People You Should Know: April Coates, Program Manager, Loudoun County Surplus Store
By: Susan VanEpps
Whether your business budget runs on a fiscal year or a calendar year, January is the perfect time to restock office supplies or buy office equipment. Here to help you is April Coates, the surplus property manager for Loudoun County.
Coates manages the Loudoun County Surplus Store, which offers a variety of excess government property for sale to the public, including business-related equipment. Need a computer, chair and keyboard for that new employee? A quick trip to the nearest office supply store can set you back a minimum of $400 – much more than you’ll pay at the surplus store. Coates says their low prices really surprise customers.
“Desk chairs range from $2 to $7, keyboards are $2 each, and CPUs range from $15 to $45 depending on speed/memory size,” she said. She adds that they sell a variety of books, CDs and DVDs; business property, such as “a large of office furniture — file cabinets, desks, office chairs, etcetera,” and office accessories such as hanging file folders, file organizers and binders.
The equipment for sale includes computers, printers and monitors. Coats states that customers can test everything out on site, as there are no refunds.
The store is located at 14 Cardinal Park Drive in Leesburg, and is open the second Friday and the last Saturday from 10 to 4 p.m. during the winter months. The next date for public sale will be January 11. The store has also instituted online auction sales for selected items including county vehicles, computer laptops and computer equipment. The next online auction will be held January 7. Visit the Loudoun County surplus auction registration page to register as a buyer and to view the items for online sale.