Packaging Industry M&A Activity Tracking
Global Packaging M&A posted 32 deals in July, up three transactions from June levels and up 13 from July 2023 levels. Strategic buyers continued to be active, accounting for nearly 66% of all deals in the month. Meanwhile, financial buyers posted activity in line with June levels. To date, 2024 has posted 34 more deals when compared to 2023. All subsectors have seen an increase in M&A activity relative to 2023 except for Rigid Packaging and Printing/Labels, which both only lag their prior year totals by one transaction. Encouragingly, monthly deal volume increased in each of the last four months, driving momentum heading into the second half of 2024.
- Much of the increase in deal flow from prior months is attributable to activity in the Rigid Packaging subsector, which tallied 11 deals in July compared to five in June. Machinery & Distribution also recorded strong transaction volume in July with seven deals, which was up three from last month
- Strategic buyers continued to drive packaging deal activity, accounting for 21 deals in July, which represented the highest monthly volume for this buyer group since Q4 2018. As a percentage of total deal mix, strategic buyers have accounted for 56% of transactions in the year-to-date
- Deals involving financial buyers remained steady at 11 in July. However, add-on deals accounted for eight transactions, up five from last month while platform deals dropped from eight to three
- Foreign M&A activity continued to drive performance in 2024, tallying 22 deals in July. At nearly 69% of all deal volume, Foreign deal activity represented its largest share since May 2020
- The Consumer end market observed its strongest month since January 2021 in July, accounting for 11 deals. Meanwhile, the Medical end market recorded its first month with no activity since February 2023
Sources: S&P Capital IQ, Company Websites, Pitchbook, Company Reports, PMCF
Major News
- From Pizza Box Recycling to AI: WestRock and the Future of Packaging (The Wall Street Journal)
https://deloitte.wsj.com/cio/from-pizza-box-recycling-to-ai-westrock-and-the-future-of-packaging-8b7cecac - Silgan Holdings to Buy 3i-Backed Weener Plastics in $908 Million Deal (The Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/silgan-holdings-to-buy-3i-backed-weener-plastics-in-908-million-deal-c41a7ec6 - Layoffs and Closures at Placon, Supremex, WestRock Announced in July (Packaging Dive)
https://www.packagingdive.com/news/packaging-layoffs-westrock-placon-supremex/723384/ - Costco Switches Rotisserie Chicken Container to Flexible Packaging (Plastics News)
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/costo-chicken-switches-rigid-flexible-packaging - Congress may Consider Recyclability Labeling Law (Plastics News)
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/key-senator-plastics-issues-working-national-recycling-labeling-law - Cost Remains Key Barrier to Sustainable Packaging, Survey Finds (Packaging Gateway)
https://www.packaging-gateway.com/news/cost-key-barrier-sustainable-packaging/
Download Packaging M&A Update – July 2024
Packaging M&A Update – February 2026
Global Packaging M&A tapered in February as 20 deals were announced in the sector, down more than 30% from prior month and prior year levels.
Plastics M&A Update – February 2026
Global Plastics M&A cooled off in February following a record-setting January with 31 transactions – down 21 from the prior month and seven from last February.
Packaging M&A Update – January 2026
Global packaging M&A maintained steady volume to open 2026 with 30 deals in January, which was in-line with historical levels for January but below the record 45 transactions announced in January 2025.
Plastics M&A Update – January 2026
52 global plastics M&A transactions were recorded in January 2026, which represented one of the most active months for plastics M&A since PMCF began tracking the sector.
Plastics M&A Update – December 2025
Global Plastics M&A posted 34 transactions in December, one deal fewer than both November and the 2025 monthly average.