Brian Lounsberry has had only one resume in his life. It was written on yellow-lined paper and read “I can weld and have my own tools.”
He successfully used it to get a job at a local garage which began his twenty-five year journey to CEO of MidwayPlus, the SAAS company he co-founded focused on revolutionizing the automotive aftermarket industry.
Brian established himself as a tenacious leader with a keen eye on improving efficiency by working his way through every facet of the industry. In the body shop, he learned all aspects of operations and within wholesale distribution, he managed sales, marketing, operations, website and software design.
Brian's breadth of experience allowed him to do what he does best, make things better. He never took “no” for an answer and was committed to finding a solution for the industry. His vision for MidwayPlus was to develop a technology for aftermarket brands to have more business choices, build better relationships, and showcase their products in an easier and more efficient way.
Lounsberry is a member of Performance Racing Industry (PRI) and Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), where he also served on the board of directors.
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.
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.'
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.
There's No Experience Like Buying Direct.
Buy Direct From Manufacturers As Easy As Shopping Online On The Free B2B Platform For Aftermarket Automotive Parts That Gives YOU Control Of Your Wholesale Orders While You Support The Brands You Trust And Earn The Deals You Deserve When They See Your Buying History.
See accurate pricing, shipping costs, and lead times, showcase your shop's service abilities, stay up to date on the latest product releases, and build relationships with decision makers at the brands that drive your business.
As An Aftermarket Automotive Parts Buyer, Are You Tired Of Feeling Handcuffed Having To Jump Through Hoops Just To Place An Order?
No one likes to have to call multiple times to check stock, see if an order shipped, or wait days for an order confirmation. Even when you finally do get your answer, too often an order get messed up, customer support is spotty and takes too long, and you just aren't as self-sufficient as you'd like to be.
You like the manufacturers you buy from and you like the fact they don't sell to just anyone—you've earned their trust.
And some manufacturers are better than others with order processing, but there's always that ONE that seems to have trouble.
There's so much time wasted on the back-and-forth emails, phone calls, and just waiting to get answers to the most basic questions, like:
- How much inventory is available?
- How much is shipping?
- What's the lead time?
Or even:
- How many units did I order last time?
- What are the part numbers?
- Is there YMM/Application Data?
- Can I get product images, descriptions, and brand logos?
- Are there MSDS available?
You're probably often thinking "It's , shouldn't I be able to go to a website, view a product, get the answers, and click buy?"
And if there is a problem with your order, it should be simple to get in touch with the seller and you should have confidence you'll get a fast response AND a fast resolution.
Now you can:
One-Step Direct Buying From Manufacturers On The Free B2B Platform For Aftermarket Automotive Parts That Eliminates All The Hassle With Wholesale Purchasing
In a private marketplace that fosters trust between buyers and sellers.
Buy From Multiple Brands In One PO
And see the part number, price per unit, quantity, and total in context, categorized under each manufacturer you're buying from.
Checkout With Ease & Dropshipping
Specify your payment method, select from available shipping providers per manufacturer, and choose to dropship straight to your customer's address on the checkout page if the brand allows dropshipping.
Manage Your Own Orders
View past orders, see the status of current orders, and manage returns (based on seller preferences).
Get Product Data Without Having To Ask
Download the most up-to-date pricing, inventory, part numbers, YMM, product images, descriptions, brand logos, and MSDS from brands, often fed live from their internal systems, or get daily email updates.
Manage Your Wallet
Configure multiple payment methods for an even more convenient checkout and upload tax documents so you're always charged accurately.
With a lot more.
Built By Aftermarket Industry Professionals For Your Aftermarket Business
With decades of industry experience in our team and having worked on both sides of the B2B aftermarket transaction, we've considered every challenge, nuance, and circumstance that resellers face and have built the tools to meet each one so your wholesale purchasing experience is as simple and as seamless as possible.
What Do You Get As A Reseller With MidwayPlus?
Everything you'd expect in an online shopping experience, built for wholesale purchasing.
- Privacy
- Ability to build relationships
- Be first to know about new offerings from brands
Direct Relationships With Brands
Build direct buying relationships with the brands you sell—on a private, invite-only platform.
Place Your Own Orders
Buy whenever you want, 24/7 365, from multiple brands on the same order, so you never have to wait for business hours to place an order, especially when its on your mind in the moment.
Automatic Order Processing
Get realtime updates to your order status, see past orders, get notified when status change, and access your entire supply chain in one portal account.
Up-To-Date Lead Times
See real lead times for your orders, have it dropshipped to your customer while you checkout, and save yourself the phone calls and emails.
Accurate Shipping Quotes
Select shipping methods for each manufacturer and see your shipping costs during checkout so you're never in the dark.
See Exclusive Offers & News
Stay informed and ahead of the rest and get access to exclusive offers on the internal, B2B news feed.
Global Brand Network
Expose your shop profile and service abilities to hundreds of potential brands who can invite you as a buyer.
Access Anywhere
MidwayPlus is fully mobile / responsive and can be accessed on any device so you can manage your purchases from anywhere.
How It Works
Get started in 3 simple steps.
1. Get Invited
If one of the sellers you buy from is a MidwayPlus customer, contact them to request an invitation to MidwayPlus. If you've received an invitation email from a seller or brand, use the included link complete the onboarding form.
2. Complete Your Profile
Once your onboarding form is completed and accepted, fill out your profile and include the requested shop information and your payment information. You will only be charged by a seller when you buy something. MidwayPlus is free for buyers.
3. Wait For Approval
It typically takes 1-2 business days to be approved as a Reseller. Once approved you can start making purchases.
"Can I Use MidwayPlus Without An Invite?"
Thank you for your interest in our private B2B marketplace. Access to our platform is controlled by sellers, ensuring for those brands a curated community of trusted individuals engaged in commerce.
If you have not received an invitation from a seller, you will not be able to use MidwayPlus. Our platform operates on an invitation-only basis, and invitations are extended solely at the discretion of our sellers.
At MidwayPlus, we prioritize business autonomy. Sellers have direct control over clientele, pricing, and business settings, fostering a secure and unhindered environment for trade and communication.
Our commitment to transparency is evident—we don't profit from products sold, ensuring both buyers and sellers find value in commerce. MidwayPlus is dedicated to facilitating the freedom to conduct business according to your preferences.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
For Resellers
What is MidwayPlus?
MidwayPlus is a buying solution that positions your shop's sales and service abilities in front of the Brands you buy every week. When you partner with MidwayPlus, you have the opportunity to showcase your buying power. MidwayPlus is committed to your private relationships with your brands and will not get involved unless invited.
How much is MidwayPlus for a reseller?
MidwayPlus is a free solution for qualified and verified Resellers.
How do we join as a reseller?
See the How It Works section above. It is important that this platform is for wholesale transactions within the automotive industry by businesses with a stake in the industry, so we will ask some qualifying questions and verify the answers.
How long does it take to be approved as a reseller?
It typically takes 1-2 business days to be approved as a Reseller. Once invited and approved, it takes minutes to set up your account.
Are we buying from MidwayPlus or the Brand?
MidwayPlus facilitates easy shopping and order management for you and easy product listings and order management for the Brands. Brands are the sellers, your orders go directly to them. The pricing, inventory, negotiated settings, and line-item records of orders are between you and them while the transactions are labeled as MidwayPlus.
Can we see other resellers' information?
No. MidwayPlus will never share Reseller information with other Resellers. Brands will be able to see the profile a Reseller creates for the site and certain attributes of a Reseller, such as type of business, specialty, etc. This benefits the Reseller by allowing Brands to target Resellers with special programs.
Does MidwayPlus share purchase history, our, or our customer information with anyone?
No. MidwayPlus uses industry leading payment processing companies to store credit card information securely and to process payments.
What are the payment options?
Each brand will offer various forms of payment. Our platform allows credit card, Net Terms, and ACH payments.
Does a payment go directly to the Brand?
Yes. Your payment is remitted directly to the Brand. The Brand's remittance advice shows your name, as it appears on your credit card.
Can we purchase from any brand that is using MidwayPlus?
Each Brand controls which Resellers they sell to. Because MidwayPlus verifies that Resellers are legitimate businesses with a stake in the automotive aftermarket industry, some Brands will choose to make their products for sale to all Resellers on the platform. However, there are many Brands on the platform that have not yet authorized you to buy from them. MidwayPlus makes it easy for you to request to buy from a Brand.
Are we direct with every brand available on MidwayPlus?
No. Only the brands that you have relationships with and have set you up as a buyer are available to you. However, it's never been easier to meet, learn, and talk with new brands, but it's up to them to choose if they will sell to you.
Can we purchase multiple Brands on one order (PO)?
Yes! We will break a multi-Brand PO into sections and only send each Brand a PO for their products, but you will be able to place one PO and manage it as one order within your MidwayPlus Order Management System.
Can you integrate into my systems to make ordering easier for me?
We offer a free API to connect through, or if you need, an EDI. We will set this up with the brands you're buying from and it may incur a set up fee.
Do we need to upload our tax documents with each brand?
No. Upload them once and they will work for any and all brands on the platform.
Why would we pay tax on an order if its B2B?
USA States and territories now have rules that require proof of pre-purchase tax exemptions. They require the buyer to prove they are state sales tax exempt for the transaction to legally remove the tax. Otherwise, the seller of any good must charge State sales tax and remit to the State(s).
Do you remind us when a certificate is going to expire?
We do! We recognize that managing tax exemptions in multiple states is an administrative chore and will do everything we can to help you keep those certificates up to date in our system.
Can we get a Brand's data/inventory feed?
Yes! You can receive a data feed from all Brands that have approved you for one. API access is made available according to similar criteria.
