Episode 110 Show Notes
There is a dirty little secret in the contract interiors industry and it is how much waste our industry contributes to landfills. Over 50% of landfill waste comes from building materials or used furniture from office spaces. 98% of all furniture that is manufactured for contract interiors is destined for a landfill.
These are insane statistics that demand a serious shift in our industry and there is one person with an amazing vision who is bringing a new perspective to repurposing office furniture for the greater good of the environment.
In this episode, I speak with Brandi Susewitz who founded Reseat, the first online marketplace for second-life office furniture. The start-up of this genius tech company has paved the way for a more sustainable way to source office furniture by having dealers across the united states who help with the buying, selling, and warehousing of office furniture.
With this technology, each piece of furniture is tagged with a unique ID that tracks its history and shows online when it is available for purchase. The corresponding marketplace allows vendors, big and small, to purchase just the right amount of furniture for their office while making strides for the reduction of waste from our industry.
Listen in to hear about how Brandi took herself from being laid off during the pandemic to the Owner and CEO of a booming tech startup that is making huge wins for the planet and leading the way for environmental sustainability of the contract interiors industry.
In this episode:
[01:39] Welcome back to the show, Brandi!
[02:35] What has Brandi been up to over the past couple of years?
[03:48] Brandi Susewitz’s background and business inspiration.
[04:55] Time is key when it comes to liquidating office furniture.
[05:55] The environmental problem that Reseat solves.
[08:43] Having a plan in place for office furniture at the time of purchase can help reduce waste.
[10:35] Dealers across the nation help buyers and sellers move their inventory.
[11:19] Why it is key to sell the furniture while it’s still standing.
[12:53] How Brandi went from selling a physical product to a booming start-up tech company.
[14:57] The NeoCon Awards that Reseat has won.
[17:45] The amazing path that Brandi has taken, going from being laid off to worldwide press coverage.
[18:42] The amount of furniture that Brandi’s company has diverted from landfills.
[19:18] Many architectural firms are looking to source secondhand products for existing projects.
[20:35] Partnering with dealers to develop a Reseat ID for furniture at the time of purchase.
[29:59] If you have a crazy idea, just go for it!
[31:15} How to connect with Brandi.
Links & Resources:
The Insider
Support the Trend Report
Episode 41 - Rethink, Redesign, Repurpose with Brandi Susewitz
Connect with Brandi:
Brandi’s LinkedIn
Connect with Sid:
www.sidmeadows.com
Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn
Sid on Instagram
Sid on YouTube
Sid on Clubhouse - @sidmeadows
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The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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