Business Management - M&A

At New Direction Partners, we often advise selling owners of printing businesses to be prepared to stay on in one role or another after the transaction closes. Because keeping a hand in the business at the new owner’s request is a given in so many deals, it’s helpful to have some idea of what the responsibility is going to entail.

UPM Raflatac has completed its acquisition of Irving, Texas-based Southwest Label Stock. The acquisition expands UPM Raflatac's reach in Texas and the Southwest United States, offering a wider range of products with fast turnaround.

Sonoco has announced it has completed the acquisition of Clear Lam Packaging, Inc., a family-held developer and manufacturer of flexible and forming plastic packaging films, for approximately $170 million in cash.

As part of Elkem's growth strategy it is assuming responsibility for Bluestar Xinghuo Silicones and Yongdeng Silicon Materials and integrating them into the Elkem group. The two plants have previously been owned directly by China National Bluestar.

Multi-Color Corp. announced that it has come to an agreement to acquire the Labels Division of Constantia Flexibles for approximately $1.3 billion. The deal will integrate Constantia Labels' food and beverage business with Multi-Color's expansive vertical market label business while widening its global reach.

Big events, such as Print 17, are great opportunities to reconnect with clients and to stay in touch with the pulse of the industry.

Sooner or later, a printing business doing well where it was born will start to think about planting its flag someplace else. To expand geographically, a firm can either acquire a company in a distant region as a going concern or merge with it to form a consolidated, but dual-location, entity.

Sonoco announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the stock of Clear Lam Packaging, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of flexible and forming plastic packaging films.

Integrating your company and one you’ve purchased into one entity will be a stiff test of your executive skills — perhaps the most demanding test you’ve ever faced. But, with strategic planning and careful execution, you can make the merger accomplish everything you envisioned when you first decided to pursue it.

Not all that long ago, it seemed that investors seeking middle-market opportunities wanted to look at anything but printing. This, happily, has changed, and for the last several years, middle-market investors have shown that they now regard acquiring profitable, well-run printing and packaging companies as a smart play.