Paper M&A

Then came the almost soap-opera-like saga of Weyerhaeuser's hostile takeover of Willamette Industries that dragged on for 14 months. It finally ended with an agreement that called for $6.1 billion in cash, or $55.50 per share, including the assumption of $1.7 billion of Willamette debt. At $19 billion in combined sales, the deal created one of the largest companies in the paper industry.