Change can be a very scary thing for most organizations. But when a company begins with a vivid vision for improvement and the confidence in itself to build that reality, incredible things happen.
This brand story begins with a man named Craig Porter, a charismatic mentor, father, friend, and construction visionary.
After many years in the industry, Craig was bothered by the industry’s toxic leadership and churn-and-burn culture. He was determined to create an environment that exuded quality from the inside out.
In 1991, Craig and his wife Jill founded Renaissance, a general contracting company that was anything but “general”. Unlike his competitors, who were mostly in it for the money and the glory, Craig was in it for the love of building community. For him, this wasn’t just a cheesy marketing line — it was his guiding light.
Renaissance became a gold standard in the Arizona construction industry and built its reputation on doing things differently.
Fast forward to 2020, when Renaissance was faced with the passing of their charismatic figurehead. The industry mourned the loss of a father figure, speculating about what would happen to an organization so closely tied to him. Was Renaissance a sinking ship? (Sinking? No. Ship? Yes. More on that later).
One look behind the curtain proved the company’s future was as solid as ever. Renaissance was expanding into new industries. The team was growing rapidly. Craig was the spark, but his team is, and always has been, the flame.
Renaissance, Reborn
Craig Porter built his career on solving complex problems. When the going got tough, he was up for the challenge. While this change wasn’t anticipated, Renaissance took this as an opportunity to do what Craig would’ve done — rise to the occasion. This would be the first of many examples of the strength of this company’s character.
When Renaissance came to AtticSalt, they were seeking a brand that transcended its founder, shining a light on the passionate team that carries his legacy forward every day.
They knew it was going to take more than a logo refresh to set a higher bar in the construction industry, so we started where any great building does — laying the foundation.
The First Page
Every great story starts with the title. Renaissance was no exception. In an industry where companies typically carry the name of their founders, the Renaissance name stands out.
So, why “Renaissance”?
As part of our deep dive into this family business turned national treasure, we learned that the Renaissance was also the name of the family’s champion sailboat, soaring past the competition in any race it took part in. Makes sense for a brand with an Achiever archetype, right?
The brand’s strong family legacy and traditional values made this story a natural source of inspiration in our identity exploration. Cartography-inspired line work paired with organic topographic forms gave a visual language to Renaissance’s new path forward, symbolizing their ability to conquer turbulent waters with vision and precision.
But we still had more exploring to do. The name’s broader historical context gave a new layer of substance to the marriage of vision and precision. The Renaissance era was rooted in artistry, innovation, and quality, which aligned well with the brand values uncovered in our discovery process. Commonly referred to as the “golden era”, this name spoke to the brand’s very essence — a genuine love for the craft itself. In an industry that chews you up and spits you out, Renaissance’s passion for the process kept their spark alive.
So began the process of creating a brand that channeled this passion into a tangible form. With the word “renaissance” literally meaning rebirth, we set our sights on crafting something unlike anything the industry had seen before — an evocative identity with a soul beyond its services.
Renaissance Construction: The builder that merges a mathematician’s precision with an artist’s vision to craft solutions that are nothing short of a masterpiece.
Building Relationships, Not Buildings
For Renaissance, success wasn’t defined merely by a stellar end product, but by pushing every step in the process to a higher standard. Honoring the craft meant doing your job well and treating people right. Building relationships, not buildings.
This industry was often transactional, making Renaissance’s warmth a key differentiator to industry partners and prospective team members alike. As a testament to the team’s commitment to Craig’s vision, Renaissance’s new identity needed to show off the brand’s exemplary work without losing the story of the people behind it.
The next chapter in the Renaissance story transcended the brand itself, further cementing the brand’s influence on the industry at large. When Jill Porter, Craig’s wife, took his place as CEO, Renaissance became the largest female-owned construction company in Arizona, a major differentiator for the organization and a milestone for the Southwest construction community.
Jill Porter, Chairman of the Board
With imagery and messaging that show the company’s collaborative culture and heritage values in action, we centered Renaissance’s new identity around what makes working with them a badge of honor. A refined, dynamic visual system marries the brand’s resilience with a borderline feminine elegance to distinctly differentiate Renaissance from the competition and poise the brand in its new era.
In uniting the brand’s legacy with its renewed vision for the future, Renaissance’s new identity helps them lead by example in pushing the industry toward a higher standard of achievement.
Ready for the grand reveal of this masterpiece? Check out the case study here.
