Company Looks to Grow Its Global Reach
PartsKing.com – the parts division of Star Distributing, Inc. based in Nashville – recently launched an upgraded website, consolidated its online sales platforms and created potential international opportunities through the United Parcel Service.
PartsKing now boasts a $1 million average daily inventory, according to company president D. Michael Davis. The website, originally launched in 1999, sells parts for Speed Queen, Milnor, Unimac, Continental, Wascomat, Dexter, General Electric, IPSO, Maytag, Cissell, ADC and Whirlpool.
The new site features clearer navigation, expanded search engine optimization, handy search filters, crisp text, bright images, and streamlined checkout and payment procedures.
“To be honest, our old site was somewhat dated,” Davis said. “We were first in our industry with the website in 1999. However, to remain first requires you to stay ahead of the curve, technologically speaking. We think we have done that.”
Star Distributing Commercial Laundry Equipment, Inc. – a family-owned business started by Davis’ father in 1958 – is a full-service distributor, offering a variety of sales, service, installation and parts for commercial laundry equipment.
In 1995, the company expanded when it added Michael Davis’ Nashville office and grew its territory for distribution business. A few years later, Davis launched PartsKing “to ensure that our company remains one of the most technologically advanced distributors in the United States,” he explained.
The new site also consolidates Star Distributing’s parts web page with PartsKing.com.
“Our goal is to make it easy to find and order the laundry equipment parts and accessories you need to keep your business running,” said Billy Sisco, parts manager. “We carry more than 130,000 parts for all equipment manufacturers, and our new website allows us to deliver to 105 countries around the world.”
Star Distributing currently serves laundry owners in Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and Virginia. However, PartsKing is considering an e-commerce venture through the United Parcel Service, which may soon see the company’s reach extend well beyond the Southeast, according to Davis. UPS has created a package of services to help retailers manage e-commerce across international borders, and Davis has reached out to UPS to utilize those services for PartsKing.com, feeling it is the next logical step for his company.
“When I launched the website, I believed the industry needed it,” he said. “Since Star Distributing is open during business hours five days a week, I knew laundry owners needed to be able to buy parts and supplies around the clock, seven days a week. Now, just knowing that PartsKing can connect with, and sell to, customers all over the world with this website is a humbling and gratifying experience, and the future’s wide open.”
