Jim Marchioni did not plan to start a business. At 50 years old, with a career in the Texas oil fields suddenly behind him, he had a choice to make. What followed was twelve years of grinding, adapting, and building something real right here on the Jersey Shore.
His story was recently featured on the Got Mortgage Podcast with host Matthew Victoria. The full episode is embedded below. It is well worth your time.
Listen to the Full Episode
Jim covers the full journey in his own words. It is an honest conversation about what it actually takes to build something from nothing.
A Career Built on Service, Not Just Work
Jim served in the U.S. Marine Corps Infantry. After completing his service, he built a career in oil field operations in Odessa, Midland, and Corpus Christi, Texas. He managed logistics, ran crews, and kept complex operations moving.
When the oil market crashed, his company folded overnight. He was left without a job, without a backup plan, and with a family to support.
So he started over.
How CamoVets Actually Started
The idea for a veteran-focused company came from Jim’s time in the oil fields. Drivers were in short supply, so he started recruiting veterans leaving the military. It worked well, and the model stuck with him.
Back in New Jersey, he wanted to launch a junk removal business. In this state, that requires an A-901 license. At the time, that process took roughly three years. Background checks extended to family members, spouses, and relatives. There were no shortcuts.
Rather than wait with no income, Jim started power washing. It was not his original plan. His first job took two days on a house that should have taken four hours. He figured it out.
Eventually, he learned soft washing. Low pressure with the right solutions protects siding, roofs, and decking. It does not damage surfaces the way high-pressure washing can. That approach became the foundation of CamoVets’ exterior cleaning work.
You can read more about how we approach exterior washing on our soft washing and power washing service page.
The Junk Removal Side of the Business
Once the A-901 license was secured, the real build began. Junk removal added something power washing could not: year-round work. In New Jersey, exterior cleaning slows significantly through the colder months. Seasonal crews are hard to train and harder to retain.
Junk removal changed that. Crews could move between services. Experienced people could be kept on through the off-season. That decision, made partly during COVID, turned out to be one of the smarter moves in the company’s history.
Today, CamoVets handles full-property cleanouts, estate jobs, appliance and furniture removal, construction debris, and light demolition. Every job comes with upfront pricing and a crew that handles all the lifting and cleanup.
Learn more about what we offer on our junk removal service page.
The Harder Part Nobody Talks About
Jim does not gloss over the early years. During the slow winters, he drove Uber. He and his wife both did DoorDash when their daughter got married. They did what they had to do.
Giuliana Marchioni was the steadying force through all of it. She managed the power washing crews for years. Customers requested her by name. When things were at their most uncertain, she pushed Jim to keep going.
Jim credits much of the company’s survival to her.
What Veteran-Owned Actually Means Here
About half of the CamoVets crew are veterans or family members of veterans. Jim has built employment pathways in partnership with organizations like MA22 and VetWorks. The goal is not just to fill positions. It is to help people transition into steady, skilled work.
The American Legion recognized CamoVets as Employer of the Year at both the state and national level for this commitment.
CamoVets is also verified through The Seal, which provides third-party confirmation of insurance and employee background checks. Every crew member goes through that process before stepping onto a customer’s property.
Business Lessons Learned the Hard Way
Jim talks openly in the podcast about the difference between working in a business and working on one. For years, he was doing everything himself. The business could not run without him. That is not a business. That is a job.
He brought in business coaches and mentors, including Howard Partridge, to help build systems. The idea that stuck most: implementation matters more than information. Knowing what to do means nothing without actually doing it.
That mindset shows up in how CamoVets operates today. Branded trucks. Uniformed crews. Arrival windows that are respected. Estimates given before work begins. None of that happens by accident.
Serving Ocean and Monmouth County Since 2013
CamoVets is based in Barnegat and serves communities across Ocean County and Monmouth County. From Toms River to Long Beach Island, the crew shows up prepared and leaves the property better than they found it.
That is not a tagline. It is how Jim ran operations in the oil fields, how he trained in the Marine Corps, and how he built this company from scratch.
If you have a property that needs exterior cleaning or a space that needs clearing out, the team is ready.
To schedule a free estimate, call 732-858-5598 or Contact Us Today
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