Sonoco  gears up to purchase Tegrant

Sonoco, a diversified global packaging company, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Tegrant Corp., a provider of highly engineered protective, temperature-assured and retail security packaging solutions, from Metalmark Capital for $550 million in cash.

According to Harris E. DeLoach, Jr., Sonoco chairman and chief executive officer, the acquisition of Tegrant is the largest in Sonoco's history and will create a North American leader in multimaterial protective packaging. Tegrant is projected to generate 2011 sales of approximately $440 million. When combined, Sonoco is projected to generate sales of approximately $5.0 billion in 2012. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Sonoco's 2012 pro forma earnings by approximately $.10 per diluted share, including estimated adjustments for purchase accounting and approximately $11 million of expected synergies, when fully realized.

The total purchase consideration, adjusted for expected tax benefits, is approximately 6.8 times earnings. Sonoco said that Tegrant's estimated pro forma 2011 EBITDA of approximately $74 million1, including synergies. The transaction is expected to be financed from existing cash and debt with an estimated credit leverage ratio of 2.2 times at closing. Sonoco intends to reduce the incremental debt using free cash flow over the next few years. The acquisition is subject to normal regulatory review and is expected to close in November 2011.

"The addition of Tegrant and its family of businesses significantly advances Sonoco as a protective packaging solutions leader and greatly expands the products, services and capabilities we can offer our customers," said DeLoach.

"Sonoco's combined Protective Packaging businesses will represent approximately 11 percent of Sonoco's projected 2012 sales and further enhance our ability to grow in both consumer and industrial markets globally. As an example, Tegrant brings to Sonoco immediate access to faster growing markets such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and health and beauty, while providing us expanded access to a variety of industrial components and automotive markets."

DeLoach said that Tegrant's president and chief executive officer, Ron Leach, has agreed to stay with Sonoco and continue leading Tegrant's businesses. John Colyer, Sonoco's vice president, Global Industrial Converting, will be given expanded responsibility for the Company's global protective packaging, tubes and cores, and wire and cable reels integration leader for the combined Sonoco Protective Packaging businesses.

Macquarie Capital served as financial advisor to Sonoco. Tegrant was represented by Sagent Advisors.