SANDY, Utah – Gates Catalog Data Services Group has reached an agreement with OptiCat, a North American product information data cooperative of aftermarket parts manufacturers, to become its first Preferred Data Solutions Partner. Under the agreement, Gates will assist other manufacturers in their efforts to populate the OptiCat Do-It-Once (DIO) data repository.

The OptiCat DIO Repository was created to accelerate distribution and broaden product data information that is used in distributor electronic catalog databases. OptiCat acts as a data bank that allows resellers to use a single source for timely and critical product information necessary for selling aftermarket parts.

Brad Duncan, CEO of OptiCat, commented, “Gates Corp. has been a leader in quality data production for several years. It is exciting to see Gates offer its premium services to other aftermarket suppliers that can benefit from their vast expertise. OptiCat welcomes Gates as our first Preferred Data Solutions Partner and encourages any manufacturer that wants to outsource its data management to contact them for more information on the services offered.”

Dave Miller, vice president of marketing for Gates Corp., added, “Gates has developed significant product management tools over several years and believe our experience can be extremely helpful to other aftermarket part suppliers. We are strong supporters of the OptiCat Do-it-Once philosophy and look forward to assisting others who share our belief that quality data maximizes sales possibilities.”