US: German building materials company Gebr. Knauf KG is set to acquire Chicago-based USG Corporation in a US$7bn deal, following months of discussion and heated exchange between the two companies. USG shareholders will receive US$44/share, according to the terms of the agreement. This consists of US$43.50/share in cash payable and US$0.50/share in a special dividend after shareholders approve the deal, which is expected to close in early 2019.
Knauf intends to continue operations from USG’s headquarters in Chicago.
Berkshire Hathaway and its subsidiaries, which own a collective 31% of USG, have agreed to vote in favour of the acquisition. The deal allows Berkshire to leave what CEO Warren Buffet deemed a ‘disappointing’ investment, according to Bloomberg.
In 2001, USG filed for bankruptcy protection and was later saved by an investment from Berkshire in 2006. Knauf has been pursuing USG since November 2017. In March 2018, USG rejected an offer by Knauf to purchase the construction materials company for US$5.9bn.
“We are excited to enter into an agreement to acquire USG,” said Alexander Knauf, general partner of Knauf, in a company statement. “As a long-term USG shareholder, we greatly admire USG's strong brands, leading market positions in North American wallboard and ceilings and highly talented employee base."
Jennifer Scanlon, president and chief executive officer of USG, added, “Our Board has worked diligently to evaluate all strategic options to maximise value for our shareholders, and we are pleased to have reached this agreement, which provides our shareholders with significant and certain cash value. We believe this transaction will create new opportunities for both companies' customers and will benefit USG's employees who will be part of a truly global building products company.”
