(NewsUSA) - The year was 1989, and Brian Scudamore, then a 17-year-old university student, was waiting in line at a fast food drive-through wondering if he'd ever find a summer job. As he inched toward the pickup window, he noticed a beat-up truck full of junk and saw his future.

Nearly 20 years and 5 million truckloads of junk later, Scudamore's company, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, is now the world's largest junk removal service with franchises in more than 350 locations in four countries. The company expects to bring in $160 million in revenue this year.

For people overcome by clutter, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? offers white glove service. Customers contact the company's call center to arrange for pickup. Drivers call ahead to let the customer know when they'll be there, arrive on time, and clean up after they've loaded all the junk onto their trucks. Items are donated or recycled if possible.

For the most part, they haul away the usual household castoffs - old sofas, worn-out mattresses or broken toys.

But they've also removed some items that rank high on the "yuck scale": the research project that produced a quarter truckload of used diapers, for instance. They've hauled away 400 brand-new wedding dresses, a couch full of bees, 18,000 cans of expired sardines and a truckload of denture molds.

The company's franchisees, who are called "Franchise Partners," agree this is a business that requires a sense of humor. And you need to expect the unexpected.

"We never imagined the 'junk' business could be so rewarding and so much fun," say Milwaukee Franchise Partners Todd and Jenny Yergens."This is definitely one of those businesses that you will say, 'Why didn't I think of that?'"

Franchise Partners receive extensive training and ongoing support at "The Junktion," the main office in Vancouver, British Columbia. The initial investment ranges from about $69,775 to $95,675 and includes access to Junknet, the company's online dispatch and reporting system.

"Everyone has junk but not the time or means to dispose of it," says Rob Burns, a Franchise Partner in Louisville, Ky. "It really appeared to be a niche industry that needed to be served."

For more information, visit www.1800gotjunk.com.