Harwood International Corporation in Chattanooga: Custom Web Design for Mid-Market Manufacturers

Harwood International Corporation is a web design firm that builds custom sites primarily for industrial and manufacturing clients across the Southeast, with a base in Chattanooga. The company specializes in translating technical products and complex B2B sales processes into websites that function as sales tools rather than marketing brochures.

What Harwood International actually does

Harwood International operates as a full-service custom web development shop rather than a template-based agency. The firm handles site architecture, back-end functionality, content strategy, and ongoing maintenance in-house. Unlike agencies that assemble sites from WordPress plugins or page-builder tools, Harwood builds from code, which means sites can be tailored to specific workflows—pulling live inventory data, integrating with ERP systems, or automating quote requests without third-party tools. The company has worked with clients in industrial machinery, metal fabrication, HVAC distribution, and chemical supply, industries where a generic website cannot capture product specifications, lead qualification, or regulatory compliance needs.

Chattanooga's manufacturing and distribution base makes this specialization locally relevant. The city is home to manufacturers and regional distributors who compete regionally and nationally; a poorly designed website becomes a genuine liability when a prospect from Atlanta or Nashville evaluates vendors.

Services and pricing

Harwood offers three broad service tiers: build, support, and growth.

The build phase includes site planning, design, development, and launch. Custom builds typically start at $8,000 for straightforward five- to ten-page sites with standard forms and internal linking, and scale to $25,000 and above for multi-user portals, inventory integration, or content-heavy sites. A mid-range industrial site with product galleries, specification sheets, a contact system, and mobile optimization usually falls between $12,000 and $18,000. Harwood charges on a project basis, not hourly, so scope and complexity drive the fee, not hours spent.

Ongoing support covers hosting, security updates, content changes, and troubleshooting. Monthly plans range from $300 to $800 depending on whether the client handles its own content updates or needs Harwood to manage them. This is separate from the build fee and typically begins after launch.

Growth services include SEO optimization, paid search setup, or adding new functionality to an existing site. These are typically priced as projects or monthly retainers ranging from $500 to $2,500 per month, depending on scope.

Pricing is worth confirming directly, as it shifts based on integration needs and hosting architecture.

How Harwood compares to other Chattanooga web design options

Chattanooga has freelance designers, WordPress agencies, and larger regional firms. The main trade-off is customization versus speed and cost.

Freelancers and small WordPress shops in Chattanooga (such as independent contractors advertising on local business networks) often charge $2,000 to $6,000 for a site, sometimes less. These work well for simple sites where a template can do the job: restaurants, service providers, local retailers. They are also faster to launch. However, they rarely integrate with business software or solve problems specific to manufacturing or B2B sales.

Larger regional agencies (Atlanta or Nashville-based firms with Chattanooga clients) may charge $20,000 to $50,000 or more for enterprise-level work but often treat Chattanooga as one market among many. Support and ongoing relationship tend to be more transactional.

Harwood's position is the middle ground: custom development without enterprise pricing, local presence for direct communication, and specific expertise in industrial and manufacturing workflows. Choose Harwood if your site needs to integrate with existing systems or sell complex products; choose a WordPress freelancer if you need a simple site fast and cheap; choose a regional firm if you need enterprise-level design and can afford it.

Who Harwood suits and who it does not

Harwood is the right fit for manufacturers, distributors, and B2B service providers in the Southeast whose websites need to function as sales and operations tools. Companies with product catalogs, compliance requirements, multiple sales territories, or integration with back-office systems see the most value.

Harwood is not the right fit for startups with minimal budget, single-person businesses that need only a landing page, nonprofits seeking pro-bono work, or organizations that want a site built and forgotten. If you need revisions frequently or lack clear product information and sales strategy, the problem is not the web design firm but your business readiness.

What the first visit involves

An initial consultation is free and typically lasts 30 to 45 minutes. Harwood asks about your current site (if one exists), what you sell, who your customers are, and what your website should do: generate leads, enable online ordering, provide product specifications, or something else. You should bring a list of your main product lines or services and, ideally, examples of competitor websites you like or dislike. Harwood will ask questions about your budget and timeline; be prepared to answer both honestly. A second meeting follows, with a proposal outlining scope, timeline, and cost. You can then decide whether to move forward.

Hours, location, and logistics

Harwood operates by appointment. The office is located in Chattanooga; confirm the exact address and hours before visiting. Most work happens remotely via video call, email, and a project management tool, so in-person meetings are not required once the project begins.

Harwood International represents a deliberate choice to hire a local firm that understands how industrial and distribution businesses actually operate, rather than outsourcing to a national agency or hiring a freelancer unfamiliar with your industry.