Every Parts And Accessories Business Should Check Out MidwayPlus – Here’s Why

Whether you’re on the manufacturing side of the parts and accessories business or the retailer side, you’re constantly dealing with questions:

• Is part # OU812 really on backorder? And how long do you think it will be until you have it?
• The fitment data for part # 4U2PON seems off – it doesn’t include current model year, but it probably should. Can you confirm?
• Did order #555 ship yet? Can you share an update?
• How can I download the images for all your newly released parts?
• Part #ABC123 is still listed as available on your website – can you take it down?
• You’ve got the wrong fitment details for our new line of wheels – can you correct it?

And so on.

If only there was a system that would address these questions automatically, right? A system that dealers, installers, distributors, and manufacturers could all use to get quick answers to important questions with minimal effort. A system that would make it easy for everyone in the industry to just focus on selling parts and accessories?

That system exists! And it’s called MidwayPlus.

MidwayPlus Defies a Simple Explanation

MidwayPlus is hard to describe:

• When I talk to parts and accessories manufacturers, they tend to focus on the fact that MidwayPlus is an alternative to a self-managed B2B portal.
• When I talk to retailers and installers, they explain that MidwayPlus is a great place to get accurate product info, inventory status, etc.
• When I talk to distributors, they explain MidwayPlus is a great source of inventory data.
• When I talk to the staff at MidwayPlus, they often explain 90% of the people using the platform aren’t really using it to its full potential.

Which is to say, MidwayPlus is more than just a B2B ecommerce platform. It’s a portal that connects the companies who manufacture parts and accessories with the retailers and installers that sell them. Through the MidwayPlus portal, dealers can find new brands, manufacturers can share info about new products, and distributors can streamline order processing.

But don’t take my word for it. I sat down with Albert Reda, Founding Partner & Director of Business Development at MidwayPlus, to talk about his auto parts roots and how MidwayPlus is helping brands succeed.

Can you describe the MidwayPlus platform as if I knew nothing about it?

Most manufacturers sell their products through a network of distributors and dealers. The challenge is that many of those relationships are still managed the old way, through phone calls, emails, spreadsheets, and manual order entry.

MidwayPlus gives manufacturers a modern system for managing their wholesale relationships online. It allows distributors, their staff, and dealers to find products, check availability, and place orders digitally, while the manufacturer keeps control of pricing, product data, and who can buy. The platform is easy to implement and connects directly with the manufacturer’s ERP system so orders, inventory, and customer information stay synchronized.

For buyers, the experience is like a digital mall. They are invited by brands to purchase from their storefronts. Once inside, distributors and dealers can manage purchases, payments, and important order-related communication from a single buying account that works across all the brands in “the mall,” all within a user experience designed specifically for wholesale. Buyers get one access point, while each brand maintains full control of its own storefront and who can access it.

The goal isn’t to replace distributors or change how the industry works. It’s simply to make it easier for wholesale partners to do business together.

Can you tell us briefly about your auto parts industry experience?

I’ve been in the automotive aftermarket since 1998. I got my start at Vibrant Power Inc., where we founded the Vibrant Performance brand and helped grow it into a well-known name in the performance parts industry.

In 2018, I moved to Global Emissions Systems Inc., where we created the high-performance catalytic converter brand, G-Sport Emissions, and expanded its presence through exhaust manufacturers, distributors, and performance retailers around the world.

Most of my career has been spent working with manufacturers, distributors, and dealers to grow wholesale sales and strengthen distribution networks. Today, as a founding partner at MidwayPlus, I focus on helping brands modernize how they manage those wholesale relationships.

What is your favorite part about your job?

My favorite part of the job has always been the relationships. The people in this industry have made it a real pleasure to come to work every day. Over the years, clients, channel partners, suppliers, and colleagues have all enriched my life in meaningful ways. Many of those relationships have grown into lasting friendships that I cherish to this day.

What’s your standard ‘elevator pitch’ for MidwayPlus?

We help manufacturers run their wholesale business online. A lot of brands still manage dealer and distributor orders through emails, phone calls, and spreadsheets, which creates a lot of friction. MidwayPlus gives them a platform where their partners can find products, check inventory, and place orders digitally, all connected directly to their ERP.

So instead of waiting for someone to answer the phone or process an email, their B2B partners can log in and buy whenever they need to. It basically makes their wholesale business accessible 24/7.

Are there any common misconceptions that people have about the MidwayPlus platform?

The most common misconception is that MidwayPlus is simply a tool to sell direct and serve more resellers. That’s true, we can certainly help brands do that. But another misconception is that MidwayPlus is trying to replace distributors or change how the industry works. That’s not the case at all. The distribution network is incredibly important to the automotive aftermarket, and most of the brands we work with rely heavily on those partners.

What we really do is help brands amplify their service capabilities. Everyone in this industry is inundated with emails and phone calls from consumers, dealers, resellers, and warehouse distributors. In that noise, the ability to properly serve your most important wholesale partners can suffer. MidwayPlus gives those partners the ability to access the information they need to sell the product whenever they need it. No waiting for someone to answer the phone. No waiting for email replies.

Another misconception is that the easiest way to improve margins is simply by adding more customers that buy direct at higher margins. That’s not how we help. MidwayPlus helps brands reduce the cost of managing their warehouse distributor relationships. WDs drive the volume in this industry. We help manufacturers realize more profit from those relationships by lowering the cost of servicing that business.

What are the 3 most important things you want potential clients to know?

The first thing I tell prospects is that the timing to start your e-commerce journey will never be perfect. You’re never going to feel 100 percent ready. There’s an old saying that the best time to plant a tree was 50 years ago, and the second-best time is today. The same applies to your B2B online presence.

Like a tree, it takes time for your B2B customers to grow into the system. You’re asking both your staff and your customers to adopt a new way of doing things, which means changing habits. There is always a learning curve.

Second, the transition to digital B2B takes time and it will put some stress on both your team and your customers. Your customers need time to develop trust in the data they are consuming. Once they trust that inventory is accurate and that orders are being received and processed properly, they begin to rely on the system. That’s when the dependence on phone calls and emails starts to fade.

Third, MidwayPlus is not just here to build your storefront in less than 90 days. We’re here to support both your team and your customers through that transition. We continue working closely with our manufacturers long after launch because their success is critical to our mission. We pride ourselves on being accessible and available whenever our brands need us.

How long has MidwayPlus been in business?

Since September 2021.

How did you end up in Novi, MI?

We’re based in Novi, Michigan. It was a central location for our founding team, which made it a natural place for us to establish the business. I’m based in Canada and travel down to Michigan regularly to spend time with the team.

Why do you think MidwayPlus is so successful?

A big part of our success comes from the experience our team brought into conceptualizing and building the platform. No one had ever built something quite like MidwayPlus for the automotive aftermarket.

Brian Lounsberry, Steven Christy, and Greg Atkins spent many years at Motovicity Distribution, where they built and managed the enterprise-grade technology that supported a large automotive distribution business. That experience gave us a strong foundation for what MidwayPlus would eventually become.

All of us also come from the automotive industry. We’ve spent years working with manufacturers, distributors, and dealers, so we understand the sales and order processes that drive this business better than most.

How do you see the market for your MidwayPlus evolving over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, I think we’ll continue to see more manufacturers invest in modernizing how they manage their wholesale relationships. The expectations of distributors, dealers, and installers are changing. They’re used to having access to information and services whenever they need them.

At the same time, manufacturers are under pressure to do more with their teams without dramatically increasing headcount. Digital tools that reduce administrative work and make it easier for partners to place orders, access product information, and manage transactions will continue to become more important.

I don’t think the fundamentals of the automotive aftermarket will change. Distribution will remain a critical part of the industry. What will change is how efficiently brands are able to support those relationships.

The companies that remove friction from the wholesale transaction and make it easier for their partners to do business with them will have a clear advantage.

A huge thank you to Albert Reda for participating in our interview series. To learn more about MidwayPlus, visit https://midwayplus.com/.