Merger fever hits forest sector

[Canada] There were more than 280 mergers and buyouts in the global forest sector in 2006 reaching a value of nearly $26 billion US, with Canadian companies posting three of the largest deals in North America , according to a Pricewaterhouse Coopers report. The report forecast that North America will likely continue as a centre for merger and buyout activity in the forest products sector, where private equity is expected to remain a pivotal player. The merger and buyout deals are being driven by the break-up of traditional, vertically-integrated companies — involved in many stages of the value chain, including timber, wood products, pulp and paper — to a concentration on a core area.

News notes are courtesy of Southern Forests Network News Notes
www.southernsustainableforests.org