sbmuasll iness
More than 70,000 items, such as this collection of Fiestaware, arrive each week at
the Replacements Ltd. warehouse, each of
which must be inspected and sorted.
Serving up
member
rare finds
profile
Name: Replacements Ltd.
Founder and CEO: Bob Page
Employees: 575
Member at: Greensboro, NC since 2005
Address:
1089 Knox Road
McLeansville, NC 27301-9228
Phone: 1-800-REPLACE (737-5223)
Web site:
www.replacements.com
SARA D. DAVIS
Comments about Costco: Page’s
favourite Costco items include chips,
snack trays and candy. In fact, he carries
a candy bucket around the office, and
there’s a chance a dog, rabbit or other
furry friend might get a treat, too, since
Replacements allows its employees to
bring their pets to work.
Replacements Ltd. serves up
memories along with dinnerware
“It’s Halloween every day around
here,” Page says. “I do love Costco. It’s
one of my favourite places.”
By Chris Penttila
OOPS. YOU’VE JUST dropped a gravy bowl prices rise and fall constantly based on supply Hollywood producers, who contact the com-that’s been passed down in your family from and demand. “The computer calculates what pany to buy items for film and commercial
generationto generation. What was aprecious our buying prices are,” explains Bob Page, shoots, to U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, who
heirloom two minutes ago is now scattered in Replacements Ltd.’s founder and CEO. contacted Replacements when a family teapot
a dozen pieces on your kitchen floor. As you Walk through the doors behind the show- lid broke. Other customers could be looking
reach for a broom, you get teary-eyed think- room and you’ll enter Replacements’ cavern- for a long-lost piece of china they remember
ing it can never, ever be replaced. But never ous warehouse, where distributors, suppliers from childhood or trying to complete a set
fear: Replacements is here. and garage-sale enthusiasts are unloading they already own.
Replacements Ltd. is the world’s largest boxes of plates, bowls and other fragile items Page has received dozens of customer let-supplierofchina, crystal, silverandcollectibles. that are being carefully inspected for dents, ters over the years, including one from a
The showroom inside the company’s North cracks and other irregularities by a team of woman who—with Replacements’ help—
col-Carolina headquarters is lined with hundreds Replacements’ employees. Off to their left are lected the entire china set her parents could
ofchinapatterns—some new, someshrouded hundreds of floor-to-ceiling shelves that are never afford to complete. “She was very
in centuries of history. Here you’ll find every- stacked with china, flatware and more. On the excited about surprising her parents by having
thing from antique patterns—such as Royal other end of the warehouse, employees are the whole set of china,” Page says. “For cus-Copenhagen “Flora Danica,” which dates to busy cleaning and restoring items sent in by tomers, it’s not just a plate. It’s something
1790 with dinner plates that retail customers. Replacements’ facility is so big that about memories.”
for $900 apiece—to trendy, modern collec- a few years ago Rand McNally picked the Page sees great demand for recently dis-tions from Pier One, Crate & Barrel and company as one of the top 25 free attractions continued patterns, as well as changing tastes in
Martha Stewart that are especially popular in the United States, and there’s usually a tour flatware. “Silverplate is going out of vogue and
with younger customers. The company’s data- bus or two in the parking lot. stainless is very popular,” he says. China pat-base tracks everything up to the minute, and Replacements clientele has ranged from terns with shorter shelf lives are another trend.
