Sealed Air Corp. has agreed to be acquired by private-equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) in a $10.3 billion all-cash transaction.
The deal would take the Charlotte-based company private. It also would give it greater flexibility to accelerate investments in automation, sustainable materials and high-speed packaging equipment. These areas have become critical as online order volumes continue to climb.
Sealed Air Corp. is a major supplier of automated packaging systems and protective materials for ecommerce fulfillment. The agreement calls for Sealed Air shareholders to receive $42.15 per share. That’s a 41% premium to the company’s unaffected stock price on Aug. 14. It’s also 24% above its 90-day volume-weighted average as of Nov. 12.
The board voted unanimously to approve the transaction after what Chair Henry R. Keizer described as a year-long strategic review that determined the sale “delivers significant value” to shareholders. CEO Dustin Semach said partnering with CD&R will allow Sealed Air to “accelerate” its long-term strategy through faster innovation and expanded capabilities.
CF&R acquisition of Sealed Air Corp.
The acquisition comes at a pivotal moment for the ecommerce supply chain.
Sealed Air’s automation portfolio includes Autobag automated bagging lines, protective mailers and lightweight cushioning. It has become foundational to high-volume fulfillment operations run by large retailers, marketplaces and third-party logistics providers. It designed these systems to reduce labor, boost packing speed and improve accuracy. Each one is an area where operators face rising cost pressures.
As more retailers pursue omnichannel efficiency and look to cut packaging waste, Sealed Air has been pushing deeper into automation, digitally enabled equipment and more sustainable protective materials. Going private would allow those capital-intensive initiatives to continue without the constraints of quarterly earnings cycles.
CD&R partner Rob Volpe said the firm views Sealed Air as a “leading franchise” with strong customer relationships. CD&R intends to support further investment in its packaging and automation portfolio. That support will be closely watched by ecommerce shippers that rely heavily on Sealed Air’s equipment to maintain throughput.
The transaction includes a 30-day go-shop period during which Sealed Air can solicit alternative proposals, with an additional 15 days to negotiate with any qualified bidders.
The companies expect to close in mid-2026, pending shareholder approval and regulatory reviews. Financing is being led by J.P. Morgan Securities, BofA Securities, BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs, UBS, and Wells Fargo, with further commitments from Citi, Mizuho, and RBC Capital Markets. Once the deal closes, Sealed Air will remain headquartered in Charlotte. It will delist its shares from the New York Stock Exchange.
How the Sealer Air acquisition could impact the industry
Industry implications are significant. Automation demand continues to rise across fulfillment centers, where Sealed Air’s systems help reduce labor dependency and improve throughput. Private ownership could accelerate its work on robotic-enabled packaging and integrated fulfillment solutions aimed at reducing freight costs and improving sustainability.
Retailers also face intensifying pressure to use recyclable materials and shrink package sizes, aligning with Sealed Air’s broader R&D priorities. And because the company’s packaging is embedded across major ecommerce networks, any operational changes could have ripple effects on supply availability.
Sealed Air reported $5.4 billion in 2024 sales and serves customers in 117 countries across ecommerce, logistics, food, health care and industrial markets. The deal ranks among the largest packaging-sector acquisitions in recent years and underscores ongoing investor interest in the infrastructure behind global online retail.
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