61 Surplus opens a second store in Berlin

  • By Denice Rovira Hazlett
  • May 23, 2012
  • 657
                        
Summary: The founders of 61 Surplus in Millersburg are in the business of finding homes for surplus goods, and, with the profits, create homes for orphaned children in Africa. With a second store on the square in Berlin, they hope to sell--and serve--even more. Almost one year ago today, a group of young guys and one dad started a new business venture. They all had entrepreneurial spirits, liked getting good deals, and wanted to create a surplus store that merged those interests. One of the young men, Derrick Miller, said they decided to use that venture to serve orphanages in Africa, to make it God's business and help His children. And so, in a storefront across from the courthouse in downtown Millersburg, the group opened 61 Surplus, a name derived from Isaiah 61, a passage in the Bible about bringing good news to the poor, binding up the brokenhearted, proclaiming liberty to the captives and comforting the mourning. Derrick Miller and his friend Jared Coblentz, along with Miller's brother Brent Miller and father James Miller, started filling the store with truckloads of surplus items returned by online purchasers or refurbished by manufacturers, and staffed the shop with volunteers. Their goal was to offer high-quality retail products--everything from KitchenAid mixers to leather furniture--at about 40% off their online price. But the profits, they decided, wouldn't stay in their own pockets. Instead, they would use them to assist the poor, feed the hungry and build orphanages in Thika, Kenya. Within nine months, 61 Surplus sent $2,000 to Thika as well as another $2,000 to Ten Thousand Homes, a nonprofit organization building houses and relationships in southern Africa for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Also within nine months, 61 Surplus was also able to pay off all the store's debts. On Saturday, May 19, 61 Surplus opened a second store in the former Nature's Food Market on the square in Berlin. "Lots of people come through Berlin," Derrick Miller said, "so when this space came available, we looked into it, and it turned out to be feasible." The store boasts 4500 square feet of space, about five times more than the Millersburg store, and can hold larger items, like leather sectionals, ping pong tables, and bicycles. Even with the higher overhead and start-up costs, the crew is optimistic. Within the first few days, the numbers were promising. Derrick Miller said the most sought-after items are furniture, stand mixers, coffeemakers and their large selection of baby items. Shana Miller, Derrick Miller's cousin and the store's main sales associate, agreed. "Pampers are one of the biggest sellers," Shana Miller said, "because they're usually so expensive, something people need, and we have them cheaper than just about anywhere else." Beth and Ben Hershberger of Baltic are expecting their first child and were in the store purchasing a glider stool and video monitor. "We're trying to save pennies where we can, and this is a nice way to do it," Beth Hershberger said. "Since Ben works in Berlin, it's nice that we can stop in and keep our eyes open for things we need." "It's also nice when you get something cheaper, but the money you spend goes toward something good," Ben Hershberger added. "That's a bonus for us." "I love when people tell me they can't believe they're spending so little on so much, and at the same time, they know their money is going for something really good." Derrick Miller said people often ask where the products come from and wonder whether they will work. Sometimes items arrive at 61 Surplus because there's a dent in the box or has been accidentally ordered. To instill trust, 61 Surplus checks incoming products and offers a 100% refund on items within 14 days. Kitchen-Aid mixers, for example, are a big seller. Not one of them has been returned to date, Shana Miller said. "If you buy anything from a bicycle to a weed eater," Derrick Miller said, "we want you to be assured you're getting something that works." An organization like 61 Surplus takes a lot of work, and the four men who run it sometimes work long hours after they leave their full-time jobs. They're always looking for volunteers to run the cash register, assemble items, and stock shelves with new items, which they do every day or two. The shop's owners take no salaries, though they've now hired help to run the stores, which are open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Derrick Miller said it's hard work, but he has a way of keeping it in perspective. "When I imagine what it would be like if my own son were orphaned," Miller said, "working a few more hours to save a child's life doesn't seem like much at all."


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