SONOCO PRODUCTS CO — M&A Activity 2018

Mar 27, 2018

8-K 1 highlandpackagingsolutions.htm 8-K html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd" Document created using Wdesk 1 Copyright 2018 Workiva Document

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 21, 2018

SONOCO PRODUCTS COMPANY

Commission File No. 001-11261

Incorporated under the laws	I.R.S. Employer Identification
of South Carolina	No. 57-0248420

1 N. Second St.

Hartsville, South Carolina 29550

Telephone: 843/383-7000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Section 1 – Registrant’s Business and Operations

Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On March 21, 2018, Sonoco Plastics, Inc. (the "Buyer"). a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonoco Products Company (the “Company”), entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Highland Packaging Solutions ("Highland" or "Target"), subject to the terms and conditions of the Purchase Agreement (the "Agreement"), for approximately $150 million in cash. The transaction is subject to normal regulatory review and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018.

Highland is a privately owned producer of thermoformed plastic packaging for fresh produce and dairy products, based in Plant City, Florida. Highland has approximately 425 employees operating from a single manufacturing facility in Plant City producing total packaging solutions for customers that include sophisticated engineered containers, flexographic printed labels, and inventory management through distribution warehouses in the Southeast and West Coast of the United States.

The Agreement contains certain customary representations and warranties of the Buyer and Target. In addition, the Buyer and Target have agreed to certain customary covenants and agreements, including, among others: (1) covenants relating to the Target's conduct of business during the interim period between the execution of the Agreement and the closing; (2) covenants of the parties to each other with respect to further assurances, updating of information and cooperation; and (3) regulatory approvals.

The foregoing description of the Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Agreement, which is included as Exhibit 2.1 to this report. The Agreement has been made an exhibit to this report in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission rules in order to provide investors and security holders with information regarding its terms. It is not intended to provide any other financial information about the Company, the Target, the Buyer, or their respective subsidiaries and affiliates. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Agreement were made only for purposes of the Agreement and as of specific dates, are solely for the benefit of the parties to the Agreement, may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the parties, including being qualified by confidential disclosures made for the purposes of allocating contractual risk between the parties to the Agreement instead of establishing these matters as facts, may be waived or modified by the parties to the Agreement, and may be subject to standards of materiality applicable to the parties that differ from those applicable to investors. Investors should not rely on the representations, warranties or covenants or any description thereof as characterizations of the actual state of facts or condition of the Company, the Target, the Buyer, or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the representations, warranties and covenants may change after the date of the Agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in public disclosures by the Company.

Section 8 – Other Events

Item 8.01 Other Events.

On March 22, 2018, Sonoco Products Company issued a news release announcing that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Highland Packaging Solutions, as discussed in Item 1.01 above. A copy of that release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.

Section 9 – Financial Statements and Exhibits

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

2.1 Purchase Agreement, dated March 21, 2018 (Schedules and exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601 (b)(2) of Regulation S-K. The Company hereby undertakes to furnish supplementally copies of any of the omitted schedules or exhibits upon request of the Securities and Exchange Commission.)

99 Registrant's news release dated March 22, 2018, announcing its entry into a definitive agreement to acquire Highland Packaging Solutions

EXHIBIT INDEX

2.1 Purchase Agreement, dated March 21, 2018 (Schedules and exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601 (b)(2) of Regulation S-K. The Company hereby undertakes to furnish supplemental copies of any of the omitted schedules or exhibits upon request of the Securities and Exchange Commission.)

99 Registrant's news release dated March 22, 2018, announcing its entry into a definitive agreement to acquire Highland Packaging Solutions

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	SONOCO PRODUCTS COMPANY
Date: March 27, 2018	By: /s/ Barry L. Saunders
	Barry L. Saunders
	Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer