Design team at Active Leak and their brand recognition

Earlier this month, your company, a running equipment designer and manufacturer called Runners Paradise, merged with a smaller clothing design company called Active Leak. Your company initiated the buyout because of the excellent design team at Active Leak and their brand recognition, specifically for their MP3-integrated running shorts. Runners Paradise has thirty-five employees and Active Leak has ten employees. Active Leak has no strategic plan, and you are wondering if you should develop a strategic plan, given the merger. Both companies have their respective strengths and you are anticipating that there may be growth in the future as a result of this merger. This merger also has some challenges given that you are merging two separate companies into one.

Choose ONLY one external or internal factor that has changed your strategic situation.  As we did in class, follow each step from identifying the factor through to development of an HR strategic initiative, and include one metric on how you will measure success.