“I’m not looking for satisfied customers; I’m looking for raving fans that will continue to do business with us.”
John Gallen, President
EthoSource
Q. Please describe your company and its operations.
A. EthoSource is in the business of purchasing and recycling all brands of used office furniture. As an office furniture liquidator, EthoSource provides turnkey solutions for companies that are relocating, downsizing, moving or simply upgrading their office furniture. With quick appraisals, easy-to-understand bids, and nationwide coverage, EthoSource works with movers all over the country to perform liquidations that maximize the value of each client’s furniture assets. In addition, EthoSource sells pre-owned and refurbished office furniture as a cost-effective and ecologically-responsible approach toward creating a contemporary workspace.
Q. How did you get into this buisness?
A. I started as a buyer for an office furniture remanufacturer. I found far more funiture than they could use, so I became a wholesaler to the other remanufacturers and used furniture dealers in the country. After four years, I decided to start my own company.
Q. How has the company grown and changed over the years?
A. We have assembled a team of professional liquidation experts who have the product expertise, the market knowledge and the logistics experience to execute successful projects all over the country.
Q. How has your company integrated technology and innovation?
A. Our project managers are equipped with laptops, digital cameras and Blackberries to keep up with the current pace of our industry.
Q. How do you ensure that your company provides quality customer service?
A. Our project managers are on site from start to finish, working with local movers to ensure all client needs are met.
Q. What’s your biggest concern about your business?
A. Our biggest challenge is finding quality moving companies to partner with in the removal of the office furniture from our client’s spaces.
Q.What’s the greatest business risk you’ve taken?
A. The biggest risk I took was when I bought out my partners in the fall of 2007, just as the economy was beginning to slow down. But we have continued to not only survive, but to grow the business.
Q.What’s the biggest lesson you have learned in business?
A. I firmly believe that the best reputations are built on one simple principal: we make commitments, and we keep them. I am not looking for satisfied customers; I am looking for raving fans that will continue to do business with us and refer everyone they know to us.
Q. Why are you a member of AMSA?
A. We have recently joined AMSA to meet the members and to develop strong business relationships with them in the many markets we serve.
Q. How do you see this industry changing in the next decade?
A. Change is inevitable and we believe there will be an increased opportunity for liquidation and moving companies to partner together to satisfy the needs of their clients.
Q. What message do you have for your colleagues in the business right now?
A. Businesses are always in a state of change, whether they are relocating, reorganizing, or downsizing. When a business asks you what they can do with their old furniture and who they can trust to have a smooth liquidation process, my hope is that you will give us a call.