Brand Integration for Acquired Entities (M&A)

Acquisition integration and brand standards

This standard sets out how a newly acquired company moves onto the RPGMotor Works brand, from announcement day to full integration.

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Revision history

Version 2.0, January 2026: full revision of version 1.3.

Contents

• 1. The importance of our brand
• 2. Welcome to RPGMotor Works
• 3. Integration timeline
• 4. Acquisition announcements
• 5. Migration of assets
• 6. Immediate website update
• 7. Immediate phone message update
• 8. Email signature standards
• 9. Required language for commercial documents
• 10. Engineering title blocks
• 11. Contacts and document control

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1. The importance of our brand

1.1 RPGMotor Works as a brand

RPGMotor Works has built motors in Stuttgart since 1958. Today we are about 12,100 people at eight facilities on three continents, supplying brushless DC and servo motors to industrial automation, robotics, medical, mobility, aerospace and renewable energy customers. Our brand is how all of that is recognized as one company.

A customer who buys a ServoPrime® servo built in Greenville, a CargoMax™ motor built in Kitchener and a DriveSense® monitoring contract supported from Bengaluru should feel they are dealing with the same company every time. They should see the same Rotor symbol, the same colors, the same tone in a quote and the same care on a nameplate. That consistency is earned slowly and lost quickly, and every business that joins us takes on a share of the responsibility for it.

When you join RPGMotor Works, your customers gain access to a larger engineering bench, a global service network through RPG ServiceLine and the purchasing stability of a company with roughly $950M in annual revenue. The brand is the signal that tells them this has happened. Used well, it opens doors that your previous name could not open on its own.

1.2 Standards, not suggestions

This document is a standard. It is approved by the Executive Leadership Team of RPGMotor Works GmbH, and its requirements apply to every acquired company, every division and every agency working on our behalf. Where it says must, there is no option. Where it says should, any deviation needs written approval from Brand.

We know acquired teams are proud of the names they built, and we don't take that lightly. The rules in this document are not a judgment on your previous identity. They exist because customers, distributors and regulators need one clear answer to two questions: who are they buying from, and who stands behind the product once it is installed and running?

1.3 Brand integration for new acquisitions

Every acquisition follows the same integration path. The acquired company stops presenting itself as an independent business and becomes part of RPGMotor Works, either fully absorbed under the master brand or, where a product name has real market value, kept as a product family under the Rotor. The Director of Marketing makes that call with the division president before Day 1. Integration covers:

• Company name, logo and legal entity references on all customer-facing material
• Website, domains, social media accounts and online directory listings
• Phone greetings, voicemail, on-hold messages and email signatures
• Commercial documents: quotes, order acknowledgments, invoices and purchase orders
• Product nameplates, packaging, labels and engineering title blocks
• Trade show presence, association memberships and sponsored events

Some items can change on the first day. Others, like printed manuals, nameplate tooling and engineering drawings in active production, take longer and are phased in on an agreed schedule. Where a change would interrupt a customer order or require a product to be recertified, talk to Brand and the division quality lead before acting. Three things never wait:

• The acquisition announcement, issued on the approved date in the approved wording
• The website pop-up and footer statement described in sections 4.5 and 6
• Phone greetings that tell callers they have reached an RPGMotor Works company

If you're unsure whether an item belongs in the immediate or the phased group, treat it as immediate and ask. Brand would rather answer the same question twice than find an old logo on a new quote.

1.4 Company name usage

• Write the company name as RPGMotor Works: RPGMotor as one word, a space, then Works. Never RPG Motor Works, RPG-Motor Works or RPGMOTOR WORKS.
• Use the legal name RPGMotor Works GmbH only in legal text, contracts, invoices and the copyright line.
• RPG on its own is internal shorthand and appears only inside program names such as RPG ServiceLine. Don't use it as the company name in customer copy.
• During integration, describe your business as [Acquired Company], an RPGMotor Works company. Drop the descriptor once the full migration is complete.
• Apply the ® symbol to RPGMotor Works on its first prominent use in a document, not on every instance.

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2. Welcome to RPGMotor Works

2.1 Onboarding and adopting the RPGMotor Works style

Welcome. Within a week of the announcement, your marketing lead will get access to this brand guide, the asset library and the RPG template set for Microsoft Office, plus a kickoff call with Brand.

The kickoff call covers your current marketing assets, active campaigns, booked trade shows and any product names we plan to keep. Bring a list of everything that carries your current logo: website, brochures, nameplates, vehicles, signage, apparel and social accounts. It doesn't need to be complete. It gives us both a starting point.

Adopting our style is mostly a matter of using the files we provide rather than recreating them. The Rotor logo, the Barlow typefaces, the RPG Red and Stator Navy palette, the PowerPoint and Word templates and the email signature generator are all in the asset library. If something you need isn't there, ask Brand before an agency or a colleague builds it from scratch. Homemade versions are the most common source of brand errors we see.

2.2 Integration contacts

• Jordan Avery, Director of Marketing: integration owner and final approval on branding decisions, marketing@rpgmotor-works.com
• Mary Levine, Brand Manager: logos, templates, asset library and day-to-day questions, brand@rpgmotor-works.com
• Tomas Krause, Head of Communications: announcements, press releases and media inquiries, press@rpgmotor-works.com
• Sofia Romano, Digital Marketing Lead: website, domains, social accounts, paid search and analytics
• Derek Tran, Events Manager: trade shows, association memberships and sponsored events

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3. Integration timeline

The timeline below starts on Day 1, the date the acquisition is publicly announced, and counts calendar days. Each item has an owner on the acquired company's side, usually the general manager or marketing lead, and a counterpart at RPGMotor Works listed in section 2.2. Brand tracks progress in a shared integration checklist.

If a deadline can't be met, tell the Director of Marketing before it passes, with a reason and a new date. Most delays are acceptable when they're flagged early. Very few are acceptable when we discover them ourselves.

3.1 Day 1: announcements

• Press release issued by RPGMotor Works Communications at the agreed time
• Internal announcement to all [Acquired Company] employees, delivered in person or by video by the general manager
• Customer and supplier letters sent by [Acquired Company] leadership, using the templates at the end of this document
• Website pop-up and footer statement live on the [Acquired Company] website
• LinkedIn post published by RPGMotor Works and shared from the [Acquired Company] page

3.2 Within one week

• Phone greetings, voicemail and on-hold messages updated (section 7)
• Email signatures changed to the transition format (section 8)
• Brand kickoff call held and asset inventory started
• Marketing lead given access to the brand guide and asset library
• New advertising, sponsorship and print orders paused until reviewed by Brand

3.3 Within two weeks

• Marketing assets moved to the RPGMotor Works asset library and account access transferred (sections 5.2 and 5.4)

3.4 Within three weeks

• Trade show and event commitments reviewed with the Events Manager (section 5.3)
• Required language added to quotes, order acknowledgments, invoices and purchase orders (section 9)

3.5 Within 30 days

• Website redirected to www.rpgmotor-works.com or rebuilt on our platform, as agreed at kickoff
• Social media accounts merged, renamed or closed

3.6 Within 90 days

• New engineering drawings issued with the RPGMotor Works title block (section 10)
• Signage, vehicles, apparel, packaging and nameplates updated, or a written replacement schedule approved by Brand

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4. Acquisition announcements

4.1 Approval requirement

No one at [Acquired Company] or RPGMotor Works may announce or confirm the acquisition publicly, including on personal social media, until the Head of Communications has released the official announcement. Every announcement, in any channel and any language, must be approved in writing by Communications before it goes out. That includes translations, local press releases and posts by channel partners.

4.2 Announcement channels

• Press release in the RPGMotor Works newsroom, distributed to trade media
• Website pop-up and footer statement on the [Acquired Company] website
• LinkedIn posts from both company pages
• Letters or emails to customers and suppliers
• Internal announcement to employees of both companies
• Briefing note for RPGMotor Works sales reps and channel partners

4.3 Basic information to include in announcements

Every announcement should answer these points:

• Who: the full names of both companies
• What: RPGMotor Works has acquired [Acquired Company]
• When: the date the transaction closed
• Why: the strategic reason, in one or two sentences
• What changes for customers: in most cases, nothing in the short term
• Who to contact: customers keep their existing contacts
• Where to learn more: www.rpgmotor-works.com and the newsroom

Don't disclose the purchase price, financing terms, headcount plans or any figures RPGMotor Works GmbH hasn't released. Don't speculate about future product lines, plant changes or pricing. If a reporter, analyst or customer asks about any of these, refer them to Communications.

4.4 Example written announcement (press release)

Use this structure for the press release. Communications will write the final text with you. Replace the bracketed placeholders and keep the boilerplate paragraph about RPGMotor Works exactly as written.

RPGMotor Works Acquires [Acquired Company]

• STUTTGART, Germany, [Month Day, Year]: RPGMotor Works GmbH, a manufacturer of brushless DC and servo motors, today announced that it has acquired [Acquired Company], a [short description] based in [city, country].
• [Acquired Company] brings [capability, product line or market] to RPGMotor Works and will operate as part of the [division name] division.
• Quote from the RPGMotor Works CEO or division president on why the acquisition fits our strategy.
• Quote from the [Acquired Company] leader on what the combination means for their customers and employees.
• Closing paragraph confirming that customers keep their existing contacts and that orders, warranties and service continue without change.

About RPGMotor Works

• Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, RPGMotor Works designs and manufactures brushless DC and servo motors for industrial automation, robotics, medical and precision equipment, electric mobility, aerospace and defense, and renewable energy. The company employs about 12,100 people at eight facilities in Germany, Canada, the United States, Mexico and India. www.rpgmotor-works.com

About [Acquired Company]

• [Two or three sentences supplied by the acquired company: founding year, location, products, markets served and number of employees. Communications will edit for length and style.]

Editorial contact

• Tomas Krause, Head of Communications, press@rpgmotor-works.com, +49 711 555 0100

4.5 Example website pop-up announcement

[Acquired Company] Joins RPGMotor Works

• We're pleased to share that [Acquired Company] is now part of RPGMotor Works, a global manufacturer of brushless DC and servo motors.
• Your contacts, orders and service arrangements stay exactly as they are.
• Together we offer [one-line benefit, for example a wider servo motor range and faster access to field service].

Pop-up requirements:

• Show on the first visit only, with a clear close button and no automatic redirect
• Horizontal RPGMotor Works logo at least 120 px wide, on a white panel
• Link to the press release in the RPGMotor Works newsroom
• Keep it live for 60 days, then rely on the footer statement alone
• Provide text in every language the site uses, with translations approved by Communications

4.6 Customer and supplier announcement letters

Customer and supplier letters go out on Day 1, signed by the [Acquired Company] general manager on [Acquired Company] letterhead with the transition descriptor. Templates for both letters are at the end of this document. When sending:

• Send by email from a named person, never from a no-reply address
• Send to every active account and to every supplier with an open order
• Keep the template wording and change only the bracketed fields
• Log replies that raise concerns and forward them to Sales or Purchasing within one business day

4.7 Internal announcement key messages

Leaders announcing the acquisition to employees should cover these points:

• Why RPGMotor Works chose [Acquired Company], and what the team has built
• What stays the same for now: day-to-day roles, managers and customer relationships
• What changes first: the brand, the announcement steps and the timeline in this document
• How pay, benefits and HR questions will be handled, and who to ask
• That only Communications speaks to media, and that no one posts about the deal before the official release
• Where to find this brand guide and the integration contacts
• When the next update will come, with a date

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5. Migration of assets

5.1 Sharing what makes you different

Your company has photography, case studies, application know-how and customer stories that we don't have, and we want them. Migration isn't about discarding your work. It's about moving it into a system where the whole company can find and reuse it. Good material from acquired teams regularly ends up in RPGMotor Works campaigns and on our trade show stands.

5.2 Migration of marketing assets (within two weeks of the acquisition)

• Upload logos, photography, video, brochures and case studies to the intake folder in the asset library
• Tag each file with product, application, year and usage rights
• Flag anything with an expiring image license or model release
• Use up existing printed stock that carries the old logo, then stop: don't reorder it

5.3 Migration of trade shows and events (within three weeks of the acquisition)

• Send the Events Manager a list of every booked show, with dates, booth size, costs paid and cancellation terms
• Don't book new shows or sponsorships without approval from Events
• Shows in the next 90 days may run with your existing booth plus an RPGMotor Works company panel supplied by Brand
• Later shows are merged into the RPGMotor Works trade show calendar where that makes sense

5.4 Secure transfer of account access

Transfer access to RPGMotor Works administrators using secure methods. Never send passwords by plain email or chat.

• Share credentials through the company password vault provided by IT
• Add the RPGMotor Works administrator as an owner before removing any existing owner
• Turn on two-factor authentication for every account that supports it
• Record each account in the integration checklist with its owner and renewal date
• Remove access for former employees and agencies on the same day

5.5 Items to transfer

Use the lists below as a checklist. Not every company will have every item. Mark anything that doesn't apply as not applicable rather than leaving it blank.

Logos, style and dress

• Logo source files (AI, EPS, SVG) and any existing brand guidelines
• Uniform, apparel and vehicle livery specifications, with supplier contacts

Website, domains and digital platforms

• Domain names and registrar accounts
• DNS and hosting accounts
• Website content management system
• SSL certificates
• Email marketing platform and subscriber lists, with consent records
• CRM system
• Social media accounts (LinkedIn, YouTube, X, Facebook, Instagram)
• Online directory and marketplace listings
• Google Business Profile listings for each location

Paid search and analytics

• Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising accounts
• Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager properties
• Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools verification

Media and base art

Base art is the original, editable source material behind your printed and digital pieces. Without it, we have to rebuild artwork from PDFs, which costs time and money. Send native files with linked images and fonts packaged, not flattened exports. If an agency holds the files, ask them to release them to RPGMotor Works. Most agency contracts allow this, and Brand can help with the request.

• Product photography, including raw files
• Application and installation photography
• Video footage and edited videos
• Brochures and datasheets (packaged InDesign files)
• Product manuals and installation guides
• Case studies and white papers
• Presentation decks
• Trade show graphics
• Packaging and label artwork

Trade shows, associations and industry events

• Booth hardware, graphics and storage location
• Association memberships and renewal dates
• Sponsorships, speaking slots and award entries

Legal and phone systems

• Trademark registrations and pending applications
• Phone system administrator access and recorded message files

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6. Immediate website update

On Day 1, the [Acquired Company] website must show that the business is now part of RPGMotor Works. The full migration comes later, but no customer should land on the old site and find no mention of the acquisition. The pop-up in section 4.5 and the navigation links, copyright statement, cookie notice and footer order below are all required. Sofia Romano's team will make the changes or support your web provider.

6.1 Navigation and policy links

• Add an About RPGMotor Works link to the main navigation, pointing to www.rpgmotor-works.com/about
• Replace the privacy policy link with a link to the RPGMotor Works privacy policy
• Replace the terms of use link with a link to the RPGMotor Works terms of use
• Add a link to the RPGMotor Works imprint (Impressum) page

6.2 Copyright statement

Replace the existing copyright line in the website footer with this text:

© [Year] RPGMotor Works GmbH. [Acquired Company] is an RPGMotor Works company. All rights reserved.

Set the year to update automatically where the site allows it, so it never goes stale.

6.3 Cookie notice

Use this text:

We use cookies to run this site and to understand how it's used. You can accept all cookies or choose which ones to allow. See the RPGMotor Works privacy policy for details.

6.4 Footer link legend

Footer links, in this order: Privacy | Terms of use | Imprint | Cookies

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7. Immediate phone message update

Within the first week, callers should hear that they've reached an RPGMotor Works company. Update every recording a caller can reach: the main automated attendant, after-hours messages, department queues and individual voicemail. Recordings should be made by a staff member or by a voice provider approved by Brand.

7.1 Automated attendant pre-recorded messages

Main greeting, played during business hours on the main company number:

Thank you for calling [Acquired Company], an RPGMotor Works company. For sales, press 1. For service and spare parts, press 2. For accounts, press 3. For anything else, please stay on the line.

Keep the menu options you already have. Only the opening sentence changes, so regular callers aren't confused.

After-hours greeting, played outside business hours:

Thank you for calling [Acquired Company], an RPGMotor Works company. Our office is closed. Our business hours are [days, hours and time zone]. For urgent service, call RPG ServiceLine at +1 (800) 555-0157.

7.2 Live receptionist greetings

Receptionists answering the main line use this greeting until the full rebrand is complete:

Good morning, [Acquired Company], an RPGMotor Works company. This is [name]. How can I help you?

7.3 Individual voicemail greetings

Every employee with a direct line updates their voicemail within the first week:

You've reached [name], [job title] at [Acquired Company], an RPGMotor Works company. Please leave your name, number and a short message, and I'll call you back by the end of the next business day.

7.4 On-hold pre-recorded marketing messages

If your phone system plays marketing messages on hold, remove any message that describes [Acquired Company] as independent or family owned. Replace them with the approved RPGMotor Works on-hold script set, available from Brand in English, German, Spanish and Hindi, or play music only until the new files are installed.

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8. Email signature standards

8.1 Rules

• Use the RPGMotor Works signature generator. Don't build signatures by hand.
• Include your name, job title, [Acquired Company], an RPGMotor Works company, one phone number and the website.
• No personal quotes, background images, animated graphics or extra logos, including certification badges.
• Arial 10 pt, name in Stator Navy, details in Steel Gray. The generator sets this for you.

8.2 Example signature

Alex Morgan | Applications Engineer | [Acquired Company], an RPGMotor Works company | +1 (519) 555-0140 | www.rpgmotor-works.com

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9. Required language for commercial documents

9.1 Customer classification

From the closing date until its legal entity is merged, [Acquired Company] remains a separate legal entity. Customers and suppliers are contracting with that entity, not with RPGMotor Works GmbH, and our commercial documents must say so. This protects both companies: customers know exactly who they hold an agreement with, and RPGMotor Works GmbH doesn't take on obligations it hasn't agreed to. Treat every existing customer as a customer of [Acquired Company] until Legal confirms the entity has been merged or the account has moved to an RPGMotor Works entity.

9.2 Required language

Add the language below to the template for each commercial document. Your ERP administrator should make the change once, in the template, rather than salespeople typing it each time.

Set it in the footer or directly beneath the company name, no smaller than 8 pt. Don't paraphrase it or translate it without approval from Legal.

Quotes (when [Acquired Company] is offering to sell products or services)

Required language:

• [Acquired Company] is an RPGMotor Works company.
• This quotation is issued by [Acquired Company legal name], which is solely responsible for its terms and fulfillment.

Placement: in the footer of every page, below the payment and validity terms.

Quote template requirements:

• Use the RPGMotor Works quote template, with the [Acquired Company] legal name in the header
• Show the horizontal RPGMotor Works logo, not the former company logo
• Reference the current terms and conditions of sale by version number and date
• State the quote validity period, normally 30 days

Order acknowledgments (when [Acquired Company] is accepting an order for products or services)

Required language:

• [Acquired Company] is an RPGMotor Works company.
• This order is accepted by [Acquired Company legal name] under the terms and conditions referenced above.

Placement: directly beneath the company name and address at the top of page one.

Invoices (when [Acquired Company] is requesting payment for products or services sold)

Required language:

• [Acquired Company] is an RPGMotor Works company.
• Please remit payment to [Acquired Company legal name] using the bank details shown on this invoice.

Placement: next to the bank details. The bank details themselves do not change.

Purchase orders (when [Acquired Company] is buying products or services)

Required language:

• [Acquired Company] is an RPGMotor Works company.
• This purchase order is issued by [Acquired Company legal name], which is solely responsible for payment.

Placement: in the footer of every page, above the reference to purchasing terms.

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10. Engineering title blocks

Engineering drawings carry the company name into customers' files for decades. New drawings issued after Day 90 must use the RPGMotor Works title block. Existing drawings change at their next revision, not before.

10.1 Title block requirements

• Horizontal RPGMotor Works logo in black or Stator Navy, at least 25 mm wide
• Legal name of the issuing entity
• Drawing title
• Drawing number in the RPGMotor Works numbering format
• Revision letter
• Sheet number and total sheets, for example 1 of 3
• Scale
• Projection method symbol
• Units of measurement
• General tolerance standard, for example ISO 2768-m
• Material and finish
• Drawn by, with date
• Checked by, with date
• Approved by, with date
• CAD file name and system
• Proprietary information statement (section 10.2)

10.2 Proprietary information statement

Place this statement inside or directly above the title block:

This drawing and the information in it are the property of RPGMotor Works GmbH and its affiliates. It is supplied in confidence and may not be copied, disclosed or used for any other purpose without written permission.

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11. Contacts and document control

11.1 Questions and exceptions

Send questions about this standard to brand@rpgmotor-works.com. Requests for an exception must go in writing to the Director of Marketing, with the reason and the date by which you need an answer.

11.2 Document control

Revision history

Version 2.0, January 2026: full revision of version 1.3.

Customer announcement letter

[Date]

[Contact name], [Company], [Street address], [City, postal code, country]

Dear [Contact name],

I'm writing to let you know that [Acquired Company] has been acquired by RPGMotor Works GmbH, a manufacturer of brushless DC and servo motors headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. The transaction closed on [date]. From today, [Acquired Company] is an RPGMotor Works company, and you'll see that reflected in our phone greetings, emails and documents.

Most important for you: nothing about the way you work with us changes today. Your contacts, open orders, pricing, delivery commitments and warranties all stay in place. Quotes, order acknowledgments and invoices will continue to come from [Acquired Company], and our bank details are unchanged. Please treat any message claiming that our payment details have changed with caution, and confirm it by phone with your usual contact. Over the coming months we'll update our branding, and you'll begin to see the RPGMotor Works Rotor logo on our documents and products.

Joining RPGMotor Works gives us access to a wider motor range across 15 product families, engineering support from eight facilities worldwide and the RPG ServiceLine field service network. We'll share more as these become available to you.

If you have any questions, please contact your usual [Acquired Company] representative or me directly. Thank you for your business and your trust. We look forward to serving you as part of RPGMotor Works.

You can read the full announcement at www.rpgmotor-works.com/news.

Sincerely,

Supplier announcement letter

[Date]

[Contact name], [Company], [Street address], [City, postal code, country]

Dear [Contact name],

I'm writing to let you know that [Acquired Company] has been acquired by RPGMotor Works GmbH, a manufacturer of brushless DC and servo motors headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. The transaction closed on [date]. From today, [Acquired Company] is an RPGMotor Works company, and you'll see that reflected in our purchase orders, emails and documents.

For now, [Acquired Company] remains the legal entity that places orders with you. Purchase orders will continue to come from [Acquired Company] and should be invoiced to the same entity and address as before. Payment terms and remittance arrangements are unchanged. If you receive any request to change invoicing or payment details, please confirm it by phone with your usual purchasing contact before acting on it.

Over the next few months we'll update our purchase order templates, email signatures and website to reflect the RPGMotor Works brand. If you supply printed, labeled or branded items for us, such as packaging, nameplates, labels or manuals, please don't change any artwork until you receive an approved revision from us with a new part number. We'll agree a reasonable changeover schedule with you so existing stock can be used up where possible and supply isn't interrupted. If artwork changes affect your pricing or lead times, please tell us early.

If you have any questions, please contact your usual purchasing contact at [Acquired Company] or me directly. Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,