Rebranding a B2B Giant: From Local Shop to National Powerhouse

Client Overview

Unlike a typical Silicon Valley startup, Bay Rag is an industrial powerhouse with deep roots since 1976, supplying wiping rags, absorbents, and PPE to giants like Home Depot and Fortune 500 companies. They are the heavyweights of their industry, capable of halting an entire factory’s production line just by being late with a delivery.

But their online presence was lightweight. They looked like a regional San Jose shop (complete with an Oakland Bay Bridge logo), when in reality, they were a national powerhouse. They came to us for a complete rebrand and website build, so their digital storefront would finally match the scale of their business.

‍Challenges

Bay Rag approached us for a design job, but we saw the challenge was deeper than pixels. The project quickly evolved into a full rebranding and a new website build. Instead of migrating to Webflow, we advised them to double down on their existing Shopify platform, bringing in a development partner to help us execute.

‍Turning Shopify into a B2B Beast. The core mission: to build a complex, B2B-oriented portal on a platform known for B2C, without sacrificing the DTC experience. They needed different pricing tiers for wholesale and enterprise, dedicated portals for corporate clients, and the ability to submit orders via PO forms. It was like asking a go-kart to haul a grand piano. Out-of-the-box, Shopify simply doesn’t do that. Achieving this functionality requires significant re-engineering through third-party integrations.

‍The Corporate Glow-Up. The client needed a rebrand that screamed “trusted, national partner” but whispered, “we’re not a soulless corporation.” The goal was to ditch the “local shop” vibe without turning into another boring B2B tech site. The brief was basically: “Build us a tailored suit, not a hoodie.”

‍The “Just One More Thing” Avalanche. 

As we approached the launch date, the project entered a dynamic final phase. Inspired by the progress, the client came to us with a number of new ideas for enhancements, ranging from small tweaks like adding a phone number to integrating new forms. Although these tasks weren’t in the initial scope, our agile process allowed us to accommodate every request while still meeting our original deadline. It was a true win-win.

‍The Solution: 

Bay Rag needed a special forces team that could drop into a zone of uncertainty and turn it into polished, functional, and beautiful code.

1. A Full-Scale Brand Transformation.

We started with the foundation. No half-measures. We held several sessions to find the brand’s DNA. The idea came from their own products - boxes and pallets. Our design team created a brand identity that reflects the essence of their business: reliability and scale. We developed a clean, modern typography and a B2B-focused color palette, then wrapped it all up in a detailed brand book. We rebuilt the facade from the ground up.

2. Bending Shopify to Our Will.

We refused to let the platform’s limitations dictate the user experience. To build the B2B backbone, our task was the critical front-end integration. While the client managed the back-end configuration of Wholesale Hub, we built the custom interface that translated their complex pricing and logistics system into an intuitive and seamless journey for the customer. Our designers envisioned fluid, curved shapes and soft shadows, an aesthetic impossible with a standard Shopify builder. We brought this to life by leveraging specialized apps like the POWR suite and writing extensive custom code. The result is a high-performance B2B engine running on a B2C chassis.

‍3. Building a Lead-Gen UX Machine.

Every detail was engineered. A custom form for downloading a product catalog? Done. A slick animation on the “About Us” page where boxes fall onto a pallet to form the logo? You got it. A progress bar for the auto-scrolling “Industries” section? Of course. We turned static pages into an interactive tool that not only delights users but generates leads.

‍Results You Can Measure

We delivered a small miracle of branding and development, beating the client’s own expectations.

‍From Local Hero to National Powerhouse. We completely transformed the company’s perception. Their website now looks as formidable as their client list, which includes Fortune 500 companies. 

‍A B2B Portal on a B2C Platform. We did what many thought was impossible. Bay Rag got a fully functional B2B portal with customer accounts, tiered pricing, and a seamless ordering process, all running on Shopify.

‍Delivered Early, Despite the Chaos. Even with the eleventh-hour avalanche of tweaks, we were ready for launch before the original deadline. The final twist? We were sitting and waiting for the client to give us the green light. That’s the ultimate metric of our efficiency.

‍Summary of Wins