What started with eBay sales, flipping furniture from Facebook Marketplace and helping a friend sell some office furniture has turned into big business for Kelly and Nick Niesen, founders of Madison Liquidators.
The company was officially established in 2015, but the Niesens were “scrappy” for a few years as their business evolved into what the company’s website now describes as “one of the largest distributors of office furniture in the United States.”
Nick has always been “an entrepreneur at heart,” always figuring out ways to work for himself, Kelly says, while Nick describes himself with a laugh as a “terrible employee but a great boss.”
The pair had been running online sales through eBay, Amazon and their own website when a friend was retiring and looking to get rid of his office furniture in 2017.
Knowing that the Niesens sold items online, he asked if they could help move his furniture, and it was a success. About 85 percent of it sold before they even had to move it from his office.
“That went so well that we just started picking up whatever used furniture we could find all over Madison and selling it,” Kelly says.
Whether it was free or for sale, they’d bring it to their showroom and sell it from there, and they were turning around quite a bit of supply.
“We sort of set the price of used furniture for a little while,” Kelly says.
In 2020, the business “transformed” and went nationwide from its local beginnings. The COVID-19 pandemic hit and cleared out their inventory as people started working from home and supply chain issues began to affect business.
During that time, Nick holed away in his office while everyone but one other person stayed home and worked on the Madison Liquidators website.
Now, the company is rarely liquidating businesses. Most of the furniture they get is direct from manufacturers, with a sharp, straightforward website now offering everything from office supplies and desk accessories to cubicles and conference tables.
”Our business model changed entirely,” Nick says, with Kelly calling their model “unique.”
But despite all of that change and a nationwide reach, it’s still a Madison company. Local customers can pick up their furniture or have it delivered and installed, and there are plans to open a storefront at a recently acquired location on Stoughton Road in 2025.
Nick grew up in Middleton, about a mile from the company’s current location, though it didn’t feel quite so big then.
They’ve also been big supporters of Dane Buy Local and other local businesses.
“While Madison Liquidators has expanded its reach nationwide, their commitment to supporting local businesses remains unwavering,” says Dane Buy Local Executive Director Paula Severson. “Their strong backing of Dane Buy Local has allowed us to provide crucial support to many local businesses that might not have had a lifeline otherwise. We’re proud to have them as a partner in strengthening our community.”
As Nick says, “Madison’s our home, whether we’re selling nationwide or not.”
To learn more about Madison Liquidators visit their website here: https://madisonliquidators.com/
Kelly and Nick Niesen, owners of Madison Liquidators.