Merrill Manufacturing

A 75-year legacy of problem-solving, modernized, because for the pros who know exactly what they need, speed and clarity are the only things that matter.

merrill manufacturing x praella

Merrill Manufacturing came to us with a mandate: modernize a brand that has been the backbone of the water well industry since 1949.

Their existing NetSuite SuiteCommerce setup was becoming a bottleneck for their growth. They needed to move to Shopify Plus to create a modern, hybrid experience, one that could handle complex B2B needs for their long-term distributors while opening the door for a growing direct-to-consumer audience.

strategy

Designing for Intent

We didn’t design for trends; we designed for how Merrill’s customers actually think. With 90% of their users arriving with a specific SKU already in mind, we overhauled the front-end to prioritize speed. We put SKU-based search front and center and shifted the focus to distributor actions like "Find a Distributor". The design is minimalist and clean, using a "wavy line" motif to mirror the fluid nature of their industry.

LEVERAGING THE SHOPIFY ECOSYSTEM

A High-Performance Hybrid

To support Merrill’s scale, we transformed their digital home into a hybrid B2B/DTC powerhouse. By leveraging Shopify Plus’s native B2B functionality, we ensured that complex business requirements were met while maintaining a modern, user-friendly storefront.

This setup protects specialized access for long-term distributors through native authentication, while giving new customers a simple, quiz-guided path to finding exactly the right parts without the friction of a traditional industrial checkout.

BUILDING WITH PURPOSE

Modernization Without Friction

We rebuilt the foundation so the Merrill team could move faster without needing a developer for every update. By mapping out tens of thousands of records, from customer accounts to decades of historical order data, we ensured a smooth migration that didn't disrupt their long-term relationships. The result is an engine that simplifies day-to-day management and tax handling, allowing the brand to evolve digitally without losing the trust they’ve built over generations.

strategy

Designing for Intent

We didn’t design for trends; we designed for how Merrill’s customers actually think. With 90% of their users arriving with a specific SKU already in mind, we overhauled the front-end to prioritize speed. We put SKU-based search front and center and shifted the focus to distributor actions like "Find a Distributor". The design is minimalist and clean, using a "wavy line" motif to mirror the fluid nature of their industry.

LEVERAGING THE SHOPIFY ECOSYSTEM

A High-Performance Hybrid

To support Merrill’s scale, we transformed their digital home into a hybrid B2B/DTC powerhouse. By leveraging Shopify Plus’s native B2B functionality, we ensured that complex business requirements were met while maintaining a modern, user-friendly storefront.

This setup protects specialized access for long-term distributors through native authentication, while giving new customers a simple, quiz-guided path to finding exactly the right parts without the friction of a traditional industrial checkout.

BUILDING WITH PURPOSE

Modernization Without Friction

We rebuilt the foundation so the Merrill team could move faster without needing a developer for every update. By mapping out tens of thousands of records, from customer accounts to decades of historical order data, we ensured a smooth migration that didn't disrupt their long-term relationships. The result is an engine that simplifies day-to-day management and tax handling, allowing the brand to evolve digitally without losing the trust they’ve built over generations.

Built by problem-solvers and trusted for generations, Merrill Manufacturing has been a leader in the water well and irrigation industries since 1949. It all started with the invention of the Any Flow® Yard Hydrant, and today the company holds 23 product patents.

Still a family-owned business, they pride themselves on creating reliable products and long-term relationships that are built drop by drop through consistency and care.

Merrill offers a massive line of specialized products for the water well and irrigation sectors, designed to meet the technical needs of professionals. Their catalog includes everything from their world-famous yard hydrants to SKU-specific parts for complex water systems. Whether they are serving direct customers or a massive network of distributors, Merrill remains a trusted standard for precision and reliability in the field.

Quality, Start To Finish

Longevity doesn’t mean standing still. For Merrill Manufacturing, moving to Shopify Plus was about building a foundation as durable as their hardware. By combining their deep technical legacy with a faster, clearer digital experience, we’ve created a system that can handle tens of thousands of records with zero friction. They are now ready to serve the next generation of buyers, one SKU at a time.