More than a century after its founding in 1914, Gesswein continues to supply precision tools to jewelers, mold makers, and manufacturers worldwide. Despite building an exceptional reputation through quality craftsmanship across over 12,000 products, this fourth-generation family business began struggling with an increasingly problematic digital presence.
A fragile enterprise resource planning (ERP) connection caused persistent product mismatches and inventory errors, while essential B2B functions cobbled together through unreliable plugins created unnecessary friction for professional buyers. To address these challenges, Gesswein partnered with Zaelab for a strategic migration to Shopify that would align their digital experience with their long-standing commitment to quality and precision.
After implementing their new Shopify-based B2B ecosystem, Gesswein quickly realized significant gains:
- 101% increase in transactions year-over-year
- 225% growth in site traffic
- 343% more site visitors
- Double-digit revenue growth
The challenge: A century of craftsmanship meets digital complexity
"Our previous website did not support our B2B operations as we had hoped." Greg Gesswein, president and CEO at Gesswein, merely hints at the frustrations his team faced. "Due to limitations with the ERP integration, we spent many hours fixing sync issues and could not offer our B2B customers an exceptional user experience."
Gesswein’s BigCommerce platform relied on an ERP connector that was prone to failure. When its synchronization broke down—which happened frequently—the business was left with unreliable product information, inventory counts that fell out of sync, and orders that stalled in processing queues. Staff members found themselves constantly doing manual fixes instead of putting energy into scaling the company.
Buyers also struggled with tasks that should have been straightforward: generating quotes, reordering familiar items, and managing their accounts. Because these essential B2B capabilities relied on third-party plugins rather than core platform functionality, the experience felt cobbled together and unstable. What’s more, their platform made it difficult to implement new features—so even when Gesswein tried to improve the experiences, they were unable to keep pace with modern expectations.
The solution: Build a B2B-dedicated commerce platform
Zaelab started from the ground up. They began by engineering an integration framework to connect Gesswein's Shopify platform with their Acumatica ERP system. This custom solution enables real-time synchronization of inventory, orders, and customer data—eliminating the manual corrections that had previously consumed the team’s time.
The team also implemented an advanced product listing page (PLP) tailored for technical professionals. They expanded filtering options by material type, usage category, and specific tooling characteristics, allowing buyers to quickly navigate Gesswein's 12,000 plus products and find exactly what they need—whether it’s equipment for casting jewelry molds or tools for cutting diamonds.
"Zaelab was the right partner for our ecommerce migration to Shopify," reflects Greg. "Their experienced team helped us make the right decisions from early on. We're thrilled with our result and continue to work with Zaelab for continuous development."
Rather than relying on plugins for B2B functionality, the implementation uses Shopify's native capabilities for company-specific portals. Customers now access their negotiated pricing, complete order history, and role-based permissions in one place. The complex pricing structures sync reliably between systems, while procurement teams can track multi-shipment backorders—equally essential features for manufacturers managing projects with precise timelines and for a business looking to offer the best possible buyer experiences.
The results: Seamless buyer experiences worthy of a precision tool maker
Gesswein's modernized B2B experience translated directly into business growth: site sessions increased 225%, user count grew 343%, and transactions doubled with a 101% year-over-year increase—all while revenue climbs at double-digit rates. Buyers now enjoy streamlined discovery that matches their professional expectations, while procurement teams benefit from reliable pricing information and transparent order history.
"We have a lot of positive feedback from customers and employees," says Greg about their new Shopify platform, "And many new features that we did not have or struggled to get on our old website."
Freed from constant troubleshooting, Gesswein's team now focuses on innovation rather than maintenance. They can implement new features in days instead of months, from expanded account hierarchies to sophisticated pricing models. Through this digital transformation, Gesswein has extended their century-old commitment to quality and precision into the digital realm, building a foundation for another hundred years of excellence.