Building a Digital Experience as Solid as Their Foundations
Abbott Construction is a top-tier general contractor serving the West Coast from hubs in Seattle, Tacoma, and Los Angeles, and a member of the STO Building Group. They compete for negotiated and CM-at-Risk work where every shortlisted firm already has the bonding capacity, the portfolio, and the references. On paper, Abbott and their competitors look alike.
What doesn’t fit on a qualifications sheet is their trademarked philosophy, “Discover a Better Way to Build”, and the “Ride Up Front” mentality behind it: clients connected and informed from kickoff to ribbon-cutting, guided by Integrity, Stewardship, and Collaboration. That difference is the whole reason a committee picks Abbott. Their old website couldn’t communicate it.
The Challenge
At Abbott’s level, selection rarely comes down to capability, it comes down to fit. Who understands the program. Who an owner trusts to run a multi-year build. Who the project team will actually want in the trailer. Those decisions are shaped by story, and Abbott’s digital presence wasn’t telling one.
Like most commercial contractors, they had a brochure-style site: a list of past projects and capabilities that read the same as everyone else on the shortlist. It did nothing to support a pursuit, an owner’s rep landing on the site mid-evaluation found credentials, not conviction. And it did nothing to recruit, the superintendents and project managers Abbott wanted to pull from competitors saw no reason the grass was greener. The site had to carry “Ride Up Front” into two rooms at once: the selection interview and the hiring conversation.
The Storify Approach
Here at Storify Agency, we know that people process information best when it flows logically from point A to point B. We realized Abbott’s new website had to weave their diverse capabilities, rich history, and core values into one compelling narrative.
-
A Story-Driven UX/UI Strategy: We rebuilt the site architecture around how Abbott actually wins, not around a capabilities checklist. The narrative leads with the experience of working with Abbott, the transparency, the connection, the “Ride Up Front” promise, and lets that thread run through every page. We positioned client testimonials directly alongside the relevant project type, so a prospect evaluating Abbott for a healthcare or hospitality build sees proof exactly where their question forms. The result moves a visitor the same way Abbott’s BD team moves a committee: from “qualified” to “the right fit.”
-
Not Just a Portfolio: Top talent evaluates a contractor the same way an owner does, on culture and trajectory. We built a careers experience that speaks to both trades and salaried staff, showing what “Ride Up Front” means for the people who build the work, not just the clients who buy it. The site became a tool Abbott can point a candidate to and have it close the gap a competitor’s site leaves wide open.
-
Custom Web Development: Behind the design is a custom architecture built for speed, scale, and the realities of BD. Dynamic filtering lets visitors navigate a portfolio spanning brands like Starbucks, Whole Foods, and W Hotels by the sector or delivery method that matters to them. Dedicated hubs for careers and trade partners, plus a scalable CMS, let Abbott’s team keep public bids, news, and community work current without waiting on IT, so the site is never stale when a pursuit is live.
We successfully transformed Abbott Construction’s online presence from a basic collection of pages into a dynamic storytelling platform.
-
Narrative Alignment: The new website perfectly matches their real-world philosophy. Just as Abbott provides a clear and connected experience on a job site, their website now offers a seamless and intuitive experience for every user.
-
Elevated Brand Perception: Our story-driven approach clarifies their market position. It breaks through the noise of standard contractor websites to highlight their legacy of excellence.
-
A Foundation That Scales With the Firm: Built on a custom, scalable backend, Abbott’s site grows alongside their expanding West Coast footprint, ready for new projects, new offices, and new hires without a rebuild.