S P OT L I G H T
In the Dumps
Colten Winter, Kyle Harris, Elizabeth Holm, Kailey Holm and Dustin Holm are North Valley Custom Hauling, which helps clean the desert and clients’ homes. (Photos by Pablo Robles)
Custom Hauling business keeps homes and the desert clutter free By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
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nthem-based North Valley Custom Hauling is about more than taking bulk items from customers’ homes. Dustin Holm and his staff are looking out for the beauty of the North Valley and its environment. “The illegal dumping problem is out of control,” the Sacramento-born Holm says. “It’s kind of sad, but my crew and I team up with local businesses to coordinate community events. We clean up the desert at our own expense. One of the biggest cleanups we had was in March. We hauled away four to five 12-foot to 14-foot trailers filled with junk and debris from the North Valley desert. The next weekend, someone went to the same spot and threw a load of drywall. I picked it up again.” Holm calls it a great way to network with the community, but the task comes with its own set of risks. “Twice we were pulled over by the police,
who thought we were dumping when we were actually cleaning the desert,” Holm says. “We document every cleanup with videos and photos. One time, we picked up a hot tub from Cave Creek Boulevard and the police thought it was the craziest thing to pick up a hot tub in the desert. I was pulled over by a sheriff for a sofa I had in the trailer, but he could see it was full of cactus. He knew we weren’t dumping.” All of that aside, Holm says he doesn’t own
the most glamorous company, but it’s certainly necessary. “I really enjoy getting outside and meeting new people,” Holm says. “I consider my customers my employers. Word of mouth can make or break a business. When they’re satisfied, they spread the good word.” The 3-year-old North Valley Custom Hauling serves 85086, 85085, North Scottsdale and all along the Carefree corridor. Holm goes Valleywide, but he has traveled as far as Flagstaff, Mesa and Buckeye. His company consists of him; his wife, Elizabeth; daughter Kailey, who’s studying pre-med at Grand Canyon University; Colten Winter, who attends Glendale Community College; and Kyle Harris, who plays basketball for Phoenix College. Elizabeth, Harris and Winter are Boulder Mountain High School graduates. Holm says he primarily works with real estate agents, who must clean out homes before they’re moved into; local businesses; and those who are moving. North Valley Custom Hauling doesn’t
North Valley Custom Hauling North Valley Custom Hauling helps clean illegally dumped trash from the desert.
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85085 | MONTH 2019
623-469-5623, info@northvalleycustomhauling.com northvalleycustomhauling.com Facebook: Don’t Dump in Our Desert—North Valley Facebook: North Valley Custom Hauling
