Business of Excellence: Casto Trading Co.
- Business: Casto Trading Company
- Location: Statham, Georgia
- Owners: Drew, Wade and Debra Casto
Casto Trading Company has been a trusted name in wholesale and surplus hardware since 1970. But when Wade and Drew Casto expanded the operation by opening a brick-and-mortar retail store, they faced challenges they hadn’t expected. Relying on pen and paper made it difficult to place orders, manage inventory, and keep up with customer service.
Debra Casto checks inventory.
When Wade, Drew, and Debra Casto knew it was time to modernize, they began exploring retail technology at a House-Hasson Hardware dealer market. There, they were introduced to several POS solutions. Ultimately, Paladin Point of Sale stood out.
“Before Paladin, we were literally using an old-timey tagging gun and a basic cash register,” Debra explains. “I have a history in retail and I had always used a point-of-sale system for my inventory control, ringing up customers, all of that. So, I knew how beneficial that technology was.”
Because PaladinPOS integrates seamlessly with House-Hasson and most major hardware suppliers, the transition was smooth and immediately impactful. Automated ordering, simplified inventory management, improved customer service, and streamlined back-office operations quickly reduced their workload and increased efficiency, freeing up more time for them to focus on customers.
“Before Paladin — dumpster fire,” Drew jokes. “After — nice and easy.”
From left, Wade and Drew Casto, owners of Casto Trading Company.
Paladin has given them a much clearer view of their entire business, too. Daily reporting, once a chore, is now effortless.
“On a day-to-day basis being able to run reports through Paladin, especially closing out the day, everything is there. Particularly running reports on any particular product. Sales on a day-to-day, weekly, monthly – it’s easy to see what you’ve done,” Wade says.
“You can tell what you’re selling and track it lot easier. You don’t have to go back and wonder what was sold or what’s missing, or whatever. It’s right there at the push of a button,” Drew adds.
That simplicity – and the ability for anyone to learn it – was a huge selling point.
Even for a guy like me, who’s not tech savvy, it is an easy system to navigate, and I’ve been taught how to do a lot of things I didn’t know I was capable of. It’s made the ease of business a lot better.
Tools That Extend Beyond the Counter
PaladinPOS is the also the core of an integrated ecosystem that includes:
- PaladinGo™ — a mobile POS app for accessing inventory, scanning items, and making sales anywhere.
- PaladinShop™ — a built-in e-commerce platform that keeps online and in-store inventory perfectly aligned.
Protecting their investment
Beyond day-to-day operations, Paladin Managed Services (PaladinMSP™) provides the Castos with the security they need to protect their business. Paladin’s Defense Pack shields them from ransomware, phishing, and POS-related attacks — giving the team valuable peace of mind.
“The peace of mind there, not having to think about it on a day-to-day basis. Knowing that it is all taken care of through the Paladin Point of Sale system really makes life easy for us as a small business not having to worry about that,” Wade says.
And when they need help, the Castos know Paladin is there.
“We’ve had a few situations where we reached out to tech support,” Debra says. “They help us work through problems right away. Their support has been outstanding.”
