Modernizing B2B account access and payments for Mesher Supply

Modernizing without disrupting what already works

For more than a century, Mesher Supply success came from relationships, reliability, and deeply established operational processes in wholesale plumbing supply distribution. Digital commerce was never a core growth lever, but customer expectations were changing.

Contractors increasingly wanted digital access to their accounts, not to replace personal service, but to complement it. Logging in, checking invoices, and paying online were becoming table-stakes. Mesher saw an opportunity to modernize those interactions without fundamentally changing how the business operated.

The challenge was not a lack of intent, but a highly customized ERP environment that had evolved over decades. At one point, Mesher evaluated replacing its internal ERP system entirely. However, the cost, disruption, and operational risk of a full ERP migration reinforced the decision to extend and integrate the existing system rather than rebuild from scratch.

“We were trying to decide whether or not we wanted to switch internal ERP systems… and once you’ve done that once, you don’t want to do it again,” says Connecticut Longaker, VP of Operations at Mesher Supply Company. Any digital initiative needed to respect that reality.

Designing a phased path forward

Rather than forcing a traditional ecommerce rollout, Mesher and Above the Fray approached the project as a long-term modernization effort.

Early discovery sessions focused on understanding how customers actually interacted with Mesher day-to-day, how invoicing and payments flowed through the business, and where manual work created friction internally. This process made it clear that account access and payments represented the greatest immediate opportunity for improvement.

Shopware’s API-first architecture allowed the team to design a solution that could evolve over time, starting with core account functionality and expanding only when the foundation was ready.

“Above the Fray and Shopware stayed on task. They met dates and deadlines, and they were willing to go the extra mile,” Longaker adds.

Bringing account access and payments online

The top priority was delivering a secure customer payment portal. The first phase of the project centered on securely connecting Shopware to Mesher’s DDI ERP system. Through a custom integration, customers gained the ability to log in to their accounts, view invoices directly within the Shopware storefront, and pay invoices using credit cards or ACH. These capabilities aligned with how customers already worked with Mesher, simply removing the need for phone calls and manual follow-ups.

“We needed a payment portal first,” says Sky Marsh, Account Specialist at Mesher Supply Company. “As much as customers love talking to me, it took time out of their day — especially smaller shops that needed something available after hours.”

Internally, the shift reduced administrative effort and streamlined invoice processing without introducing new operational complexity.

Supporting real-world B2B relationships

With the core integration in place, the second phase focused on the nuances of Mesher’s B2B customer relationships.

Shopware’s customer account framework was extended to support sub-accounts, multi-user access, and improved invoice visibility across customer teams. Invoice filtering and sorting capabilities made it easier for customers to manage billing at scale, while remaining fully aligned with Mesher’s existing workflows and ERP logic.

The platform also reduced administrative overhead by simplifying authorized user management compared to more rigid ecommerce systems. “For the most part, all accounting departments for our customers really enjoy the portal. They find it easy. It’s pretty straightforward,” Marsh explains. This phase reinforced that the platform was not simply an ecommerce tool, but a digital extension of Mesher’s established business model.

A foundation built for what comes next

While full ecommerce is planned for a future phase, the platform was designed from the start with extensibility in mind. Expanded product visibility, automated notifications, and additional self-service tools can be introduced without reworking the underlying architecture. By sequencing the rollout deliberately, Mesher avoided disruption while gaining a modern digital foundation that can grow alongside the business.

“As we grow, the system will evolve with us… we might need different things down the road, and those are things we can absolutely get with very little trouble,” Longaker says.

The result is a Shopware implementation that reflects how Mesher operates today, while remaining flexible enough to support tomorrow’s needs.