Berlin Packaging secures US$500m investment for growth and acquisition plans
03 Dec 2018 --- Berlin Packaging L.L.C., a hybrid packaging supplier of plastic, glass and metal, has secured an investment of US$500 million from Oak Hill Capital Partners and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), to facilitate the next stage of its growth. The Berlin Packaging management team, which includes Chairman and CEO Andrew Berlin, will also make a significant investment. Additional financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close by the end of this year.
With US$1.4 billion in annual sales, Berlin Packaging is a supplier of packaging products and services to companies in multiple industries. The company’s offering of services includes structural and brand design, worldwide sourcing, warehousing and logistics and capital financing.
The large investment will be used, among other initiatives, to acquire companies across North America and Europe, but they are not ruling out other geographies as well.
“As we pursue acquisitions, we are certainly looking at companies with a strength in our core rigid-packaging offering in either North America or Europe. But we are also considering acquisitions in different packaging formats and geographies as well. In any case, the companies we’ve acquired in the past all had well-established success with customers, suppliers, and employees. Adding more of these industry jewels to the Berlin Packaging enterprise – and then translating those benefits to our customers – is our aim,” Jeremy Lagomarsino, EVP Business Development & Strategy at Berlin Packaging, tells PackagingInsights.
“The Berlin Packaging team is excited to deepen our relationship with valued strategic partners, Oak Hill and CPPIB. This transaction allows us to take our business to an even higher level as we pursue multiple strategic initiatives, including acquisitions in North America and Europe, additions to our sales and service teams, and more investment in our e-commerce capabilities,” says Andrew Berlin, Chairman and CEO of Berlin Packaging.
Online research is hugely influencing B2B purchasing, notes Lagomarsino. “Berlin Packaging has offered an e-commerce experience for more than a decade. Now we are making significant investments to elevate this online experience and ensure Berlin is the clear online destination for packaging.”
“Berlin Packaging continues to be a best-in-class business with a history of sustained outperformance and a sizeable growth opportunity ahead. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Andrew and his management team, as well as working alongside CPPIB, to maximize long-term value creation,” says Brian Cherry, a Partner at Oak Hill.
