Industrial Injection
Leveraged MATS to Accelerate Nationwide Expansion
Industrial Injection, a premier diesel industry manufacturer based in Salt Lake City, Utah, has long been a powerhouse in the Western United States. Specializing in high-performance diesel components and manufacturing, the company has built a reputation for quality and reliability. However, despite their Western dominance, the brand faced a significant hurdle in penetrating the dense Eastern and Central markets. In 2023, Industrial Injection made the strategic decision to exhibit at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) for the first time, seeking to evolve from a regional leader into a recognized national and international authority.
Dustin Hembury, Performance Engine Specialist, Industrial Injection
Challenge:
The primary hurdle for Industrial Injection was geographic fragmentation. Operating from the Mountain West, the company struggled with a lack of brand awareness across the Eastern Seaboard and the Midwest. In the diesel industry, where performance parts represent a high-stakes investment, customers often demand a level of “tactile trust” that digital marketing cannot provide. Furthermore, Industrial Injection needed to reach beyond simple “diesel performance” enthusiasts to engage the broader “diesel industry,” including over-the-road trucking, agriculture, construction, and international buyers—a diverse audience that is difficult to aggregate through traditional sales channels.
Solution:
Industrial Injection utilized MATS as their national marketing push. By moving beyond the “guy in the office” to target the end-user in-person, the company established a large booth presence, filled with product, for hands-on Direct-to-Customer (DTC) marketing. They leveraged the massive, diverse audience of MATS—which brings together owner-operators, and fleet owners—to showcase their physical products. This allowed the team to facilitate immediate trust-building through face-to-face interaction and live product demonstrations, effectively using the show’s global footprint to bypass years of regional marketing efforts.
Results:
The debut of Industrial Injection at MATS resulted in immediate market expansion and bottom-of-funnel success. By the first morning of the event, the company had already secured direct sales and “made some deals” with customers who had previously never heard of the brand. The exposure extended globally, with high-quality leads captured from as far as Australia and Canada. Furthermore, the operational excellence of the MATS logistics team allowed Industrial Injection to bypass the typical headache of trade show setup, ensuring that 100% of their energy was directed toward sales and relationship building from the moment the doors opened.
Diversifying Audience Segments through In-person Connections
A cornerstone of Industrial Injection’s success at MATS was the realization that the event serves as a hub for the entire diesel industry, rather than just over-the-road trucking. The company was able to “show all these different industries that are part of the diesel industry, whether it’s agricultural, industrial, or even over-the-road trucks, and off-road equipment as well.” This segment diversification allowed Industrial Injection to showcase their products to construction and agricultural professionals, effectively expanding their market share across multiple diesel-reliant verticals. The global reach of the event further amplified this effect, as Hembury found himself “talking to people from Australia that are walking in my booth” and “shaking their hand,” alongside attendees from other countries.
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The ability to manage such a wide-reaching marketing effort was facilitated by the seamless operational organization provided by MATS. For a first-time exhibitor traveling across the country, the logistical ease of the show acted as a brand catalyst. Hembury highlighted that “the day we showed up, we had our scheduled time, our carpet was out, [and] we were ready to go.” By removing the stress of setup and technical requirements, MATS enabled Industrial Injection to highlight their product to “all the people across the country” without distraction, reinforcing the company’s direct to customer mission.
Converting Geographic Distance into Direct Market Acquisition
The transition from a Salt Lake City stronghold to a national presence required a platform capable of aggregating a wide variety of people, and Industrial Injection found that catalyst in Louisville. Dustin Hembury noted that a primary objective for the company was to “inform the public of us, and what we do, and who we are,” specifically targeting the “end-user, or the guy in the office that’s buying the products for that truck.” By traveling across the country, Industrial Injection was able to bridge the distance hurdle and “have them in our booth, shake their hand, [and] meet them first-hand.” This face-to-face strategy proved immediately effective for a brand that was previously unknown in the region, allowing them to make “really good connections” with an audience that was unfamiliar with their brand.
This Direct-to-Customer approach did more than just build awareness; it produced immediate sales. Unlike many marketing initiatives that require a lengthy gestation period, the high purchase intent of the MATS audience allowed Industrial Injection to convert interest into revenue within hours of the show’s commencement. Hembury reported that they had “a lot of people already in our booth this morning” and were “able to make some deals” almost instantly. This immediate ROI validates the MATS platform as a “really good platform for us to be able to come here, be with all the public, and be with the people that want our product.” By focusing on the hands-on experience, Industrial Injection successfully transformed geographic anonymity into a tangible competitive advantage.
Conclusion:
Industrial Injection’s experience at the Mid-America Trucking Show defines the potential for regional manufacturers to achieve national and international scale through strategic physical presence. By prioritizing the hands-on experience and leveraging the volume of spectators that MATS attracts, the company successfully bypassed geographic barriers to secure immediate deals and long-term partnerships. The combination of a high-intent audience and seamless operational support has solidified MATS as a permanent fixture in Industrial Injection’s growth strategy. As the company continues to expand its national footprint, the priceless connections made in Louisville will serve as the foundation for their continued dominance across the global diesel industry.
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