Surplus Center
Surplus Center is a Lincoln, Nebraska-based e-commerce retailer, founded in 1933, that sells surplus and discounted industrial parts — including hydraulics, pneumatics, electric motors, and power transmission components — to equipment owners, maintenance professionals, and agricultural users across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1933
- HeadquartersLincoln, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Surplus Center does
Surplus Center is a Lincoln, Nebraska-based e-commerce retailer of surplus and discounted industrial parts and equipment, founded in 1933 and operating from a single headquarters at 1015 West "O" Street. The company maintains a catalog spanning more than 20 product categories — including Air & Pneumatics, Bearings, Electric Motors, Electrical Components, Hydraulics, Power Transmission, Water Pumps, Engines, Casters & Wheels, Gauges, Linear Actuators, Seats, Gear Reducers, and Sprockets & Roller Chain — and distributes products from brands such as Worldwide Electric, Prince Mfg, Bestorq, Dynamic, Buyers Products, Wolverine by Prince Mfg, Dura-Roll, NRP Jones, and Chief. A dedicated Bargain Bin and Warehouse Clearance section reflects its surplus and overstock sourcing model.
The company targets equipment owners and operators, industrial maintenance and repair professionals, and agricultural users seeking replacement components for tractors, trailers, industrial machinery, and mobile equipment. Its go-to-market is product-led growth through the e-commerce website (surpluscenter.com), supplemented by phone sales (800-488-3407) and a walk-in sales counter at the Lincoln headquarters open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Revenue is generated through one-time unit-priced product sales, with individual item prices ranging from approximately $0.70 for small components (e.g., plugs) to nearly $1,000 for specialized equipment (e.g., gear reducers at $996.95). The company employs 11-50 people, distributes exclusively within the United States, and operates with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or external funding.
Operationally, the business runs on a BigCommerce storefront with newsletter-driven email marketing and optional physical catalog distribution. There is no disclosed API, SDK, mobile application, or AI/ML capability; the technology footprint is limited to standard e-commerce tooling. No strategic moves, M&A activity, leadership changes, or partnership announcements are documented in the available data, and revenue, ownership structure, and financial performance are not publicly disclosed.
Surplus Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Surplus Center
- Legal name
- Surplus Center
- Website
- https://surpluscenter.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1933
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Surplus Center is a Lincoln, Nebraska-based e-commerce retailer, founded in 1933, that sells surplus and discounted industrial parts — including hydraulics, pneumatics, electric motors, and power transmission components — to equipment owners, maintenance professionals, and agricultural users across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Surplus Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Surplus Parts Retail
- NAICS
- Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423840), Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42384)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080), Wholesale-Durable Goods, Nec (5099)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Overstock & Surplus General Merchandise Retail (CRAEAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Spare Parts / MRO Distribution Centers (Industrial) (TLALAEAL), Tools, shop equipment & garage supplies distribution (diagnostic tools, lifts, compressors, PPE) (CRAOANAG)
Keywords
Where Surplus Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lincoln
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Surplus Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Surplus Center generates revenue through direct sales of surplus industrial parts, equipment components, and accessories. The company sells a wide variety of mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and pneumatic components to customers primarily through its e-commerce platform. Products range from individual components like fittings and bearings to complete assemblies like hydraulic cylinders and motors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | — | Individual product pricing for surplus industrial parts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Surplus Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Surplus Center is an e-commerce retailer that sells new and discounted surplus industrial components across 20+ categories including hydraulics, electric motors, power transmission, air & pneumatics, bearings, water pumps, engines, casters & wheels, and electrical components. The company distributes replacement parts and equipment for industrial, agricultural, truck/trailer, and mobile equipment applications through its own online storefront, phone sales, and a walk-in sales counter at its Lincoln, Nebraska headquarters.
Product overview
Surplus Center is an industrial surplus equipment retailer offering a comprehensive catalog of new and discounted surplus industrial components across multiple categories. The company operates as a single e-commerce platform selling surplus and overstock industrial equipment rather than a modular software product. The product portfolio includes core categories like Hydraulics (cylinders, motors, pumps, valves, power units), Electric Motors (AC/DC motors, gearmotors, linear actuators), Power Transmission (gear reducers, roller chain, sprockets, pulleys), Air & Pneumatics, Bearings, Water Pumps, Engines, Casters & Wheels, Electrical Components, Gauges, Seats, and miscellaneous industrial supplies. Featured brands include Worldwide Electric, Prince Mfg, Bestorq, Dynamic, Buyers Products, Wolverine by Prince Mfg, Dura-Roll, NRP Jones, and Chief. The company also offers a Bargain Bin and Warehouse Clearance sections featuring discounted surplus inventory.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Air & Pneumatics Air compressors, vacuum pumps, air cylinders, fittings, valves, tanks, pressure gauges, and related pneumatic components for industrial applications.
- Bearings Industrial bearings including cast iron flange mount bearings, pillow block bearings, stainless steel bearings, take-up bearings, insert bearings, and ball bearings.
- Electric Motors AC and DC motors including single phase, 3-phase, gearmotors, linear actuators, motor mounts, and motor speed controllers for industrial use.
- Electrical Components Switches, relays, contactors, solenoids, meters, counters, timers, transformers, bridge rectifiers, power supplies, circuit breakers, fuses, and capacitors.
- Hydraulics Complete hydraulic systems including cylinders, motors, pumps (gear, vane, piston, PTO, hand pumps), valves, power units, reservoirs, oil coolers, adapters, fittings, quick couplers, hose assemblies, and filters.
- Power Transmission Gear reducers, gearboxes, roller chain and links, sprockets, pulleys, V-belts, ACME thread lead screws, shafting, shaft collars, shaft couplers, rod ends, transaxles, transmissions, differentials, clutches, and PTO shafts.
- Water Pumps Agricultural pumps (roller, centrifugal sprayer, diaphragm, plunger, gear pumps), centrifugal pumps, submersible pumps, well pumps, and related accessories.
- Engines Gas engines (horizontal and vertical shaft) and accessories including block heaters, fuel pumps, mufflers, fuel tanks, throttle cables, and engine-to-pump adapters.
- Casters & Wheels Plate casters, threaded stem casters, grip ring casters, bolt hole casters, pneumatic wheels, flat free wheels, and trailer components.
- Truck & Trailer Components Truck and trailer components including lights, back-up alarms, camera kits, transfer pumps, cab heaters, block heaters, trailer jacks, brakes, shocks, springs, and battery chargers.
- Gauges Measurement instruments including pressure gauges, vacuum gauges, refrigerant gauges, thermometers, temperature gauges, flow meters, automotive gauges, and hour meters.
- Linear Actuators Linear motion devices including DC linear actuators, AC linear actuators, and related accessories for industrial automation applications.
- Seats Vehicle and equipment seats including lawn & garden seats, agriculture seats, industrial seats, seat cushions, seat belts, and seat suspension systems.
- Gear Reducers Speed reduction devices including right angle gear reducers, inline gear reducers, shaft mount gear reducers, helical bevel reducers, and gearbox assemblies.
- Sprockets & Roller Chain Chain drive components including finished bore sprockets, unfinished bore sprockets, weld-on sprockets, QD sprockets, ANSI roller chain, agricultural conveyor chain, and metric roller chain.
- Miscellaneous Industrial Supplies Various industrial items including cleaning supplies, oils and fuel additives, outdoor equipment, hardware, ammo boxes, bushings, gas springs, tools, magnets, and drawer slides.
- Warehouse Clearance Discounted surplus inventory items across various categories including air & pneumatics, hydraulics, power transmission, and other product lines.
Companies that use Surplus Center
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Surplus Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Surplus Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Surplus Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- McMaster-Carr: Industry-leading direct-to-customer industrial MRO parts distributor with an extremely broad catalog of mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic components. Highly comparable to Surplus Center on product scope and target SMB/maintenance buyer.
- MSC Industrial: Direct peer serving metalworking and industrial MRO customers with broad mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical component offerings. Overlaps Surplus Center in power transmission, bearings, motors, and pneumatics.
- Zoro: E-commerce-first industrial supplies retailer (Grainger-owned) selling motors, hydraulics, pneumatics, bearings, and tools to SMBs. Closely comparable on go-to-market model (online self-service) and product mix.
- Northern Tool + Equipment: Retailer of power transmission, hydraulics, engines, and agricultural/industrial equipment parts to contractors, farmers, and equipment owners. Strong overlap with Surplus Center's buyer persona and category mix.
- Global Industrial: Direct-to-business industrial supply distributor covering material handling, motors, hydraulics, and replacement parts. Comparable to Surplus Center on B2B MRO distribution and product breadth.
Broad incumbents
- Grainger (W.W. Grainger): Largest U.S. industrial MRO distributor with extensive catalog overlap in motors, hydraulics, bearings, and power transmission. Competes with Surplus Center for the same maintenance buyer but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.
- Kaman Industrial Technologies: Established broad-line industrial distributor of bearings, power transmission, and fluid power components. Comparable to Surplus Center's power transmission and bearing categories at greater scale.
- Rexel (USA): Global electrical and industrial supplies distributor with meaningful U.S. footprint. Comparable on electrical components, motors, and power transmission categories.
Emerging players
- AutomationDirect: Direct e-commerce distributor of automation, motor, and electrical control products. Overlaps with Surplus Center in electric motors, motor speed controllers, and electrical components, though with a stronger automation tilt.
- SurplusTools: Smaller online surplus industrial tools and parts retailer. Closely comparable on the surplus-positioning and discount-pricing model that defines Surplus Center's brand.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Surplus Center social profiles
Digital presenceSurplus Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Surplus Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Surplus Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Surplus Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Surplus Center
What does Surplus Center do?
Surplus Center is an e-commerce retailer that sells new and discounted surplus industrial components across 20+ categories including hydraulics, electric motors, power transmission, air & pneumatics, bearings, water pumps, engines, casters & wheels, and electrical components. The company distributes replacement parts and equipment for industrial, agricultural, truck/trailer, and mobile equipment applications through its own online storefront, phone sales, and a walk-in sales counter at its Lincoln, Nebraska headquarters.
Is Surplus Center a public or private company?
Surplus Center is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Surplus Center founded?
Surplus Center was founded in 1933. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Surplus Center based?
Surplus Center is headquartered in Lincoln, United States, in the North America region.
How does Surplus Center make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sales.
Who are Surplus Center's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are McMaster-Carr, MSC Industrial, Zoro, Northern Tool + Equipment and Global Industrial. Broad incumbents are Grainger (W.W. Grainger), Kaman Industrial Technologies and Rexel (USA). Emerging players are AutomationDirect and SurplusTools.
Does Surplus Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Surplus Center.
What industry is Surplus Center in?
Surplus Center's product category is Industrial Surplus Parts Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAEAFAB, Overstock & Surplus General Merchandise Retail, with a secondary code of TLALAEAL, Spare Parts / MRO Distribution Centers (Industrial). Its NAICS code is 423840 and its SIC code is 5080.