Midwest Technology Products is a family-owned business that specializes in the resale of STEM, CTE, and Makerspace equipment and supplies to educators throughout the country. We celebrated our 100-year anniversary in 2009.
Selling to the education market often requires navigating through a special set of issues. Midwest has made a focused effort to address these barriers to cater to the needs of educators nationwide. Here’s how we do it:
- Midwest is involved in a variety of school specific vendor programs including preferred vendor listings, cooperative purchasing programs, and competitive bidding.
- We have built relationships with a broad network of school purchasers including teachers, administrators, purchasing agents, and curriculum directors that count on Midwest for up-to-date facility and program resources.
- We have a keen eye for what institutions want and have designed and installed hundreds of specialty work spaces filled with durable, trade-quality tools and equipment.
- Customer service is our foundation. When you call us, you’ll talk to a real human from the very start. Relationships are important to us and that is why our phone is always ringing.
Our website showcases over 10,000 products from 700 vendors, including Bosch, Cooper Tools, DeWalt, Diversified Woodcrafts, Festool, littleBits, JET, Miller Electric, Norton Abrasives, Powermatic, SawStop, and Sphero.
Our business headquarters and warehouse are in Sioux City, Iowa. We provide face-to-face service in most areas of the United States. We provide installation service at your request. If you are involved in a new construction or renovation project involving a lab, shop, or classroom, we can make recommendations concerning the layout and equipment requirements.
OUR HISTORY
A family-owned business that has endured and prospered over the course of four generations and 100 years is a rarity these days. What makes a company carry on through changing economies, new challenges, and advancing technologies when most others do not? Loyalty.
Founded in 1909 by Barrett S. Peete, Peete’s Hardware began as a small store offering hardware supplies to contractors and homeowners. The store carried just about every hardware item, including roller skate keys.
In 1955, Barrett's son, Richard L. Peete, took the helm. A forward-thinking businessman, Richard recognized the growing needs of schools offering shop classes. He decided to focus on that market, and in 1963, he changed the company name to Midwest Shop Supplies to reflect the intention to offer durable supplies for schools.
Through the years Midwest gained a well-deserved reputation for its dedication to its customers, as the company helped provide hard-to-find products.
In 1967 when educators expressed a need for mobile classrooms, Midwest went to work to develop a Learning Laboratory. Customized for comfort and providing a “motion picture” projector, tape recorder, chalkboard, and other necessities, the Learning Laboratory was used throughout four counties in Iowa.
Going to extraordinary lengths to provide the tools and environments necessary for educators to teach the most up-to-date skills, Midwest responded year after year to the call for innovation. With technology advancing rapidly, educators across the country raced to create lesson plans to teach technology basics.
From 1987, the third generation transitioned into the ownership role of the thriving company. Barrett Peete's granddaughters, Linda and Susan, expanded the product lines to meet rising customer demand. This growth necessitated changing the name to Midwest Technology Products. At that point, Midwest actively solicited bids from school districts nationwide.
For the first time, Midwest hired sales representatives and independent contractors to provide personalized service for teachers. This also enabled Midwest to oversee the installation of furniture and equipment onsite—both critical components of superior customer service.
As the needs of educators change, Midwest strives to offer services and products that are a cut above. It's not a bottom-line mentality. It's a dedication to customers that has been nurtured through four generations of a family, when Barrett's great-granddaughter Robin assumed day-to-day responsibilities in 2004.
For 100 years the people at Midwest have been rising to the challenge and responding to the needs of educators and students.
That's loyalty lived out. At Midwest, it's business as usual.