CCL Industries to invest in a joint venture label company for the Middle East and India

CCL Industries Inc., a world leader in specialty packaging solutions for the consumer products and healthcare industries, recently announced that it has signed a binding agreement to acquire a 50% interest in Pacman-CCL, a privately owned group of label companies based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates with additional operations in Cairo, Egypt and Muscat, Oman. Pacman-CCL has been a license holder of CCL Label since 2009. The remaining 50% interest in the venture will continue to be held by Mr. Ali Saeed Juma Albwardy who, through his holding entity Albwardy Investment, has overseen the growth of the company for more than two decades.

CCL Industries will pay US$18.5 million in cash to acquire its 50% interest in the venture. Pacman-CCL generated sales of US$25.8 million in the year ending December 31, 2010, with net after tax earnings of approximately US$4.6 million. Closing of this transaction is expected  to occur this summer after certain administrative procedures are completed. The venture is expected to have a small net cash position on closing. The Agreement also binds CCL and Albwardy to complete an investment in a new facility currently under construction in Jeddah,

Saudi Arabia in 2011 with an estimated total cost of US$4.0 million to be funded by a combination of debt and additional equity in the new operation shared equally by the parties.  CCL expects its own equity contribution to be funded by dividends from the venture in its first year. The partners have also agreed in principle to a prospective future greenfield investment by Pacman- CCL in India.

Geoffrey Martin, President and CEO of  CCL Industries said, “We have enjoyed a great relationship with John Dawson, Managing Director of Pacman-CCL, and his team since we began the license arrangement in 2009. The two companies share many common customers, technologies and business partners so this was a logical next step for both of us. We are especially proud to enter into a new partnership with Mr. Ali Albwardy as he is clearly one of the most highly regarded business leaders in this part of the world. The new venture continues to build on our strategy to invest in the world’s emerging markets that are so important for many of our consumer product customers.”

A focused global specialty packaging company that provides superior, innovative packaging solutions to the Home & Personal Care, Premium Food & Beverage, Healthcare and Specialty markets worldwide, CCL consists of three divisions – CCL Label, CCL Container and CCL Tube with over 60 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. With headquarters in Toronto, Canada, CCL Industries is the world's largest converter of pressure sensitive and film materials for label applications and sells to leading global customers in the consumer packaging, healthcare, automotive and consumer durable segments. CCL Container and CCL Tube are leading producers of aluminum aerosol cans, bottles and extruded plastic tubes for the consumer products industry in North America.