About Us
Army Surplus Warehouse About Us
While still quite young we earned our living with shift work employment in Butte, Montana. In 1977 we acted on our longing for a business to call our own and spent our $800.00 income tax refund to purchase the goods we used to start our surplus business.
Our start up inventory consisted of about 600 pair of shoelaces, some one-piece rubber suits and a few old army coolers. The old house we owned in was zoned commercial so between that and working opposite shift hours one or the other of us could run the make shift store.
After months of relentless hard work and the reinvestment of most of our earnings to buy additional inventory we were able to move the business to a building we rented along the business section of Harrison Avenue. We spent the next few years continuing to build the success of the business with the trust and respect we earned from our dedicated customers who came from near and far.
Much to our dismay the century old copper mining industry in Butte closed down and with it went the once robust economy. To prevent our own demise we left the Butte store under family management, we talked Cheryl's brother Jim to work for us into moving too and took some of the inventory with us to utilize for opening the Idaho store.
We rented and opened in an old 56,000 sq. ft. Consolidated Wagon Company structure with no plumbing and that was built in 1901 using lava rock to construct its 3-foot thick lava rock walls. Talk about cold! Eventually we installed a huge wood stove that served to ward off perpetual shivering and it also warmed the larger open spaces to a degree of tolerable.
Once getting our feet on the ground we knew if we were to create the best surplus business around we needed to consolidate our focus and we closed the Butte store. Unfortunate as it was, we remain grateful to the customers whose loyalty contributed greatly to our success. We also remain extremely grateful for Jim who has stayed the course with us for 35 years. His ongoing, honorable, dedicated work ethic is second to none. Thank you Jim!
Over the years and at young ages our three children who now have families of their own started working with us. Sara and Jake started the web site a few years back and have worked very hard carving out a niche of their own and expanding the diversity and choice of goods offered.
Amber, our youngest daughter, works mostly in the aspect of retail and has recently opened a section offering purses, jewelry and items appealing to women and gift minded gentlemen. It is wonderful to have them work with us. We are proud of them and grateful for the weight that has been lifted from our shoulders by their own dedication and work ethics.
As we considered the possibility of the old building we were in being sold, we positioned ourselves in the year 2000 by building and moving into our existing location at exit 113 off of I-15. We're so happy with what we consider the luxury of heat, good lighting, plumbing, our own offices and even a lunch room!
We always strive to provide the same, honest, no nonsense customer service that we are known for. Thank you for doing business with us throughout the years. We remain forever grateful for each of you, our customers. We look forward to your next visit and hope you find it as unique and interesting as the last one. See you then!
Our start up inventory consisted of about 600 pair of shoelaces, some one-piece rubber suits and a few old army coolers. The old house we owned in was zoned commercial so between that and working opposite shift hours one or the other of us could run the make shift store.
After months of relentless hard work and the reinvestment of most of our earnings to buy additional inventory we were able to move the business to a building we rented along the business section of Harrison Avenue. We spent the next few years continuing to build the success of the business with the trust and respect we earned from our dedicated customers who came from near and far.
Much to our dismay the century old copper mining industry in Butte closed down and with it went the once robust economy. To prevent our own demise we left the Butte store under family management, we talked Cheryl's brother Jim to work for us into moving too and took some of the inventory with us to utilize for opening the Idaho store.
We rented and opened in an old 56,000 sq. ft. Consolidated Wagon Company structure with no plumbing and that was built in 1901 using lava rock to construct its 3-foot thick lava rock walls. Talk about cold! Eventually we installed a huge wood stove that served to ward off perpetual shivering and it also warmed the larger open spaces to a degree of tolerable.
Once getting our feet on the ground we knew if we were to create the best surplus business around we needed to consolidate our focus and we closed the Butte store. Unfortunate as it was, we remain grateful to the customers whose loyalty contributed greatly to our success. We also remain extremely grateful for Jim who has stayed the course with us for 35 years. His ongoing, honorable, dedicated work ethic is second to none. Thank you Jim!
Over the years and at young ages our three children who now have families of their own started working with us. Sara and Jake started the web site a few years back and have worked very hard carving out a niche of their own and expanding the diversity and choice of goods offered.
Amber, our youngest daughter, works mostly in the aspect of retail and has recently opened a section offering purses, jewelry and items appealing to women and gift minded gentlemen. It is wonderful to have them work with us. We are proud of them and grateful for the weight that has been lifted from our shoulders by their own dedication and work ethics.
As we considered the possibility of the old building we were in being sold, we positioned ourselves in the year 2000 by building and moving into our existing location at exit 113 off of I-15. We're so happy with what we consider the luxury of heat, good lighting, plumbing, our own offices and even a lunch room!
We always strive to provide the same, honest, no nonsense customer service that we are known for. Thank you for doing business with us throughout the years. We remain forever grateful for each of you, our customers. We look forward to your next visit and hope you find it as unique and interesting as the last one. See you then!
