Smart Surplus For Strategic Solutions

Smart Surplus, Inc. is a full service, worldwide liquidation and inventory management firm that provides a variety of strategic solutions to help customers with their inventory and warehousing needs. Since starting up in 2003, the company’s services include remarketing and purchasing of excess inventory, refurbishing and disposal solutions, returns management, warehouse space consulting, and customized reverse logistics programs. Smart Surplus sells primarily small to medium sized home appliances such as heaters, air conditioners, kegerators and dehumidifiers.

The firm also sells some electronics and commercial items. “We used to deal in major and high-end appliances,” shares Matthew Scriff, company partner. “In the last two years, however, we’ve moved toward small, medium and apartment sized appliances. We are looking for items that are more palatable for people, and we’re very pleased with that decision.” By repurposing, remanufacturing and reusing units, Smart Surplus keeps appliances out of landfills, and gives them a second chance at life. “We try to provide a full green solution to our customers,” Scriff continues. “It’s a zero landfill solution and there is no waste.”

Smart Surplus works with organizations of any size on a variety of items. “We do things like revenue sharing, outright purchase of returns and work on service contracts,” Scriff explains, “whatever fits best with our customers’ needs.” The company’s pricing is good for the distributor or reseller, as well as the end user, Scriff points out. “There are economies of scale based on getting a large volume of an item that was going to be a problem for the vendor or manufacturer. There is probably a bigger margin on our type of items on the resale than you would see in the traditional overstock and closeout market. Resellers can sell our items at a good percentage below the cost of a new item, with almost impeccable quality.”

Smart Surplus has two locations; one in Elverson, PA and another in New Holland, PA, the latter of which is solely dedicated to remanufacturing. “If customers want to come in and look at our merchandise, the bulk of the items are in the New Holland warehouse,” says Scriff. For customers who can not visit the showroom, Smart Surplus’s website provides a wealth of information. “It basically is our calling card,” Scriff reports. “A warehouse environment isn’t always the prettiest thing to show off, so we rely on our website and the videos we have there to attract new buyers, as well as to offer some credibility to our business.

“We use companies like WholesaleCentral.com to find a variety of dealers and draw them back to our website. The videos show a little bit about our refurbishing and remanufacturing process, to give people an understanding of what we are doing. We want our customers to understand the remanufacturing process, so they are comfortable with the end product,” Scriff adds. Smart Surplus is continuing to grow the remanufacturing side of its business this year, and solidifying relationships with vendors to ensure new merchandise is constantly coming in.

Smart Surplus is an A+ rated BBB business, and has been since its inception. “We will do whatever it takes to make sure our customers are extremely happy,” Scriff stresses. “We don’t want to leave a company unhappy, ever.” The minimum order is a pallet, and truckload orders are preferred. If there is potential for ongoing business with smaller companies, however, “we are willing to try a smaller order.”

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