Bishop Distributing Inc. is a family-owned wholesale business based in central Texas. Founded in 1950 by Aden Bishop with a $500 loan and a van full of “drugs and sundries”, the company has grown into one of the region’s leading distributors of Canadian nightcrawlers, fishing tackle, and resort merchandise. Today, Joe King serves as CEO while his son, Brady, leads day-to-day operations. Together, they’ve transformed Bishop into a modern, multi-million-dollar operation with a deep commitment to customer service and efficient distribution.

The Challenge

With thousands of SKUs and six trucks on the road daily, Bishop faced increasing complexity managing its inventory, customer orders, and warehouse operations. The old system—relying on faxed and emailed orders—slowed fulfillment and left the team with limited visibility. Manual errors were common, especially when customers ordered in non-standard pack quantities, and their previous web platform lacked searchability and structure.

“We used to pull orders from faxes, emails, and phone calls. Then we’d go back and manually key those in. It worked—but barely.” — Brady King, Operations Manager

They needed a platform that could:

  • Track and manage inventory in real time
  • Integrate seamlessly with QuickBooks Desktop
  • Support customized order quantities and pack sizes
  • Improve online ordering accuracy and customer experience
  • Eliminate redundant manual processes in packing and fulfillment

The Solution

In 2017, Bishop Distributing implemented Fishbowl to manage its inventory, purchasing, sales, and accounting workflows. Years later, they integrated with Kinein, to launch a modern, searchable B2B eCommerce site that connects directly to Fishbowl.

The Kinein integration was a turning point. It gave Bishop’s customers access to real-time product availability and allowed them to place orders directly through their website – orders now flow straight into Fishbowl without manual entry. It also enforced order rules, like minimum quantities and pack sizes, reducing fulfillment errors and support calls.

“When we saw how Kinein and Fishbowl worked together, it blew my mind. The ability to get orders straight into the system, ready to pick, pack, and ship—it’s incredible.” — Joe King, CEO

Together, these tools allow Bishop to:

  • Automatically convert online orders into Fishbowl sales orders
  • Provide real-time inventory updates to customers and reps
  • Streamline order packing and reduce data entry
  • Enforce unit-of-measure rules and minimum order quantities
  • Simplify shipping through integration with UPS WorldShip
  • Prepare for future integrations like EDI with major retail chains

The Results

Fishbowl, combined with Kinein, helped Bishop Distributing modernize its operations without losing the personalized service that sets them apart. Key improvements include:

  • Hundreds of hours saved by eliminating manual entry and streamlining packing
  • Real-time inventory visibility across thousands of SKUs
  • Increased order accuracy, especially with pack-size enforcement
  • Faster fulfillment, thanks to efficient workflows and barcode scanning
  • Significant shift to online ordering, easing burden on sales staff

“We used to fix our customers’ orders. Now we’re fixing our own. The website forces correct quantities, while we still have to double-check our team’s entries. That’s how good it is.” — Brady, Operations Manager

“Everything you’ve done has only made the software better. At first, we were cautious—but Fishbowl keeps improving.” — Joe, CEO

Conclusion

What started with a single truck and a dream is now a tech-enabled distribution engine—still family-run, but future-ready. With Fishbowl at the core of their operations and Kinein driving digital orders, Bishop Distributing is poised for the next 75 years of growth.