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Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)

Website Revamp Showcases Quality Products and Capabilities

With the help of: Pennsylvania Manufacturing Extension Partnership

About

Bashlin Industries, Inc., located in Grove City, Pennsylvania, is a privately-owned company with manufacturing and shipping facilities staffed by nearly 60 employees. Since 1926, Bashlin has provided safe and innovative products for linemen, arborists, and industrial workers. Beginning with the design and fabrication of power utility tool belts, their products continue to be manufactured of leather, nylon, and a variety of durable fabrics.

The Challenge

Bashlin knew two things -- first, that a company’s website is important for first impressions when attracting new customers , and second, that it is vital the site be user friendly to retain existing customers. Bashlin's site was functional, but it had been developed using a platform that would soon be obsolete and no longer provided technical support. The site needed to be updated in its design and ability to be mobile responsive. These issues can lead to lower sale conversions, weaker brand favorability, slower inventory updates, and less convenient support service. In addition, Bashlin’s online catalog of products included a significant number of SKUs that required revisions as well as updated photographs and descriptions as they desired a convenient shopping cart for customers to make purchases. While the company has internal staff who monitor quality and make content changes, they were unsure if the site needed a complete renovation. 
Even well-established businesses require fresh content and new ways to be accessible to the next generation of customers. While our social media platforms achieved part of that goal, updating and integrating the website with e-commerce and mobile capability really closed the loop. As a result, our web orders have increased, we have had direct inquiries due to sharing our sales staff contact information on the site, and we have a great tool for featuring products on a dynamic basis.
— Brad McGill, President

MEP's Role

Bashlin requested assistance from NWIRC, part of the Pennsylvania MEP and the MEP National Network™, to identify requirements and resources towards having a more appealing and effective website.NWIRC introduced Bashlin to three qualified website developers with experience in eCommerce systems and assisted with vetting the best resource based on project requirements. Werkbot Studios was chosen for the work, to include new website development and digital marketing services. They designed, developed, customized content, and deployed the site with improved functionality. As the primary online marketing tool, the new website reflects a professional image for the company, its products, and values.

To support Bashlin Industries’ advancement of their information technology systems, NWIRC identified an applicable Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) mini-grant for the project. The objective of the AMT grant program was to help manufacturers accelerate the adoption of new or improved digital technologies.

Created January 27, 2021, Updated July 12, 2021