WestRock Co., Norcross, Ga., USA, this week announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire certain operations of U.S. Corrugated, a large independent manufacturer of corrugated products for packaging and displays.

WestRock will acquire five corrugated converting facilities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana from U.S. Corrugated, through which it provides a comprehensive suite of products and services to customers in a variety of end markets, including food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, and consumer electronics. WestRock will not acquire U.S. Corrugated’s facilities in California, Georgia, and in Ashland, Ohio, nor its affiliates in New Jersey and Tennessee.

"This acquisition will enhance our capabilities to serve customers across the Midwest, increase our integration and improve the margins of our corrugated packaging business," said Steve Voorhees, CEO of WestRock. "We will be pleased to have the U.S. Corrugated employees at these five facilities join WestRock."

Jeff Chalovich, president, Corrugated Packaging, WestRock, added that "when the transaction closes, we expect to realize significant synergies from supply chain optimization, better procurement, and integrating approximately 105,000 tons of the containerboard converted annually by the acquired facilities and another 50,000 tons under a long-term contract with a newly created company formed from the remaining assets of U.S. Corrugated."

WestRock will pay a total consideration of approximately $192 million, representing an EBITDA multiple of five times on a post-synergy basis. The consideration includes a combination of cash and WestRock common stock. The transaction is expected to be accretive to earnings in year one, and is expected to close this month (June 2017).