Description

Consolidation is reshaping the contract packaging and manufacturing landscape, as larger competitors gain scale and increase pressure on small- and mid-sized businesses to strengthen their competitive positioning or risk losing ground. Drawing on Blaige & Company’s M&A experience and its Quarter Century Report, incorporating 25 years of proprietary data, this session will examine the full transaction lifecycle—from buying and building to integrating and selling—including strategic opportunities, valuation dynamics, and the risks of overleveraged roll-ups and the emergence of “zombie” companies. Attendees will explore how to navigate mounting industry pressures, including ESG requirements, volatile raw material costs, competition from integrated providers, and succession challenges facing second- and third-generation family-owned businesses.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze Consolidation Trends and Competitive Positioning — Examine how M&A activity, customer and supplier leverage, and strategic versus financial buyers are reshaping the contract packaging and manufacturing industry, and why small- and mid-sized businesses must adapt to remain competitive.
• Develop an Acquisition and Growth Strategy — Identify target companies, evaluate strategic fit, and assess opportunities to expand capabilities, customer relationships, and market reach through acquisitions.
• Maximize Valuation and Transaction Outcomes with the Right M&A Partner — Understand how strategic positioning, buyer identification, and a competitive sale process can maximize value. Attendees will learn why selecting the right M&A partner matters and how Blaige & Company’s industry expertise, proprietary market intelligence, and disciplined transaction execution help business owners navigate preemptive offers, generate meaningful buyer competition, and maximize transaction value. Across 10 recent transactions Blaige advised on, the average premium achieved over target value was approximately 50%.
•  Mitigate Integration and Exit Risks — Address post-acquisition execution, operational synergies, supply chain considerations, succession planning, and the risks of overleveraging and mispricing in private equity roll-ups.

Blaige & Company, with offices in Miami and Chicago, is an investment bank dedicated exclusively to the plastics, packaging, and chemical industries. The Blaige team has over 100 years of combined transaction experience, has completed over 400 transactions, and has visited over 600 packaging, plastics, and chemical operations worldwide. Blaige Industry Analytics (BIA) plastics and packaging M&A deal research division sets the industry standard. On average, BIA compiles and analyses over 10,000 worldwide plastics, packaging, and chemical industry transactions. Thomas Blaige is an active member of the Flexible Packaging Association, Contract Packaging Association, and Western Plastics Association.