Zamray.com has
launched the Craigslist.org of the construction industry, allowing contractors
to resell surplus equipment after completed jobs rather than throwing it away.
Launched in January, the site already has more than 25,000 ‘for sale’ postings
from contractors around the US and more than 75,000 page views.
Contractors can post
listings for US$25 for 90 days, and it is free to search and contact sellers.
Contractors can receive four LEED points for their buildings by using surplus
materials.
Co-founder Kurt Fisher
came up with the idea when he was a buyer for an electrical contractor. After
jobs he had to throw away tons of extra equipment that wasn’t used, a wasteful
practice that benefited nobody.
“It
made me think that there had to be a buyer for this stuff and that it could be
recycled,” he said. “Craigslist is a fantastic site but doesn’t have a
construction category. We launched with the goal of filling this niche in the
industry.”
According to Fisher,
Zamray.com is launching a massive marketing campaign in 2011 with the goal of
increasing traffic and its user base. The company has partnered with several
industry agencies on the chapter level, including Associated Building
Contractors (ABC), Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the
American Institute of Contractors (AIC). Next month, Zamray.com will announce
it has partnered with the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) on the
national level.
Funding was secured
through a private investor, and the company hopes to focus on traffic rather
than profitability at this stage. Already, with its 75,000 page views since
January, the site is in the top 2% of Internet traffic in the US. The company
has hired a social media advisor who is working to spread the site virally.
Zamray.com recently launched in Canada and there are plans to expand to the
Chinese, Indian and Brazilian markets by the end of the year.
“Our
growth has out-paced Facebook at this stage,” Fisher said. “We really want to
be aggressive and get the news out there that contractors can make money
through us off their excess equipment.”
