BMO Capital Markets Reviews M&A in Packaging

“The last year was the most challenging year for M&A activity in the packaging industry in recent history, affecting deal volume, valuations, and interest among all types of acquirers,” says Doug Lawson, managing director and head of BMO Capital Markets packaging practice. “The challenging M&A market conditions that characterized 2008 worsened in 2009. The credit crisis and difficult economic environment resulted in a significant slowdown in packaging M&A activity among strategic and financial acquirers. However, the challenging conditions that plagued 2008 and 2009 have begun to improve and we believe that positive packaging industry fundamentals and the strong rationale for consolidation in the packaging sector will begin to spur a recovery in deal activity in 2010.”