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Industry
Manufacturing & Ecommerce
Tech Stack
QuickBooks Online, Connex, Shopify
Business Model
Wholesale + Ecommerce
THE CUSTOMER
Liberty Skis was incorporated in 2003 by Jim Satloff and Dan Chalfant, with humble beginnings in a small storage space in Avon, Colorado. In a story that reflects their entrepreneurial spirit, the founders funded their first production run after winning $32,000 at the Mandalay Bay craps tables during the SIA Snow Show in Las Vegas—using those winnings to contract a Canadian factory to produce their first ski samples.
Since then, Liberty Skis has grown into a respected premium ski manufacturer, known for producing high-performance skis for both recreational and professional athletes. In addition to skis, the company offers a range of accessories including poles and ski bags, all built with a commitment to quality and performance.
Today, Liberty Skis sells through both direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels, supplying customers and retailers across North America while maintaining its focus on craftsmanship and innovation.
THE PROBLEM
As Liberty Skis expanded their wholesale business alongside their Shopify storefront, their backend processes became increasingly difficult to manage.
Their biggest challenges included:
- No way to sync wholesale sales from QuickBooks Online back into Shopify
Wholesale orders were often created directly in QuickBooks, but Shopify remained their operational hub. There was no native or third-party integration that could push those orders into Shopify. - Disconnected systems between wholesale and retail workflows
Retail orders originated in Shopify, while wholesale orders lived in QuickBooks—creating a fragmented process across teams. - Manual data entry and reconciliation
Orders had to be re-entered or manually tracked between systems, increasing the risk of errors and delays. - Difficulty reconciling payouts and deposits
Matching Shopify payouts with bank deposits required additional manual effort.
No existing integration on the market could handle this reverse sync—from QuickBooks Online to Shopify—while also supporting their full multi-channel workflow.
THE SOLUTION
Liberty Skis implemented Connex Ecommerce to create a fully automated, two-way integration between Shopify and QuickBooks Online.
With Connex, they were able to:
- Sync wholesale orders from QuickBooks Online into Shopify
Connex enabled a reverse sync that no other integration could support, allowing wholesale orders created in QuickBooks to flow directly into Shopify. - Unify wholesale and retail operations
Both wholesale and DTC orders could now be managed within Shopify, creating a single operational hub. - Automate financial reconciliation with the Match Deposit tool
Shopify payouts were automatically matched to bank deposits in QuickBooks, eliminating manual reconciliation work. - Eliminate manual data entry
Orders, customers, and financial data flowed automatically between systems, reducing errors and saving time.
THE RESULTS
Since implementing Connex Ecommerce in 2016, Liberty Skis has continued to scale its operations while simplifying its backend processes.
- Saved 15–20 hours per week by eliminating manual data entry and reconciliation
- Enabled a unique two-way workflow between Shopify and QuickBooks Online that no other integration could support
- Streamlined wholesale and retail operations into a single, unified system
- Improved accuracy and visibility across orders, accounting, and financial reporting
Beyond operational efficiency, Connex has supported Liberty Skis’ continued growth. The company has expanded its product line, introduced new ski models, and continued to earn industry recognition and awards.
Despite that growth, the focus remains the same. As James shared:
“The favorite part of our business is the personal stories of our customers making their days on snow better with Liberty Skis.”
