Young Nipissing First Nation entrepreneur aims high with customer service
By Kelly Anne Smith
NIPISSING FIRST NATION — Nipissing Junk Removal earns high positive reviews by being accommodating, polite, and efficient when carrying out junk removal services.
Ronald Avery and Sam Kotsopoulos run Nipissing Junk Removal, a business located in Yellek. Avery is a citizen of Nipissing First Nation, and Kotsopoulos studies business at Nipissing University.
The concept for the business started while they were at work.
“This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. Sam knew I was trying to start this and was interested in helping me out. We would talk about it most days at work, and it started from there,” Avery says.
Avery and Kotsopoulos are now collaborators. The men started the venture in 2024 and are now offering full-time services.
“We go full out with it and try to make it something that we can actually work towards. I’ve been enjoying making something for myself,” Avery says.
Avery describes the summer season as a success, with approximately 50 pickups.
“We did really well this summer. We started advertising and it’s been working very well,” Avery says.
The two designed the bright truck logo for advertising the business.
“Sam started it and I more or less finished it with the sunrise in the back. Then we added colour schemes for it,” Avery says.
Avery says many jobs involve customers paying to have items disposed of at a landfill.
“Usually couches and mattresses because it’s hard to get rid of those. Where we dump, it costs a bit extra to dump mattresses and couches, so we have to charge a bit extra. People are understanding because it’s a mattress and it’s hard to come take it,” Avery says.
Avery explains that most loads are taken to the Nipissing First Nation Landfill.
“Sometimes we do have to take it to the North Bay dump because it’s not always open. Like, Saturday until 2:00 p.m., say. So, we have three days for booking jobs around those days. We have nowhere to put the stuff. We have to take it to the North Bay dump, [which means] extra fees and extra gas to get it there. [The] Nipissing First Nation Landfill [is] ten minutes away from my place, which makes it more efficient for us.”
Junk removal is not the only service the company offers.
“We’re open to pretty much anything at the moment. We did get a job installing roof fixtures. It’s a metal roof; snow is going to keep falling down, so it helps support it. We offered to do that. And we do landscaping as well. We do have a bigger trailer for landscaping and a bigger truck,” Avery says.
Avery mentions that his truck with EcoBoost really helps keep costs down.
“The truck I use now is very fuel efficient. It has a range of 1,000 kilometres. I can make it a week and a half on that, even hauling a trailer,” Avery says.
Nipissing Junk Removal plans to expand its services by offering manual snow removal during the colder months.
“We’re actually thinking about making a different logo for snow because junk removal does slow down in the wintertime, just to keep profitable in the winter. We’ll go out early in the morning and salt or sand, whichever you prefer,” Avery says.
Avery’s long-term goal is to make Nipissing Junk Removal profitable.
“My uncle Charlie owns the Arrowhead Gas Bar. And I still work there a tad to make some extra money. And just seeing what he has done over the years is inspiring. I want to be successful like he is. Something that I will build towards. I look up to him and my grandfather, Ron Avery, as well. He built houses his entire life. Seeing what he’s done with limited resources he’s had in life just shows that anything can be possible. It’s great to look up to them,” Avery says.
Avery can be contacted through the Nipissing Junk Removal website, Facebook, and Instagram pages.
“If you text, I’ll answer it as fast as possible,” he says.