Changing the way Manufacturers field works

I have a large database of parts (4,000+) that will work with multiple manufacturers. For example, Part #1 might work with Manufacturers A, B, and D. I want customers to be able to choose a manufacturer and see a list of all parts compatible with that manufacturer along with the option to narrow the results down by category. Right now the data is in MS Access and for each part I have true/false fields MfgA, MfgB, MfgC, MfgD, etc. That way a part can belong to one, some, or all manufacturers.

I'm just starting out with Zen Cart and I have a lot to learn, so if anyone can point me in the right direction with this I'd really appreciate it!

I'm thinking the easiest way to do this is to copy and set up manufacturer tables in the same way categories are set up - manufacturers, manufacturers_description, and products_to_manufacturers. Am I on the right track?