Not many people can claim the title of “King of Poop,” but its one that Jim Coniglione proudly does.
After 25 years of pet waste removal with his Locust Valley-based company, Scoopy Doo, Coniglione has championed the industry and is set to speak at the first ScoopCon later this month.
Coniglione said he had previously owned a successful tire company in Glen Cove for 15 years, but decided he needed a fresh start. When one of his friends stepped in dog poop—barefoot—a lightbulb went off for the entrepreneurs.
One thing he believed people would spend their money on? Their pets.
And clearly, he was right. Because Coniglione said that in 25 years of business, the company has had over $20 million in sales.
“We take the unpleasant aspect of dog ownership away from the customer,” he said.
Coniglione said when he first opened his business, there were only a handful of scooping companies across the country. Now, he said, there are likely close to 3,000 nationwide.
In the company’s first week of business in 2000, Coniglione said it had 10 customers. Now, the company picks up waste from over 1,000 homes each week, extending its reach from Suffolk to Westchester.
Scoopy Doo’s one truck has now grown to a fleet of 14, all with a slogan that reads: “We take a lot of crap from our customers.”
In the past 25 years, Coniglione said he designed his own tools for waste removal, including bucket braces, vacuums and sweepers.
“I made a lot of innovations in the industry, and I mentor people all over,” he said.
This month, Coniglione will be heading to Idaho for the first “ScoopCon,” hosted by Poop Scoop Millionares, to share pet waste removal industry tips with new businesses. Coniglione said he is happy to help new business owners and provide them with his industry insights.
“It’s very rewarding, at this stage,” he said.
His company has opened more doors for him than business, though. After a New York Times article featured his business, Animal Planet called looking to shoot a reality show about the company.
And, although the show never premiered on television, it did lead to other television and movie appearances, including “The Week Of” with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock and “The Irishman” with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.
“All these doors have opened up because of dog poop,” he said.
