Andrew Hickmanruns Fourth Coast Web. He's a principal-level engineer who spent 15+ years building websites for agencies in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. — the kind of shops where site downtime costs six figures and “good enough” gets you fired.

Now he does the same caliber of work for business owners in Racine, Kenosha, and Milwaukee. You talk directly to Andrew. He builds your site. No account managers, no hand-offs, no surprises.

A Career Built in High-Stakes Environments

Before establishing Fourth Coast Web in Racine, Andrew spent years operating in the primary economic corridors of the East Coast, including New York, Philadelphia, and the Washington D.C. metro area.

That work wasn't just “making websites.” He built platforms for organizations where downtime was a fireable offense. He led remote teams, managed high-pressure launches, and fixed architectural problems that junior developers couldn't touch. The result? An engineering approach built around stability, speed, and clean architecture — not trends or shortcuts.

Andrew's “Agency-Grade” Philosophy

Andrew founded Fourth Coast Web on a simple premise. He firmly believes that local businesses deserve the same quality of engineering as national brands. Way too often, small business owners are sold “solutions” that are actually just cheap, bloated templates disguised as custom work.

Rejecting the Template Economy

Andrew's approach is defined by what he refusesto do. He does not use heavy page builders that clutter a website's code. He doesn't rely on generic, one-size-fits-all themes.

His commitment to fully custom WordPress engineering ensures that every site he launches is AI-ready. By using advanced tools like Gulp for asset optimization and structured data for search engines, he ensures his clients are visible to modern AI tools like Google Gemini and ChatGPT.

The Principal's Perspective

“A website built on a random template is like building a house on a foundation made from cheap materials. It might look fine for a month, but as you add content, it slows down or breaks completely.”

Andrew builds with agency-grade standards (custom-coded themes, optimized assets, and rigorous structure) so the foundation gets stronger as the business grows.

Rooted in Racine: The Fourth Coast Commitment

Why Racine? Andrew grew up along the St. Lawrence Seaway in Upstate New York, watching cargo ships from the Midwest make their way downriver to the Atlantic. Moving to the Great Lakes region — the “Fourth Coast” — felt like closing a loop. It's thousands of miles from where he grew up, but still connected by the same freshwater system.

When business owners hire Andrew, they are hiring a neighbor who plans to be here for the next twenty years. They are partnering with someone who understands that a website is a long-term business asset, not a disposable commodity.

A Different Kind of Partnership

Web developers are famous for ghosting. Andrew does the opposite — he picks up the phone. He recommends the solution that makes the most sense for your business long-term, even when a cheaper option would be easier for him.

• Direct Access: Clients speak directly to the engineer building their site, not an account manager.
• Total Ownership: Andrew believes business owners should own their digital keys. He ensures clients have full administrative control of their hosting and domains.
• Education First: Through guides like AI Visibility in 2026, Andrew actively educates his partners on the changing digital landscape.

10-Minute Owner Tip: The Hickman Audit

Andrew's first advice to business owners is to perform a simple confidence check on their current web presence. Here is the 10-minute audit he recommends:

If your site fails these checks, it may be time to bring in a Principal Engineer.