Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Edreff
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I was 16 years old I worked for a small computer repair shop called Computer Exchange in Lorain Ohio. I was always fascinated with IT Equipment. Our shop bought wholesale equipment from a company called Monitor Man in Elyria, Ohio. At that time I was offered a job at Monitor Man at $10/Hr. I didn’t accept the job offer right away and the position was given to someone else. After a week I reached out again and was able to get the job at a lower pay rate. (That was my first life lesson of learning to move fast to get things done). Instead of pursuing college I put my nose down and worked my way up to where I am at today. College isn’t for everyone and my story of my success is one of many that proves that today.
I worked at Monitor Man working my way up from a technician to the warehouse manager. Unfortunately, the owner of Monitor Man passed away and the company closed. Monitor Man worked closely with a company by the name of MPL Solutions in Connecticut owned by Matthew Laukaitis. That’s when I opened up my consulting company Edreff Holdings. Edreff Holdings began consulting for companies like MPL Solutions to buy and sell Used IT equipment from ITADs and R2 Recyclers. Edreff Holdings started in 2015. I would estimate since 2015 til now I have purchased and sold over 500k Desktop, Laptops and Servers all around the world. We have customers in China, Dubai, Egypt, Canada and more. I was able to succeed in this business as I aligned myself with colleagues that already experienced pitfalls in this business. While Edreff Holdings was flourishing I was helping my buddy out with his food truck. Eventually we decided to partner up and open up “Smash Pizza”. We partnered with a beverage drive thru as well as a Craft Beer bar to handle the food. As we found success in both locations we also found that sizing down to one of our own Brick and Mortar location made the most sense. We later opened Smash Pizza Kitchen in North Ridgeville Ohio. Who would’ve thought selling Pizza and Selling computers went together? As I navigate both businesses I am always looking for other opportunities to invest in. The entrepreneur spirt sticks with me on how much more I can do.
Edreff Holdings is solely owned by Andrew Edreff
Smash Pizza Kitchen is owned by Jenso Soto & Andrew Edreff
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In Ohio the roads are never smooth but that isn’t a bad thing in most cases. Covid created a lot of uncertainty in the world. For Edreff Holdings the secondary computer market were some of the best days in my sales career. The need for laptops and desktops skyrocketed as businesses needed equipment for their employees to work from home. However, the food business during Covid has its struggles of needing to pivot daily to the health department. Both happening at the same time had its struggles but also complimented each other. When I found solutions in one industry we pivoted and applied those solutions to another industry. Post covid the market stabilized in the computer industry but in that industry anything can affect the market value of equipment. You have to be ahead of global news like tariffs, wars, import and export changes and more. The food industry is not immune to that either as global issues cause food pricing to fluctuate in an already small margin business. Owning a small business is the most rewarding headache. That’s why I am thankful I aligned myself with others whose experience and knowledge allowed me to avoid costly mistakes and pitfalls.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Edreff Holdings I purchase and sell IT equipment on the secondary market globally.
We purchase volume of Desktops, laptops, servers and more from fortune 500 companies. In my industry I am known for my pricing knowledge and knowing where to procure specific items at. I think if I had to pick something that sets me apart from others is working fast to get the deal done. Everyone has a number in their head but working/understanding someone to get that number is the hardest part. Being fast and efficient with purchasing is what sets me apart from others. I have found my success in that. Edreff Holdings can partner with MPL Solutions to do Data Center take outs across the US as well as buy used off lease computers.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Matthew Laukaitis at MPL Solutions has helped me find success. His life experiences in business and in his personal life have allowed me to avoid the “pitfalls” in computer/sales industry. Understand hard work and how to get a deal done. Before starting Edreff Holdings I was new to sales and purchasing.
Jenso Soto at Smash Pizza Kitchen also helped me understand the food industry and its pitfalls. I never worked in food until I started helping with Jensos food truck. Understanding the general public and the inner workings of the service industry. Focusing on labor and logistics to execute in a practical way.
My parents Isabel & David Edreff. My parents always made sure my brother and I were taken care of. They worked hard long hours. My Dad took overtime at work when it was offered. I asked him when I was younger why he always worked when it was offered and he explained you never know when they are not going to offer it and its money lost. That really stuck with me.
My wife Olivia Edreff has been my number one cheerleader. She has seen my good days and a lot of my bad days. In the secondary computer market and working with global clients my work day starts when I open my eyes and ends when I close my eyes. Working with clients from all different time zones is a learning curve. I am surprised she hasn’t thrown my phone into a fire with all the phone calls and work emails I have to respond to. She supports me through the bad deals I’ve made and have always came through on top. She reminds me to learn from the bad experiences and to persevere.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mplsolutions.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smashNorthRidgeville
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-edreff-994621104/
