From Side Hustle to Biggest Systainer Supplier in the U.S. with Tim Swieter [The Opportunity Ep.174]

Empire Flippers Podcast

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Great entrepreneurs don’t just wait for opportunities, they create them.

That’s exactly what Tim Swieter did.

It all started when Tim was searching for storage containers for his home workshop. He quickly realized that the Systainer market in the U.S. had a major gap. Instead of just moving on, he saw an opportunity. So, he reached out to the international owners of Systainer with a proposition - he wanted to become their U.S. distributor.

Fast-forward a few years, and what started as a side hustle turned into the largest Systainer distribution business in the country.

Then came the ultimate full-circle moment: Tim sold the business back to Systainer’s owners, walking away with a lucrative payday and a wealth of experience.

In this episode, Tim shares the inside story—how he identified an overlooked niche, built brand recognition and trust, and scaled his business. He also opens up about the challenges of selling, the unexpected hurdles he faced, and what it’s really like to stay involved as a consultant post-acquisition. According to Tim,

“If you're going to consult, you have to set boundaries and clearly outline the scope of your work. You also need to know that you really want to work with that team. If those things don't exist, you either need to really cut back on the consulting or not do it at all.”

Whether you're looking to sell your business or searching for inspiration on how to build one, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

Topics Discussed in this episode:

From building theme park rollercoasters to running an eCommerce business (02:08)
The challenges Tim faced launching and growing his business (10:36)
The marketing strategies Tim used to build trust and brand recognition (13:00)
Balancing B2B vs B2C customers (20:35)
How Tim became the biggest Systainer supplier in the US (23:08)
How Tim ended up selling his Systainer business (27:39)
Calculating a valuation for the business (32:27)
The timeline of the sale - it’s always longer than you think (38:17)
Tim’s new post-acquisition consulting role (40:22)
Tim’s work in the SaaS world and the opportunities he found in that industry (47:12)

Mentions:

Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how this entrepreneur identified a gap in the market and used it to his advantage!

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