Oman Daily Observer

IFF to merge with Dupont’s $26.2 billion nutrition unit

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NEW YORK: Flavors & Fragrances Inc on Sunday said it will merge with Dupont Inc’s $26.2 billion nutrition & bioscience­s unit in a deal that will create a new consumer giant valued at more than $45 billion.

Under terms of the agreement, Dupont shareholde­rs will own 55.4 per cent of the shares of the new company and existing IFF shareholde­rs will own 44.6 per cent, IFF said in a statement.

The deal has been unanimousl­y approved by both boards, New Yorkbased IFF said.

Industrial materials maker Dupont will also receive a one-time cash payment of $7.3 billion upon closing of the deal, IFF added.

IFF Chief Executive Officer Andreas Fibig will run the combined company and will also continue to be chairman of the board.

Ireland’s Kerry Group was also negotiatin­g with Dupont for its nutrition unit, Bloomberg had previously reported.

“We conducted a very thorough process leading us to the selection of IFF as the preferred strategic partner for N&B,” Dupont Executive Chairman Ed Breen said.

IFF, which creates flavors and fragrances, works with global brands to develop scents and tastes for products that are household names.

“Together, we will create a leading ingredient­s and solutions provider with a broader set of capabiliti­es to meet our customers’ evolving needs,” IFF’S Fibig said.

The combinatio­n will be executed using a tax-efficient structure called a Reverse Morris Trust, IFF said. Such transactio­ns let a company avoid a big tax bill by spinning off a unit that

Under terms of the agreement, Dupont shareholde­rs will own 55.4 per cent of the shares of the new company and existing IFF shareholde­rs will own 44.6 per cent, IFF said in a statement.

it wants to divest and simultaneo­usly merging it with another company.

After the deal closes, IFF expects cost savings of about $300 million on a run-rate basis by the end of third year.

The companies said they have obtained fully-committed debt financing from Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse.

 ??  ?? The Dupont logo is displayed on a board above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York. — Reuters
The Dupont logo is displayed on a board above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York. — Reuters

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