Syracuse Haulers
- Web Design
- Videography
The Client
Syracuse Haulers Waste Removal, Inc. is a locally trusted waste management and recycling company serving Central New York. Known for their reliable service and recognizable retro branding, Syracuse Haulers has built a reputation around dependability, community connection, and making waste removal simple for both residential and commercial customers. Their mission centers around providing efficient and responsible waste solutions while continuing to evolve with the needs of the communities they serve.
When Split14 Creative first connected with the Syracuse Haulers team, it was immediately clear that this was a company with deep roots, strong operational pride, and a brand personality that deserved to be showcased more effectively online.
The Scope
Split14 Creative was brought on to completely redesign and redevelop the Syracuse Haulers website. The goal was to modernize the user experience while preserving the recognizable personality and nostalgia tied to the company’s long-standing brand identity.
Our scope of work included:
- Custom website redesign and development
- Mobile-responsive optimization
- Updated user experience and site navigation
- Content organization and page structure
- Creative direction and visual styling
- Custom illustrations and branded design elements
- Homepage video integration
- Coordination with an outside videographer for custom drone footage
- SEO-conscious development and performance optimization
The Challenges
One of the biggest challenges of this project was finding the balance between modern functionality and preserving the charm of the Syracuse Haulers brand. The client wanted the website to feel fresh and elevated without losing the recognizable retro personality tied to their original logo and company identity.
Another challenge was translating an industry that many people view as purely operational into something visually engaging and memorable online. Waste management is not traditionally seen as a “fun” industry, so we needed to create a digital experience that felt approachable, personable, and uniquely Syracuse Haulers.
Additionally, the original website lacked strong visual storytelling, intuitive navigation, and engaging media that could properly communicate the scale and professionalism of their operation.
The Process
Before any design work began, our team toured the Syracuse Haulers facility to fully understand their process from start to finish. Seeing the operations firsthand gave us valuable insight into the company’s workflow, team culture, and level of care behind the scenes. That experience heavily influenced the direction of the redesign because it allowed us to design from a place of understanding rather than assumption.
Early in the discovery phase, one thing became immediately clear: the original logo was a non-negotiable. The retro branding had strong recognition within the community and carried a sense of nostalgia and authenticity that the client wanted to preserve. Rather than redesigning the identity entirely, we leaned into it. Our mood boards focused on blending vintage-inspired design elements with a cleaner, more modern website experience.
Throughout the design process, we explored ways to inject personality into the site without making it feel gimmicky. This led to the addition of playful trash-themed illustrations, subtle easter eggs, and custom visual touches throughout the website that made the experience feel memorable and unique to the brand. These small details helped humanize the company while reinforcing their approachable identity.
The client also prioritized stronger visual storytelling on the homepage. To accomplish this, Split14 sourced and coordinated with a videographer to create custom drone footage of the facility and operations. The final video became a major centerpiece of the homepage experience, instantly adding movement, scale, and credibility to the brand.
As the project evolved, we continuously refined the balance between functionality and personality. Navigation structure, content hierarchy, and mobile responsiveness were all prioritized to ensure the site remained easy to use while still feeling highly customized and visually engaging.
The Result
The final Syracuse Haulers website successfully transformed the company’s online presence into something that feels modern, interactive, and true to their brand identity. By preserving the retro charm of the original logo while introducing updated visuals, custom illustrations, motion elements, and immersive video content, the new website feels both nostalgic and fresh at the same time.
The redesigned site now better reflects the scale, professionalism, and personality of Syracuse Haulers while creating a more engaging user experience for customers across all devices. What could have been a standard industrial website became a brand experience filled with thoughtful details, storytelling, and authenticity.
Most importantly, the project reinforced something we value heavily at Split14 Creative: the best websites are built when you truly understand the people, process, and personality behind the business.
"From start to finish - working with Split14 has been an absolute joy. The level of care, creativity and collaboration from every facet of their team has been an experience we couldn't be more grateful for! As a company, we had little direction or foundations to give when building our new website. Despite this being completely uncharted territory for us (and all the hurdles we threw at them because of that - sorry guys! 😅) they kept the project pushing forward, gave invaluable advice, and treated us with so much patience, professionalism and kindness. Our new website is better than we could have ever imagined when we first started this process. Thank you to the entire team at Split14 - I'm beyond excited to see what you guys do next!"
IT Systems Administrator/Marketing Lead - Syracuse Haulers
