PROJECT

Grede in September 2019 was acquired by Gamut Capital Management (“Gamut”), a New York-based private investment firm. Prior to the acquisition, Grede, a 100-year old company, was owned by American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (AAM).

To prepare to become an independent company for the first time in five years, the leading supplier of ductile, gray and specialty iron castings needed a new logo, mission and values, website and more. While Grede’s senior leadership wanted a fresh start for the company, it also wanted to maintain some of the legacy of the 100-year-old iron castings company.

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TACTICS

The Millerschin Group (TMG) in early October began developing a plan to help re-launch Grede, including: designing a new logo that maintained elements of Grede’s historic logo; developing a new website and content for grede.com; preparing a new mission and values statements; designing collateral (business cards, letterhead, presentation templates, etc.) and branding guidelines; writing bios for the company’s senior leadership team; creating internal and external communications, including a video with Grede CEO Cary Wood; and creating a PR plan to announce the acquisition.

Gamut was poised to close the deal by as early as mid-November. The TMG team had to execute quickly, holding weekly meetings with the Grede leadership team in their Southfield office or coordinating with outside vendors to ensure all of the materials were developed, reviewed and approved, and, in the case of signs, carpets and other items needed for Grede’s headquarters, manufactured and installed in time for the announcement.

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RESULTS

Grede had a new logo – a clean, modern look without losing the company’s historic identity – on its collateral, signs and carpet in the company’s headquarters, internal and external communications for employees, customers, suppliers and the media, and more completed for its launch.

When the announcement was made on Dec. 16, Grede and its 3,800 employees in its headquarters and 10 facilities across six states watched a video from their new CEO introducing the new independent company, its new logo, new website and more.

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By The Numbers:

One – New Grede logo

New Grede website

Two – New employee handbooks (one for salaried employees and one for hourly employees)

Three – New members of the senior leadership team (CEO, COO and CFO)

Four – Members of the senior leadership team previously with AAM

Six – Grede Values statements

60-plus – Media articles on Grede’s announcement of its acquisition by Gamut and its return as an independent company