Halron

Overview

When you’ve been serving customers for nearly a century, you understand that relationships matter; and so does reliability. For Halron Lubricants, a long-standing Midwest distributor serving industrial and commercial clients, the company’s promise has always been simple: keep their customers’ businesses running smoothly. But over time, their eCommerce platform wasn’t doing the same for them.

Halron’s team, led by IT Manager Keith Van Pay, found themselves locked into a closed system that made even small updates feel like major projects. Integrations were rigid, data exchanges were inconsistent, and the platform simply couldn’t keep pace with the business. “We were spending too much time managing technology instead of using it to move forward,” Keith shared. The goal became clear: Halron needed an open, modern platform; one that could integrate seamlessly with Infor CloudSuite Distribution (CSD) and scale as their customers’ needs evolved.

That’s where Atwix and Shopware came in.

Building the Foundation for Modern B2B

Halron didn’t just want a new website. They wanted a system that reflected how their business actually works! From Ship-To accounts and billing nuances to product restrictions that vary across customers and regions. “It wasn’t about flash,” Keith said. “It was about function. We needed something stable, fast, and flexible.”

Atwix began with a discovery phase designed to translate Halron’s real-world processes into technical architecture. Every workflow — from account creation to pricing logic — was mapped against how CloudSuite handled the same data. Together, the teams defined what data should live in the ERP versus what should be managed in Shopware, ensuring the right information flowed through the right systems.

This wasn’t a copy-and-paste project. It was an exercise in precision and partnership.

The Power of Open Platforms

Shopware offered something Halron had been missing: control. With its intuitive admin tools, the Halron team could finally make content updates and catalog changes without relying on vendor support tickets or third-party requests. “With Shopware, we’re not locked in,” Keith noted. “We can make updates ourselves — and we’re not paying to teach someone how our business works every time something changes.”

Performance was another revelation. The new storefront — clean, minimal, and purpose-built for B2B buyers — loaded faster, navigated smoother, and dramatically improved the buying experience for long-term customers. Atwix focused on accuracy as much as speed, implementing what Keith described as “idiot-proofing”: building guardrails to ensure every product, order, and Ship-To pairing synced correctly.

The result was a platform that doesn’t just look modern, it feels dependable.

Partnership in Motion

Throughout the build, Atwix and Halron operated like an integrated team. Meetings were short and focused, technical conversations were clear, and trust grew quickly. “From the start, we never had to explain things twice,” Keith recalled. “Atwix already understood CloudSuite and B2B logic. They got it.”

That understanding allowed the team to make strategic decisions fast — including one critical call: to launch a feature-complete site rather than a barebones minimum viable product. “We could’ve gone live earlier,” said Peter Polak, Project Director at Atwix, “but both teams agreed that long-term success mattered more than a quick launch. We wanted the site to feel whole on day one.”

Early Results and the Road Ahead

As development progressed, Halron’s team began to see the impact of the new platform during internal reviews and user testing. The storefront’s speed and performance immediately stood out, and workflows that previously required manual steps could now be completed inside Shopware with far less effort. Instead of relying on outside parties for changes or troubleshooting, Halron’s team can manage products, customers, and content directly — a shift that saves time and eliminates friction.

The next phase will expand customer access and introduce shipping integrations for larger industrial orders, including UPS and LTL. For Keith, the change is as much operational as it is technical:
 

“This project changed how we think about eCommerce. It’s not just an online catalog anymore. It’s how we do business.”

A Platform Built to Last

Halron’s journey embodies what modern B2B commerce is all about: reliability, flexibility, and control. Together with Shopware and Atwix, they turned a closed system into a connected ecosystem — one that not only serves today’s customers but creates space for tomorrow’s growth.

“There was a sense of relief,” Keith shared. “Competent people, clear process, and confidence in the output. That’s what partnership looks like.”

About the Project

Halron’s new Shopware eCommerce storefront and management integrates seamlessly with Infor CloudSuite Distribution, ensuring accurate product, pricing, and customer data across all ordering channels. The site empowers the Halron team to manage content and customers independently while delivering a faster, more intuitive experience for B2B buyers.