Why College HUNKS Was Named a Top Franchise for Veterans in 2025

College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving has once again been recognized for its commitment to supporting veteran entrepreneurship, earning a spot on Entrepreneur’s 2025 Top Franchises for Veterans list. The recognition confirms a pattern we have watched play out for years: military veterans thrive in the College HUNKS franchise system.

In fact, roughly 15% of all College HUNKS franchise owners are U.S. military veterans, and more join our network every year. The structure, the emphasis on leadership, and the mission-first culture all feel familiar to people coming out of the service, and it shows in who keeps joining.

If you are a veteran weighing what comes next, here is why so many former service members keep landing on College HUNKS, and what this ranking actually reflects.

Veteran Perspective: “Nothing but Advantages”

In a recent interview, a veteran College HUNKS franchise owner from Wilmington, North Carolina shared why military experience gives veterans a major advantage in franchising:

“A lot of folks ask me what advantages or disadvantages come with being a military veteran. I see really nothing but advantages because we are so regimented. We believe in being on time, we treat people with respect. It is all about systems management.”

That overlap between military order and franchise systems comes up constantly when owners talk about their first year:

“Anybody that has operated in the military understands the key phrase standard operating procedures. When you create SOPs for your business, which College HUNKS has, you bring your military experience to the table and build the same infrastructure we had in the military.”

He goes on to explain how veterans naturally build leadership structures inside their businesses:

“You build that chain of command, you use the chain of command, and you can actually create a very successful business.”

His sharpest point is about execution:

“The fact of the matter is, you don’t do all the things yourself. You create the system. Your interpretation and execution of that system take it to a whole new level. That makes a big difference for everybody involved.”

Good systems only perform as well as the person running them, and veterans tend to run them hard.

Why Veterans Excel as College HUNKS Franchise Owners

The strengths veterans carry over map cleanly onto franchise ownership:

• Operational discipline
• Team leadership and development
• Strong communication
• Strategic decision-making
• Mission-focused execution

Those same qualities sit at the center of our core values: Building Leaders, Always Branding, Creating a Fun, Safe, Winning Team, and Listen, Fulfill & Delight.

A veteran joining College HUNKS steps into a model that rewards exactly those instincts. The playbooks, coaching, and training exist so owners can scale without letting quality slip.

A Veteran Success Story: Cliff Sabo

One powerful example is U.S. Navy veteran Cliff Sabo, who served for 22 years as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician before transitioning into entrepreneurship. After disarming hundreds of bombs around the world, he wanted a mission worth that same level of commitment.

He found that with College HUNKS.

“College HUNKS stood out because their mission is to Move the World, literally and figuratively. Helping people through the stress of moving gives me a real sense of purpose.” – Cliff Sabo, Veteran Franchise Owner

Today Cliff runs a thriving location in Destin, Florida, leading a crew and showing up for his community every day.

Why College HUNKS Is a Top Franchise for Veterans

The Entrepreneur nod is nice, and it sits alongside the rest of our press and awards. The reasons veterans actually succeed here are more concrete:

1. Structured Systems & Proven Processes

From your first welcome call to launch day and beyond, we provide detailed operational playbooks, software systems, scheduling tools, hiring models, and performance coaching. Veterans want clear expectations and repeatable systems, and that is precisely what the model is made of.

2. Comprehensive Training & Coaching

The full picture of what an owner gets is on our training and support page. In short:

Each franchise owner receives:

• One-on-one business coaching
• Dedicated marketing coaching
• Access to national and local marketing playbooks
• Full operational training at our Tampa HQ
• A national call center booking jobs for you
• Pre-opening onboarding and hiring support

3. Dual Revenue Streams

One franchise agreement covers two high-demand service lines:

• Full-service moving
• Junk removal

Running both keeps demand steady through the year and across economic cycles.

4. Recession- & Automation-Resistant Business

Nobody has figured out how to automate carrying a sofa down a staircase, and nobody is outsourcing it overseas either. People will always need help moving what they want to keep and hauling away what they don’t.

That is a durable foundation for a service business.

5. A Culture That Feels Familiar

Veterans often tell us they find their tribe again with College HUNKS. Where the brand came from explains a lot about why that culture exists in the first place.

Our culture is built on:

• Service
• Leadership
• Accountability
• Community impact

We donate two meals per completed job through U.S. Hunger, recycle or donate up to 70% of items we haul, and support survivors of domestic violence with free moves.

6. $7,500 VetFran Discount

To support our service members, we offer a $7,500 discount on the franchise fee for qualified veterans.

A Business Model That Delivers Real Results

According to Item 19 of our 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, the 144 franchised locations that reported for 2025 averaged $1,554,610 in gross sales. That figure is gross sales, not profit, and it varies widely by market and by how long a location has been open. See the full Item 19 picture for the breakdown by tenure.

Financial information shared in this content is drawn from Item 19 of the 2026 CHHJ Franchising, L.L.C. Franchise Disclosure Document (Issuance Date: April 30, 2026). See Item 19 for material assumptions, the underlying data set, and full required disclosures. Past performance does not guarantee future results. New franchisees may earn less.

New franchisees benefit from:

• National brand recognition
• A 350,000+ jobs/year national booking center
• National account partnerships
• Multi-channel marketing support
• A designated territory built from one or more Zones of roughly 300,000 to 400,000 people
• A network of franchisees who support one another

That mix is why so many veteran owners describe the business as a second service career, with a P&L attached.

Are You a Veteran Exploring Franchise Ownership?

If you are transitioning to civilian life or looking for the next chapter in your career, College HUNKS may be the right fit if you:

• Enjoy building teams and developing people
• Want a business with purpose and clearly defined processes
• Prefer a system that supports you every step of the way
• Want the stability of essential services
• Value a brand that gives back to your community

Active duty, retired, or a few years out, we would love to talk.

Next steps

• Why owners choose College HUNKS, beyond the awards.
• How the two-in-one model works across junk removal and moving.
• The franchise requirements, including the net worth and liquid capital thresholds.
• Owner stories, including the Thomas brothers and Erica Fine.

Start a conversation with the franchise team whenever you are ready.