College HUNKS added Eric Osborne as Director of Franchise Development in May 2026. If you are researching a junk removal franchise or weighing a home services brand against the alternatives, Eric is the person you will talk to first. Here is his background, what he has changed since arriving, and the markets he is focused on right now.
Five years, five brands, and 100 agreements in a single year
Eric brings five years of franchise development, business development, and strategic growth experience across QSR, fast casual, health, wellness, and home services.
Most recently he served as Director of Franchise Development at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, where he personally closed 100 franchise agreements in 2025. During his tenure the brand grew from roughly 1,350 locations to more than 1,700, a 26 percent increase. Before that he led franchise development for Hydrate IV Bar, supported franchise growth across the Self Esteem Brands portfolio (Anytime Fitness, Waxing the City, The Bar Method, and Basecamp Fitness), and worked with franchise owners at Paul Davis Restoration on marketing strategy and business development across more than 50 franchise offices.
That range matters more than it might sound. A candidate evaluating home services franchise opportunities is usually also looking at food, fitness, and personal care concepts. Eric has sat on the development side of all of them, so the comparison conversation tends to be a short one.
Announcing the hire, co-founder Omar Soliman said: “Eric has a proven track record of building strong pipelines, attracting high-quality operators and supporting growth at some of the most recognized brands in franchising. As we continue prioritizing our franchise development strategy, marketing engine and operational support systems, Eric’s experience will help us connect with the right entrepreneurs and expand with greater discipline and purpose.”
What changed in his first 90 days
Eric spent Q2 rebuilding how candidates experience College HUNKS from the very first conversation. In the company’s July update he put it this way:
“The first half of this year was about setting a strong foundation. We signed great new partners in Q1, and we used Q2 to rebuild our sales process, our website and our marketing materials from the ground up. As we roll all of that out this month, we’re giving prospective franchisees a stronger, more modern experience from their very first conversation with us, and we’re heading into Q3 more prepared than ever to accelerate our growth.”
In practice that means the things candidates actually ask for are now written down and easy to find: how the franchise model works, what the investment looks like, what training and support cover, and what the day to day actually feels like for an owner.
On joining, Osborne said: “College H.U.N.K.S. has built something incredibly unique in franchising, combining a high-demand home-services model with a values-driven culture and a strong commitment to leadership development. I’m excited to join the team at such an important point in the company’s growth and help introduce more entrepreneurs to a brand that is built around service, opportunity and impact.”
The role itself covers driving franchise growth, recruiting qualified single and multi-unit operators, strengthening broker and referral relationships, and supporting candidates through the full development process. Broker and referral relationships are named in the role rather than treated as an afterthought, so if a broker or a current franchise partner introduced you, that path is supported rather than worked around.
Who you will actually talk to
Eric leads franchise development, but he is not the only person you will meet. Heather Soldinger, Franchise Development Manager, has been with College HUNKS since January 2019 and works alongside him through the candidate process.
Heather started as a Recruiting Specialist, bringing a background in call center recruiting, management, and customer service. Along the way she helped run the company culture committee (the Hunk Hype Squad) and served as Office Manager before joining the Franchise Development team at the end of 2020. That history inside the business is genuinely useful to a candidate: when you ask what daily operations look like or how support actually works, she has watched it from several seats.
You can book a call with Heather directly if your question is about process or timing rather than territory strategy.
The 15 markets Eric is prioritizing
College HUNKS named 15 prioritized open markets in its July 2026 update, including Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and New Orleans. Every one of the 15 has its own territory page with local detail:
- Phoenix, AZ
- Tucson, AZ
- Las Vegas, NV
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Boise, ID
- Cleveland, OH
- Indianapolis, IN
- Green Bay, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Louisville, KY
- Lexington, KY
- New Orleans, LA
- Baton Rouge, LA
- Tulsa, OK
- Fayetteville, NC
If your market is not on that list, it is still worth asking. The full interactive map of open zones lives on the available markets page, and availability moves.
Where the brand stands going into Q3
College HUNKS closed Q1 2026 with two new franchise agreements and one franchise resale. The brand now has more than 150 locations and 370+ open and committed territories across North America, and has donated over five million meals through its partnership with U.S. Hunger.
Co-founder Nick Friedman framed the growth this way: “Growth has always been part of our DNA, but how we grow matters just as much as how fast. Twenty years in, we’re still investing in the people and systems that help our franchise partners succeed long after they sign.” That history is covered in more depth on our story.
How to reach Eric
The fastest route is to book time directly with Eric. If you would rather start with written information, request the franchise information packet and he will follow up.
Worth knowing before that first call: he is not going to walk you through a pitch deck. Expect questions about your capital position, whether you want to be an owner-operator or build a management team, and which zones you would want. Reading how to read Item 19 of an FDD beforehand will make the conversation a lot more useful.
In the press
- Culture Fit First: Inside College H.U.N.K.S. Approach to Choosing the Right Franchisees (Franchise Chatter, August 5, 2026). A Q&A with Eric on what he looks for in a franchise partner
- College H.U.N.K.S. Strengthens Franchise Development Team with Addition of Eric Osborne (International Franchise Association, June 17, 2026)
- Same announcement (Franchising.com, June 17, 2026)
- College H.U.N.K.S. Closes First Half of 2026 with New Franchise Growth (International Franchise Association, July 22, 2026)
- Same update (Franchising.com, July 22, 2026)
About College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk & Moving
Founded in 2003 by Omar Soliman and Nick Friedman and franchising since 2007, College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk & Moving is one of North America’s largest junk removal and moving franchises, with more than 150 locations and 370+ open and committed territories. The name stands for Honest, Uniformed, Nice, Knowledgeable, Service, and the franchise model pairs two revenue streams, junk removal and moving, inside a single territory. College H.U.N.K.S. ranked No. 383 on Entrepreneur’s 2026 Franchise 500 and No. 39 on its 2025 Top Franchises for Veterans list.
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