All Is Not as It Seems

However, these numbers aren’t holding up that well under closer scrutiny. It’s possible that much of the costs associated with reusing the older furniture could be eliminated if the agency had a better plan in place for managing the reuse of resources. It’s true that tracking and managing office furniture in a large-scale reuse program is not without administrative costs. But it’s the kind of thing you get better at the more you do it. Over the long term, there’s no doubt that the Canadian government could create a successful program to reuse and recycle its office furniture efficiently. In one way, they are trying to do this already by sending the older furniture to other offices that have an immediate need for the equipment.

What Steps Can You Take To Reduce Reuse Costs?

Are you planning an office move or renovation? Are you concerned that reusing your existing office furniture might cost too much? Here are a few ways you could help minimize expenses:

Hire a professional office furniture company to break down your high quality workstations. This helps you in 3 ways. First, it ensures you have a complete inventory of all the components you have on hand. Second, it ensures that nothing gets broken in the transportation process. Third, it means you can store the office furniture in a much smaller space, limiting storage rental costs.

If your existing office furniture really won’t mesh with your new office space, consider making a deal. You could sell your used office furniture to a refurbishing company (like ours) and buy a different set of workstations that meets your current needs better. Who knows, you might even find a suite of name brand refurbished workstations that are just as good as (if not better than) what you had before – for a fraction of the cost. That way, you are sending your old office furniture to a new home and going greener by reusing someone else’s furniture.

If You Are Selling

On the up side, you could demand a high price if you find just the right buyer at just the right time or if your used furniture is a brand that’s in demand. You can also offload used furniture on a fixed schedule in situation where you need to get it off your hands ASAP to make room for new furnishings. However:

• You may have little control over the final price you get for the furniture
• You will probably have to pay a fee to the auctioneer
• The buyer may not show up in a timely fashion to remove the used furniture (costing you additional storage fees)

If You Are Buying

On the up side, you could get a great price if the seller is desperate and they need to get rid of the furniture quickly. They may even throw in transportation if you negotiate right. However:

• You probably won’t have a chance to inspect each piece before you buy
• The seller’s descriptions and photos may not be that accurate (you could end up needing to repair or replace many pieces)
• You may have to mix and match workstations if the auctioned lot doesn’t have all the items you need
• There’s no customer service or follow up included

On both sides of the equation, dealing with an office furniture refurbishing company can be easier, faster, and more cost effective than taking your chances with an auction.

It’s Always a Balancing Act

The used office furniture business is tricky. Some turnover is good; but you have to have a balance between companies liquidating their old office furniture (either by choice or necessity) and new companies starting up that need those low cost, high quality items. When everyone around you is going out of business, a dealer can pick up plenty of stock but is left with no one to sell it to.

How Are Things on the Home Front?

In San Diego, we are very fortunate to be in an area of the country that still has a strong and thriving business base. Companies here are feeling the pinch of a troubled economic environment, but they still need office furniture. Our refurbished and used items are very popular – especially for startups and small to mid-sized businesses that have a tight budget. Here’s a big ‘thank’ you to our customers who are keeping our business in business even in tough times. We also send our best wishes to the former owners and employees of Altman Office Furniture and Office Exchange that they may find brighter days ahead.

Here are a few places you can visit to see fascinating office furniture upcycling projects:

• Bel & Bel in Spain is repurposing old Vespa parts to create office chairs that go “Zoom”. The streamlined curves and style of the original cycles show up as unexpected contours when turned into workplace seating.
• The Rolling Stones would be proud of i29. They see a red chair and they want to paint it black. Same goes for every other piece of old office furniture in this ultra modern upcycled environment.
• First Fruit is proving that upcycling isn’t just about creating collector’s items for people who could really afford to buy new. They pull apart and remake simple, basic pieces into sturdy and usable items like shelving and desks.

Authorized Dealers – These stores typically carry new furniture from a limited number of manufacturers. They specialize in filling mid to large sized orders for companies that are setting up a new office space or refurnishing an old one. A high level of customization is typically available with these dealers. Delivery, installation, and follow up services (such as assistance ordering replacement parts) should be provided.

Retail Centers – These locations typically carry either a blend of office equipment and office furniture or mainly home furnishings with a small selection of office furniture for individuals and small businesses. Customers typically have to pick from available stock items or from a limited range of options that can be shipped in from various manufacturers. Delivery and other services may or may not be available.

All Purpose – This type of business specializes in providing new, used, and refurbished office furniture. Customers can choose new furniture from an extensive catalog or buy deeply discounted pre-owned furnishings – including models from top manufacturers. These dealers can handle all order sizes from single pieces to workstations for an entire company. When refurbishing is done on-site, customization is often possible. Full service including installation of new pieces, removal of old office furniture, space planning, and other types of assistance are readily available.

Since there are some substantial tax incentives that go along with LEED certification, the current lawsuit is unlikely to dissuade employers from participating in this very popular program. Refurbished office cubicles fall into the category of sustainable purchasing choices that can help companies earn LEED points. Fortunately, when it comes to reusing and refinishing office furniture, the “green” benefits aren’t really under dispute. When you buy pre-owned or refurbished cubicles, this conserves both raw materials and fossil fuels that would otherwise be consumed in the manufacturing process. Since this is also much cheaper than buying new, there’s little doubt that it will continue to be the smart choice regardless of what happens down the road with LEED.

However, refurbishing or recycling the cores of damaged cubicle panels is still better from a “green” standpoint than buying new. The LEED program recognizes the benefits of both of these approaches to sustainability by awarding points to businesses that purchase used and remanufactured furnishings. Another thing to keep in mind when sourcing furniture is how much fossil fuel is burned in the transportation process. Making the decision to buy pre-owned office furniture in the San Diego area rather than having it shipped in from a distant warehouse can also earn you points.

Dealers benefit from these lower prices by being able to afford more inventory. Ideally, a portion of the cost savings are passed on to customers in the form of lower retail prices. Still, the cost of new office furniture is a lot for some business consumers to stomach when their own earnings are down. So, the used and refurbished office furniture markets are still a prime alternative for businesses that want truly steep discounts of 50-75% less than the cost of new items.

Some people may point to this trend as an indication that U.S. businesses are opting for the cheapest products available regardless of the quality of the product. What’s interesting about the argument against buying non-domestic office furniture is that it cuts both ways. For example, here’s a snippet from a 2007 news article at AllAfrica.com in which the writer complains about the cheap U.S. furniture imports flooding the Kenyan marketplace. Would we want other countries to stop buying American-made products?

The ethical and practical questions surrounding the topic of international trade definitely fall outside the scope of this blog post. However, one easy way to ensure your purchasing decisions directly benefit U.S. workers is by choosing locally refurbished office furniture.

Wipe It Down

Dampen a cloth with a mild liquid detergent and water to gently wash non-absorbent surfaces on your office furniture. Clean chair arms and other frequently touched areas with wipes that contain a biocide such as Lysol or Clorox to kill germs. Use rubbing alcohol to remove marker and highlighter smudges on laminate and metal surfaces. Use furniture polish to brighten up any exposed wood. Spot treat stains on cubicle panels following the manufacturer’s advice. Remember to ventilate the workspace adequately during these cleanup activities so fumes dissipate quickly.

Vacuum It Out

Use a vacuum with a crack and crevice cleaning attachment to remove crumbs and debris from the creases of your padded office chairs. Use an upholstery attachment to gently remove dust and dirt from fabric cubicle panels. Remember to vacuum out desk drawers too – they often harbor cracker crumbs and other tasty snacks for insect pests. Giving preowned furniture to a charity isn’t all that nice if you are sending them a potential roach problem too.

Get Rid of Goo

Employees just can’t seem to resist taping stuff to metal desks and credenzas over the years. Remnants and residue of “invisible” tape and stickers attract grime and make surfaces look tacky. Take a look at this list of 30 ways to remove sticky goo to find a method that will work on your used office furniture. A razor blade may knick the metal, so only use a dull straight edge to scrape off tape. Powder coated surfaces are resistant to solvents, so using paint thinner or Windex to remove adhesives is usually safe.

Fix It Up

Is there any item of furniture that is broken? Check chairs for loose components and desk drawers for problems opening/closing. Fix what you can. Mark the rest as in need of repair so the next owners know what new parts they need to buy to get everything in working condition. Preowned office furniture doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should be usable and certainly not dangerous!