By Andrew Danielson
Rows of chairs, desks and filing cabinets are arranged in perfect order inside the spacious, well-lit room. One corner holds computers and monitors; the opposite wall supports a stack of flat-screen TVs.
There’s a quiet sense of anticipation in the room, as if the objects are waiting for new homes.
Welcome to the Purdue Fort Wayne surplus store.
Located at 5190 St. Joe Road in Ginsberg Hall, the store is a hidden gem on campus — a hub for reuse, sustainability and community service.
“We handle all the surplus in Purdue Fort Wayne circulation,” said TJ Swihart, surplus property coordinator.
Swihart, a 2025 PFW graduate in criminal justice, volunteered at the surplus store as a student before taking on his current role last year. His department manages the collection, sorting and redistribution of university surplus — deciding what gets resold, recycled or discarded.
Swihart explained that the goal of the surplus store is to act as a resource for both the PFW campus and the greater Fort Wayne community.
Items no longer needed on campus are collected and brought to the PFW warehouse — located in the same building as the store — where they’re evaluated. Usable items are offered for sale or repurposed for on-campus use. Anything that can’t be reused is recycled or discarded.
The range of items is vast.
“Anything that’s not just your generic trash,” Swihart said, describing surplus that includes everything from computers and projectors to office furniture and televisions. “The most consistent item, I would say, is the computers.”
Many of the computers come from the university’s IT department and are reset to factory settings before being sold at a steep discount.
The store is typically open to the public once a month, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Swihart said customer turnout depends on the inventory, especially high-demand items.
“Apple products are a huge deal,” he said with a chuckle, recalling a sale where about 30 customers lined up for Mac devices.
On an average public sale day, the store sees 80 to 100 shoppers.
But the surplus store also serves internal campus needs. Academic departments can request items for free, such as desks, chairs or electronics.
“It’s not just about selling to the public,” Swihart said. “It’s about storing items for reuse around campus.”
That reuse supports both the university’s budget and its sustainability goals.
“That’s our big thing – being sustainable,” Swihart said.
In addition to in-store sales, the department lists select surplus items on GovDeals.com, an online auction site for government surplus. Specialty or large items — like vehicles — are typically sold there.
One recent success: the sale of a 2001 Chevy Tahoe, maintained by PFW staff and sold for more than $4,000.
The surplus store is part of a broader department that also includes mail services and print operations. The team handles internal moves, mail delivery and more.
Swihart said what makes the work meaningful is seeing objects get reused that many people might think have outworn their useful life. It is the chance to keep items in circulation and out of the landfill.
“I like to try to make the world a better place,” he said. “Being part of a sustainability program is nice.”
The store also partners with nonprofits. Past collaborations have included food drives with Ronald McDonald House Charities. This month, the store is working with Blue Jacket, Inc., a local nonprofit that helps people with barriers to employment.
As part of the July 18 public sale, shoppers can receive a discount by donating professional clothing, such as a sport coat or dress shirt, to support Blue Jacket’s mission.
Whether providing free furniture to campus departments, steep discounts to students or support to nonprofits, the surplus store is helping extend the life of useful goods — and making PFW and the surrounding area a better, more sustainable place for everyone.
