We determined there was a market for that liquidation service and asset end-of-life management.
Take exit 275 on I-15 and drive east on Pleasant Grove Boulevard for a ways and eventually you’ll see a 52,000 square foot warehouse with a sign that reads “Tams.” At this point you’ll probably ask, “What is Tams?” and it’s a shame I won’t be in the passenger seat when you ask that because I can tell you exactly what Tams is and why it is housed in such an enormous space.
Brad Morley, founder of Tams Solutions, and father to one very intelligent, beautiful, and extremely talented daughter, explains that every asset in a company has an end of life. When companies change technologies or go out of business, the company must ensure that stored data remains protected. “We protect it,” Morley says. The TAMS team shreds any element of the asset that could store data, and cleans the asset with a Department of Defense level cleaning tool. If the asset is beyond repair, TAMS recycles it in a manner that is both lawfully and environmentally sound. If the asset has any market value, Tams refurbishes it, sells it, and recovers any residual value. “Most big customers are surprised to learn that they will make money,” Morley says, explaining that the recovered value is returned to the customer. Customers are also surprised and relieved by how efficiently Tams makes the problem of asset surplus go away. Tams recently helped a client turn a quarter million deficit into a $500,000 windfall. “We paid attention to the assets and knew that there was value in each asset,” Morley explains.
Companies looking to liquidate aren’t the only customers who can benefit from the Tams solution. IT departments trying to equip a company with computers often want large quantities of a specific machine. Managing a fleet of identical computers saves a company time and money, and buying those computers used REALLY saves a company time and money. “We can deliver 500 computers to you tomorrow for a fraction of what it would cost for new computers,” Morley says. It is Tams’ affordability and dependability that has helped it find fans in the startup community. A new startup can get year-old, well-functioning equipment for a budget friendly price. “We can get them servers, hard drives, and equipment that they dream of having at a fraction of the cost,” Morley says.
Still another tier of customers benefit from Tams’ services. The individual consumer can purchase a used computer from the Tams storefront and pay less for a better functioning machine. “The average consumer is going to go to a big box store and buy a laptop or desktop computer. Those are built for consumers and are inferior to corporate computers,” Morley says. Consumer machines are designed to be used infrequently, while corporate machines are designed to be used 9–10 hours a day. “It’s the difference between buying an Easy Bake Oven or a Viking,” Morley says, though in this analogy the Viking is more affordable than the Easy Bake.
Tams began in 2003, when, after their previous company was purchased and a liquidation team was sent in to their office, Morley and his two cofounders Jason Dye and Curtis Nelson, bought the surplus assets. “We determined there was a market for that liquidation service and asset end-of-life management,” Morley says. So the partners built Tams. Morley describes the life of Tams so far as “a 13-year month-to-month battle. Every month we feel like we’re in startup mode,” Morley says. “Every month it’s a clean slate. Every month we feel like we have to win the trust of our customers.” It’s a healthy sentiment that keeps the Tams team working hard to offer the best service possible. “As more people come to depend on us, our services get better and our equipment increases in quality and quantity,” Morley says. Tams now has clients across the country and works with thousands of customers. The company recycles and refurbishes so many assets that they have outgrown their previous warehouse and built their new warehouse into which they will soon move. Happy customers, conservative business practices, and delivering on their promises has helped Tams become what it is today. “We have benefited from people who recognize the value of dependable, trustworthy vendors,” Morley says. Ask any of those people where to go for your liquidation, recycling, or quality equipment needs, and they will be sure to point you in the direction of Tams.
Published 5/12/2016
