25 years.

It looks like a long time on paper. But to me, it’s gone by in a blur.

What started with a gifted trailer and a used van from my dad has, over time, become the Blue Ocean Traders you know today.

I still remember unloading my first container—used dining room sets from Belgium—into a rented 2,500 sq ft warehouse in Lexington, Kentucky. I was 24 years old, my entire labor force was made up of fraternity brothers, and my payroll was a case of beer.

It started with flea markets—Atlanta, Nashville, Brimfield. Drive, unload, sell…repeat. The business grew one trip, one load, one relationship at a time. It was a great time to be on the road, and an even better time to be learning.

At that point, I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t have a long-term vision. Making a quick buck and seeing the world. At that moment, if you had asked me if this was a career, I would’ve told you no. It was just something to do while I figured things out.

But looking back, I was already hooked… and why wouldn’t I be?

The world was literally at my fingertips. I was throwing darts at a map to decide where to source next. Each new discovery pushed me further—finding new things and learning new ways to sell them. There is something about the honest energy of youth.

Along the way, many of the dealers I met became more than customers—they became friends and mentors. With their encouragement, I found my way into AmericasMart Atlanta. I had never shipped a wholesale order or processed a credit card, but somehow I ended up with a permanent showroom during market.

Let me just say that writing the orders was the easy part. We still have customers today who placed orders at that first show. Why they stayed with me, I’m not entirely sure—because most of those early orders never even got off the ground. I didn’t know how to pack, ship, or bill anyone. It’s safe to say I was in over my head.

It didn’t take long to realize I couldn’t do it alone. I needed people who were better than I was in areas I didn’t understand. Over time, we built a team, strengthened our processes, and continued to improve—step by step, year after year.

Now here we are, 25 years later.

We regularly import from over 25 countries. We have showrooms in Atlanta, Dallas, High Point, Las Vegas, Round Top—and our 200,000 sq ft “mother ship” in Louisville, Kentucky.

And the truth is, I have more energy for this business today than when I started.

Every day when I show up, I am working for a bigger, better company than it was the day before. For me, that means new challenges and new opportunities. The world is still at my fingertips… and for that, I am incredibly thankful.

I’m not naive—I could not have built anything like this on my own. I’ve had more help than I can count. Customers, coworkers, and family have all brought Blue Ocean Traders to where it is today.

To our customers… All the shop owners, designers, family businesses, and the people that support them… I know the road has not been easy. Thank you for all the support and mentorship over the years.  PS. I believe in you. My focus is still on supporting brick-and-mortar retailers, designers, and small businesses. We are not going anywhere, and neither are you.

To my team… Over the years, we’ve had to invent—and reinvent—our own way of doing things. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was always done with good intentions. From unloading containers to somehow reading my handwriting, I ask a lot of the people around me every day. Without them, I’d undoubtedly still be doing flea markets out of that same used van.

And finally, to my family.

My brother, I know you are always there for me.

My mother, who has quietly given thousands of hours doing work well below her pay grade.

My wife, who understands me well enough to know I can’t be still, but also knows when it’s time to come home.

And my father, who taught me the rules of the game, but more importantly showed me that there’s still real adventure in the world—you just have to be willing to look.

Jason Mulvene
Founder, CEO