The Australian division of a manufacturing firm producing highly regulated products was being acquired by a global business which resulted in significant government stakeholder impact.
FPL Advisory was engaged to develop a communications and engagement approach to manage and execute the announcement to government stakeholders and aligned with offshore share market announcement rules.
Situation
The Australian division of a manufacturing firm was being acquired by a global firm listed on an offshore stock market. The acquired firm had operations across two states, sourced and produced highly controlled and regulated products, was a significant employer in their regional communities and had a large number of suppliers whose principal source of revenue was contracted to the manufacturing firm.
These factors elevated the interest and subsequent potential concern from government stakeholders as to the implications of the sale process.
In addition, communication with government stakeholders and the broader community was constrained by the need to align with an offshore share market announcement. This prevented any form of discussion or engagement prior to a public announcement resulting in all stakeholders and the public receiving the news at the same time.
This created significant risk for confusion and concern across multiple stakeholder groups and went against the consistent FPL Advisory approach of 'no surprises'.
Action
FPL Advisory reviewed all government stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions and triaged individuals and cohorts to assess the appropriate engagement approach which included direct engagement via a telephone call from senior manufacturing firm personnel or FPL Advisory, a personalised email or a broadcast email as required.
This required a strong project management approach assessing all assets and resources across staff and material, developing messaging content and ensuring all details and information was accurate.
External communications and media were also assessed and modified upon our advice to ensure the primacy of the government stakeholder relationships.
Outcome
The government engagement process for the announcement was executed successfully and there was no concern or significant followup questions on the day or following days after the announcement which reflected the comprehensive and effective review of relevant stakeholders and the information they were provided.
FPL Advisory supports clients across many industry sectors to resolve risks, create opportunities and support government engagement.