The past few years have been challenging, to say the least. As Americans, we have collectively felt the impact of the current economic recession. It is likewise our collective duty, as we continue down the road to recovery, to help rebuild our country. As the saying goes, "It takes a village to raise a child." Our road to economic recovery is no different. Every American citizen must embrace his or her role in repairing the broken economy and rebuilding the U.S. into the superpower it once was.
Despite the words of so many politicians, policy is not going to jumpstart our economy. However, a renewed faith and strategic reinvestment will. These can only be achieved organically. I co-founded my company, College Hunks Hauling Junk, with my best friend, Omar Solliman, right out of college. It was the pursuit of the "American dream" that helped two 22-year-old, inexperienced professionals build a business from the ground up. Today, we have over 40 locations and reap millions in revenue.
As the presidential campaign draws near, I have realized that my role as an entrepreneur provides me with a unique opportunity to make a patriotic contribution. As a business owner, I have the power to create jobs and help fuel a stalled economy. Beyond the confines of my own business, though, I also have the power to help rejuvenate all the tangential businesses that help my own company run.
Inherently, the business community is an intricate web. Every business is connected to outside counterparts that are essential components of fostering its own success. As a junk removal company, our business utilizes trucks purchased from one company, call center software from another, uniforms from yet another, and so forth. Our success is tied inextricably to the success of these outside companies.
I am grateful every day for the opportunities the American economy presented to us as young entrepreneurs. And, in the current climate, it's time for us to pay it forward. At CHHJ, we have made the commitment to reinvest in the success of America. While our business is American-based, and therefore we reap the benefits from a thriving economy, we also understand our unique role as small business owners. As a sign of our commitment to this country, a nation that has fostered our own success, we have committed to exclusively purchasing American-made trucks for all of our 43 franchise locations and all of our future branches. Furthermore, we have embarked on a veterans program that assists returning soldiers in becoming franchise owners and finding other jobs within our organization.
These initiatives are simple and can be easily replicated across all industries. It's time for small business owners to embrace their patriotic duty and start making business decisions that benefit not only their own company but the U.S. economy. The support of small business owners from across the nation may not be the cure, but it is surely a catalytic treatment that will send our economy on its way to recovery.
Now is the opportune, historical moment for our nation to embrace the spirit of entrepreneurship. In these times of economic need, entrepreneurs are invaluable if we're to see a return to the greatness for which we so long. It is time for entrepreneurs to wear both a "business owner" and "patriot" hat and begin implementing practices that will help jumpstart our economy. In the end, Americans thrive when the American economy is booming, and entrepreneurship is the vessel through which we will rise above our country's current fiscal hardships.