How ProParts Direct Became the Go-To Source for Hard-to-Find Parts Using Parts Locator

In 2007, two long-standing dealerships came together to form what is now Turf Depot, which operates three locations across New England and serves professional landscapers through its online parts division, ProParts Direct. Originally launched as a catalog business in the mid-90s, ProParts Direct has grown into a trusted name for commercial parts fulfillment, combining deep product knowledge with a strong digital presence.

We spoke with Ed Proulx, who joined the team in 2009 to build the first version of the ProParts website, to learn how they’ve turned the Parts Locator tool from an uncertain experiment into a key part of their reputation. From easing pressure on their own inventory to helping other dealers move hard-to-sell parts, the tool has played a major role in strengthening their relationships, expanding their reach, and building a reputation as the team that can find what others can’t.

How did the idea of the Parts Locator tool come about?

Ed: “We really started working with your team on it around 2019. At first, I was like, ah, it’s never going to work and no one’s going to like this.

Most of [the other dealers] didn’t like the fact that we could see their inventory. I think that kind of freaked them out. That was really the largest hurdle.”

What made it work in the long run?

Ed: “As it’s gone on and obviously through COVID and people looking for hard to find stuff, now that tool has become fairly invaluable to us. We went back to these dealerships and said, ‘Hey, if you work with us and become a preferred parts provider for us through ProParts, we will use and suggest you.’

We look at it as, hey, we’re doing a service. They’re relieving inventory they wouldn’t have sold because they’re not on the internet, and we are. So we’re giving that visibility and, in turn, helping their customer.

What kind of impact has Parts Locator had on your dealership?

Ed: “So far, we’ve had great luck. A lot of people say, ‘Thank you for getting that hard part, when I need something else, I’ll come back.’ And nine out of 10 times, that’s happened. We’d rather see them get the part and maybe next time call us again.

So then I kind of got the idea. I said, well, why don’t we market this a little bit? So we put a link on the website that just says, Hey, are you looking for hard to find parts? Send us just your email and send us the part number you’re looking for and we’ll scour the Parts Locator tool and tell you who’s got it.

Now, we’ve become known as the guys that can find you the hard to find parts.”

What kind of parts are you typically sourcing with it?

Ed: “We’re a fairly larger dealer and we have access to 114 different brands, so it’s pretty hard for us to not find a part because we have access to so many different distributors.

During COVID there was a lot of inventory out in the network anyway. So some of the brands, like Tecumseh that have gone out of business, those parts now are getting harder and harder to find out there. So we, we kind of primarily use it for that.”

What would you say to another dealer who’s on the fence about using Parts Locator?

Ed: “I would say do it and don’t be fearful of it. The perception is you’re giving away business… but you’re not. You’re building confidence in your customer and hopefully, you look at it as more of a long-term strategy because the guy will come back and buy something else from you. It’s just a great opportunity to relieve dead stock, old inventory, or anything that you probably wouldn’t move otherwise.

I think if they approach it as, hey, we have this ability to go find anything, I think it would drag people into your dealership just by the simple fact that these guys are really making that extra effort to try to find me the parts.”