OVERLAND PARK, Ks. – Sometimes the simple process of living leads to unexpected opportunities. For a couple residing in Overland Park that moment happened when they learned how neighbors moving in next door lead to a new business in Texas. A business they thought could do very well in the metro.
The story originated one day in a Dallas suburb as a husband and wife looked out their window and saw the aftermath from the neighbor's moving day.
“They pushed out a 6 foot pile of used boxes on to the curb after they moved in,” said Hix Hardy of Dallas, Texas. “My wife and I joked there had to be a better way to reuse and recycle the boxes.”
Soon Best Price Boxes, Inc. was born. A simple idea, but then some of the most successful businesses are just that. Meegan and John Campbell of Overland Park were in the moving business and learned about Best Price Boxes, Inc. from their friends in Dallas who were also in the moving business.
"We were talking about all the boxes we were asked to take away when moving folks, especially military families," explained John Campbell. "We had the boxes stuffed in storage and would re-sell them, but only if people asked about it. We hadn't thought about buying and selling used boxes as an added revenue stream, but its been great."
Hardy, back in Dallas, agrees saying his business model offers a win-win for buyers, sellers and the environment, but works best if offered by someone already in a related business. The Campbells, with their moving companies, fit that mold.
“Our business model is to sell used boxes for about half the cost of others and then buy the boxes back from our customers,” explained Hardy.
That fit in perfectly with a need that John and Meegan had with their existing moving businesses called Studdard Relocation Services and Studdard Moving and Storage.
The Campbells pay anywhere from .15 to $1.00 per box depending on the size. They sell their used boxes starting at .89 and up. Customers win with competitive pricing for a necessary moving expense. But then something extraordinary began to happen as others joined in the entrepreneurial spirit.
“Kids started driving around in their pickups every week in the summer on trash days to pick up used boxes that residents put out on the curb,” said Hardy. “They would bring them to our location and we paid them money.”
It was another win for the budding business and kids trying to earn some summer cash.
“Their parents loved it because they are working, earning money and taking responsibility,” further explained Hardy. “The kids love it because they are their own boss and are making money. We love it because we are keeping thousands of used boxes out of the trash and landfills.”
It’s estimated that 90 percent of all products shipped in the U.S. travel in cardboard boxes. For every ton of cardboard recycled we save 17 trees, 7000 gallons of water, more than three cubic yards of landfill space and help cut pollution by 95%.
Businesses are catching onto this recycling alternative, too. When the economy slowed earlier this year the price for baled cardboard plummeted. Prices last year of $110 per ton by January had fallen to $25 per ton. And, while the cardboard market is trying to make a comeback as demand increases, Hardy and the Campbells have found a niche market among businesses wanting to sell their boxes instead of paying for trash companies to take the boxes away.
“Companies who were throwing out thousands of used boxes in their dumpsters every month are now contacting us,” said Hardy. “We will not only pick them up from them, but will also pay them for their boxes.”
Best Priced Boxes, Inc. has three locations in the area including Overland Park, Lee’s Summit and Leavenworth. They can also be found in Texas and Colorado and expect to have new locations in other states soon.
