Plastics packaging: M&A deals down

Doug Lawson, managing director and head of the BMO Capital Markets packaging practice, stated, “After a record setting year in 2007, the M&A environment was affected by challenging market conditions in 2008…While we expect the challenging conditions to persist in 2009, we believe that packaging industry fundamentals remain attractive over the medium-to-long term, and the strong rationale for consolidation in the packaging sector continues to exist.” According to the report, there were 252 announced transactions worldwide in 2008, a decrease of 35% from the 386 deals announced in 2007, and the lowest level in the past ten years.

The report provides a review of M&A in the packaging industry in North America as well as on a global basis over the last several years, including a look at M&A activity by sector, geography, acquirer type, size, and valuations, and provides a brief synopsis of each transaction announced during the year. Trends of the past few years also are highlighted. To request a copy of the Mergers & Acquisitions in the Packaging Industry: Annual Deal Review or to subscribe to The Converter, a monthly BMO newsletter which reports on the activities and trends shaping this industry, visit www.bmocm.com/industry/packaging or send an email to Doug Lawson at [email protected] or Laura Hubbard at [email protected].—[email protected]