About

LightTree, LLC is a web development consultancy founded by Ben Hewitt, a developer with over 25 years of experience building for the web. We specialize in Drupal development, platform migrations, and digital commerce — helping organizations modernize their web presence without losing what makes them work.

Background

Before starting LightTree, Ben spent 12 years as the lead developer at BuildingGreen, Inc., where he built and maintained a suite of Drupal-powered publications, product databases, and e-commerce platforms serving the sustainable building industry. That long-term partnership shaped how we approach every engagement: as collaborators, not contractors.

Over two decades, Ben has worked across sectors including publishing, retail, scientific software, higher education, government, and nonprofit organizations. His experience spans the full lifecycle — from discovery and content architecture through development, launch, and years of ongoing support.

How We Work

LightTree operates as a focused team of five: a project manager, a designer with accessibility expertise, a senior backend developer, a frontend developer, and Ben as technical lead and architect. We scale intentionally, bringing in specialists when a project demands it rather than maintaining overhead that gets passed to clients.

We work on Pantheon for hosting and CI/CD, follow Drupal coding standards rigorously, and build to WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards on every project. Our process emphasizes communication, working demos over documentation, and getting real content into the system early.

What We Believe

We believe the best technology serves people, not the other way around. That means building sites that are fast, accessible, and easy for your team to manage. It means migrating legacy platforms thoughtfully instead of cutting corners. And it means being honest about timelines, budgets, and trade-offs — because trust is the foundation of every good working relationship.

LightTree is based in upstate New York and works with clients across the United States.