See how a Grand Rapids contractor pivoted into a niche barn builder with a new brand, website, and marketing system that drives consistent local leads.
Today I want to share the inside story of how we worked with a Grand Rapids entrepreneur to help him build the business of his dreams.
This is how we helped Brendan McKellar transform his general contracting company, McKellar Construction, into a laser focused, niched-down, thriving business: Wildwood Barn Builders.
In the fall of 2024, I hopped on a call with Brendan to sync up on his latest priorities. At the time, Launch Kit was managing McKellar Construction’s website. It was important that we stayed aligned with Brendan’s goals so that his site always reflected accurate, up-to-date info.
On that call, Brendan dropped something big: he wanted to pivot the business and go all in on one thing — custom barn construction here in West Michigan. This meant transitioning away from general contracting and niching down with clarity and purpose.
We dug in. What’s the motive? What’s the vision? And how can we help make it happen?
This wasn’t just a refresh. This was a complete business pivot. We were sunsetting one brand and launching something entirely new — a brand that would dominate barn building in Michigan.
The first step was branding. Emily Van Til took the lead here. She didn’t just deliver a logo or color palette. She worked side by side with Brendan to develop everything from the brand name to the visual identity.
Yes, Emily helped name the business. Through a series of collaborative naming workshops, we landed on Wildwood Barn Builders — a name that evokes craftsmanship, nature, and the strong, simple character Brendan was building into every project.
From there, we developed a full mood board, finalized logo files, font systems, and a strong brand color palette. The creative direction was clear. Now we needed to bring it to life.
With the brand identity in place, it was time for Launch Kit Web Designer Mackenzie Broekstra to step in. Mackenzie had previously led the McKellar Construction site, but for Wildwood, she started from scratch.
We weren’t just building a website. We were building an online sales engine. One that would attract local traffic, educate ideal clients, and drive serious leads.
Mackenzie mapped out a new sitemap with an emphasis on educating site visitors about the barn building process — before they even submit an inquiry. We wanted the website to answer questions, build trust, and create clarity from the very first click.
But to do this right, we needed photo and video content that told the full story.
We say it all the time: brand + web + photo + video + social + ads = the magic combo.
To get the content piece right, Launch Kit Creator Daniel Bremmer and Social Media Manager Rachel Bolt entered the scene.
Daniel and Rachel set up a recurring content routine — twice per month, they are on site capturing fresh photos and videos of Wildwood projects in action. This meant Brendan no longer had to scramble to create marketing content. He had a system.
And that system unlocked everything.
Rachel was able to take Daniel’s content and run full-scale social media campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and the Google Business Profile — all synced up, all consistently posting. Fresh, authentic, hyper-local content. Every week.
Back in the web project, Mackenzie was now working with a full library of custom media. She didn’t just build a site — she built something that looked, felt, and converted like no other barn builder in Michigan.
Want to see it for yourself? Just type Wildwood Barn Builders into Google.
You’ll find a stunning, fast-loading, mobile-friendly website that tells the full story. A Google Business Profile that’s optimized for local search. And active social media channels packed with real content — not stock images, not sales fluff.
Some posts have reached hundreds of thousands of views — turns out Brendan isn’t the only one passionate about barns.
More importantly? Wildwood is now positioned as the go-to barn building contractor in West Michigan. He’s getting more qualified leads, more brand recognition, and more clarity in his business than ever before.
What Brendan is building is special. He’s doing more than constructing barns. He’s building something that represents the best of small business in Michigan — passion, craftsmanship, and community impact.
At Launch Kit, we’re proud to be part of the Wildwood story.
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