improved with retirement, so he was very interested in getting back in the business game. Once Pops was in, the Cassidy’s started to look for a business model that would bring value to the Reno/Tahoe area.
They knew they didn’t want to start a business from scratch, so they looked at various franchises and after looking at sign companies, gyms, yogurt shops and such, they found Junk King and were attracted to the business to business model that the Junk King franchise opportunity offered. The Cassidy’s pulled the trigger in February 2014 and became one of 100+ locations nationwide and Canada in the Junk King Franchise System.
The Junk King Reno team treats their clients professionally and specialize in time efficiency. They pride themselves on making the customer feel comfortable and always leave the space better than it was before the junk had been compiled.
“We have multiple dump trucks that are capable of hauling more per load than most of our competitors,” states Brian. “We can tackle small jobs but love the BIG jobs that we can get done faster than most. It’s the Junk King way!”
Although Junk King Reno is a franchise, they are locally and veteran owned. Brian is very proud of his Pops and shares, “My business partner (Pops) is from the Vietnam era which I feel produced some of the finest men we have today.”
Why Nevada?
As mentioned previously, Brian’s summers were spent in Tahoe. His family would camp in Tahoe (D.L. Bliss) every summer growing up. As kids growing up in Southern California, they couldn’t wait for their vacation in Tahoe.
Fast forward many years, Brian was sitting in LA traffic on the 405, his son was in NICU and was touch and go. At that moment, Brian looked out and saw the traffic (this was at 1 PM) and all the people, he decided right then and there that he was done with Southern California. He went to the hospital where his wife was with their son and told her that if their lil man (Harrison) makes it out of the hospital, they were moving as soon as he was healthy enough for the change.
Harrison was released from the hospital after 3 months in NICU and a year after his release, it was time to go. So, the Cassidy’s headed out to the community they fell in love with, Reno, and never looked back.
Brian opened a business in Nevada for, what he feels, is opposite of most business owners. He and his family wanted to live in Reno, but he knew he didn’t want to continue in the insurance industry if he didn’t have to. The Cassidy’s first order of business was to be involved in the community. Brian wanted a business that would, of course, support his family but would also all them to give back to the community they had fallen in love with.
“Living in So Cal, you live in a bubble. For the most part, you use the city you lived in to benefit yourself,” Brian says. “Yea, lots of people volunteer but for the most part, you work your tail off all week, commute and beat yourself up. The weekends the last thing you want to do is work more. You have two days to play…so you played hard!”
Brian was happy to find that, in Reno, his average commute is rarely more than 15 minutes. The small town feel and attitude is one of the reasons the Cassidy’s moved to Reno and they knew they wanted to adopt Nevada’s ways and beliefs.
His advice to those who migrate to Nevada, “Do not move here and try and change things. We moved to Nevada for what it has to offer. Why change it?! We love Reno and we love the people. It’s laid back but competitive. More importantly, the people are some of the best I have met and known in my life. We would do just about anything for our community!”
He also has some advice to those starting a business in Nevada: “Be part of the community and use your resources to better the community. Put people to work. Help them make a living and provide for their family should they have one. Help them have money to spend in the community so they can help other businesses. As a fellow business owner, I would expect any new business owner in Nevada to do all of above and more. Help make this community better than it was before you moved here. Give back!”
Giving Back
Brian and his family follow their own advice and are all about giving back and working to maintain the way of life that is so important to them. They are proud to support several organizations in the Reno/Tahoe community, including (but not limited to) STEP2, Boys and Girls Club Truckee Meadows, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada, Rotary Club of Reno, Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce, Builders Association Charity and Truckee Meadows Habitat for Humanity.
“The beauty about our business is we can serve the community in more ways than not,” Brian says. “We don’t have a lot of money to donate to all of the great organizations in this town. But, I can donate my trucks.”
While Junk King Reno is a for profit business, the Cassidy’s believe in the greater purpose of helping their community and doing all they can to make the Reno/Tahoe area even better than it is now. You are sure to see them at many community events, giving back.
Junk King Reno will always strive to be an asset to the Reno area and to ensure this, they go the extra mile every time. They are a recycling based, full-service junk removal business and will remove any unwanted items from a residence, commercial property or construction site. Junk King Reno is fully insured and licensed in Reno/Sparks and surrounding areas.
Find out more or secure their services by visiting their website or by contacting them directly at 775.624.9112.