What Grain & Mortar does

Grain & Mortar is a privately-held creative agency headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, founded in 2011 by partners Mike DeKay (Creative Director), Kristin DeKay (Operations Director), and Eric Downs (Technical Director). The firm operates under the legal entity Down & DeKay, LLC, and has maintained a stable core team of four for over a decade, serving a client roster that has historically included Google, Meta/Facebook, Twitch, Hudl, the University of Nebraska, and California Forever. Its services span two integrated lines: brand strategy, visual identity, and print collateral; and custom website design and development, primarily delivered on WordPress CMS with custom front-end work in HTML, CSS, jQuery, React, and Tailwind.

The agency sells professional-services engagements on a project basis with 30-day post-launch support and optional quarterly maintenance. GTM is sales-led and consultative, driven primarily by direct inquiry through the firm's website, word-of-mouth referrals, and visibility on platforms such as Clutch.co, Dribbble, Instagram, and LinkedIn. It serves eight verticals — Software & Technology, Food & Beverage, Nonprofit & Education, Real Estate & Development, Professional Services, Conferences & Events, Retail & Consumer Goods, and Arts & Entertainment — with primary depth in tech and F&B.

Operationally, the firm delivers custom-coded websites without templates or page builders, targets WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards, and bundles SEO/AEO structured data into every build. It has selectively partnered with external specialists (REVSYS for Django/React development, Plumb Web Strategy for technical implementation, Always Creative for naming, BCDM Architects for facility-integrated branding) to extend delivery capacity beyond its four-person core. The business is bootstrapped with no external investment, no funding rounds, and no parent company.

Name

Grain & Mortar

Legal name

Down & DeKay, LLC

Website

https://grainandmortar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grain & Mortar is an Omaha-based, privately-held creative agency founded in 2011 that delivers custom branding and website design services to a mix of enterprise clients and small businesses across eight verticals, including technology, food and beverage, and nonprofit sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Omaha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Branding Services: Custom brand design including brand strategy, visual identity, brand guidelines, typography systems, illustration, and print collateral. Project-based engagements typically.
2. Website Design & Development: Custom website design and development services including WordPress development, ecommerce, ongoing support, and training. Project-based with 30-day post-launch support plus optional quarterly maintenance plans.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grain & Mortar is a creative agency that delivers custom branding services (brand strategy, visual identity, logo design, illustration, typography, print collateral) and custom website design and development (WordPress CMS, ecommerce, front-end development with HTML, CSS, jQuery, React, and Tailwind). Engagements are project-based with 30-day post-launch support and optional quarterly maintenance plans.

Product overview

Grain & Mortar is a branding and website design agency, not a software product company. Their core offerings consist of two service lines: Branding Services (including brand strategy, visual identity, logo design, illustration, and print collateral) and Website Design & Development (custom websites, ecommerce, and ongoing support). These services are offered as project-based engagements to clients, not as a software platform or SaaS product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Branding Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ projects completed since 2011
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Always CreativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaming agency partnered with Grain & Mortar for the Foster Display Group (formerly Marketing Genome) naming project. Collaborative naming process for rebranding engagement.
• BCDM ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm working alongside Grain & Mortar on the Walthill Public Schools comprehensive rebranding project that included new visual identity for the school's new facility.
• Daniel MullerminorOthersPhotographer/videographer partnered with Grain & Mortar on the Soaring Wings Winery project to create new brand assets and establish standards for brand imagery.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MetaLab: Design agency specializing in product, brand, and interface design for tech-forward companies. Comparable in delivering bespoke brand systems and digital products for clients like Slack, Facebook, and Google — a similar high-end enterprise clientele.
• Ustwo: Digital design studio delivering brand, product, and experience design. Comparable in custom-build ethos and enterprise client mix (e.g., Google, Apple), though at a larger global scale.
• Work & Co: Digital product agency creating brands, websites, and digital products for companies like Apple, Google, and Nike. Directly comparable in delivering integrated brand + web work for enterprise tech clients.
• Ramotion: Boutique design and branding studio offering brand identity, web design, and motion design services. Closely comparable in size, service scope, and target client (tech startups and growth companies), making it a head-to-head competitor for similar engagements.
• Red Antler: Independent branding-led agency that builds brand identities and websites for early-stage and growth-stage companies. Directly comparable to Grain & Mortar in service mix (branding + web) and in serving a similar mix of tech and consumer clients, though at a larger headcount.
• Instrument: Independent creative agency working on brand, digital product, and marketing experiences for companies like Google, Nike, and Patagonia. Comparable in custom-build approach, enterprise client roster, and integrated brand+web services.
• Frank & Victor: Small branding studio producing brand identities, websites, and marketing systems for startups and growth-stage companies. Highly comparable boutique scale, founder-led model, and custom-build approach.
• Hello Monday (DEPT®): Creative technology studio now part of DEPT® building brand experiences, websites, and digital products. Comparable in custom web development methodology and working with high-profile tech and cultural clients.
• Even/Odd: Branding and design agency focused on building brand systems and digital experiences for ambitious companies. Similar boutique positioning, custom-not-template approach, and vertical breadth, with comparable budgets and project scale.

Broad incumbents

• Huge: Large global experience agency providing brand, web, and product design across many industries. Overlaps with Grain & Mortar in service mix and enterprise client base, but operates at significantly greater scale and across many more geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grain-and-mortar
• Instagraminstagram.com/grainandmortar
• Xx.com/grainandmortar
• Facebookfacebook.com/grainandmortar

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grain & Mortar