REUZEit Blog

REUZEit’s Origins: A Family Selling Used Lab Equipment

Hello again, it’s Ryan Andrews. I am REUZEit’s Chief Innovation Officer and have been an integral part of the company’s overall development selling used lab equipment. Over the past 10+ years, our vision of creating a circular economy through Surplus Asset Management as a service has propelled the company to what it is today. In this blog, I’ll be discussing REUZEit’s history and origins.   REUZEit: a Family Business My brother Justin and his wife Becca first came down to Temecula, California, where our parents moved, after the loss of their house in Reno and the loss of my fathers’ job due to dementia. Justin and Becca were there ready to help make ends meet when our mom Renee encouraged Justin to pick up an old side gig of our dads that he ran out of our garage.    The Man Behind the REUZE Philosophy Our father, the eternal optimist, genius, and goofball had a storied career in facilities/project management in the life sciences and biotech industries. He worked for companies like Pacific Biotech, Guidant, Eli Lily and many others.  Before the internet, back when everyone walked uphill in the snow to school (both ways!), our dad was introducing the world to the possibility of a reuse economy of lab equipment. He would often take home broken or obsolete equipment, tinker on them in the garage, and redeploy them back within one of the facilities he was running. For the equipment his companies didn’t want, he connected with local medical sales guys and convinced them to sell lab equipment. He did this all over the country, developing a network of brokers who regularly received instruments from his sites, in return for capital recovery for his workplace. Since this was all before the internet, these brokers ended up being some of the most successful players in our industry.    Hustle and Muscle: Renee and Peter After some years and after the internet came about, my dad started a side business to refurbish and resell biotech equipment, they sweetly named the company PAR equipment. Though Peter was an avid golfer, the name actually stood for Peter and Renee.   Our mother Renee, being pretty much the overall boss and bookkeeper and all-around badass for the past 20 something years, had started helping our dad with his business. Our dad was good at drumming up opportunities any time she would instruct, “Peter, go out and get some equipment, kids are almost getting ready to go to college!”  But the real magic was done in the back-office support, making sure everything was well organized and running smoothly. So, when it came down to suggesting we give this business a shot, our mom was integral in the beginning stages, helping us understand how our dad did what he did.  Unbeknownst to myself or Justin at the time, they both really laid down the foundation of what REUZEit is today.  Justin and I like to often refer back to the beginning as a team of ‘Hustle and Muscle’. By 2010, our father was sadly unable to contribute to the business due to the effects of dementia; the only way to survive during that time was through grit. Through a resilience that would often bend but never broke, it was a trying time for us.  Shortly after Justin kicked things off in the used lab equipment flipping business, my girlfriend (now wife, Stacy) and I moved down to Southern California from Reno to come and help.   More Than Just Another Salesperson From the beginning, this was a family business and is very much to this day. When preserved and balanced, those values can hold. The early days had the whole family, including our sister Robyn, hitting the streets and knocking on every biotech company door in Southern California. In those days, our dad came along with us for as long as he was able. Being the smooth talker he always was, he instructed us all to be more approachable. He would say something to the tune of, “They teach the front desk to tell salespeople to go kick rocks in the parking lot or simply go away.” If you are in sales, you probably know this is common. He told us, “dress down, you are talking to facilities people, scientists and engineers, wearing a suit is too stuffy, be business casual, be cool…and before you say anything just say, ‘I am here to buy your surplus‘.” He had many ways of saying it, but the strategy was to just assert early that we were not salespeople, and in fact were there to buy something from them. By understanding that companies generally like making money, we were able to get through the invisible ‘salesperson’ roadblock, so we could talk to the right people.  Stay tuned for the next installment of this origin story!   REUZEit: The All-in-One Solution for Used and Surplus Lab Equipment Investing in laboratory equipment for your scientific research is a necessary cost, and we’re committed to providing you with options that you can fit into your budget. Money saved on one product can be used to finance another resource that is just as important to your progress. Whether you’re searching for innovative chemistry lab equipment or looking to replace broken lab equipment, REUZEit offers low-cost solutions that work as hard as you do. Browse the best surplus and gently used biotech and pharmaceutical equipment on the market! Check out our USA-based store or our European-based store to shop discount laboratory equipment.

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REUZEit’s Last Life Program: Lab Equipment With a Purpose

Hello again, it’s Ryan Andrews. I am REUZEit’s Chief Innovation Officer and have been an integral part of the company’s overall development. Over the past 10+ years, our vision of creating a circular economy through Surplus Asset Management as a service has propelled the company to what it is today. In this blog, I’ll be discussing REUZEit’s Last Life Program.    Our “Landfill Last” Policy Here at REUZEit, one of our core values that guides our every initiative is our “Landfill Last” policy. We believe in sustainability through creative solutions to extend the life of any surplus asset. The millions of pounds of landfill avoidance that our program helps produce each year is a direct result of applying our landfill last values.  We strive to find every opportunity for life extension of surplus or unwanted assets by assessing useful life possibilities. Think of the saying, “One person’s trash is another’s treasure”.  This is the basis for a circular approach to lab supplies. Our Mission for Used Lab Equipment Our mission is to bring an asset through a lifecycle as many times as possible. The impact of finding a REUZE opportunity is exponential each time a piece of equipment goes back into use. There is a trickle-down effect in a circular economy which enables companies to reach true sustainability, reducing landfill, procurement savings, capital recovery, carbon offsets, less strain on natural resources for remanufacturing, and much more.  While we strive to exhaust every opportunity to bring an asset back into useful life, there is a final point at which an asset truly can not be reintroduced into a useful life.  At least not for its originally intended use!  Commitment to Sustainability We sit up late at night thinking of ways to continue to improve sustainability around surplus equipment. We understand this is probably less entertaining than most people’s late-night activities. We can’t help it; we are nerds for creating solutions to pain points. We saw an opportunity to establish at least one more life cycle. We give one Last Life:  assigning surplus lab equipment that is broken, outdated, malfunctioning, or parted out, to our Last Life Program.    REUZEit’s Last Life Program Our Last Life Program consists of all of these qualifying assets that are one step from the graveyard. These assets are uploaded to a section of our platform called “Last Life”, where we market to movie/tv studios, upcycling artists and organizations, museums, and more. They go places where used lab equipment no longer needs to perform, but can still be useful in other applications —all at a low or free acquisition cost.  REUZEit’s Last Life program is a great way to immortalize an asset, creating new opportunities beyond recycling or sending it to the landfill. Remember, every time we can find a useful application for a surplus asset, we are contributing to the circular economy and towards true sustainability.  REUZEit: The All-in-One Solution for Used and Surplus Lab Equipment Thank you for reading! We hope you have a better understanding of the importance of a ‘REUZE first’ mentality. This approach will lead you to adopt our landfill last values and look for your very own Last Life opportunities. You can apply this approach to your everyday life: find a way to reuse something before rebuy. Each time you do that, you will be contributing to a better world.  If you want to take a serious step in sustainability, reach out to us and find out how REUZEit can help. Browse the best surplus and gently used biotech and pharmaceutical equipment on the market! Check out our USA-based store or our European-based store to shop discount laboratory equipment.

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Sourcing Scientific Lab Equipment: The All-in-One Solution

Sourcing scientific lab equipment can be a long and expensive process. However, there are many options that can fit your budget and fulfill your needs at the lab if you’re open-minded and resourceful. Let’s take a look at all of our options and see how they stack up.    New Lab Equipment New lab equipment is often associated with top-of-the-line technology. Though this is often true, the amount of money you spend on new lab equipment does not give you much more of a return on investment than a slightly older version. Is the small amount of time you save on processing worth the extra 10 grand? Maybe. But not always! Make sure to do your research to determine if the heightened technology will benefit your research and make an impact on your workflow.     Surplus Lab Equipment Bringing surplus lab equipment to the scientific community is one of the things REUZEit does best! REUZEit’s many partnerships ensure we have a steady flow of equipment, many of which are “like new”. This practice helps keep these items out of our landfills and in the circular economy. Support the environment and your research with surplus equipment from REUZEit.   Used Lab Equipment Used lab equipment is a REUZEit specialty! We have a special rating system to ensure transparency between the buyer and REUZEit. We don’t want anyone to have reservations about what they’re paying for. Furthermore, REUZEit offers warranties on select items that have been rigorously inspected to guarantee superb performance.    Refurbished Lab Equipment Purchasing refurbished lab equipment is another great option for your lab. These previously faulty lab supplies are usually required to pass an inspection process before being sold again. This is especially true if it’s done by the lab equipment manufacturer. We recommend purchasing refurbished lab equipment with a warranty for extra protection.    REUZEit: The All-in-One Solution for Used and Surplus Lab Equipment Investing in laboratory equipment for your scientific research is a necessary cost, and we’re committed to providing you with options that you can fit into your budget. Money saved on one product can be used to finance another resource that is just as important to your progress. Whether you’re searching for innovative chemistry lab equipment or looking to replace broken lab equipment, REUZEit offers low-cost solutions that work as hard as you do. Browse the best surplus and gently used biotech and pharmaceutical equipment on the market! Check out our USA-based store or our European-based store to shop discount laboratory equipment.

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Buying Used Lab Equipment: Three Things to Consider

Purchasing used lab equipment is a resourceful way to stretch your budget. If you decide to move forward with purchasing pre-owned lab equipment after weighing the pros and cons, here are some things to consider.   Condition of Used Lab Equipment The first thing you’ll want to know about used lab equipment is the condition it’s in. How old is this piece of laboratory equipment? How long has it been in use? Was it refurbished? Is it barely used and mostly new? Is it missing any parts? These are all questions that influence the price and reliability of the product. These important questions can give you a better indication of whether the lab equipment for sale will meet your needs within your budget.   Price Check Other Sources There are many resources for buying science lab equipment,  and prices will vary accordingly, so it’s in your best interest to do your research. We recommend shopping around in order to find the best price on equipment of similar condition. It’s far better to invest more money in a reliable product than to save money on an item that could end up as broken lab equipment that needs to be replaced soon after purchasing.    Length of Warranty When used laboratory equipment is sold with a warranty, it gives you an extra boost of confidence that you’re making an informed decision. REUZEit offers warranties on select items that have also been rigorously inspected to guarantee superb performance.  Check out our other blog posts for additional tips on buying used lab equipment.     REUZEit: A Trusted Seller of Used Lab Equipment Choosing a vetted seller with a proven track record of fair prices and stellar performance is key to feeling confident in your purchase. REUZEit has been fueling scientific innovation for over 20 years. By bringing the best surplus and gently used biotech and pharmaceutical equipment to the market at an affordable price, REUZEit ensures your equipment works as hard as you do.   Investing in laboratory equipment for your scientific facility is a necessary cost, but it doesn’t have to be an expensive one. Money saved on one product can be used to finance another resource that is just as important to your progress. Are you ready to browse surplus lab equipment for sale and save? Check out our USA store or our European Store to shop discount laboratory equipment.

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Tips for Buying Used Lab Equipment

Investing in used laboratory equipment is a great way to save money, manage your lab budget, and further support a circular economy. However, there are some risks associated with buying secondhand lab supplies such a buying faulty equipment, paying unfair prices, or realizing that the listing does not match what the seller has to offer. Here are tips that will help ameliorate these risks when buying used lab equipment.   Compare Pricing One of the most obvious benefits of purchasing consignment equipment over new items from lab equipment distributors is the ability to save money. In order to understand your potential savings, it’s important to understand the standard pricing for the item you’re planning to purchase in congruence with the condition of the item. Comparing the prices on new and used products will help you make the best purchasing decision and score the best deal.   Check the Listing Closely Read the product listing thoroughly to ensure that the science lab equipment you’re considering purchasing is working properly and not missing any parts. This is especially true for heavily discounted items. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do your due diligence to ensure that you won’t have to spend extra money on unnecessary laboratory equipment maintenance after your purchase.   Check for Warranties Warranties are a great way to feel more confident in your purchase. This can be a factory warranty or seller warranty. At REUZEit, all equipment sold with a 30-day warranty is subject to a rigorous condition assessment and inspection to guarantee superb performance.    Beware of Private Sellers If you’re purchasing this item from a private seller, you will also need to perform a physical inspection to ensure the listing matches what you’re purchasing. Document the purchasing agreement and make sure to take down their personal information so that you can contact them if something goes wrong with the equipment you purchase.    Choose a Trusted Seller Like REUZEit Choosing a vetted seller with a proven track record of fair prices and stellar performance is key to feeling confident in your purchase. REUZEit has been fueling scientific innovation for over 20 years. By bringing the best surplus and gently used biotech and pharmaceutical equipment to market at an affordable price, ANDbio ensures your equipment works as hard as you do.     Investing in laboratory equipment for your scientific facility is a necessary cost, but it doesn’t have to be an expensive one. Money saved on one product can be used to finance another resource that is just as important to your progress. Are you ready to browse surplus lab equipment for sale and save? Check out our USA-based store or our European Store to shop discount laboratory equipment.

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