IW Celebrates 50 Years
FOLLOW ALONG WITH US
THE BEGINNING
Our Founder, Al Moorhouse, wasn't trying to start a business. He just saw something others didn't.
While working at a leading cash register company, he watched the industry shift from mechinical machines to electronic registers. A tech revolution was underway.
But there was a catch: Big manufacturers didn't offer trade-ins. If a company had six stores and needed a seventh register but the model was discontinued, they had to replace all seven. No trade-ins. No reuse.
Al saw the gap and decided to fill it with a smarter, more sustainable solution.
IW didn't begin in the boardroom. It started in Al's bedroom, with a two-car garage as his warehouse. His 700 sq ft home became the launchpad for something big.
He began calling retail giants himself. Just belief.
"I've got cash registers. Buy from me." he'd say.
Macy's said yes. One register became hundreds, then thousands.
The company grew oragnically — not through flashy pitches, but by answering the phone when others didn't.
Al's philosphy was simple:
"Don't just answer when a customer's placing an order. Answer when they need help."
"I've got cash registers. Buy from me." he'd say.
IW became the go-to name in refurbished POS by selling, storing, and shipping for the biggest names in retail, grocery, QSR, convenience, hospitality, and pharmacy.
In a world just waking up to sustainability, IW was already living it, long before it became a trend.
With a formal name Illinois Wholesale Cash Register Corporation , IW built deeper partnerships and a more robust supply chain.
The office grew to 240,000+ sq ft, with 2 office buildings.
The model?
Start small. Prove yourself. Grow together..
Maybe just a scanner. Then a register. Then a full rollout
The result?
Customers who've stayed for 30+ years.
Because trust, like hardware, lasts longer when it's well cared for.
LIFECYCLE MANAGED SERVICES PARTNER
The services expansion wasn't a pivot. It was a response to a question we heard over and over again from our longtime customers.
You already sell us the POS hardware.
Can you help us install it? Maintain it? Manage it?
Our request became a repeat service. Countless requests evolved into repeated services.
A few installs turned into full-scale national rollouts and long term maintenance opportunities.
And what started as help became a whole new arm of the business.
IW supports the entire technology lifecycle:
- Staging & Maintenance
- Annuity Onsite & Depot Maintenance
- Structured Low Voltage Cabling
- Audio, Telephony & Loss Prevention
- Ad Hoc Installation, Moves, Adds & Changes (IMAC Services)
- Physical Asset Reclamation and Disposition Services
- Recycling, E-Waster, Logistics, and Warehousing
We didn't chase new business. We built on pent up demand and trust we already had.
And now, we're proud to be the largest seller of POS cables in the world, and a go-to partner for retailers and enterprises looking to operate more efficiently, reliably, predictably, and more sustainably.
In 2020, IW Technologies entered its next chapter as leadership transitioned from longtime President and CEO Al Moorhouse to Darin Moorhouse.
Darin's journey with IW didn't start with a title. It started early, at age 121, learning the business from the ground up as the company was finding its footing and accelerating its growth. Through his teenage years and beyond, he worked across the organization, gaining firsthand experience in operations, customer relationships, and the realities of scaling a technology focused business. By 1997, he was fully invested in IW's future.
Over the years, Darin has played a key role in driving more than $50 million in hardware sales while building long-standing partnerships rooted in trust, follow-through, and long-term thinking. His leadership style reflects the values IW was built on: collaboration and accountability.
Today, as President and CEO, Darin leads IW Technologies with a clear focus on strategic growth, team development, and helping businesses across retail, hospitality, grocery, convenience, and distribution navigate complex technology challenges with practical, scalable solutions. His approach blends deep operational experience with a belief that the strongest partnerships are built by showing up, doing the work, and thinking beyond the transaction.
THE PRESENT
As IW turns 50, we're not just proud of what we've built.
We're proud of how we built it:
- With long-standing customers who've trusted us through every industry shift
- With a service-first mindset that puts people first
- With team members who've stayed for decades, growing with us
- With new-gen talent who bring fresh skills and ideas
- And with a quiet commitment to doing things sustainably, long before it was popular
For us, sustainability has never been a slogan. It's been our default: Refurbishing instead of replacing. Serving with long-term care instead of short-term gain.
"If a customer needs help, we pick up the phone. No matter what.
That's not policy. That's just who we are."