ARG Industrial develops ecommerce tool for custom fabrication

In the ever-evolving world of B2B ecommerce, innovation often arises from necessity; such is the case for ARG Industrial.

ARG Industrial is a regional distributor of industrial and hydraulic hoses, fittings, and rigging products. It serves a diverse range of industries including construction, mining, oil and gas, marine and fishing. It also serves government agencies across Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

Over the past few years, ARG Industrial has embarked on a comprehensive digital transformation journey. It began with the strategic hiring of Mike Powers, an experienced B2B ecommerce professional, who was promoted to chief digital and technology officer. Under Powers, ARG Industrial launched its first B2B ecommerce platform, creating a suite of new digital tools aimed at simplifying the process for customers to custom-fabricate and order parts.

What started as a piece of B2B ecommerce functionality, which was considered the north star of ARG Industrial’s ecommerce strategy, quickly turned into a side business venture when ARG Industrial recognized a gap in the market for custom fabrication software. Unable to find an existing solution, the company developed its own proprietary digital assembly builder tool. The tool, IntelliBuild, is a digital platform allowing users to select custom assembly specifications. It also lets them place orders for these custom parts.

Now, ARG Industrial sees a larger opportunity on the horizon and has joined forces with Spiral Scout and Domani Strategies to launch a standalone ecommerce software company.

“We hadn’t fully crossed the digital transformation finish line until we integrated custom fabrication capabilities,” says Mike Mortensen, CEO of ARG Industrial. “We wanted to replicate the firsthand experience of helping a customer at the counter — like I did when I started out — in a seamless online journey. IntelliBuild does just that, allowing customers, even those without technical expertise, to easily navigate the process.”

IntelliBuild is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform designed for custom fabrication, with the flexibility to integrate into most commercial ecommerce systems. Initially built to serve ARG’s core market of hydraulic hose assembly, IntelliBuild is now poised to expand into additional verticals, according to Powers.

“We designed IntelliBuild to be industry- and platform-agnostic,” Powers says. “Our initial focus is hydraulic hose assembly, but our future roadmap includes digital builders for industrial hoses, rigging and lifting. We have also identified market opportunities in verticals such as HVAC, janitorial and sanitation (Jan/San) and electrical.”

In addition to its custom fabrication capabilities, IntelliBuild offers users several key features:

“We are building a full-fledged SaaS software and services company to support the implementation and adoption of IntelliBuild across various industries,” Powers says. “Our pricing models are tiered based on the number of builds processed through the platform. We also offer tailored digital experiences for both manufacturers and distributors, including ecommerce and mobile applications.”

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