BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL
entreprene Lii
Sitting Pretty
Adam London is growing a
business from other's furniture.
Art Aisner
a market with about two dozen com-
Special to the Jewish News
petitors and literally absorbed every
facet of the job. They became movers,
installers, maintenance specialists,
salesmen and CEOs all at once. Their
persistence and all-in approach landed
some big clients, but largely drew skep-
A
dam London knows office
furniture. Probably a little too
well, he says, acknowledg-
ing he can usually name
the brand, design and even the model
number of furnishings in other people's
offices or in the background of movie
and television scenes.
"I know it makes me kind of a fur-
niture nerd, but I have a lot of pride in
ticism in the local market that first year,
London said. But things were about to
change.
"That first year in business, we got a
lot of people saying, 'Used office furni-
ture? Why? I'll just buy new, — London
said.
London is co-founder of Efficient
said. "It was something the dealers
didn't even want to deal with, but
that was 2005 and the economy has
Office Solutions in Livonia. The com-
pany collects, refurbishes and re-sells
pre-owned office furniture and cubicles
changed things dramatically."
As budgets tightened and companies
streamlined to keep pace with tech-
throughout Metro Detroit and other
nological advances in office work and
boost efficiency, London benefited.
Now dealers that were once disinter-
knowing my business in and out," he
Midwest cities.
Now in their fifth year of operation,
London, 31, and business partner
Johnny Ginnetti, 29, recently passed
$1 million in total sales. And they've
ested in the market are clamoring to be
carved out a distinct niche in a rather
undiscovered and growing market,
the business in 2009 — for the third
consecutive year — commendable in
even good economic times and remark-
despite the sluggish economy.
Though Michigan has a robust office-
strategic partners.
He estimates 30 percent growth in
able during the national recession.
furniture manufacturing industry with
international heavyweights such as
Homegrown
Steelcase, Haworth and Herman Miller,
there are only a handful of vendors that
deal in pre-owned merchandise. Fewer
Looking around the 10,000-square-foot
warehouse filled with chairs, file cabi-
nets and dismantled cubicles, London
still operate wholesale, which makes
London's business more attractive to
small start-ups and big companies alike.
knows each piece was likely used by
someone now out of a job. But he
Taking The Plunge
London and Ginnetti met while working
as sales reps for a local office-furniture
supplier.
Both sons of long-time salesmen
and equally ambitious, the pair left the
comforts of secure jobs and ventured
out on their own with just an idea and
entrepreneurial spirit.
"We used to sit around work talking
to the older salesmen who kept saying
they should go into business for them-
selves, and we didn't want to become
that guy who was always just talking
about it. We figured, 'Lets just do it,'"
London said.
With a little seed money and guid-
ance from their parents, they entered
looks at the positive.
"We'll go into a big company and
buy 400 chairs that used to be sat in by
employed people, but at the same time,
we're offering to help start small busi-
nesses or help companies stay afloat by
reducing their costs," he said. "If we can
take a bad situation and do a little bit to
Adam London at his Livonia warehouse
Though born in Cleveland to a pair
of Long Island natives, London moved
to Michigan before he was 2 and has
always considered it his home.
After graduating from Bloomfield Hills
Andover High School in 1995, London
earned a degree in supply-chain man-
agement from Michigan State University
and resisted the temptation to leave the
and owner of Novi-based Global Office
Solutions, one of London's first and
best clients. "Adam's an efficient,
stand-up guy," he said. "He's ethical
and does what he says he's going to
do."
Levy also said that keeping business-
es within the Jewish community thriv-
ing, especially in a slumping economy,
state after graduation.
He settled his own roots here and
bought a home with wife Nikki not long
is critically important, which London
after their wedding last August.
"I have a lot of pride in the commu-
nity here, the sports teams, the people,
Michigan itself," he said. "I'm so happy
being able to maintain his company's
steady success. "I think the companies
that just grow so fast, like the dot-corns
that went from small volumes to making
profit organizations when possible.
It's part of London's philosophy of
keeping business and local community
to be here and I think this economy
really will come back. I believe it
because I believe in the people here.
They work hard at all levels."
The same can be said about London,
millions of dollars a month, didn't have
the right infrastructure," he said.
"I like that we've grown steadily and
connected.
according to Reuben Levy, president
growing we want to do."
make someone's life a lithe better, I feel
good about that."
London is also proud of his corn-
pany's ability to keep thousands, if
not hundreds of thousands, of cubicle
components, chairs and office cabine-
try from landfills. And he donates gently
used merchandise to schools and non-
understands.
London credits the community with
have that foundation underneath us
to grow further. And there's a lot more
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