State of the Industry: Global Consolidation in Packaging

Supply chain—Considerable consolidation took place in the global materials industry this past year. DAK Americas acquired Eastman Chemical's North America PET business in a $600 million deal that initiated a chain reaction in the industry. This deal was followed by Indorama Ventures' acquisition of Invista's PET business, Bain Capital's $1.63 billion purchase of Styron Corp. (Dow Chemical), and the Brazilian chemical giant Braskem SA's $4.4 billion acquisition of Quattor. Fewer competitors in the market could potentially lead to higher prices for manufacturers.