Sticky Discipline for the Label Business – May 2016 M&A Activity
CCL appears to be strategically focused on establishing beachheads internationally, no matter that many of these transactions are rather small relative to CCL’s $3 billion in annual revenue; most representing less than 1% in additional revenue. Notably, in addition to maintaining deal discipline in these smaller deals, CCL paid a still moderate, at least in terms of current market multiples for larger enterprise-level transactions, 6.7 times EBITDA when acquiring Checkpoint Systems this past March. That acquisition establishes an entirely new division within CCL Industries, bringing apparel and retail labeling solutions into the mix at CCL, including “smart label” RFID labeling technologies.
Commercial Printing / Diversified Services
Pfingsten Partners, in concert with printing and paper industry veteran executive Brian Dunsirn, acquired Cleveland area Oliver Printing. Privately held and family-managed for four generations, Oliver Printing has successfully transitioned from a purely commercial printer to a company with a focus on folding cartons, including structural design, printing and finishing. As the first institutional owner of Oliver Printing, Pfingsten is positioning Oliver as its platform for additional investments and bolt-on acquisitions within the packaging industry.