Why This Matters

Ace Mechanical has built a reputation on technical precision, on-time delivery, code-compliant installations, and strong trade coordination. The current challenge is that Ace's digital presence does not yet fully reflect the calibre of its work.

This proposal outlines a focused digital transformation: a refreshed application of Ace's existing brand, a custom website, stronger local search visibility, and a consistent social media presence that clearly communicates Ace's expertise.

The Four-Part Approach

• -Brand Refresh - Refine Ace's existing identity into a more consistent, professional visual system while preserving the recognition the company has already built.
• -High-Performance Web Application - Custom Next.js website built for speed, SEO, and lead conversion. The blueprint aesthetic throughout.
• -Local Search Authority - Three SEO-optimized blog posts per month targeting the healthcare, institutional, and government and defence keywords Ace's clients search for.
• -Strategic Social Presence - One short-form video and two polished posts promoting SEO content per month, celebrating Ace's people, projects, and expertise.

Your Security

Everything built is owned by Ace Mechanical, hosted on Canadian infrastructure, and designed to operate whether or not Halifax Automation is in the picture. There is no lock-in. No proprietary systems. No data held hostage.

Strengthen What Ace Has Already Built

Ace Mechanical already has an established identity and market recognition - the red "ACE" wordmark above the black "Mechanical Limited" text-only lockup, set against a monochrome black, white, and grey system with a single red accent. This work preserves that identity while improving consistency, clarity, and professional presentation across every digital touchpoint.

Existing Logo, Refined Application

The existing logo remains the primary mark: the red "ACE" wordmark with the black "Mechanical Limited" text-only lockup beneath it. The refresh will establish clear sizing, spacing, colour, and placement rules so the lockup appears consistently across the website, documents, social media, and future marketing materials.

Colour Palette

• -#FF0000 Ace Red - The single accent colour: primary buttons, active states, icons, and highlights. Used sparingly for maximum impact.
• -#000000 Black - Primary text, headings, and high-contrast elements
• -#FFFFFF White - Backgrounds, negative space, and the light base of the monochrome system
• -Grayscale Tones - The grey range between black and white for secondary text, borders, dividers, and subtle UI elements

Typography Suite

• -Cormorant Garamond - Display & heading font: an elegant, high-contrast serif used for hero headings and large display text.
• -Raleway - Body font: a clean, geometric sans-serif for navigation, buttons, body copy, and supporting text.

Brand Voice

Ace's current voice and core messaging will be retained. The refresh will make that voice more consistent across the website and marketing content: clear, technically credible, practical, and focused on the mechanical contracting services clients need.

The Deliverable

A practical Brand Guide covering existing-logo usage, colour applications, typography hierarchy, voice guidelines, and social media templates. It becomes the shared reference for consistent Ace marketing going forward.

A Web Application, Not a Brochure

Ace Mechanical will receive a fully custom-built website that is more than a marketing brochure. It is a web application - built with the same precision Ace brings to mechanical contracting.

Why Next.js, Not WordPress

Unlike traditional WordPress or Squarespace sites, a Next.js web application opens the door to an entirely new class of digital infrastructure. Today it is your marketing website. Tomorrow it can house a client portal, a project tracker, or any custom tool Ace needs - without rebuilding from scratch.

Pages are pre-rendered through server-side rendering or static generation for fast load times and strong SEO performance. The codebase is yours. The infrastructure is yours. There is no vendor lock-in.

Technical Architecture

• -Framework: Next.js (React) with server-side rendering, static generation, and API routes
• -CMS: Directus - open-source, self-hosted headless content management
• -Hosting: Servarica (Toronto-based Canadian VPS) for full data sovereignty
• -Performance: Sub-2-second load times, 90+ Lighthouse scores across all metrics
• -Security: HTTPS everywhere, daily encrypted backups, enterprise-grade firewall
• -Design: Mobile-first blueprint aesthetic using Ace brand guidelines throughout

Key Website Features

• -Blueprint-inspired UI - precision design language throughout the site
• -High-resolution project photography showcasing Ace's completed installations and mechanical work
• -Clear conversion funnels: "Request a Quote" and "Book a Call" placed throughout
• -Integrated blog/CMS powered by Directus for ongoing SEO content publishing
• -Lead capture submissions stored in the Directus CMS and reflected in Ace's Central Dashboard
• -Calendar booking integration via Cal.com for frictionless client scheduling
• -Local business schema markup for enhanced Google search results

The Case for Local Search

Ace Mechanical has built its reputation on referrals and long-standing relationships with healthcare facilities, institutional buildings, and government and defence contractors. That model works. But the question is: what happens when a new facilities manager, procurement officer, or prime contractor in those sectors arrives in Nova Scotia?

They don't have your phone number. They search Google. Building local SEO infrastructure now means that when a hospital, healthcare facility, or government or defence project needs mechanical work - medical gas piping, HVAC, plumbing and heating, or institutional services - Ace is the first name they find. One contract sourced through organic search pays for years of SEO investment.

The Strategy

• -3 SEO-optimized blog posts per month targeting Ace's keyword set
• -Technical SEO: schema markup, optimized meta tags, internal linking structure
• -Backlinks from BBB, Halifax Chamber of Commerce, and construction industry directories
• -Keyword tracking via SerpBear (self-hosted, included in infrastructure)
• -Quarterly marketing strategy outlines - blog topics, keywords, and performance review delivered in advance. No surprises. No guesswork.

Ace Mechanical - Target Keywords

Focus: healthcare facilities, hospitals, and government and defence mechanical contracting - medical gas piping, HVAC, plumbing and heating, and institutional mechanical services across Nova Scotia.

• -Healthcare Mechanical Contractor Halifax
• -Hospital Mechanical Contractor Nova Scotia
• -Medical Gas Piping Contractor Nova Scotia
• -Healthcare HVAC Contractor Halifax
• -Government Mechanical Contractor Nova Scotia
• -Defence Infrastructure Mechanical Contractor
• -Institutional Mechanical Contractor Halifax
• -Healthcare Plumbing & Heating Contractor
• -Government Building Mechanical Services
• -Healthcare Construction Mechanical Contractor

Perception Over Follower Count

This isn't about follower counts or going viral. It's about communication - starting with the people who make Ace what it is. A profile built around employee achievements and company-wide updates keeps the team connected, informed, and proud of the work being done.

Every post is internal communication with a public face: employees see their work and colleagues celebrated, the whole company stays up to date, and prospective hires and project partners get an authentic picture of what it's like to work with - and at - Ace Mechanical. Over time, this compounds.

Content Strategy

• -Frequency: 3 high-quality posts per month
• -Format: 1 short-form video per month and 2 polished posts promoting Ace's SEO content
• -Tool: Mixpost (self-hosted, collaborative proofing included - review and approve before anything goes live)

Content Pillars

• -Employee Achievements - Celebrating certifications, milestones, and the people behind Ace's projects
• -Employee Journalism - Company-wide updates: team news, jobsite milestones, and what's happening across Ace
• -Project Highlights - Showcase active and completed mechanical installations with professional imagery
• -Expertise & Insights - Technical content demonstrating Ace's authority in healthcare, institutional, and government mechanical work

The Strategy

Positioning social media as Ace's internal communication channel: employee achievements and company-wide updates keep the team engaged and informed, while project highlights and expertise and insights give prospective employees, project partners, and clients a true picture of Ace Mechanical.

Infrastructure You Own

The website, CMS, Central Dashboard, social media management, and supporting automation form a core digital stack hosted for Ace on infrastructure it controls. This is the "Halifax Automation Edge."

The core website, CMS, dashboard, and supporting self-hosted tools run on Servarica, a Toronto-based Canadian VPS provider. External services such as Google Search Console remain hosted by their respective providers.

• -Daily encrypted backups with off-site redundancy
• -Enterprise-grade firewall configuration with security event reporting
• -Security monitoring integrated into the Central Dashboard
• -Full root access - you own the hardware lease, not us

Your Complete Tool Suite

• -Directus - Headless CMS powering the website. Manage blogs, project portfolios, site content, and lead submissions.
• -Mixpost - Self-hosted social media management. Scheduling, collaborative proofing, and analytics.
• -In-House Automation Tool - Custom automation connecting website forms, Directus lead records, and notifications.
• -Cal.com - Self-hosted calendar booking. Clients book directly into your available time from the website.
• -SerpBear - Self-hosted keyword rank tracking. Monitor Ace's SEO positions over time.
• -Central Dashboard - One place to review lead submissions, website and content performance, search visibility, social reporting, security status, and links to supporting tools.

Sovereignty & Portability

The core stack is open-source and self-hosted. If Ace ever parts ways with Halifax Automation, everything built and stored within that stack stays with Ace: the website, CMS, dashboard, automation workflows, server, and all data. Any developer can pick up exactly where we left off. No lock-in. No proprietary systems. No hostage-held data.

8-Week Build, Then Ongoing

The project is structured across an 8-week initial build followed by ongoing monthly management. Each phase builds on the previous - no component launches without a solid foundation.

Weeks 1-2: Brand Refresh

Reviewing Ace's existing identity and refining its application across colour, typography, voice, and visual design. Delivering the practical Brand Guide and approved digital templates.

Weeks 3-4: Development

Building the custom Next.js website with the blueprint aesthetic. Setting up Directus CMS, server infrastructure on Servarica, and the supporting hosted tools.

Weeks 5-6: Launch

Deploying the website, implementing local SEO (schema markup, sitemaps, and Google Search Console), storing website inquiries in Directus, surfacing them in the Central Dashboard, and preparing the initial social media content.

Weeks 7-8: Growth

Publishing the first blog content, launching the social media calendar, verifying CMS lead records and notifications, and activating dashboard reporting.

Ongoing Monthly Management

• -3 SEO-optimized blog posts per month targeting Ace's keyword strategy
• -1 short-form video and 2 polished posts promoting SEO content per month
• -Quarterly marketing strategy outlines delivered in advance
• -Keyword monitoring and analytics reporting
• -CMS lead capture, dashboard, notification, and supporting automation maintenance
• -Server maintenance, security updates, and daily backups
• -Backlink building and local citation management

The Investment

One-Time Fee Covers

• -Consistent application of Ace's existing logo and refresh of its supporting brand system
• -Practical Brand Guide (colour, typography, voice, and visual guidelines)
• -Fully custom Next.js web application designed and coded from scratch
• -Directus CMS installation, configuration, content architecture, and lead storage
• -Custom in-house automation tool connecting website forms, Directus lead records, and notifications
• -Full server setup on Servarica: security hardening, firewall, SSL, daily backups
• -Installation of all hosted tools: Mixpost, Cal.com, SerpBear, Analytics
• -Initial SEO setup: schema markup, sitemaps, meta tags, Google Search Console
• -Central Dashboard for reviewing leads, performance, security status, and supporting tools

Monthly Fee Covers

• -3 SEO-optimized blog posts per month targeting Ace's keyword strategy
• -1 short-form video and 2 polished posts promoting SEO content per month
• -Quarterly marketing strategy outlines delivered in advance
• -Ongoing keyword monitoring and SEO optimization via SerpBear
• -Analytics reporting and performance reviews
• -CMS lead capture, dashboard, notification, and supporting automation maintenance
• -Server maintenance, security updates, and daily backups
• -Backlink building and local citation management

For a one-time investment of $5,500 and $1,700 per month, you're receiving a refreshed brand system, custom website, CMS-based lead capture, an in-house automation tool, an SEO foundation with three optimized blog posts per month, one short-form video and two polished social posts promoting that content each month, analytics, and managed Canadian hosting - all through a single point of contact. Everything built for Ace stays with Ace.

Ready to Move Forward?

Let's strengthen Ace's digital presence while preserving the identity and reputation the company has already built.