In today’s world, it’s not uncommon for items to be used and then discarded—even when there’s still plenty of good use left in them.

Stephen Martin and his team at Combat Junk Removal and Demolition take a different view. Day by day, they provide a truly valuable service for their real estate partners and clients—in the process, making the most out of items.

“We do whole house cleanouts when someone passes. We sort through everything. We make sure that the family gets back money, jewelry, uniforms, we sort everything and donate whatever we can to a new home. I try to give the most to shelters and charities,” Stephen explains.

“The Community Involvement portion sets us apart. We try to interrupt the waste stream and keep things out of the landfill, day to day, as well as with special recycling events that we have.”

Passion for People 

When you partner with Stephen and his team, it’s easy to see the passion they have for helping people, including making themselves available for last-minute projects when they can.

As he says, “We love helping people. They call us and if we can’t do it, we know others as well that we can refer people to.”

Stephen stays engaged with the needs of the community in a number of ways, including working with the Chamber of Commerce. He also recently started an organization called Triad Veteran Business Networking.

If the name of the company (Combat Junk Removal and Demolition) has a military service feel to it, that’s not by accident. In fact, Stephen served the nation as a member of the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division from 1999 to 2003. During his service, he was stationed in Germany and was deployed to Kosovo and Bosnia.

Stephen grew up in Vermont. His father was a Pastor, and his mother was a Teacher in the local school system.

“That’s where I got my servant’s soul,” he says with a smile. “They raised me to be honest and to help others.”

As Stephen came of age, he went to college at Champlain College, where he pursued a degree in Criminal Justice before working with the Department of Corrections.

For a time, he worked in security, and then joined the military. After his service was complete, he worked in various roles in warehouses and lumber yards.

“Even though I enjoyed the work, I missed being able to directly help and sere people,” Stephen recalls.

“So I started volunteering with Team Rubicon, a mostly veteran-based organization doing junk removal and demolition.”

That started the ball rolling for Stephen. He enjoyed the sense of comradery, service and engagement with the community. In time, the opportunity arose for him to start Combat Junk Removal and Demolition.

In the beginning, Stephen worked by himself. He purchased a trailer, worked on his first demolition job and grew from there.

Today, Combat Junk Removal and Demolition has three trucks and seven employees. In the process, they have also built strategic partnerships with Red Box and other veteran-owned organizations. They also work with a number of general contractors.

Away from work, life is made even more rewarding for Stephen by his family, including his three

children—16-year-old, Addison; 12-year-old, Jacob; and 2-year-old, Elizabeth.

In his free time, Stephen enjoys being outdoors, with favorites including snowmobiles, dirt bikes and four-wheelers. He also has a passion for operating heavy machinery. He also enjoys trips to Florida to visit family.

It’s no surprise that people who get to know and work with Stephen and his team have a deep

appreciation for their efforts.

“We really do our best to create a different experience for those we work with,” Stephen says. “We’re very selective about our team members and bring people on with honesty, integrity, trust, respect and compassion.”

Those efforts have definitely paid off. In fact, more than 300 five-star reviews have been completed …reflecting the quality that continues to grow each day. When you’re looking for a partner that will make the most out of each opportunity to serve your clients, look to Combat Junk Removal and Demolition.