KEEL
Background
Arlington Capital Partners, a private equity firm, found an opportunity to better support the U.S. Navy. By merging Pegasus Steel, Merrill Technologies Group, and Metal Trades, they believed they could serve both major ship builders and procurement specialists while attracting the best specialized and skilled labor in the country.
While a new name was needed, the companies merging each had unique qualities—both in what they made and how they made it—that ACP wanted to sustain through the merger.
The goal was a brand that would be unique in the marketplace, relevant to both customers and employees, and referential to the companies that made the merger possible. To reach this goal, they turned to WHITE64.
Consumer Belief
Everyone in the ship-building industry acknowledges the mission of the end consumer, the U.S. Navy. To project forces around the globe, to defend and protect Americans, and to project our country’s constant state of readiness are noble pursuits, but they are also table stakes. Positioning a new brand as just another mirror of these desired outcomes would not stand out.
Belief Intersection
A simple statement from the company’s new CEO struck like lightening: “We build builders.” There is powerful truth in this statement. Building is an act but also a state of mind…what we build ends up building us. It is this sentiment that drove us in our brand exploration.
Results
From that provocative insight, the WHITE64 team developed a brand to disrupt the B2G metal-processing and large-scale fabrication industry.
Considerations included a focus for discovering efficiencies, evoking the feeling of strength and trust, and, most importantly, helping the world see the word “build” through a different lens. If the company was to tackle the world’s most complex engineering problems for high-stakes situations, it must build both a solid team and transparent relationships with partners. Only then could it build what is needed to get the job done.
The result? KEEL. A brand name built with the belief that the right team can remain steady through the most challenging circumstances. A brand name that evokes precision with an eye for innovation. A brand name representing both the legacy and future of naval ship building, and a brand name that projects a blue-chip identity right from its inception
A design system and website were developed to introduce the new company, showcase its culture and capabilities, and provide a clear path for continued growth.
WHITE64 remains one of KEEL’s key partners to this day, providing the company with additional brand development, marketing collateral support, internal templates, and more.
