Global Manufacturing Culture Integration: Tegra Unifies 13,000+ Employees Across Five Acquired Organizations
Client Overview:
Tegra - Global apparel manufacturer producing athletic clothing and uniforms for world-renowned brands including Nike, Under Armor, and Adidas. Created through private equity acquisition of five different organizations, Tegra provides vertical integration to the western hemisphere for the entire apparel industry. This purpose-driven manufacturing organization partnered with NICH Culture to develop their most comprehensive culture integration initiative across 13,000+ employees in the U.S. and Central America.
Industry: Global Manufacturing/Apparel | Challenge: Post-acquisition culture integration
Results: Successful ONE TEAM culture unification across all locations with comprehensive employee engagement from factory workers to executive leadership
The Challenge
Tegra faced the complex challenge of integrating five distinct organizational cultures across a sophisticated global manufacturing operation. As a newly formed entity with leadership committed to becoming a purpose-led organization, they needed systematic culture integration to unite employees across borders.
Key Integration Challenges:
No unified communication strategy across teams, locations, and international borders
Language barriers between U.S. and Central American operations
Different operational goals, priorities, and workplace cultures from legacy organizations
Geographic complexity spanning multiple manufacturing facilities
Diverse workforce from factory workers to corporate executives requiring aligned messaging
The Solution
NICH Culture developed a comprehensive people-first integration approach that transformed five separate cultures into one unified manufacturing organization.
Four-Month Integration Process:
Phase 1: Deep Cultural Discovery
Conducted intensive discovery with 220 employees across U.S. and Central America through 335 hours of on-site visits, one-on-one conversations, and two weeks of focus groups spanning all manufacturing facilities.
Phase 2: Culture Story Development
Created unified Purpose, enhanced existing Mission and Core Values, and developed Operating Principles that resonated across all locations and cultural backgrounds. Built on authentic employee insights rather than corporate mandates.
Phase 3: Comprehensive Integration Materials
Developed 22-page Culture Playbook featuring custom infographics, employee quotes, and professional photography from actual manufacturing environments. Created Critical Priorities framework simplifying business strategy communication.
Phase 4: Systematic Rollout & Sustainability
Implemented two-year strategic plan including leadership toolkit, intranet design, and Culture Messaging Sustainability Roadmap ensuring long-term adoption across all facilities.
Results That Matter
Manufacturing Culture Integration Results
Unified Workforce: Successfully integrated five distinct cultures into ONE TEAM identity
Cross-Border Alignment: Consistent culture messaging across U.S. and Central American operations
Leadership Engagement: CEO-led rollout with manager empowerment at annual leadership meeting
Sustainable Framework: Two-year implementation plan ensuring long-term culture maintenance
Market Differentiation: Culture commitment positioned as key competitive advantage
"NICH genuinely understands the power of people and helps companies who align with that same belief create amazing places to work." - Steve Cochran, CEO
Services Provided:
Specialized M&A Integration Expertise:
Post-Acquisition Culture Integration for manufacturing organizations
Multi-Location Culture Alignment across international operations
Cross-Cultural Communication Strategy for diverse workforces
Manufacturing Leadership Development supporting culture change
Global Employee Engagement across language and cultural barriers
Purpose-Driven Transformation for manufacturing companies
Manufacturing Applications:
Factory floor culture integration with corporate operations
International workforce alignment across geographic boundaries
Private equity portfolio company culture optimization
Manufacturing leadership communication and engagement strategies
