Owens-Illinois to pay US$2.15B for Vitro’s glass container business
by The Associated Press
The deal includes five Vitro factories in Mexico and one in Bolivia
MONTERREY, Mexico—Beer and wine bottle maker Owens-Illinois will pay about $2.15 billion to buy the food and beverage glass container business of the Mexican company Vitro.
Owens-Illinois Inc. said the all-cash deal will bolster its stake in Mexico’s packaging market and start helping its earnings by the first year after it closes. In the third year, the company expects it to add about 50 cents per share.
Owens-Illinois, which also makes glass containers for pharmaceuticals and food, expects the acquired business to generate about $945 million in annual revenue. The deal includes five Vitro factories in Mexico and one in Bolivia, which together employ 4,700 people.
A spokeswoman for the Perrysburg, Ohio, company said it will not be acquiring Vitro’s chemical and drug or flat glass business, which makes windshields and windows.
The boards of both companies have approved the deal, but Vitro shareholders still need to vote on it. Owens-Illinois expects the deal to close within a year.
Owens-Illinois, which pulled in $6.8 billion in revenue last year, has secured financing from Deutsche Bank for the deal.
