Pinnacle and Cavalry Start
Their Marriage on the Right Foot

Client	Pinnacle Financial Partners
Situation	After more than five years of phenomenal organic growth, Pinnacle Financial Partners reached an agreement to acquire Cavalry Banking, the top market share holder in rapidly growing Rutherford County. Given Pinnacle’s relatively young age, the street would need to be convinced of Pinnacle’s ability to integrate the two firms, and associates in both institutions would need to be supportive of the deal in order to maintain high growth rates in the midst of significant change.
Strategies & Tactics	Created and implemented the announcement plan.  Atkinson recommended a tightly timed announcement plan of internal and external communications including: An extensive internal communications effort to ensure associates learned the news first and received answers to virtually any and every question about the transaction and its impact.  Investor relations tactics including Pinnacle’s inaugural analyst conference call. A targeted media relations plan, including message and Q&A development, executive coaching, and personal visits by executives to introduce Pinnacle to Rutherford County media. Contact plans to communicate immediately and directly with key clients and community leaders. Started the next phase of communication.  Atkinson initiated post-announcement internal communications strategies to begin bringing the two cultures together and reinforce Pinnacle’s open style of communication between leadership and associates.
Results	Associates of both firms were excited and upbeat about the transaction – no associates left for competitor institutions within at least six months of the announcement. Neither firm experienced merger-related client run-off after the initial announcement. In the quarter immediately following the announcement, the company reported record earnings and high associate retention. Investors who had owned Cavalry stock saw the stock price increase roughly 50 percent in the first nine months after the merger announcement.