Mergers & Acquisitions

Norske Skog has entered into agreement with Talley's Group, a New Zealand based dairy, fishing, produce and food company, to sell the Nature's Flame pellets company for a consideration of approximately NZD 47.8 million (approximately NOK 280 million). The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2022.

Mayr-Melnhof Holz has received the necessary approval from the competition authorities, and thereby completes its acquisition of the Swedish sawmill group Bergkvist Siljan.

Essity has acquired the US professional wiping and cleaning company Legacy Converting, Inc.

Nuveen Natural Capital, a globally diversified investment and asset management company specializing in the acquisition and stewardship of forestry assets, completed the sale of 66,800 acres in Texas and Georgia to Rayonier, a leading timberland real estate investment trust. The purchase price, before transaction costs, was $124.2 million.

The mystery party had been circling since at least November but has never been named in R.R. Donnelley's public statements.

Midwest Paper Group makes packaging-grade paper at its mill in Combined Locks. The mill has a capacity to produce 500,000 tons per year.

If approved, all Verso stockholders will receive $27.00 per share in cash upon closing of the transaction, representing immediate and certain value at a significant premium.

Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced two separate transactions to grow and improve the competitiveness of its wood products business.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. said a mystery bidder that has been circling the publishing company since at least November has raised its offer again.

Verso Corporation announced the filing of a preliminary proxy statement for a special meeting of stockholders, at which Verso stockholders will consider and vote upon various items related to the proposed and previously announced transaction with BillerudKorsnäs AB. If approved, all Verso stockholders will receive $27.00 per share in cash upon closing of the transaction, representing immediate and certain value at a significant premium.

At this time, the Company remains subject to the Chatham Merger Agreement and is complying with the terms and conditions of the Chatham Merger Agreement, which remain in effect unless and until the Chatham Merger Agreement is terminated.

Sonoco acquired Ball Metalpack for $1.35 billion in cash subject to customary adjustments, including for working capital, cash and indebtedness.

Sonoco Recycling, a unit of Sonoco, has acquired American Recycling of Western North Carolina, a privately owned recovered paper recycler located in Asheville, North Carolina.

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, purchases from Pohjolan Voima Oyj all the shares in Hämeenkyrön Voima Oy that it owns. Metsä Board has announced its plan to purchase the shares on 27 September 2021.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has successfully completed the acquisition of a 60% stake in Chinese decor paper producer Minglian New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. and forms a joint venture which comprises a state-of-the-art plant in the city of Xingtai, Hebei Province, China. A non-binding letter of intent with the majority shareholders was initially signed in November 2019 but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the negotiations and closing of the transaction.

Huhtamaki has acquired full ownership of its Polish joint venture company Huhtamaki Smith Anderson sp. z o.o. from Smith Anderson Group Ltd. (SA). The company manufactures and sells foodservice paper bags in Eastern Europe at Huhtamaki's facility in Czeladz, Poland.

Greif, Inc., a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to divest its 50% share in the Flexible Packaging joint venture, or "FPS" to Gulf Refined Packaging (GRP) for a total cash consideration of $123 million, subject to certain conditions and post-closing adjustments. Greif expects to use the proceeds for debt repayment.

Pactiv Evergreen Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Evergreen Packaging International LLC (Evergreen Packaging), to sell its carton packaging and filling machinery businesses in China, Korea and Taiwan to SIG Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft GmbH, a subsidiary of SIG Combibloc Group Ltd, for an enterprise value of approximately $335 million.

Verso Corp. holder Hoak & Co. is against the company's $27/share sale to to BillerudKorsnas and would like the company to remain independent.

Bast Fibre Technologies Inc. (BFT), a manufacturer of premium natural fibres for the global nonwoven and textile industries, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Lumberton Cellulose LLC (LC), a natural fibre processing facility located in Lumberton, North Carolina from Georgia-Pacific Cellulose LLC.

Potential uses for the six-story south section of the mill building are being explored. KKIL is conducting a feasibility study to see if converting the space into apartments -- including indoor parking, an outdoor rooftop area and other amenities -- is possible.

Quad/Graphics, Inc. announced it has completed the sale of its former Oklahoma City, OK, and Fernley, NV, manufacturing facilities to affiliates of Industrial Realty Group, LLC, one of the country's largest owners of commercial and industrial properties, for combined net proceeds of $58.6 million.

UFP Industries announced that its affiliate, UFP Packaging, LLC, has acquired Advantage Label & Packaging, Inc. (Advantage Label), a provider of labels and related equipment used in industrial packaging, for approximately $16 million. The transaction also includes $2.9 million for related real estate as well as incentive payments of up to $4.5 million over five years if certain performance goals are met.

Arauco has closed the acquisition of majority ownership in Odd Industries, the ethically-driven industrial artificial intelligence (IAI) pioneer. Together they will accelerate the use of artificial intelligence with the mission to slow and reverse climate change.

PotlatchDeltic Corporation announced a merger with Loutre Land and Timber Company ("Loutre"). PotlatchDeltic issued 1.96 million shares of common stock and assumed debt of $6.6 million in exchange for Loutre's 51,340 acres of high-quality, well-stocked timberlands in southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana.