What started as an IT support company quickly grew into the wholesale liquidation company known as Tampa Bay Wholesale, aimed at teaching new vendors how to get more for their money when it comes to buying merchandise. “I had a client that needed me to fix their laptop, and while I was doing that, I touched the wrong part and ended up breaking it,” says Nathan Maingi, Managing Director. “It needed to be replaced and we didn’t want to get a brand new one, so I asked around to different companies if there were any refurbished ones – and I found a pallet for sale which had 15 laptops for $1,000. I purchased it and ended up fixing all the laptops and reselling them. That turned out to be successful, and from that moment we realized this could turn into something bigger.”

From laptops, the company turned to anything that could be liquidated, including televisions, home entertainment systems and more. Eventually, Maingi found a few different vendors to buy from and started the business out of his garage. Once he found that this could be more than a hobby, Tampa Bay Wholesale became a full time business. “One of our greatest accomplishments was moving from the garage into two warehouses,” explains Maingi. “This was a huge risk, but now we’ve almost quadrupled our operation in a commercial warehouse.”

In the future, Maingi has plans to put together a course to teach vendors what to do when buying liquidated merchandise. As of right now, Tampa Bay Wholesale offers one-on-one services to their clients in need of a bit more guidance. “We want to create a course that will add value to the buyer experience and help them get started or grow. Whether they are brick and mortar, wholesale, online or starting off at flea markets, we can help get them ready within a few months.” The company also plans to move to a bigger warehouse within the next six to eight months so customers can browse and see the location.

Some of the most popular selling categories that can be found at Tampa Bay Wholesale are clothing – infant, children and adults – cosmetics, electronics, toys, and jewelry. Due to the wide variety of items, each category has suggested minimum amounts, and the company opens their warehouse directly to buyers on a chosen day once a month.

Maingi guarantees a positive experience with Tampa Bay Wholesale, as the company does their best to stand out amongst other liquidators. “Lots of other companies sell only pallets of merchandise, but we have no problem selling a case of 12 pieces of something because that makes it easier for vendors just starting out. Our main focus is customers who want to try something new and see an opportunity in selling but don’t know where to start. We teach new vendors how to learn the business, and even if they don’t buy from us we provide support and information that can make them successful.”

As featured in Flea MarketZone Magazine

http://fleamarketzone.com/2015/11/education-in-liquidation-from-tampa-bay-wholesale/