Vistaprint Hits a Double with Global Acquisition Strategy – March 2015 M&A Activity

The acquired Austrian company’s revenue were significantly less than their new French teammates, with trailing twelve months revenue reported at €34 million. EBITDA for the same period was €3.6 million (10.6%). As might be expected based on the lower revenues and EBITDA percentage, the purchase multiple was correspondingly lower, but still a very respectable 6.5 times EBITDA, structured as €20 million cash at closing plus €3.3 million paid in cash or stock in 2017.

(For more about Vistaprint’s prior acquisitions, see The Target Report – October 2014 and The Target Report – April 2014)

Packaging

Packaging power hitter CCL Industries acquired two specialty companies in Madison, Wisconsin, Meetings Direct and pc/nametag. The acquired companies, previously under common private ownership, provide specialty printing and supplies to meeting planners and promotional distributors. The companies will be bolted-on to Avery North America, which CCL acquired in 2013 and which provides pressure-sensitive papers used in the newly acquired product lines. The acquired companies have combined revenues of $36 million and achieved $6.3 million in EBITDA (17.5%). CCL Industries reportedly is paying $37 million for the companies, 5.9 times EBITDA, slightly more than one times revenue.

Sonoco, another player in the ongoing global roll-up of the packaging industries, announced the acquisition of Brazilian flexible packaging printer Graffo. The company prints prime labels for confectionary and other markets using rotogravure presses and lamination processes.

Esko, a division of conglomerate Danaher and supplier of prepress systems to the packaging industry, acquired MediaBeacon. The acquisition brings an established digital asset management software component to Esko which claims that 90% of all retail packages in some way are processed through its software.

Diversified Printing & Document Management

Standard Register filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, pinning much of the blame for its situation on the debt it incurred when it acquired print management company Workflow One in 2013. Additional and even more substantial debt is due in unfunded pension liabilities. The company walked into court with a reorganization plan and buyer ready to go. The buyer, Silver Point Capital, is also a current shareholder, lender, and now the stalking horse buyer in the court-supervised sale process. Private investment firm Silver Point Capital has indicated that it plans to credit bid a significant portion of the purchase price. The fund has provided interim financing to fund ongoing operations. All indications are that the company will continue operating and is likely to emerge from bankruptcy in much better shape.