Bulk Reef Supply takes investment from Bertram Capital

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shred5

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siggy

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Did you folks catch their Thursday tank talk ? Ryan mentioned their investors and that investment is translating into hiring a boatload of media and distributor professionals, expanded programming and as he said "Headed to the moon" lol or something to that nature. He was jacked up talking about it, the future looks bright :cool:
Now what did not occur was freebies or the random giveaway. Not that they do that on Thursdays :p Is it all business now Wall Street has their talons in ?... Time will tell
 

shred5

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Did you folks catch their Thursday tank talk ? Ryan mentioned their investors and that investment is translating into hiring a boatload of media and distributor professionals, expanded programming and as he said "Headed to the moon" lol or something to that nature. He was jacked up talking about it, the future looks bright :cool:
Now what did not occur was freebies or the random giveaway. Not that they do that on Thursdays :p Is it all business now Wall Street has their talons in ?... Time will tell

Yea I watched it. You do not take on a investors or partners to hire a couple video people. Not a company doing well anyway, has to be something else.
 

spfahnestock

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I have started to write this response a few times and then deleted it. So here goes...

I am not sure why people are so concerned with how BRS is running the financial side of their company.

I understand how we could feel "connected" to them based on all the video content, but would all these posts have happened if the company took out a loan? Companies go through financially good and bad times some survive some don't. I will admit I purchase 90% of my tank items (short of livestock) from BRS, but lets be honest if for some reason BRS did not survive I (and everyone else) would move on to another company.

I can only hope that the decision they made to take on investors was well thought out and there is something great coming.

Sometimes companies just need liquid capital to expand and it seems like BRS might be doing just that from their latest video.

With all that said I guess it boils down to this one statement for me "Is it any of my business who own part of a company I purchase from?"


****I am in no way affiliated with BRS or any employee****
 

shred5

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I have started to write this response a few times and then deleted it. So here goes...

I am not sure why people are so concerned with how BRS is running the financial side of their company.

I understand how we could feel "connected" to them based on all the video content, but would all these posts have happened if the company took out a loan? Companies go through financially good and bad times some survive some don't. I will admit I purchase 90% of my tank items (short of livestock) from BRS, but lets be honest if for some reason BRS did not survive I (and everyone else) would move on to another company.

I can only hope that the decision they made to take on investors was well thought out and there is something great coming.

Sometimes companies just need liquid capital to expand and it seems like BRS might be doing just that from their latest video.

With all that said I guess it boils down to this one statement for me "Is it any of my business who own part of a company I purchase from?"


****I am in no way affiliated with BRS or any employee****

I do not think there is any demise. I think people just want to know what they took on a partner for and what it means.
This is a investment for something. Usually you take on someone like this when you want to buy out another partner, go public, expand the business, need help breaking into other markets or the owners want out eventually, sell the business etc.
You do not take on a investment partner to hire a few video people not when you are the size they are. People are just curious what it means.
 

siggy

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I am not sure why people are so concerned with how BRS is running the financial side of their company.

I understand how we could feel "connected" to them based on all the video content,
That and an interest in Related News and Current events pertaining too, and impacting our hobbies and lifestyles.
If Petco purchased BRS, would they still be your goto? DRS F&S was my goto for a decade, I don't believe I have made a single hardware purchase sense Petco dismantled them.
Lastly, something other to converse about other than "How often do you change your underwear? " ;)
 

Micro-Reefs Aquarium

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Does anyone have a link about the BRS supply story? Tried looking in wikipedia but did not find it. I am intrigued by start up companies that make it to success. I like history and wonder if they started in a garage and we'll you know the rest. Very curious on the bio of Ryan as well, he is one unique individual with explosive speech, he is non stop! I find myself rewinding a lot to catch some good data.

I entered the salt water hobby when I purchased my 1st. Acrylic 10 gallon black back, rounded edges made by the legendary TruVu aquariums in 1991.

I was finishing up college at the age of 21 and my introduction to saltwater was the under gravel filters with two power heads that generated the current that air stones use to do.

It was elegance corals carpet anemones, snow flake eels, triggers and the octopus that fascinated me during 90's.

That was more than 25 years ago and here I am today loving the much evolving world or reefing.
 

shred5

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Does anyone have a link about the BRS supply story? Tried looking in wikipedia but did not find it. I am intrigued by start up companies that make it to success. I like history and wonder if they started in a garage and we'll you know the rest. Very curious on the bio of Ryan as well, he is one unique individual with explosive speech, he is non stop! I find myself rewinding a lot to catch some good data.

I entered the salt water hobby when I purchased my 1st. Acrylic 10 gallon black back, rounded edges made by the legendary TruVu aquariums in 1991.

I was finishing up college at the age of 21 and my introduction to saltwater was the under gravel filters with two power heads that generated the current that air stones use to do.

It was elegance corals carpet anemones, snow flake eels, triggers and the octopus that fascinated me during 90's.

That was more than 25 years ago and here I am today loving the much evolving world or reefing.


Well I can tell you a little about BRS.
I can remember they were on eBay selling a few things in generic packaging. They were just buying stuff bulk then repackaging and selling. They would buy stuff like bulk DI resign, Calcium chloride, calcium hydroxide etc.
I think reef chili was their first product though and if I remember correctly the original name was not BRS.
 
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Micro-Reefs Aquarium

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Well I can tell you a little about BRS.
I can remember they were on eBay selling a few things in generic packaging. They were just buying stuff bulk then repackaging and selling. They would buy stuff like bulk DI resign, Calcium chloride, calcium hydroxide etc.
I think reef chili was their first product though and if I remember correctly the original name was not BRS.
I know they are wholesale like marine depot, when you say they is it Ryan and two others that started Reef chilli then they became BRS?

Do you know if they started about the same time marine depot emerged?
 

shred5

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I know they are wholesale like marine depot, when you say they is it Ryan and two others that started Reef chilli then they became BRS?

Do you know if they started about the same time marine depot emerged?

No Marine Depot and Premium Aquatics have both been around longer.
Both are wholesalers too. I think most places are to some extent now.
I think they are all trying to lock down products.
 

Tuffyyyyy

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I know they are wholesale like marine depot, when you say they is it Ryan and two others that started Reef chilli then they became BRS?

Do you know if they started about the same time marine depot emerged?
Yeah something like that. Ryan was a waiter that came up with Reef Chili. I think that's the foundation of everything that BRS has spawned into (hence Mr. Chili).
 

Micro-Reefs Aquarium

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I like both Marine Depot and BRS... They both make great informative videos on reefing. To me both have a slightly different audience and it depends on my mood, which one I fire up on youtube to get wealth of information.

If I am in the mood for continuous videos with nonstop action almost like a movie, I tune into BRS because Ryan will cover everybody and everything and never get winded.

Then Marine Depot, for that quick demo that will be not take up too much of my time, sort of like a trailer to a good movie!
 

Micro-Reefs Aquarium

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Yeah something like that. Ryan was a waiter that came up with Reef Chili. I think that's the foundation of everything that BRS has spawned into (hence Mr. Chili).
Wow! that makes sense, he has patience listens and then is able to give you as much off the menu as possible, he knows his product and has done the research! I enjoy his wealth of information that he delivers, and he is never winded, just amazing that I never see him breathe but just give out point after point after point!

He would be an assume Visiting Professor at a University for guest speaker marine hobby reefing! :)
 

LRT

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Very interesting. Ive been involved in a few of these types of investment deals.
Silent partner and controlling interest relationships are 2 entirely different things. Lets hope it's the first type scenario where the investment was to good to pass up and they only want a piece of the pie and and brs needed money for supply and new ventures.
If its a bailout type of situation its perfect time for marine depot or any major competitor to come in take the game over.
10 x out of 10 x when investors take controlling interest in a company ive only seen them fail in the long wrong. All investors care about is getting the dollar back. Whether its a business that's super successful they only get more greedy. And don't care what happens as long as they get initial return on investment back while the getting is good.
 

revhtree

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Just more awesome than ever! :D
 

KStatefan

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Wow! that makes sense, he has patience listens and then is able to give you as much off the menu as possible, he knows his product and has done the research! I enjoy his wealth of information that he delivers, and he is never winded, just amazing that I never see him breathe but just give out point after point after point!

He would be an assume Visiting Professor at a University for guest speaker marine hobby reefing! :)

From the BRS website

"

Where we came from​


Based in Minnesota, Bulk Reef Supply was started in 2007 by two friends, Ryan Batcheller and Andrew Duneman, who were seeking a unique entrepreneurial opportunity. Ryan, a reef hobbyist, was tired of adding numerous foods to his tank to properly feed his corals. Through trial and research, he created a well-balanced, affordable and easy solution. BRS Reef Chili Coral Food provided reefers with one food source to keep all the corals and fish healthy and colorful. More quality products were added like high purity BRS Aquarium Additives and Filtration Media as well as our Reverse Osmosis/Deionization water filtration systems. We found our passion for reefing in an e-commerce platform and haven't looked back."
 

ca1ore

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I tend to view VC as a not good sign for small, innovative companies ..... too growth and profit centric .... and usually just a matter of time before a ‘professional’ CEO is installed. I have seen no differences so far though .....
 

Oldreefer44

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I tend to view VC as a not good sign for small, innovative companies ..... too growth and profit centric .... and usually just a matter of time before a ‘professional’ CEO is installed. I have seen no differences so far though .....
Agree totally. Have been involved with several of these and have yet to see one where the investor didn't demand more and more in the way of ROI and less and less freedom to operate the way it was before their involvement.
 

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