M&A Deal Summary

Berkshire Hathaway and Mars Acquire Wrigley Jr. Company

On April 28, 2008, Berkshire Hathaway and Mars acquired food company Wrigley Jr. Company for 23.0B USD

Acquisition Highlights
  • This is Berkshire Hathaway’s 2nd and Mars’ 3rd transaction in the Food sector.
  • This is Berkshire Hathaway’s 4th and Mars’ largest (disclosed) transaction.
  • This is Berkshire Hathaway’s 47th and Mars’ 5th transaction in the United States.
  • This is Berkshire Hathaway’s 3rd and Mars’ 1st transaction in Illinois.

M&A Deal Summary
Date 2008-04-28
Target Wrigley Jr. Company
Sector Food
Buyer(s) Berkshire Hathaway
Mars
Deal Type Add-on Acquisition
Deal Value 23.0B USD
Advisor(s) Goldman Sachs (Financial)
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (Legal)

Target

Wrigley Jr. Company

Chicago, Illinois, United States
website
Wrigley is a confectioner with a wide range of product offerings including gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, and lollipops. Wrigley's brands including Extra®, Orbit®, Doublemint®, and 5™ chewing gums, as well as confectionery brands Skittles®, Starburst®, Altoids® and Life Savers®. Wrigley operates in approximately 50 countries and distributes in more than 180 countries.

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Buyer(S) 2

Buyer

Berkshire Hathaway

Omaha, Nebraska, United States

website

Category Company
Founded 1998
Sector Diversified
Employees360,000
Revenue 234.2B USD (2022)
DESCRIPTION
Berkshire Hathaway's corporate headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.
Berkshire Hathaway's corporate headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.

Berkshire Hathaway and its subsidiaries engage in diverse business activities including property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, utilities and energy, freight rail transportation, finance, manufacturing, retailing and services. Berkshire Hathaway was founded in 1998 and is based in Omaha, Nebraska.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 48 of 69
Sector (Food) 2 of 3
Type (Add-on Acquisition) 36 of 47
State (Illinois) 3 of 3
Country (United States) 47 of 64
Year (2008) 2 of 3
Size (of disclosed) 4 of 37
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2008-03-18 The Marmon Group

Chicago, Illinois, United States

The Marmon Group is a diversified manufacturing company that produces electrical components, industrial components and transportation equipment. The Company also provides services including construction and retail services. The Marmon Group was formed in 1953 and is based in Chicago.

Buy -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2008-07-10 Rohm and Haas

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Rohm and Haas Co. is a specialty chemical manufacturer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Buy $15.3B
Buyer

Mars

McLean, Virginia, United States

website

Category Company
Founded 1911
Sector Food
Revenue 33.0B USD (2015)
DESCRIPTION

Mars is a global manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products and a provider of animal care services. Mars was established in 1911 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 5 of 19
Sector (Food) 3 of 10
Type (Add-on Acquisition) 5 of 17
State (Illinois) 1 of 1
Country (United States) 5 of 14
Year (2008) 1 of 1
Size (of disclosed) 1 of 5
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2007-05-01 Nutro Products

Franklin, Tennessee, United States

Nutro Products, Inc. is a marketer and manufacturer of natural pet food products.

Buy -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2012-06-01 Pedigree Petfoods

United States

Pedigree Petfoods is a manufacturer of pet food.

Buy -
Mergr

Product

Company

Legal