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Making it easy to donate household items and more: Behind the Business with ReSupply, Inc. in Boston
Headquartered in Boston, ReSupply, Inc. simplifies donating furniture and household goods to charity, which can otherwise be a logistical challenge. The company was founded by childhood friends Paul Tocci and Chris Macnamara in 2015.
Paul Tocci, a West Point graduate conceived of the business during his time as an Army Officer.
“Military families move frequently, and I noticed a lot of valuable household items left behind. Many of these ended up in landfills, and I realized these items could serve a greater charity purpose,” said Paul Tocci, founder and CEO of Resupply.
ReSupply helps people and businesses around the U.S. donate furniture, clothing, electronics and other household items to local charities. It started as a side project on military bases and soon spread to surrounding communities, eventually forming a national operation. Today, ReSupply has official partnerships with charities with over 3,000 locations in 46 states, with pickup available in nearly 25,000 ZIP codes. Additionally, ReSupply has created more than $40 million in value for thousands of charities nationwide.
So how does it work? Residents nationwide can schedule a pickup online or over the phone by calling 7654-DONATE (765-436-6283). ReSupply will provide pickup within 24 to 48 hours. The service includes white glove removal of any item residents need to be taken, no matter the condition, from anywhere in the home—including heavy items on any level and ones that require disassembly. Items are then delivered to local charities. If a donation isn’t in usable condition, ReSupply will recycle it. Then, once the pickup is complete, donors will receive a digital tax receipt representing the items that were donated to a local charity.
“The unused item in an attic can be transformed into a hot meal on the table, a roof over somebody’s head, or critical emergency assistance to make ends meet,” said Tocci,. “With ReSupply, residents have a way to free up space at home, keep items from going to a landfill, and directly support the mission of local charities,” Tocci shared.
The founder further elaborated on ReSupply’s operation. "We make the choice to donate easier for the consumer by simplifying the process. Our advanced routing software allows movers to collect donations quickly and sustainably. We even offer recycling for items that can’t be donated."
During their interview, Macnamara and Tocci discussed how they ended up in business together. “Chris and I grew up together. When I was 12, I had an online sales business for used goods. I've been on this used goods problem for more than 20 years, and Chris believed in me when we were kids. Everyone else thought I was a little crazy, but he supported me. So, when I was looking to hire employee number one, Chris was the first person I called, and it was a no-brainer. He saw the vision of what we were trying to do right away. When we talked about the impact of these donations, it wasn't just that he was supporting me as a friend but as a business partner. He saw the impact that we could have together, and I think we knew at that point we were headed for a lot of hard work,” said Tocci.
For Chris Macnamara, ReSupply’s co-founder and vice president of growth, going all in with the company was a personal and professional decision. “The role models in my life were blue-collar entrepreneurs, and I knew that's where I wanted to go. I also had a huge passion for sustainability and researched solar policy in college. I wanted to start a business related to the environment that gives back. So, when Paul called me with this idea, I got very excited. Also, when I was growing up, my uncle owned a transfer station that took goods, construction debris and neighborhood trash removal. I saw a huge waste issue first-hand. ReSupply was a way to divert items from landfills and give them new life through charitable giving," he shared.
With their business, Macnamara and Tocci want to make it easy for people to donate, not dump. "It’s about taking care of the environment and the community at the same time,” Tocci said. To date, ReSupply has diverted 36 million pounds from landfills.
Plus, the mission of Resupply is to drive as many donations to charity as possible, and its vision is to revolutionize charitable giving in America. The company carries this mission forward through strong partnerships with charities across the country. For local chapters of charities such as Goodwill Industries, Habitat for Humanity, and Salvation Army, as well as a network of independent nonprofit retail stores, the company provides a donation pickup service that can be offered in addition to in-person drop-off, which increases the amount of goods that come through their doors. This provides charities with a steady stream of goods, which are made available for sale to the community at affordable prices. The charities draw on the proceeds from these sales to fund their operations and programming in the community.
Building a business from scratch that makes an impact requires plenty of grit, and ReSupply’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. "There were plenty of sleepless nights, but knowing that charities depended on us kept us going. When your life savings are on the line, you find a way to make it work," Tocci said.
Macnamara reiterated that sentiment and credited the company’s veteran-led culture for its perseverance. “We've operated a military transition program for years for folks getting off of active-duty service, and that has really become the DNA to serve and continue serving. And when you're around folks that take ownership and are mission-oriented, it becomes a no-fail operation.”
When asked why they chose Boston for ReSupply’s headquarters, Macnamara shared that they grew up about 30 minutes west of Boston and love the area. And, Tocci added, "After the Army, coming back to Boston made sense. The talent here, especially from institutions like MIT, Harvard, and Northeastern, is unparalleled.”
Since ReSupply is a young company, and people might not be familiar with its mission and business model, joining BBB was a strategic move. “We’ve spent a decade building ReSupply into a consistent and efficient operation that provides meaningful value to charities. Membership with BBB helps to build confidence among donors that ReSupply provides a trusted and reliable service that takes goods that might otherwise be discards and unlocks their continued value for communities,” said Tocci.
For more information about ReSupply, Inc., check out their BBB profile. To learn more about BBB and read more stories like this, visit Behind the Business Stories with BBB in Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT.
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