Customer Showcase: Property Manager Savings with Surplus City
The vast majority of customers who find their HVAC equipment with Surplus City Liquidators are small business owners. Typically, that means a smaller-scale HVAC company. But property managers also get great benefits by shopping with Surplus City! Here’s just one example of how big savings can lead to better outcomes for any industry.
MEET THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY
Tom runs a property management company based out of Lafayette, Indiana. Naturally, a significant part of his business is centered around saving money on his maintenance costs. That’s a key part of keeping his rents lower than the competition. That’s why he leverages Surplus City. Their affordable inventory helps ensure that his properties’ HVAC equipment stay up and running. And when it does come time to install a new system, that the cost won’t hurt his bottom line.
“You never like to do replacement furnaces,” said Tom. “It’s not a call you want. That’s the entire rent for a year—there’s not even a profit margin.”
Surplus City helps minimize those risks, and even remove them altogether. Instead of losing a year’s worth of rent, he’s able to buy equipment at a fair price. Over the years, Tom said that he’s saved hundreds of thousands of dollars with Surplus City. He wouldn’t have been able to keep those costs down by shopping anywhere else.
THE DIFFERENCE WITH SURPLUS CITY
If the tenants aren’t happy, Tom says, then we’re not happy. Today, his rental business includes around 50 different properties. He started investing in rentals 40 years ago, and he has several maintenance people on his team who can take all service calls as they come in. If there’s a unit they aren’t able to fix, then he calls an HVAC technician to complete the work. But oftentimes, it doesn’t even come to that.
“It’s so easy for a non-HVAC guy, and way better than going to a wholesaler,” said Tom. “I can get on the internet and get ideas, or just call Surplus City and tell them what I want.”
Whenever he has a broken system in front of him, Tom knows he can call the sales team and that they’ll help out. It’s just a matter of telling them what he wants, and they’ll grab his order right off the warehouse floors.
As he puts it, there’s never really a concern about whether his HVAC systems are “purple or even pink.” The units are already in a closed room or a basement, and again—the properties are rentals.
While some homeowners may not be interested in new equipment that has a dent, for Tom, it just doesn’t make sense to pay $24K for a system. His renters only care about having their heating and cooling running properly. Since the “looks” don’t matter, there’s never any hesitation about checking with Surplus City first.
“They’re providing brand-new equipment,” said Tom. “Even though it might be two, three, or four years old—there’s no problem. It’s never been hooked up.”
Tom has found that the equipment lasts just as long as any other new HVAC system that would get installed the same year it was manufactured. They all work the same, starting from their hook-up on day one. Plus, the savings can’t be beat.
MAJOR DISCOUNTS—ACROSS THE BOARD
Shopping at Surplus City has allowed Tom to help out his friends and family too. Last year, he picked up two different pieces of equipment from Surplus City that would have cost upwards of $12K if he’d bought them from a dealer in town.
“I went to Surplus and spent $2K for equipment and just charged $500 to install them,” said Tom. “Most times, it’s an even better system. We saved $10K twice just by driving to Lebanon.”
Even without that “family discount” he was giving, Tom could have still saved his family $5K and made $5K for himself compared to the local market’s asking price of $12K. Put another way, an HVAC company could have sold the same equipment to their customer at-cost, so they’d only end up paying $7K instead of a full $12K. Shopping with Surplus City gives everyone an edge because they’re able to pass on meaningful savings without taking a hit to their own profits.
STICKING WITH SURPLUS CITY FOR THE LONG-TERM
Turning to Surplus City makes it faster for Tom to get the necessary parts or replacement units for all of his properties. Even better, the affordability lets him collect the most revenue possible and protect his margins year over year.
There’s no doubt in Tom’s mind that he’ll continue doing business with Surplus City. Not only is he getting massive savings on his HVAC equipment, he’s also been keeping more money in his pocket because he doesn’t need to store his own inventory or pay for extra space. He says that he’s basically getting half of a garage for free.
Of course, all of these savings aren’t the only benefit. Checking with Surplus City first is the obvious call because there’s also a great support team on the other line.
“The crew is fast and they know what they’re talking about,” said Tom. “They are good people—they really are. I’ve never had an issue with them.”
Tom went on to say that since there are only two or three places around town to get hardware, the fact that Surplus City can be another resource will make a big difference for everyone in the community. Hardware is the same no matter where you buy it. Without access to that supply, though, it just takes longer to make repairs and finish a job.
Then with Surplus City’s second location opening in Lafayette, Indiana, Tom and his team will be able to get their hands on the equipment they need ASAP, without having to make the drive south to Lebanon. They’ll be able to pick up whole systems straight from the Surplus City’s new warehouse. It’s making it even easier to keep his operation running smoothly.
“Yes, they will get 100% of my business when they’re here. It just makes sense,” said Tom.
The team at Surplus City Liquidators is always happy to hear from property management companies and small business owners—no matter where you are in the country! If you have any questions about the HVAC equipment currently in stock, please don’t hesitate to call the team at (800) 428-4339.