How This Franchise Owner Turned Trash into Craft and Community

For David, the award-winning Junk King® of Denver, CO isn’t just a business. It’s a community, a creative outlet, a team, and a place he built with intention.

“The big thing about Junk King — and specifically Junk King Denver — is that it’s not me. It’s all of us,” he says. His leadership philosophy comes down to one belief: the crew is the company. “Anytime I send a crew out to a job site or a customer’s home, they’re a direct representative of me, of the company, and of the team.”

For him, the right people matter more than anything. Not just skill, but character. “We need people who want to be here,” he says. “People who respect what they’re doing, respect their teammates, and respect clients.” Without those people, he believes Junk King would be just a name and a set of trucks. “In reality, it’s the team. It’s everyone here.”

That team culture is personal for David and his wife, Melissa. “My entire life, I’ve never really felt like I belonged anywhere,” he shares. And that experience shaped the way he runs his franchise. He wants Junk King of Denver to be a place where anyone — no matter their background or history — can feel valued.

“I have employees who started as kids and have become men during their time with me,” he says. “I have guys who weren’t sure where they were going in life, and now they have purpose.” Creating belonging isn’t just a leadership strategy for him — it’s the heart of what he’s building. “I want everyone to feel like they’re getting something out of this. That they’re contributing to something they belong to and own a piece of.”

David’s connection to Junk King also stems from something deeply personal: creativity. “Art has the biggest influence on me,” he says. Whether it’s music, motorcycles, photography, or design, creativity is at the center of how he sees the world. And somehow, Junk King fits right into that.

“Junk King is really a work of art,” he explains. “It’s a form of art.” Every day is different — new clients, new projects, new challenges — and that variety speaks directly to him. “You get to use every skill you’ve ever learned in your life,” he says. “Work, school, personal experiences — all of it shows up here.”

For David, that unpredictability is beautiful. “Every single day is different,” he says. “To me, that’s art. It’s something totally unique, with its own beauty every day.” That’s why he loves Junk King — it feels like its own ecosystem, unlike anything else he’s experienced.

At the end of the day, David and Melissa see Junk King of Denver as more than a franchise. It’s a purpose, a creative expression, a team he believes in, and a place he has intentionally shaped into a home for others.

This mindset has shaped their business, and because of it, their growing entrepreneurial spirits have been recognized as the 2025 Franchise Owners of the Year for the Junk King brand. Highlighting the strength of their franchise leadership and the culture they’ve nurtured. The honor celebrates how they invest in their team, advocate for personal growth, and create a workplace rooted in belonging that inspires other aspiring business owners.