State of the Industry: Global Consolidation in Packaging

2010 market overview

2010 marked a record year for the packaging sector, with deal volume reaching nearly 250 transactions. Packaging deal volume has nearly tripled during the past decade, with plastic packaging reaching an all-time high of 159 transactions and fiber reaching a high of 80 in 2010.

Plastic packaging—Accounting for nearly 30 percent of all plastics transactions, plastic packaging consolidation has had a significant impact on the overall plastics industry as leaders adopt more sophisticated M&A strategies to drive growth. During the past ten years, the volume of plastic packaging transactions averaged 113 transactions annually, and increased from 28 in 2001 to 159 in 2010. Two of the key drivers behind this rapid consolidation are a significant globalization trend and increased private equity involvement.