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Acquisitions and divestitures
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Business Combination and Asset Acquisition [Abstract]  
Acquisitions and divestitures Acquisitions and divestitures
Acquisitions
On December 19, 2021, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Ball Metalpack Holding, LLC ("Ball Metalpack"), a leading manufacturer of sustainable metal packaging for food and household products and the largest aerosol can producer in North America, for $1,350,000 in cash subject to customary adjustments, including for working capital, cash and indebtedness. Ball Metalpack was a joint venture owned by Platinum Equity (51%) and Ball Corporation (49%). Previously part of Ball Corporation, Ball Metalpack was formed in 2018 and consists of eight manufacturing plants in the United States and a headquarters facility in Broomfield, Colorado. This acquisition fits the Company's strategy of investing in its core businesses as it complements its largest Consumer Packaging franchise – global rigid paper packaging. In addition, it further expands the Company's sustainable packaging portfolio with metal packaging. The acquisition of Ball Metalpack was completed on January 26, 2022. See Note 20 for additional information.
The Company completed four acquisitions during 2021 at a net cash cost of $20,697. On December 30, 2021, the Company completed the acquisition of a recycling facility from American Recycling of Western North Carolina, LLC ("American Recycling"), a privately held company, for total cash consideration of $6,267. The facility, located in Asheville, North Carolina, primarily services western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina for the processing of recycled materials. On November 8, 2021, the Company completed the acquisition of D&W Paper Tube Inc. ("D&W"), a privately owned manufacturer of paper tubes and cardboard cores, serving the carpet and textile industries and consisting of two manufacturing facilities in Chatsworth, Georgia, for total cash consideration of $12,787.
The preliminary fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with the American Recycling and D&W acquisitions are as follows:
American RecyclingD&W
Trade accounts receivable$685 $— 
Inventories169 934 
Property, plant and equipment2,726 929 
Goodwill989 4,108 
Other intangible assets2,236 7,100 
Payable to suppliers(373)(284)
Other net tangible liabilities(165)— 
Net Assets$6,267 $12,787 
The allocation of the purchase price of American Recycling and D&W to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed was based on the Company's preliminary estimates of fair value, relying on information currently available. Management is continuing to finalize its valuations of certain assets and liabilities listed in the table above, and expects to complete its valuations within one year from their respective dates of acquisition. Goodwill for American Recycling and D&W, all of which is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes, consists of increased access to certain markets and the assembled workforce.
The Company also completed two smaller acquisitions earlier in 2021. These included Allied Packaging on August 3, 2021, a manufacturer of paper packaging and related manufacturing equipment, consisting of a single manufacturing facility in Sydney, Australia, for total cash consideration of $802, and TuboTec on March 8, 2021, a small tube and core operation in Brazil, for total cash consideration of $841.
The financial results of all the businesses acquired in 2021 are included in the Company's Industrial Paper Packaging segment from the date acquired. The Company does not believe that the results of the businesses acquired in 2021 were material to the years presented, individually or in the aggregate, and are therefore not subject to the supplemental pro-forma information required by ASC 805. Accordingly, this information is not presented herein.
The Company completed two acquisitions during 2020 at a net cash cost of $49,446. On August 3, 2020, the Company completed the acquisition of Can Packaging, a privately owned designer and manufacturer of sustainable paper packaging and related manufacturing equipment, based in Habsheim, France, for $45,473, net of cash acquired. Can Packaging operates two paper can manufacturing facilities in France, along with a research and development center where it designs and builds patented packaging machines and sealing equipment. The acquisition of Can Packaging expands Sonoco's ability to provide innovative recyclable packaging in various shapes and sizes. Goodwill for Can Packaging, none of which is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes, consists of increased access to certain markets. Can Packaging's financial results from the date acquired are included in the Company's Consumer Packaging segment. Final consideration was subject to a post-closing adjustment for the change in working capital to the date of closing. This settlement occurred in January 2021 and resulted in the Company making an additional cash payment of $1,512.
On January 10, 2020, the Company completed the acquisition of a small tube and core operation in Jacksonville, Florida, from Design Containers, Inc. ("Jacksonville"), for total cash consideration of $3,973. Goodwill for Jacksonville, all of which is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes, consists of increased access to certain markets. Jacksonville's financial results from the date acquired are included in the Company's Industrial Paper Packaging segment.
The Company does not believe that the results of the businesses acquired in 2020 were material to the years presented, individually or in the aggregate, and are therefore not subject to the requirements to provide supplemental pro-forma information. Accordingly, this information is not presented herein.
The Company completed two acquisitions during 2019 at a net cash cost of $297,926. On December 31, 2019, the Company completed the acquisition of Thermoform Engineered Quality, LLC, and Plastique Holdings, LTD, (together "TEQ"), for $187,292, net of cash acquired. The operations acquired consist of three thermoforming and extrusion facilities in the United States along with a thermoforming operation in the United Kingdom and thermoforming and molded-fiber manufacturing operation in Poland. The acquisition of TEQ provided a platform to further expand Sonoco's healthcare packaging business. Final consideration was subject to a post-closing adjustment for the change in working capital to the date of closing. This adjustment was settled in April 2020 resulting in the receipt of cash from the sellers totaling $185.
On August 9, 2019, the Company completed the acquisition of Corenso Holdings America, Inc. ("Corenso") for $110,634, net of cash acquired. Corenso is a leading manufacturer of uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) and high-performance cores used in the paper, packaging films, tape, and specialty industries. Corenso operates a 108,000-ton per year URB mill and core converting facility in Wisconsin Rapids,
Wisconsin, as well as a core converting facility in Richmond, Virginia, expanding the Company's ability to produce a wide variety of sustainable coreboard grades.
Goodwill for both TEQ and Corenso is comprised of the assembled workforce and increased access to certain markets. The amount of goodwill expected to be deductible for income tax purposes is $59,005 for TEQ and $0 for Corenso. The results of operations of TEQ and Corenso are reflected in the Company's Consumer Packaging segment and the Industrial Paper Packaging segment, respectively.
The Company does not believe that the results of the businesses acquired in 2019 were material to the years presented, individually or in the aggregate, and are therefore not subject to the supplemental pro-forma information required by ASC 805. Accordingly, this information is not presented herein.
Divestitures
On April 4, 2021, the Company completed the sale of its U.S. display and packaging business, part of the All Other group of businesses, to Hood Container Corporation for $80,000 in cash. This business provided design, manufacturing and fulfillment of point-of-purchase displays, as well as contract packaging services, for consumer product customers and had approximately 450 employees. Its operations included eight manufacturing and fulfillment facilities and four sales and design centers.
The selling price was adjusted at closing for certain transaction expenses and for anticipated differences between targeted levels of working capital and the projected levels at the time of closing. Net cash proceeds of $79,704 were received on April 5, 2021 and the Company recognized a loss on the divestiture of this business of $5,516, before tax, in the first quarter of 2021. During the quarter ended October 3, 2021, the Company finalized the working capital settlement related to this sale. The settlement resulted in additional cash proceeds of $1,971 and the buyer's assumption of certain liabilities totaling $786. As a result, the Company recognized a reduction in the previously reported loss on the sale of this business of $2,757, before tax, in the third quarter of 2021, bringing the total loss on the sale of business to $2,759, before tax.
On September 30, 2021, the Company completed the sale of its Plastics - Food thermoforming operation in Wilson, North Carolina ("Wilson Thermoforming") to Placon for net cash proceeds of $3,528, resulting in the recognition of a pre-tax gain on the sale of $92.
Assets and liabilities disposed of in the sales of U.S. Display and Packaging and Wilson Thermoforming included the following:
U.S. Display and PackagingWilson Thermoforming
Trade accounts receivable$26,342 $— 
Inventories8,434 1,805 
Property, plant and equipment, net9,551 550 
Right of use asset - operating leases11,627 147 
Goodwill53,039 1,058 
Trade accounts payable(10,735)— 
Accrued expenses(2,197)(54)
Operating lease liabilities(12,343)(70)
Other net tangible assets716 — 
Net asset disposal$84,434 $3,436 
Net proceeds81,675 3,528 
Loss/(Gain) on divestiture of business$2,759 $(92)
As previously disclosed, the Company completed the divestiture of its European contract packaging business, Sonoco Poland Packaging Services Sp. z.o.o., on November 30, 2020. The selling price of $120,000 was adjusted at closing for certain indebtedness assumed by the buyer and for anticipated differences between targeted levels of working capital and the projected levels at the time of closing. The Company received net cash proceeds at closing of $105,913, with the buyer funding an escrow account with an additional $4,600. In the second quarter of 2021, the Company received $6,366 in additional proceeds from the sale, which included the release of $4,000 from escrow plus a post-closing adjustment of $2,366 for the working capital settlement. The remaining $600 in escrow is expected to be released in the second quarter of 2022, pending any indemnity claims. The receipt of the additional cash proceeds is reflected in "Proceeds from the sale of businesses, net" in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
The decision to sell its global display and packaging businesses was part of the Company's efforts to simplify its operating structure to focus on growing its core Consumer and Industrial packaging businesses around the world. These sales are not expected to notably affect consolidated operating margin percentages, nor do they represent a strategic shift for the Company that will have a major effect on the entity’s operations and financial results. Consequently, the sales did not meet the criteria for reporting as discontinued operations. The net proceeds from the sales were used for general corporate purposes. There were no divestitures during 2019.
The Company continually assesses its operational footprint as well as its overall portfolio of businesses and may consider the divestiture of plants and/or business units it considers to be suboptimal or nonstrategic.
Acquisition and Divestiture-Related Costs
Acquisition and divestiture-related costs of $17,722, $4,671 and $8,842 were incurred in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. These costs, consisting primarily of legal and professional fees, are included in “Selling, general and administrative expenses” in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income.