Ben Smith

Every other year, New Times puts the spotlight on Phoenix's creative forces — painters, dancers, designers, and actors. Leading up to the release of Best of Phoenix, we're taking a closer look at 100 more. Welcome to the 2016 edition of 100 Creatives. Up today is 27. Ben Smith.

You have the dream, the vision and the concept of your small local business all laid out, but the costs of starting a new business can be the one roadblock you have in your path. The new retail prices of things like commercial grade kitchen equipment, shelving, storage, seating, decor and more can make that dream of starting your own business seem like an impossibility. But don’t give up on that dream just yet; there are other ways to stock your business with all the equipment you need without… Show more

You have the dream, the vision and the concept of your small local business all laid out, but the costs of starting a new business can be the one roadblock you have in your path. The new retail prices of things like commercial grade kitchen equipment, shelving, storage, seating, decor and more can make that dream of starting your own business seem like an impossibility. But don’t give up on that dream just yet; there are other ways to stock your business with all the equipment you need without having to spend a fortune.

Surplus Asset Management, or SAM Auctions, offers the cost effective alternative to purchasing those brand new commercial grade items. Surplus Asset Management Chief Strategy Officer, Ben Smith points out the benefits for small businesses of buying their commercial equipment from SAM ... Show less

Surplus Asset Management works with hotels, casinos, grocery stores, restaurants, and retail at times of closures, remodels, and liquidations. With an extensive and targeted database of buyers, it converts FF&E from landfill waste to sales and leaves properties broom swept for new tenants.
With the current round of retail, grocery, and restaurant closures, Surplus Asset Management (SAM) has seen an uptick in growth as these businesses consolidate and cut out non-performing locations within… Show more

Surplus Asset Management works with hotels, casinos, grocery stores, restaurants, and retail at times of closures, remodels, and liquidations. With an extensive and targeted database of buyers, it converts FF&E from landfill waste to sales and leaves properties broom swept for new tenants.
With the current round of retail, grocery, and restaurant closures, Surplus Asset Management (SAM) has seen an uptick in growth as these businesses consolidate and cut out non-performing locations within chains. Often in this process, inventory is redistributed or liquidated, leaving the locations filled with furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E). That is where SAM comes in. Show less

When big retailers merge, remodel or file bankruptcy, they often turn to auction houses to sell their furniture, fixtures and equipment. Demand has become so strong that Surplus Asset Management is expanding to Canada and Mexico.

Chief Strategy Officer Ben Smith describes some of the items stores at the company's west Phoenix warehouse and yard ...

Ben Smith is known as the guy to call for anything. Serving as Chief Strategist at Surplus Asset Management, he has access to millions of restaurant and grocery equipment assets. With warehouses all over the U.S., and countless restaurant and supermarket closures and remodels keeping them full, there is never a shortage of culinary implements at his fingertips. Ben also serves as Eclectic Executor of Unexpected Art Gallery. In a past, but related, life, Ben worked in marketing for food and… Show more

Ben Smith is known as the guy to call for anything. Serving as Chief Strategist at Surplus Asset Management, he has access to millions of restaurant and grocery equipment assets. With warehouses all over the U.S., and countless restaurant and supermarket closures and remodels keeping them full, there is never a shortage of culinary implements at his fingertips. Ben also serves as Eclectic Executor of Unexpected Art Gallery. In a past, but related, life, Ben worked in marketing for food and beverage companies, as well as almost every vertical imaginable, and has been a brand strategist for some of the top names in the U.S. He came to world of marketing via IT, heading up some of the top consulting teams in the country. He has been Arizona-based since 1985 and has built an incredible network of connections and contacts, running up dining expense tabs all over the state. Show less

There's a new reason to head to Grand Avenue's arts district. Unexpected Art Gallery, located at 734 West Polk Street, opened during the Grand Avenue Festival on November 14. Since then, it's hosted the annual exhibition of the ASU Sculpture Club, a one-night show held during First Friday on December 4, and established regular hours on First Fridays.

The Unexpected Art Gallery, a unique mixed-use exhibition space, will soon open in a historic Grand Avenue building on Polk Street.

The gallery will occupy 7,200 square feet of the building, previously occupied by the Miller Store Fixture.

Unexpected plans to open its doors to the public on Friday with a “pre-opening yard sale” that will continue through the weekend.

Owner Ben Smith and his staff have included various features within the gallery, including a “TechShop”… Show more

The Unexpected Art Gallery, a unique mixed-use exhibition space, will soon open in a historic Grand Avenue building on Polk Street.

The gallery will occupy 7,200 square feet of the building, previously occupied by the Miller Store Fixture.

Unexpected plans to open its doors to the public on Friday with a “pre-opening yard sale” that will continue through the weekend.

Owner Ben Smith and his staff have included various features within the gallery, including a “TechShop” makerspace, a game room, a “U Studio” with photo and video editing commons, a “Back Alley” outdoor community gathering place, a VIP loft and an art library. Show less

A new art gallery is coming to renovated commercial building on Grand Avenue in downtown Phoenix.

The Unexpected Art Gallery is opening an 8,000-square-foot space at the Miller Store Fixture building at 734 W. Polk Street.

Ben Smith is chief strategy officer with Surplus Asset Management, an organization dedicated to providing platforms for retailers, wholesalers, individuals and trustees to achieve a maximum return on their assets through online and live auctions. GlobeSt.com caught up with Smith to discuss how surplus inventory impacts the retail sector.

What happens to these places once they close? A company in Phoenix helps them sell everything, benefiting consumers looking for a deal.

"We were working through grocery stores originally and moved into hotel chains, casinos, retail, restaurants and bakeries," said Ben Smith with Surplus Asset Management. He said if you think only other businesses can get a good deal here, think again.