Jordan Notenbaum explains parts distributor MobileSentrix’s European expansion strategy

SecondaryMarket.news: MobileSentrix has been a household name in the U.S. mobile repair industry. Can you share the story of how the company started and the key milestones that led to your leadership in component distribution?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: MobileSentrix began with limited experience in repairs, operating a few carrier retail stores, but quickly recognized a huge gap in the industry: the lack of reliable, quality-driven components and an easy way for shops to order them. At the time, most repair shops were forced to rely on Alibaba and similar platforms, where the quality was inconsistent and often poor. It was a real burden for shop owners who couldn’t trust what they were receiving. We saw the need for something better.

In the earliest days, the owners were literally working out of a basement, packing orders by hand and driving store to store to build relationships and trust. One of the founders even moved to China for several years to oversee sourcing directly at the factory level. That commitment gave full visibility and control over quality at a time when the rest of the industry was still guessing.

Those small beginnings and sacrifices laid the foundation for MobileSentrix. From there, the business scaled quickly, opening facilities in Asia, building North America’s largest repair parts catalogue, and setting new quality standards for the industry. Over the years, MobileSentrix earned attention for shaking up the market and introducing innovative solutions that raised expectations for what third-party components could and should be.

In 2021 and 2022, MobileSentrix accelerated further through strategic acquisitions and enterprise partnerships. A key milestone was acquiring Mobile Defenders, where I was CEO and co-owner alongside Assurant. We consolidated Michigan operations into our Washington D.C. facility, which positioned us to forge even larger partnerships with Apple, Motorola, Google, and OnePlus. Following that acquisition, I joined MobileSentrix as President, where I now oversee strategic enterprise relationships and programs and am the president.

SecondaryMarket.news: You’re expanding MobileSentrix into Europe, starting with the UK and the Netherlands. What prompted this move, and what do you hope to achieve in this region?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: Even though we ship to 85% of the world from the U.S., we realized that wasn’t enough for Europe. Shops there live and die by next-day delivery, if they don’t have the part tomorrow, their business takes a hit. We saw the same pain point that existed in the U.S. years ago, and we wanted to solve it. By opening distribution centers here and in UK, we can cut delivery times from days to next-day and offer free shipping services, give our existing European clients the service level they’ve been asking for, and build trust through local logistics, support, and pricing. Most importantly, we now keep over 70,000 SKUs on the ground and ready to ship until 20:00 each evening. It’s not just about dropping inventory into a warehouse. Our goal is to combine global purchasing power with local service so shops across Europe finally get the quality, speed, and reliability they’ve been missing.

SecondaryMarket.news: For repair shops in Europe unfamiliar with MobileSentrix, how would you describe your typical customer and the needs you solve?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: In the U.S., our core customer is the small, independently run repair shop, often family-owned and managing one or a handful of locations. The same kind of business exists across Europe, and they deal with the same frustrations: inconsistent suppliers, poor-quality parts, and delays in getting what they need. We built our model to take those headaches away. Today we carry more than 70,000 SKUs and ship to 163 countries. Shops choose us because we deliver competitive pricing, fast and reliable shipping with late cutoffs, and customer support that feels local to their market. Whether it’s a single store in Berlin or a chain of shops in Paris, our role is to give them consistency and confidence so they can focus on serving their customers instead of worrying about supply chain issues.

SecondaryMarket.news: The parts distribution space is competitive. What makes MobileSentrix stand out in markets like the UK, Netherlands, France, or Germany?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: We’ve studied these markets for a long time, and what we saw was that most suppliers either lacked variety, lacked consistency, or put all the risk on the shop owner. That’s where we come in. MobileSentrix brings scale, genuine OEM partnerships, and logistics designed for repair professionals, not just wholesalers. One big difference is our lifetime warranty. If a shop buys a part from us today and doesn’t use it until a year later, they can still return it without being penalized with restocking fees. That kind of trust doesn’t exist with most suppliers, and it sets the tone for how we want to do business. On top of that, we’ve built strong OEM programs, including launching Genuine Apple Parts across Europe along with Motorola and OnePlus, and we’ve invested heavily in our UK and Netherlands facilities so we can offer late cutoff times and next-day delivery across the region. We’re not just showing up in Europe. We’re putting real resources behind it to raise the bar for what repair shops should expect from their distributor.

SecondaryMarket.news: How does MobileSentrix improve operational efficiency for repair businesses?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: We’ve built efficiency directly into our e-commerce platform. A shop owner can place an order, process a return, or even add to an existing order as late as 19:00. That flexibility is critical for repair shops that work right up until closing time. We also offer simple integrations with POS systems and APIs, so whether a business is ordering pre-owned devices, accessories, or repair parts, the process is seamless. For larger clients, we go even further, building dedicated portals and enterprise dashboards so franchise operators or multi-location chains can manage role permissions, oversee all their stores, and consolidate purchasing in one place.

What sets us apart is that our systems were designed not just for small shops, but also for enterprise clients. We manage large-scale programs for insurance companies and depot services, each with different requirements, and we’ve built the technology to adapt to all of them. For shops in Europe, that means stepping into a platform that’s already proven at scale, with processes designed to make ordering, tracking, and returning parts as simple as possible.

SecondaryMarket.news: Your late order cutoff is a major benefit. How did this evolve, and how do you consistently deliver under time pressure?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: Repair shops almost always place their orders at the end of the day, right before closing. From the beginning, we knew we had to build our systems around that habit. Over the years, we refined our software and automation so that even last-minute orders could be processed without slowing down operations. Today, our robotics and workflow systems can process up to 800 orders an hour. That means we’re able to pick, pack, and dispatch orders right up until the carrier arrives for pickup. Every second counts in those final moments, and we’ve learned how to replicate that process from one region to another with the same level of efficiency. This is why we can consistently deliver on a late cutoff promise, it’s not just people working harder, it’s the systems and automation we’ve invested in that allow us to perform under time pressure at scale.

SecondaryMarket.news: What’s the current size and footprint of MobileSentrix’s operations globally?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: We started out delivering parts by hand, store to store, but today MobileSentrix has grown into the largest mobile parts distributor in North America and one of the biggest worldwide. What began in a basement has turned into a global operation and this footprint allows us not only to ship quickly across continents, but also to keep tight control over sourcing, technology, and customer service, all of which are core to maintaining the standards we’ve built our reputation on.

Our global operations include warehouses in:

• Washington D.C. (USA) – Distribution Hub
• Toronto (Canada) – Distribution Hub
• Coventry (UK) – Distribution Hub
• Eindhoven (Netherlands) – Distribution Hub
• Ahmedabad (India) – Software Development
• Shenzhen (China) – Office & Factory Facilities
• Hong Kong – Reverse Logistics

SecondaryMarket.news: What’s the size of your live parts catalogue and inventory value?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: We currently maintain more than 70,000 active SKUs across all of our warehouses, and that number continues to grow every day. Our inventory isn’t just about volume; it’s carefully balanced and positioned so each region has the right products in stock for its market. Our systems analyze data in real time, tracking what sells best in each region and adjusting stock levels accordingly. For example, in Europe, brands like Xiaomi, Huawei, and Oppo have a stronger presence compared to North America, so we’ve invested heavily in keeping full parts catalogues for their latest models ready to ship. This approach keeps backorders to a minimum, ensures faster fulfillment, and allows us to adapt quickly as new devices enter the market. At its core, it’s about giving shops confidence that when they need a part, it’s already on the shelf and ready to go.

SecondaryMarket.news: How many employees work at MobileSentrix, and how are your teams structured globally?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: Today, MobileSentrix employs well over 500 people worldwide, and that number continues to grow as we expand into new markets. Our teams are structured to balance local expertise with global coordination. In North America and Europe, most of our staff focus on distribution, logistics, customer support, and sales, making sure parts move quickly and customers are supported in real time. In Asia, our teams in Shenzhen and Hong Kong manage sourcing, factory oversight, quality control, and reverse logistics, giving us direct visibility into product standards.

Our India office is home to a dedicated software development team that builds and maintains the technology powering our e-commerce platform, automations, and enterprise integrations.

Strategic partnerships, enterprise programs, and OEM relationships are managed both globally and regionally. Each region develops and maintains its own relationships with enterprise clients and OEM partners, while also working in coordination with our global team to align on scale, pricing power, and long-term strategy. This structure allows each market to have local ownership while staying connected through shared systems and global resources, ensuring a seamless experience for customers in every region.

SecondaryMarket.news: What impact will your new UK and Netherlands warehouses have on service levels in Europe?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: The biggest shift is speed and reliability. Before, European shops were waiting several days for shipments coming out of the U.S., which made it hard to compete in a market where customers expect next-day service. By opening warehouses in the UK and Netherlands, we’ve eliminated that gap. Now, repair professionals across Europe can place orders as late as 20:00 and still receive parts the next day. That kind of cutoff time and fulfillment speed has never really existed in this space at scale, and it changes the way shops can operate. Instead of overstocking or turning customers away, they can run leaner, take on more repairs, and trust that their supplier will deliver on time. It’s not just about faster delivery, though. Having inventory positioned locally also means more accurate stock levels, better pricing aligned to the region, and customer support teams that understand the market. The end result is a service level that feels local, backed by the scale and resources of a global distributor.

SecondaryMarket.news: Tell us more about the Apple partnership. What does this mean for MobileSentrix and your customers?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: Our partnership with Apple is a major step forward for both us and the repair industry. For years, one of the biggest challenges shops faced was access to genuine OEM parts, especially for Apple devices. Many were forced to choose between low-quality third-party parts or inconsistent grey-market channels, which created risk for both the shop and the end customer.

By bringing Apple’s Genuine Parts Program into our catalogue, MobileSentrix can now offer repair professionals across Europe direct access to the same parts used in Apple’s own repair network. That means shops get the consistency, reliability, and confidence that comes with OEM Products, while still working with us as their single supplier for everything else they need. This program is supported by the same QC systems and compliance standards that we’ve built to satisfy carriers, OEMs, and insurance companies, validated by our R2v3 and ISO certifications. For customers, it raises the standard of what repair professionals can offer their own customers, and it cements our role as the distributor that can deliver it all.

SecondaryMarket.news: Are there other strategic OEM partnerships that enhance your offering?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: Yes. While Apple is a headline milestone, it’s only part of a larger strategy. We’ve already built strong OEM programs with Motorola, Google, and OnePlus, giving shops direct access to genuine components supported by official standards. The difference with MobileSentrix is that we don’t just supply OEM parts, we integrate them into the same streamlined experience as everything else. That can mean custom ordering portals tailored to a franchise model, 3PL services for insurance and depot companies, or direct API feeds that connect enterprise systems to our platform and trigger overnight shipping automatically.

And while we can’t reveal too much yet, we’re in ongoing talks with several more OEMs. Europe will see many of these partnerships roll out soon, giving repair professionals an even broader range of genuine components, delivered with the same flexibility that enterprises and OEMs already expect.

 Can you explain your buyback program for broken screens and why it’s so popular?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: Our buyback program has become one of the most popular services we offer because it turns what used to be waste into real value for repair shops. Instead of throwing away broken or defective screens, shops can send them to us and get paid.

Every screen that comes in is serialized and video recorded during the testing process. If a display doesn’t hold value, we store it for 14 days, and the client can request it back with their next order at no charge. That transparency and honesty is what makes the program stand out, we want shops to feel completely confident in how their buybacks are handled.

For the ones we do purchase, repair professionals can choose to receive funds directly into their PayPal account with no PayPal fees, or as credit toward future orders. This flexibility, combined with fair grading and clear communication, is why the program has been so widely adopted. It improves cash flow, reduces waste, and builds trust with every transaction.

SecondaryMarket.news: When it comes to consistent quality, especially for Apple parts, how do you maintain high standards across regions?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum: We’ve built our QC processes to meet the strict requirements of U.S. carriers, OEMs, and insurance companies, partners like Asurion, Assurant, Apple, etc who have visited our facilities to validate our standards. Their expectations are far stricter than a typical shop’s, which is why we’ve invested heavily in testing, automation, and compliance requirements. Every display and component we handle goes through testing in our China facilities, where we’re known in the market for how strict our quality standards are. Each display module has a full testing requirement report created, with in-depth analysis done using advanced machinery. That level of rigor ensures consistency across regions, so whether a shop is ordering in the U.S., Europe, or anywhere else, they know they’re getting parts they can rely on and what to expect.

In addition, MobileSentrix is certified under R2v3, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018, further demonstrating our commitment to quality, environmental responsibility, and occupational safety.

SecondaryMarket.news: What’s MobileSentrix’s long-term vision, both in Europe and globally?

MobileSentrix/ Jordan Notenbaum:Because we work with such a wide range of clients, everything from single-location shops to multi-store repair chains and large enterprise programs, we’ve built the flexibility to handle it all. For smaller shops, our platform makes it easy to order quickly, manage returns, and track orders. For multi-location repair chains, we provide role permissions, user management, and consolidated views so owners can oversee all their stores in one place. We also build separate portals tailored to client needs, like AsurionTechRepairParts.com or BP.Parts, which are customized to fit franchise models and enterprise workflows. Beyond that, we act as a 3PL partner for insurance and depot companies, manage KBB (buyback) programs under the IRP framework, and even provide direct API integrations that feed into our system and ship overnight automatically, streamlining the entire process end to end. At the end of the day, whether it’s a small shop needing consistency or a global enterprise needing scale, MobileSentrix has the infrastructure, technology, and flexibility to make it happen.

We’re not just a distributor; we’re a partner that adapts to how our clients do business. And while we can’t say too much yet, there are many exciting surprises coming. What we can promise is that we’re here for the long term and committed to building lasting value for repair professionals in every market we serve.