Mars Acquires Wrigely
Inside M&A: Mars Buys Wrigley in One Sweet Deal
Extracted from DePamphilis, “Mergers, Acquisitions, and other Restructuring Activities”
Under considerable profit pressure from escalating commodity prices and eroding market share, Wrigley
Corporation, a U.S. based leader in gum and confectionery products, faced increasing competition from
Cadbury Schweppes in the U.S. gum market. Wrigley had been losing market share to Cadbury since
2006. Mars Corporation, a privately owned candy company with annual global sales of $22 billion, sensed an opportunity to achieve sales, marketing, and distribution synergies by acquiring Wrigley
Corporation.
On April 28, 2008, Mars announced that it had reached an agreement to merge with Wrigley Corporation for $23 billion in cash. Under the terms of the agreement, unanimously approved by the boards of the two firms, shareholders of Wrigley would receive $80 in cash for each share of common stock outstanding.
The purchase price represented a 28 percent premium to Wrigley's closing share price of $62.45 on the announcement date. The merged firms in 2008 would have a 14.4 percent share of the global confectionary market, annual revenue of $27 billion, and 64,000 employees worldwide. The merger of the two family-controlled firms represents a strategic blow to competitor Cadbury Schweppes's efforts to continue as the market leader in the global confectionary market with its gum and chocolate business.
Prior to the announcement, Cadbury had a 10 percent worldwide market share.
Wrigley would become a separate stand-alone subsidiary of Mars, with $5.4 billion in sales. The deal would help Wrigley augment its sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities. To provide more focus to
Mars' brands in an effort to stimulate growth, Mars would transfer its global non chocolate confectionery sugar brands to Wrigley. Bill Wrigley, Jr., who controls 37 percent of the firm's outstanding shares, would remain executive chairman of
Extracted from DePamphilis, “Mergers, Acquisitions, and other Restructuring Activities”
Under considerable profit pressure from escalating commodity prices and eroding market share, Wrigley
Corporation, a U.S. based leader in gum and confectionery products, faced increasing competition from
Cadbury Schweppes in the U.S. gum market. Wrigley had been losing market share to Cadbury since
2006. Mars Corporation, a privately owned candy company with annual global sales of $22 billion, sensed an opportunity to achieve sales, marketing, and distribution synergies by acquiring Wrigley
Corporation.
On April 28, 2008, Mars announced that it had reached an agreement to merge with Wrigley Corporation for $23 billion in cash. Under the terms of the agreement, unanimously approved by the boards of the two firms, shareholders of Wrigley would receive $80 in cash for each share of common stock outstanding.
The purchase price represented a 28 percent premium to Wrigley's closing share price of $62.45 on the announcement date. The merged firms in 2008 would have a 14.4 percent share of the global confectionary market, annual revenue of $27 billion, and 64,000 employees worldwide. The merger of the two family-controlled firms represents a strategic blow to competitor Cadbury Schweppes's efforts to continue as the market leader in the global confectionary market with its gum and chocolate business.
Prior to the announcement, Cadbury had a 10 percent worldwide market share.
Wrigley would become a separate stand-alone subsidiary of Mars, with $5.4 billion in sales. The deal would help Wrigley augment its sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities. To provide more focus to
Mars' brands in an effort to stimulate growth, Mars would transfer its global non chocolate confectionery sugar brands to Wrigley. Bill Wrigley, Jr., who controls 37 percent of the firm's outstanding shares, would remain executive chairman of