PLENARY SPEAKERS

How mergers and acquisitions are changing the shape and nature of the flexible packaging industry

Rick Weill, Mesirow Financial

In recent years, flexible packaging has been a very active industry for mergers and acquisitions. Companies in this highly-fragmented market are taking advantage of strong earnings and excellent deal making conditions, such as the abundant levels of inexpensive financing and private capital to increase their market share and develop economies of scale. In order to keep up with consumer demands for new technology, convenience and sustainability at high volumes, flexible packaging companies have been consolidating rapidly and realizing operational efficiencies. For these reasons and others, many believe the robust M&A marketplace in the flexible packaging industry may continue for a while.

Bio:

Rick Weil is a managing director in Mesirow Financial’s Investment Banking Group. He is responsible for leading deal teams on middle-market M&A transactions and developing the firm’s relationships with plastics, packaging and specialty printing clients.

Since joining the firm in 2000, Rick has been involved in over 100

M&A transactions in the rigid and flexible packaging, labels, folding cartons, specialty printing, tissue and corrugated packaging sectors.

He serves family businesses, publicly traded corporations and private equity firms alike on transactions such as the sale of Custom Blow Molding to Pretium Packaging, the sale of Plastic Moulders Limited

to Amcor Limited, the sale of Excel Displays & Packaging to

Georgia-Pacific, the sale of Intertech Corporation to Pretium Packaging, the sale of Stronghaven, Inc. to Hood Container, the sale of Hedwin Corporation to Fujimori Kyogo, the sale of Tufco Technologies (NasdaqCM:TFCO) to Griffin Holdings, LLC and the sale of Atlas

Paper Mills to Peak Rock Capital, among others.

Prior to joining Mesirow Financial, Rick was a manager in the Ernst & Young Transaction Services Group in Chicago. Previously, he worked in many roles of increasing responsibility at FERS, a boutique CPA firm headquartered in Chicago. 

Spanning his 17 years of investment banking experience, Rick has been featured in industry-leading publications such as Plastics Today and Plastics News. In addition, he has been a guest speaker at numerous conferences and events including the 2015 Western Plastics Association Annual Conference, Plastic News’ Financial Summit, Executive Forum and Caps and Closures conferences, as well as the Association for Visual Packaging Manufacturers Pack Expo and the Fall Executive Conference for the Flexible Packaging Association.

Rick earned both a BBA and an MBA from Emory University. He holds FINRA Series 7 and 79 licenses.

Rick is an avid cyclist, runner and swimmer, and competed in the 2015 Ironman Wisconsin competition.