Western States Machine | Rebuilding Global Confidence
How Buckaroo Repositioned Western States Machine for Sustained Growth
For more than a century, Western States Machine was a leader in centrifugal technology for the sugar and chemical processing industries. But global competition had shifted. Aggressive pricing, slick marketing, and digital-first competitors began chipping away at their reputation. Legacy alone wasn’t enough. Western States needed a transformation—one that would realign its brand, sharpen its messaging, and reassert its leadership on the global stage.
That’s when they turned to Buckaroo and the FlexFormula™.
Rediscovering Brand Relevance in a Global Market
FlexFormula™ Pillar: Strategy Development
Western States didn’t suffer from a product quality issue—it suffered from a perception gap. Internally, the leadership team knew their engineering expertise and manufacturing capabilities were world-class. But externally, the brand felt dated and inconsistent, especially to international prospects who never interacted with the company in person.
For years, the website and marketing tasks were managed by the internal IT department. But as cybersecurity demands increased, marketing updates were deprioritized. Sales teams lacked the tools to respond quickly, and dealers overseas were often left with outdated materials.
Western States needed more than a vendor—they needed a partner who understood the nuances of a global sales network and distribution. Buckaroo’s FlexFormula™ offered both strategic clarity and the flexibility to adapt by market. Combined with deep manufacturing experience and a proven track record in B2B branding, Buckaroo was the right choice to lead the charge.
Why Western States Partnered with Buckaroo
Manufacturing Industry Expertise
Buckaroo brought deep knowledge of industrial marketing, with decades of experience working alongside OEMs, suppliers, and global dealer networks. Their ability to translate complex processes into compelling, customer-facing narratives made them a natural fit.
Channel & Dealer Understanding
With a clear grasp of North American and international distribution models, Buckaroo understood how to position Western States effectively across diverse markets—including technical buyers, reps, and end-users.
Strategic Marketing, Not Just Execution
Western States needed more than a vendor—they needed a strategic partner. Buckaroo delivered high-level insight, long-term planning, and agile execution across digital, print, and in-person channels.
Relief for Overextended IT Resources
Previously, website updates were owned by the internal IT department—whose primary focus was cybersecurity and infrastructure. Buckaroo’s involvement freed up IT while ensuring marketing and sales had the timely updates they needed to stay competitive.
Auditing Touchpoints Across Languages, Regions, and Platforms
FlexFormula™ Pillar: Channel Evaluation
Buckaroo began by auditing every customer-facing touchpoint across Western States’ global network. The assessment revealed inconsistent branding and fragmented messaging, particularly across dealer regions. In some markets, partners had access to current materials, while others relied on outdated assets that no longer reflected the company’s capabilities.
The website lacked multilingual support, wasn’t optimized for mobile users, and failed to deliver clear calls to action. Trade show booths—still a primary source of lead generation—felt disconnected from the innovation and quality Western States was known for. Social media channels had minimal presence and offered little value in terms of thought leadership or engagement.
Collectively, these gaps diluted the company’s credibility and made it difficult to compete with more polished global players.
Designing a Global Marketing Foundation Built to Scale
FlexFormula™ Pillar: Strategic Blueprint
To address these issues, Buckaroo developed a marketing blueprint focused on global scalability, brand consistency, and sales enablement. This began with a plan for a multilingual, responsive website platform tailored to English, Spanish, and Portuguese-speaking audiences. Standardized brand guidelines were established to align all visual elements—from logos and colors to tone of voice and imagery.
The content strategy was modular, allowing for regional customization without sacrificing brand integrity. New sales tools, brochures, and digital assets were designed in support of both internal teams and global dealer partners. Simultaneously, social media and content calendars were mapped to reinforce brand authority, elevate thought leadership, and support market-specific campaigns.
Executing a Cohesive, Multichannel Rollout
FlexFormula™ Pillar: Action Plan
With the strategy in place, Buckaroo executed a coordinated, multichannel rollout. This began with launching fully responsive websites that were not only translated, but culturally adapted to resonate with regional audiences. Multilingual brochures and technical sell sheets were created in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Thai to support sales efforts in key international markets.
Trade show booths were overhauled with updated graphics, custom photography, and engaging video content to better represent Western States’ innovation and engineering expertise. Social media platforms were revitalized with consistent branding, regular posting schedules, and a renewed focus on highlighting product capabilities and global partnerships. Every asset, from field presentations to digital tools, was unified under one cohesive, globally consistent brand experience.
– DAVID DOUGLAS BUCKNER, Past President and Vice President, Western States Machine
Quantifying Growth Across Digital and Global Channels
FlexFormula Pillar: Performance Tuning
The transformation was both visible and measurable. With new tools in place and the brand repositioned, Western States saw a surge in engagement, credibility, and lead flow across all key digital channels.
Results from Q4 2014 to Q4 2019 included:
- LinkedIn Traffic: +1,436.0%
- YouTube Traffic: +665.2%
- Facebook Traffic: +412.5%
- Twitter Traffic: +125.6%
- Direct Traffic: +113.9%
- Unique Visitors: +84.5%
- Google Search Traffic: +13.98%
Sales teams reported stronger lead quality and greater consistency in messaging. Dealers praised the updated materials for helping them communicate more effectively in local markets. Trade shows became more productive, and social media emerged as a credible lead generation tool for the first time. Most importantly, Western States reclaimed its global position—not just as a historic brand, but as a modern leader.
Western States Machine didn’t need a rebrand—they needed realignment. By restoring consistency, clarity, and control across their global marketing efforts, Buckaroo helped them transition from a legacy manufacturer to a forward-facing leader. The FlexFormula™ gave them the structure to move strategically, the flexibility to adapt regionally, and the credibility to compete worldwide.
With that foundation in place, Western States was able to gradually bring more of their marketing operations in-house. The systems, tools, and strategy developed by Buckaroo not only delivered results—they empowered Western States to sustain and build on that momentum independently.
Key Takeaway
Legacy alone doesn’t drive growth. For manufacturers, success requires brand clarity, market alignment, and sales enablement across every touchpoint. Western States’ transformation proves that when those elements come together, legacy becomes leverage—and growth becomes repeatable.
Struggling to Keep Your Brand Consistent Across Teams, Channels, or Global Markets?
Whether you’re dealing with overloaded internal resources or outdated messaging, Buckaroo’s FlexFormula™ can help you realign, modernize, and grow—without losing your identity.
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