Packaging M&A Activity Slows

Published: January 08, 2009

CHICAGO, IL | BMO Capital Markets, the investment and corporate banking arm of BMO Financial, has released its third annual report on packaging M&A activity, entitled Mergers and Acquisitions in the Packaging Industry: 2008 Annual Deal Review. Doug Lawson, managing director and head of BMO Capital Markets packaging practice, explains that after a record setting 2007, “the M&A environment was affected by challenging market conditions in 2008. The credit crisis and a difficult economic environment combined with unprecedented spikes in resin, oil, and paperboard prices resulted in a significant slowdown in packaging M&A activity,” Lawson explains. “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.”

The report provides a comprehensive review of M&A in the packaging industry in North America as well as on a global basis over the last several years. The report provides an overview of reported M&A activity in 2008, examines M&A activity by sector, geography, acquirer type, size, and valuations, and provides a brief synopsis of each transaction announced during the year. To request a copy of the report, visit: www.bmocm.com/industry/packaging or e-mail Doug Lawson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..