The Eastwood Company began in a suburban Philadelphia garage in 1978, when Founder Curt Strohacker realized he could help his fellow auto restoration and customization enthusiasts save time and money by offering them better parts and tools. In the more than 50 years since, Eastwood has grown from a single eight-page, black-and-white catalog of metal-finishing tools and equipment to a multi-site operation manufacturing all the tools, chemicals and paints that a professional or hobbyist might need to accomplish any type of automotive project from repair to full restoration.
With responsibility for over 600 domestic and international accounts, B2B Sales Leader Bart Apple says, “Whether it’s a full teardown or light patchwork, Eastwood has everything DIYers and pros need to get the job done right.”
In 2023, Eastwood launched a strategic initiative to grow its B2B division into a substantial source of revenue. That meant setting bold new sales targets and rethinking the systems that supported them. Apple recognized that to achieve those goals, the company needed a deeper understanding of its B2B customers’ needs across critical variables like customer service, pricing, product availability, margin, payment terms, and fulfillment speed.
But while those metrics helped define success, the team’s time was being eaten up by routine inquiries. Responding to inquiries about pricing and availability was simple enough but required staff to constantly interrupt other work to communicate by email or phone. This reactive work left little time for relationship-building or strategic outreach.
Apple envisioned a new approach. He needed a solution that would give buyers direct access to essential information and enable them to place orders independently. If the team could automate those everyday requests, they could redirect their energy toward driving and expanding business.
“If we were going to grow B2B, our team needed more time every day to devote toward attracting new accounts and cultivating relationships with existing customers,” Apple says.
Exploring solutions with Eastwood CEO Brian Huck, Apple recommended MidwayPlus. The platform stood out for its breadth of features and the deep industry knowledge behind its development. Unlike more generic sales platforms that haven’t been built specifically for the automotive part industry, MidwayPlus offered the specific capabilities Eastwood needed to scale its B2B operations with confidence.
Part of the decision came down to trust. Apple was familiar with MidwayPlus Founder and CEO Brian Lounsberry’s background in the industry and was confident in his experience on both the buying and selling sides of the automotive aftermarket. That firsthand understanding helped shape a platform built to meet the real-world needs of both manufacturers and buyers.
Implementation moved quickly following a series of demos and collaborative planning sessions. “I can’t say enough good things about both sides and the effort that they put into making it work,” says Apple. MidwayPlus worked directly with Eastwood’s IT department to ensure a seamless transition, with hands-on walkthroughs, rigorous testing, and transparent communication throughout.
Two years later, MidwayPlus is fully integrated into every aspect of Eastwood’s B2B sales process.
With MidwayPlus in place, Eastwood’s onboarding process has become faster and more efficient. New B2B customers are quickly pre-screened, qualified, and invited to the portal, often gaining same-day access to begin purchasing.
“We can have a quick discussion, get them set up, and they can start purchasing right away,” says Apple.
The portal allows customers to log in any time, view inventory, confirm their pricing, place orders, and track shipments, all without contacting a sales rep. This 24/7 access has significantly reduced the manual workload for Eastwood’s team, while improving service for buyers.
It’s also streamlined the handling of backorders. Customers can now see when out-of-stock items will return and place backorders on their own terms. This convenience is especially helpful for larger customers managing their own resale inventory, who may prefer to control their order status directly.
The enhanced system has been well received. Customers appreciate the ease of ordering, real-time tracking, and ability to get answers quickly. High-volume buyers in particular benefit from the ability to message the team through the portal and ask pre-sale questions with confidence.
Once a tedious and error-prone task for Eastwood’s accounting team, state-by-state sales tax paperwork is now automated. Customers can upload tax-exemption forms directly through MidwayPlus, and approval typically takes less than an hour. The system also notifies both parties before a document expires, reducing compliance risk and administrative overhead.
MidwayPlus has empowered Eastwood’s sales team with nimble marketing capabilities. With just a few clicks, they can launch promotions, push priority products, and see detailed metrics on open rates, click-throughs, and conversions. They can track whether sales came from first-time or returning buyers and assess campaign ROI in real time.
Apple particularly values the ability to respond quickly to shifting inventory or demand. If a specific product line needs a push, he can activate a promotion instantly and watch the performance unfold on the dashboard.
“It only takes me a few seconds to plug it in, and it’s active on the spot,” he says. “Those customers are then eager to sell more Eastwood.”
Being part of the MidwayPlus ecosystem has expanded Eastwood’s visibility across a vast network of potential buyers. With tens of thousands of users on the platform, Eastwood can communicate its value proposition at scale.
Even if those customers don’t convert immediately, exposure through the marketplace builds brand recognition and creates future sales opportunities. Once new buyers reach out, qualifying and onboarding them is a fast and seamless process, often leading to repeat purchases and high-value relationships.
The MidwayPlus dashboard gives Apple and his team a complete view of sales performance, order activity, and trends. They can instantly compare results across days, months, or years, providing the insight needed for internal reporting and executive updates.
Real-time access to data supports better decision-making and faster response to market changes, making it easier to track progress against goals and identify areas for optimization.
“I want to be able to view this breakdown, I want to see what we are doing within a single dashboard, and I want to report to my CEO and our board as well,” said Apple. “I get it all with MidwayPlus.”
Perhaps the most telling indicator of success came from a once-small account. A customer who previously sold just 50 to 60 SKUs was among the first to be onboarded to MidwayPlus. With more time available for strategic outreach, Eastwood’s B2B team was able to support and train them directly. That relationship grew steadily, and today, the customer is a top-five account generating six-figure sales.
We have far exceeded our growth expectations,” says Apple, “and I attribute a lot of that growth to our partnership with MidwayPlus.”
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After working as a full-stack developer for many years, Steven Christy decided to take the plunge into starting his own business.
Steve is not just a MidwayPlus co-founder, his agile knowledge of business applications and scalable e-commerce websites have resulted in total annual revenues of more than 40M yearly sales on multiple online platforms.
Steve’s vast back-end knowledge and training have been critical to build MidwayPlus into the successful software tool it is today.
In his more than 20-year career in the automotive industry, MidwayPlus co-founder Albert Reda has built over $100M in business revenue.
Albert’s unprecedented sales and marketing know-how have helped to catapult several up-starts into brand leaders in the High-Performance market segment.
Albert has an unparalleled talent of bringing resellers and brands together and is the cornerstone of MidwayPlus’ mantra ‘it’s all about connections.’
Greg Atkins has built and sold successful IT companies throughout his tenure.
Greg’s innate ability to optimize a company’s operating capabilities, while maximizing customer satisfaction have made him a key component to the success of launching MidwayPlus.
Greg’s clear understanding of business strategies and financial policies are due, not only to his degree in economics, but his years of honing his business acumen at Motovicity Distribution and The I.T. Management Group.
Greg’s solution-oriented approach to work closely with our business partners ensures an efficient and world-class client experience.
