John Hart
Managing Director
John Hart is a Managing Director of PMCF Investment Banking, a national middle market investment bank that is an affiliate of Plante Moran. John currently serves on the senior leadership team at PMCF and leads the firm’s Plastics & Packaging industry vertical.
He has more than 20 years of professional experience advising clients with company sales, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, and capital raises. John has led the successful completion of more than 50 plastics and packaging transactions since 2010 and has provided M&A advisory in a planning capacity to numerous other companies. His clients have included entrepreneurs, family-owned businesses, private equity groups, family offices, and large international corporations.
John has authored numerous plastics and packaging industry M&A reports and is a regular contributor to multiple industry publications. He is also a frequent speaker at trade conferences and is often sought out for his insight in plastics and packaging M&A.
Prior to joining PMCF, John served in a leadership role at a privately held distribution company and helped the shareholders with the ultimate sale of the company. He also worked in the Corporate Value Consulting Group at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
John earned a BA in accounting with a finance emphasis from the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. He currently serves on MSU’s Financial Markets Institute Advisory Board and has held this position since 2007. He is a licensed securities representative holding his Series 7, 24, and 63 registrations.
Transaction Experience
PMCF Advises Easy Plastic Containers Corporation on its Acquisition by FirmaPak
PMCF Advises Albert Paper Products in a Management-Led Buyout Supported by Soterra Capital
PMCF Advises Plas-Tech Engineering on its Combination with H&T Presspart, a division of the Heitkamp & Thumann Group
PMCF Advises Texas Injection Molding on its Investment From Blackford Capital Management
PMCF Advises Trivalence Technologies on its Merger with Star Plastics
PMCF Advises Sun America in a Sale Transaction with MPE Partners
PMCF Advises CMG Plastics on its Acquisition by Berry Global
PMCF Advises TriState Container Corporation in a Transaction with Unicorr Packaging Group
Publications
Packaging M&A Update – May 2026
Global Packaging M&A activity slowed slightly in May, with 27 deals announced. While this reflected only a one-deal decrease compared to April, activity rebounded meaningfully from May 2025, with ten more transactions announced.
Plastics M&A Update – May 2026
Global Plastics M&A recorded 36 transactions in May, increasing by five deals from April and seven from May 2025, bringing year-to-date volume to 188 transactions.
Packaging M&A Update – April 2026
Global Packaging M&A activity remained stable in April, with 28 deals announced, one fewer than April 2025 and slightly above March levels. Through the first four months of 2026, 105 deals have been announced, a 27-deal decrease from the prior-year period.
Plastics M&A Update – April 2026
Global Plastics M&A recorded 31 transactions in April, moderating from March levels but bringing year-to-date volume to 152 deals, up 12 transactions from the prior-year period and 29 deals above the trailing three-year average through April.
Plastics M&A Update – March 2026
Global Plastics M&A experienced recorded 38 transactions in March, representing an uptick of seven deals from the prior month and five deals from last March.