How This Manufacturing Company Finds Target Customers with Digital Marketing

Parkline, Inc., manufactures metal buildings and provides electrical systems integration services for a variety of industries. Their roots go back to the 1930s, when the oil and gas industry needed durable and rigid buildings to use in production fields.

“Sometime in the last 10 or 15 years, the market shifted,” Mark Repp, vice president of sales and marketing, said. “Customers started asking for modular buildings that offer plug-and-play convenience.”

Now Parkline manufactures prefabricated, custom-designed metal buildings and also supplies materials to customers who want to assemble the buildings themselves.

“Our buildings can house anything from electrical switchgear to gas metering and protective relay equipment—just about anything you’d want to keep in a clean and dry environment,” he said.

“Some of our very best leads come through our website.”

Mark Repp, vice president of sales and marketing

Related: Purple [Google Case Study]

Parkline is developing their digital marketing strategy to find customers searching for their industrial products and services. They’ve used AdWords, Google’s advertising program, since 2009 “to get in front of people who otherwise would never know we exist,” Mark said. “AdWords gives us the best investment for our money. We have a small sales force, so it’s important for reaching a broader audience.”

Today, 30 to 40 percent of Parkline’s marketing budget is spent on digital advertising, and AdWords drives about 30 percent of their leads. They also use Google Analytics to better understand their customers and see which marketing tactics are most effective.

“The industry has changed, and we’ve changed along with it. We’re working with Google to learn more about effective digital marketing. We know we’re pointed in the right direction,” Mark said.

Parkline has 110 employees in West Virginia.

Sign Up: Receive the StartupNation newsletter!

Parkline acquired Texas-based Bebco Industries in 2016 to meet the growing demand for custom-built modular buildings. This added another 90 employees to their base. In their West Virginia headquarters, they continue to be, as Mark describes, “a good local citizen,” whether by supporting local schools’ sports teams or participating in food and gift drives during the holidays.

“West Virginia has gone through some challenging times economically, so when businesses here, large or small, succeed and grow and get involved in the community, it’s only a good thing,” he explained.

With strong aspirations for growth in West Virginia and now Texas, Parkline plans to be a good local citizen for years to come.