Cory Atencio Helps Keep Community Ship-Shape Through Junk-It Business – Los Alamos Daily Post

Junk-It owner Cory Atencio on a fishing trip with his daughter. Courtesy photo
By Andy McBride
Los Alamos Daily Post
Student Reporter

Cory Atencio is a 30-year-old with a burning passion to help others in his community—a working man with a story to tell.
He and his brother, Joby Atencio were born and raised in Española. They were raised by a single mother, Michelle Jacquez-Romero.
Atencio was the man in the house, with no father figure in his life. Atencio said he had to grow up fast and learn what it took to earn an honest living. He attended Española Valley High School where he was an all-around athlete in baseball, wrestling, football and track.
Atencio graduated high school in 2012 and attended Concordia University, Nebraska on a baseball scholarship.
After a shoulder injury during his freshman year in college, he came home and later attended Central New Mexico University in Albuquerque. When Atencio turned 21 years old he pursued a career in law enforcement. While he began his career in law enforcement, he also attended Northern New Mexico College to pursue his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Atencio served as a police officer in Española for five years where he gained the experience and knowledge of a law enforcement officer. After he had his daughter, he said he realized he wanted to ensure a better quality of life for his family. He decided to apply at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2019.
Atencio started his business in 2020 when COVID-19 first started. Atencio’s business is called Junk-It Hauling and Moving Services, he started with a Toyota Tacoma and a horse trailer.
Atencio said, “I wasn’t sure this business was going to work, and I did not want to have money tied up in loans.”
Atencio said he had a vision; his goal was to be able to remove unwanted junk, help with moving, unloading, and loading Uhauls, etc., but most importantly have affordable prices for people in the community.
He saw a demand for this type of service. Atencio said when he started Junk-It, he wasn’t sure that it was a profitable business, or that the competition would have an impact on his success.
In the end, it worked out for him; his business is rated five stars on Facebook and he said he is very reputable.
While juggling his primary job, family, and Junk-It, Atencio is also working on his master’s degree online at Grand Canyon University in Servant Leadership. To this day, he currently provides quality junk removal, moving and dumpster rental services in Los Alamos.
For more information call, Junk-It at 505.901.0800.

Copyright © 2012-2024 The Los Alamos Daily Post is the Official Newspaper of Record in Los Alamos County. This Site and all information contained here including, but not limited to news stories, photographs, videos, charts, graphs and graphics is the property of the Los Alamos Daily Post, unless otherwise noted. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the Los Alamos Daily Post and author/photographer are properly cited. Opinions expressed by readers, columnists and other contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Los Alamos Daily Post. The Los Alamos Daily Post newspaper was founded Feb. 7, 2012 by Owner/Publisher Carol A. Clark.

source