The duo of Scott Foran, 27, and Barry Hartman, 26, cleaned up in the Young Entrepreneur of the Year category as their business — rubbish removal firm 505-Junk — took top honours.
The two started up their innovative service in 2011 that calculates a customer’s fee for carting away and recycling all manner of waste based on weight — using a hydraulic scale system they designed — not job type or volume.
Their service also includes recycling and donating usable goods to charities.
In the past three years, the former KPU marketing management students, have grown their operation to include a total of five employees and revenue growth that has risen 150 per cent between 2012 and 2013, and is on track to increase that by 68 per cent in the 2013-2014 period.
In accepting the award, Hartman told the audience he and Foran are proud to call Richmond home as they start to piece together the next stage of their business which includes venturing into the realm of franchising.
Finalists in the category for those 40 years of age and under were Tammy and Kim Hall of Physio 2U, and Daniel Chen of Stuck Studios Inc.
