A factory can stop needing a machine long before the machine stops being useful. GoIndustry DoveBid built a business around that gap - and the paperwork, pricing and people needed to close it.
A machine earns its keep when it works. United Rentals built a business around everything that happens before, after, and in between.
A returned sofa. An idle machine. A government truck. Liquidity Services built a business around a simple possibility: somebody else still wants it.
The company behind The Saleroom and LiveAuctioneers has moved from auction listings to payments, shipping and an $85 million bet on vintage furniture. Its next test is turning all that activity into better profits.