Prime Manufacturing
“I’ve never done it this way. Usually, it’s like emails back and forth for weeks… I think this looks really modern and cool.”
– Jason Baldonado / Co-Owner
In March of 2021 after managing a machine shop for someone else without the power to make necessary changes, Jason Baldonado founded Prime Manufacturing with a determination to do things right from the start. Armed with experience in the US Marines, a business degree, and a dream to build a world-class manufacturing company, Jason was able to bring on a partner within a few months. Former associate, Nick Murphy, had similar ambitions and his expertise in toolmaking and 5-axis machining was exactly what Prime MFG needed.
The dynamic duo grew quickly through word-of-mouth and a knack for solving complex manufacturing challenges. However, their digital presence paled in comparison to the true level of sophistication and expertise of their operations. They knew they needed to do better if they were going to attract the customers and talent they needed to realize their big vision.
In order to help them reach their revenue goals and grow into the world-class manufacturer of precision aerospace and defense components they envision, Prime MFG needed a Radical brand and Stupid Simple marketing machine that positioned them as THE go-to for DFM precision aerospace and defense components. The goal was not just to revamp their website or logo but to capture the essence of Prime Manufacturing’s excellence, innovation, and down-to-earth personality in a cohesive brand experience.
The first step was to overhaul Prime Manufacturing’s visual identity. This meant moving away from their generic logo and bland website to a more distinctive, cool, and professional look that would resonate with the R&D-driven aerospace teams they wanted to partner with as well as the caliber of talent they needed to attract to continue providing top-quality service. Instead of yellow-orange and grey, we amped up the energy with a light-to-dark orange gradient, added some bold pops of royal blue, and contrasted all of that with black and white.
In a stroke of brilliance, Jason and Nick thought it would be cool to incorporate the shape of a B-2 stealth bomber into the logo. Testing out a few design options, we landed on one that subtly fused the shape into the M in PRIME and exported several variations in their new brand colors to be used on different backgrounds.
A critical aspect of the strategy was to revamp the company’s website. The new site needed to not only look modern and engaging on all devices but also provide a seamless user experience with clear navigation, compelling calls to action, and professional photography that showcases its high-end equipment, skilled and personable team, and beautiful facility.
Running with the Stealth Bomber theme, we used the leading edge of the shape to section off the introductory paragraphs below the dark banner images followed by a blue-toned section showcasing their differentiators and a clean white background for the meat of each page. That same blue-tone filter is repeated at the bottom of the pages to draw attention to the simple contact forms which use friendly language to further solidify their relationship-building approach.
The owners also needed to have the ability to edit the site themselves without detracting from the cohesiveness of the brand, so we recommended Squarespace with its simple user interface and hard-to-screw-up theme structure.
The messaging, as always, was a crucial component and something that the owners did not want to nor feel they had the skill to develop themselves. To position Prime MFG as the fast-growing, specialized machine shop that it is, the brand needed to clearly communicate the type of customers it serves and the caliber of work it delivers while at the same time showing the tenacious, down-to-earth personalities of its owners. It needed to emphasize Prime Manufacturing’s commitment to quality, innovation, and customer service.
Again weaving in the Stealth Bomber theme, we tagged Prime MFG as the “Secret Weapon” of top aerospace and defense companies for getting innovative products to market fast, and used headings like, “They’ll Never See Us Coming” to further solidify their industry expertise. We also created some cool swag designs using these phrases and extended that messaging across their social platforms.
The revamped brand will significantly improve the company’s online visibility and memorability, attracting higher-quality leads and facilitating better customer engagement. With a new visual identity and consistent messaging across social media platforms, Prime Manufacturing will gain increased brand recognition within the aerospace and defense sectors, setting it apart from competitors. By being specific and confident in describing what they do, who they serve, and who they are using stories and examples wherever possible, their ideal customers, talent, and partners will connect with the brand and want to work with them.
In addition, we designed a new brochure, business cards, and social media post templates so that Prime Manufacturing can be recognized wherever they go. Jason and Nick loved our BS-Free process and feel confident in their ability to fly using the vessel we built for them.
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Learn more about our Radical process here.