CLEVELAND/MINNEAPOLIS – The Sherwin-Williams Co. and The Valspar Corp. announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Sherwin-Williams will acquire Valspar for $113 per share in an all-cash transaction, or an enterprise value of approximately $11.3 billion. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies.
Sherwin-Williams and Valspar have highly complementary paints and coatings offerings, and this combination enhances Sherwin-Williams position as a premier global paints and coatings provider. The transaction results in a diversified array of strong brands and technologies, accelerates Sherwin-Williams growth strategy by expanding its global platform in Asia-Pacific and EMEA, and also adds new capabilities in the packaging and coil segments. The combined company would have pro forma 2015 Revenues and Adjusted EBITDA (including estimated annual synergies) of approximately $15.6 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively, with approximately 58,000 employees.
John G. Morikis, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Sherwin-Williams Co., said, “Valspar is an excellent strategic fit with Sherwin-Williams. The combination expands our brand portfolio and customer relationships in North America, significantly strengthens our Global Finishes business, and extends our capabilities into new geographies and applications, including a scale platform to grow in Asia-Pacific and EMEA. Customers of both companies will benefit from our increased product range, enhanced technology and innovation capabilities, and the transaction’s clearly defined cost synergies. We have tremendous respect for the expertise and dedication of the Valspar team, and we are excited about the opportunities that this combination will provide to both companies’ employees. Sherwin-Williams will continue to be headquartered in Cleveland, and we intend to maintain a significant presence in Minneapolis.”
Morikis added: “Sherwin-Williams has a long track record of successfully integrating acquisitions. We are highly confident in the industrial logic of the transaction and, once closed, our ability to achieve $280 million of estimated annual synergies in the areas of sourcing, SG&A and process and efficiency savings within two years and our long-term annual synergy target of $320 million. We expect this transaction to be immediately accretive excluding one-time costs and meaningfully enhance our cash flow generation profile.”
Gary E. Hendrickson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Valspar, said, “We are pleased to announce this compelling transaction, which delivers immediate and certain cash value to our stockholders. We believe that Sherwin-Williams is the right partner to utilize our array of brands and create a premier global coatings company. The combination of Sherwin-Williams and Valspar will benefit our customers, employees and other stakeholders. We are confident this transaction will create opportunities to accelerate many of the operating initiatives already underway at Valspar. We look forward to positioning Valspar to enter its next phase of growth and success and to working closely with Sherwin-Williams to seamlessly close this transaction. Together we will continue to build on the solid momentum our team has worked so hard to create.”
The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2017. It is subject to the approval of Valspar shareholders and customary closing conditions, including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and regulatory approvals in various other jurisdictions. Both companies believe that the combination will benefit customers and that it will receive all necessary regulatory clearances.
Sherwin-Williams intends to finance the transaction through a combination of cash on hand, liquidity available under existing facilities and new debt. Sherwin-Williams has obtained committed bridge financing from Citigroup Global Markets Inc. in support of the transaction and is committed to maintaining its current dividend and rapid deleveraging using significant free cash flow.
