Vertical Development, Inc.

What Vertical Development, Inc. does

Vertical Development, Inc. is a privately held software and services firm founded in 1983 and headquartered in Naperville, Illinois (Chicago metro). The company specializes in automotive aftermarket parts catalog and fitment data management, operating exclusively around the ACES (Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard) and PIES (Product Information Exchange Standard) data formats governed by the Auto Care Association. Its core software products are vCatalog (a proprietary catalog management system supporting multilingual datasets and zip-code-level VIO reporting), ShowMeTheParts (a turnkey e-catalog, mobile app, and API platform used by manufacturers and retailers to publish fitment data on their own sites and on Shopify/WooCommerce/Magento storefronts), and VIOPartsIQ (a newer VIO analytics platform built on Experian's Vehicles-in-Operation data, launched officially in May 2025). The company complements this software with professional services including DIFM (Do-It-For-Me) ACES/PIES mapping, source data cleanup, parts catalog strategy consulting, and automated data sync to downstream trading partners such as Amazon, NAPA, Epicor, and Wrenchhead.

The business operates on a sales-led, fixed-price commercial model: quotes are delivered within 48 hours, projects are completed on a fixed-price (not estimate) basis, and the company claims 100% on-time, on-budget delivery. Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring software subscriptions (vCatalog, ShowMeTheParts, VIOPartsIQ), one-time professional services engagements, and multi-year contracts. Customer segmentation is vertical, targeting automotive aftermarket manufacturers (brakes, filters, transmissions, fasteners), aftermarket retailers and e-commerce operators, and adjacent verticals including heavy-duty truck, powersports, and agricultural equipment parts. The company is founder-led by President Jay Wright with Ronald Garand as Vice President and Joanne Scripp as Director of Operations; headcount is reported at 1–10 employees, with no disclosed outside capital, institutional investors, or M&A activity. Named customers include Mopar, Bosch, Continental, WIX, Beck/Arnley, Hengst, Hillman Group, Alto Products, Sunsong, and MomentumUSA, among others.

Name

Vertical Development, Inc.

Legal name

Vertical Development, Inc.

Website

https://verticaldev.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vertical Development, Inc. is a privately held, founder-led software and services firm specializing in automotive aftermarket parts catalog and fitment data management, serving manufacturers and retailers through its vCatalog, ShowMeTheParts, and VIOPartsIQ platforms built on ACES and PIES industry standards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Aftermarket Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry-Specific Low-Code Platforms (Vertical App Platforms) (HDAEAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vertical/Specialty Search (e.g., jobs, real estate, travel, products) (BPAMAAAD), Low-Code/No-Code Application Development & Modernization (BPAEAFAF)

Keywords

• Parts catalog management
• Automotive aftermarket software
• Fitment data solutions
• ACES PIES data mapping
• Parts e-commerce integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Downers Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Parts Catalog Software Subscriptions: The company offers vCatalog, a proprietary catalog management system, as a software platform for parts catalog management. This provides recurring revenue through software platform access and maintenance.
2. Professional Services - Data Mapping: Expert data mapping services for ACES and PIES file creation. The company maps customer parts data to industry standards, handles source data cleanup, and provides ongoing data management services.
3. ShowMeTheParts Platform: Turnkey sales tools including custom-branded e-catalogs, mobile apps, and Shopify integration. Provides revenue through platform access and configuration services for manufacturers and retailers.
4. VIOPartsIQ Subscriptions: VIO data analytics tool that maximizes VIO license investment by generating customized buyer's guides and reports. Revenue from tool access and Experian data integration.
5. Fixed-Price Project Contracts: The company quotes fixed prices for catalog projects rather than estimates. Projects include data mapping, catalog system implementation, and ongoing catalog management. 100% of projects completed on time and within quoted price.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Vertical Development provides software platforms (vCatalog, ShowMeTheParts, VIOPartsIQ) and professional services for automotive parts catalog and fitment data management. The company specializes in ACES and PIES data mapping, parts e-catalog platforms, VIO analytics powered by Experian, and integration with e-commerce systems such as Shopify and trading partners such as Amazon, NAPA, and Epicor.

Product overview

Vertical Development, Inc. is a software and services provider offering an integrated platform for automotive parts catalog and fitment management. The core portfolio consists of three main software products: vCatalog (catalog management system), ShowMeTheParts (e-commerce and parts data platform), and VIOPartsIQ (VIO data analytics tool). These are complemented by professional services including Parts Catalog Strategy, Source Data Cleanup, ACES/PIES Data Mapping (including DIFM services), and Data Sync & Delivery. The products work together as an integrated ecosystem where vCatalog serves as the central catalog management system for data entry and maintenance, ShowMeTheParts handles customer-facing e-commerce, branded catalogs, mobile apps, and API distribution, and VIOPartsIQ provides analytical insights on vehicle populations for inventory and sales decisions. All solutions are built around ACES and PIES data standards created by the Auto Care Association.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ShowMeTheParts: Turnkey sales tools and eCatalog platform for automotive parts, enabling create, update, connect, and sync of auto parts data
• VIOPartsIQ
• vCatalog
• ACES DIFM
• Standard Parts Toolkit

Products and services

• vCatalog Proprietary catalog management system for automotive parts catalog and fitment data management. Supports multilingual catalogs (English/Spanish), ACES/PIES file generation, zip code level VIO reporting, and key attribute search for heavy-duty truck, powersports, and agricultural equipment parts.
• ShowMeTheParts Turnkey e-catalog and parts sales platform for automotive aftermarket manufacturers and retailers. Provides Year/Make/Model lookup, custom-branded e-catalogs, white-label mobile apps with VIN scanning, API access for website integration, and Shopify e-commerce integration.
• VIOPartsIQ VIO (Vehicles in Operation) data analytics platform powered by Experian that transforms raw VIO data into customized buyer's guides by county, state, and country. Generates stocking guides, gap analysis reports, sales/failure-rate integrations, and changeover tools for inventory and sales decisions.
• ShowMeTheParts API Developer API that enables integration of YMM (Year/Make/Model), VIN, and LP fitment search into customer websites and e-commerce platforms. Delivers real-time fitment lookups for nearly any platform via data sync.
• Parts Catalog Strategy Consulting service guiding customers from start to finish on parts catalog and fitment strategy. Includes needs identification, process optimization, automation of updates, and solution implementation.
• Source Data Cleanup Data cleanup and standardization service transforming messy or outdated parts data into clean, standardized files, with tools to maintain ongoing data quality.
• ACES & PIES Data Mapping

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of projects completed on time and within quoted price
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and support.

• ExperiancoreTechnology or IntegrationVIOPartsIQ is built on Experian's industry-leading VIO (Vehicles in Operation) database. This partnership enables Vertical Development to offer VIO-based analytics, stocking guides, gap analysis, and geographic reporting to automotive aftermarket companies.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVertical Development is a Preferred 3rd party distributor for ACES and PIES data to Amazon. Their files are readily accepted for AmazonPartsFinder listings, making them a preferred vendor for automotive parts sellers on Amazon.
• Auto Care AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVDI is an active participant of various Auto Care Association segments including ACES & PIES Committee meetings, Leadership Days, and ACPN events. They work with ACA standards for VCdb and PCdb compliance.
• EpicormajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVertical Development will distribute and work with customers on data acceptance to Epicor. Their ACES/PIES files are compatible with Epicor's catalog requirements.
• Wrenchhead (WHI)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVertical Development will distribute and work with customers until their data is accepted by Wrenchhead. Ongoing partnership for catalog data distribution.
• Automotive Content Professionals Network (ACPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVertical Development has been the primary supplier of catalog systems to ACPN member companies since 1983. Their customers have been recognized with ACPN catalog and data excellence awards.
• Motor Information SystemsmajorTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Motor Information Systems to create ACES data for the North American market. Used for projects like PIX North America to enhance vehicle information accuracy.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationTurnkey Shopify auto parts solution through ShowMeTheParts integration. The Standard Parts Toolkit (SPT) is a comprehensive solution tailored for auto parts e-commerce on Shopify.
• HubSpotsupportTechnology or IntegrationHubSpot is used for marketing automation including automated email marketing. Used for CRM, contact form management, and meeting scheduling.
• CloudFlaresupportTechnology or IntegrationContent distribution network (CDN) services for improved website performance and security.
• CalendlysupportTechnology or IntegrationMeeting scheduling service used for booking demos and sales appointments.
• WP EnginesupportTechnology or IntegrationWebsite hosting provider for verticaldev.com and related properties.
• Standard Parts ToolkitmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStandard Parts Toolkit (SPT) is a comprehensive turn-key solution for auto parts e-commerce, co-developed with a Shopify expert. Powers automatic landing pages for SEO optimization.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Car-Part.com: Car-Part.com operates an auto parts interchange and catalog platform serving collision and aftermarket parts sellers. It is the closest direct competitor to Vertical Development's parts-fitment data and e-catalog services, overlapping on ACES-style cataloging and trading partner distribution.
• Motor Information Systems (MOTOR): Motor Information Systems publishes vehicle data, ACES-compatible fitment, and repair information to the aftermarket. MOTOR partners with Vertical Development (e.g., PIX North America) but is also a direct competitor in ACES data services.
• Standard Parts Toolkit (SPT): Standard Parts Toolkit is a co-development partner for Vertical Development's Shopify auto parts solution and competes as a turnkey auto parts e-commerce toolkit for Shopify merchants.

Broad incumbents

• Epicor (Parts & Service): Epicor provides ERP and catalog solutions for automotive aftermarket distributors and retailers, and accepts ACES/PIES data from Vertical Development. It is a broad incumbent whose catalog workflows overlap with Vertical Development's vCatalog.
• Experian Automotive: Experian provides VIO and automotive registration data that powers Vertical Development's VIOPartsIQ product. It is the upstream data supplier and a broad incumbent whose licensing strategy materially shapes VIOPartsIQ's economics.
• J.D. Power (ChromeData / Dealertrack): J.D. Power's automotive division provides vehicle configuration, fitment, and market data used by parts retailers and OEMs. It competes with Vertical Development in vertical automotive data management.
• Wrenchhead (WHI / United States Auto Parts / Parts iD): Wrenchhead operates parts distribution and catalog platforms for aftermarket retailers. Vertical Development distributes ACES/PIES data into WHI systems, making it both a channel partner and a potential broad incumbent in catalog distribution.
• S&P Global Mobility (formerly IHS Markit / Polk): S&P Global Mobility provides authoritative vehicle specification, registration, and VIO data used across the automotive aftermarket. Vertical Development integrates IHS/Polk-derived data via vCatalog, making S&P both a data supplier and the broadest incumbent in vehicle-fitment intelligence.

Regional players

• Dorman Products: Dorman is a major North American aftermarket parts manufacturer with internal catalog and fitment-data capabilities. Vertical Development supports Dorman-style suppliers via ACES/PIES work, while Dorman itself competes as a data-rich category player in the regions VDI serves.

Emerging players

• OfferUp / eBay Motors parts ecosystem: eBay Motors (and OfferUp) operate large consumer-facing auto parts marketplaces with their own fitment and seller-management tools. They overlap with ShowMeTheParts as fitment-driven parts discovery and commerce channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/verticaldev
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ShowMeThePartscom/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/verticaldev
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vertical-development
• Instagraminstagram.com/showmetheparts2022

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vertical Development, Inc.