In the world of business, mergers and acquisitions are a common form of growth strategy. Two or more companies combine their resources and expertise to form a more powerful and profitable entity. However, when it comes to the biggest merger of the year, it’s something that gets everyone’s attention.
In 2021, the corporate world witnessed one of the biggest mergers in recent history. The merger is between two of the world’s biggest chemical companies, Dow and DuPont. The new merged company is said to create an industry giant worth $130 billion.
The merger process began in late 2015 and was finally closed in 2017 after facing regulatory hurdles from antitrust authorities in Europe, the United States, and other regions. The two companies agreed to join forces to create a new organization called DowDuPont, maximizing their existing strengths and creating new dimensions for future growth.
Dow and DuPont have been fierce rivals for more than a century, with Dow being more focused on plastics manufacturing, while DuPont focuses on chemicals and coatings. The merger brings these two unique perspectives under one roof, allowing for cross-fertilization of ideas, innovation and technology.
The formation of the new company is not just a merger of size; it’s also the largest-ever corporate breakup. DowDuPont has three distinct business units in materials science, specialty products, and agriculture, each of which will become its independent, publicly traded company soon.
The materials science company includes the production of plastics and other advanced materials, whereas the specialty products company will manufacture electronics, safety, and security, nutrition and health products, and the agriculture company will encompass genetically modified crops, seeds, and insecticides.
Upon closure of the merger, the two companies’ CEOs praised the decision, emphasizing how it would help break the industry’s status quo, create jobs, and provide extensive customer services.
The DowDuPont merger offers strategic benefits, including cutting costs, creating an efficient supply chain, and generating tremendous cash flow. The new company is expected to save around $3 billion in the next two years. The merger will also offer an innovative way to fight climate change and create a more sustainable future.
In conclusion, the DowDuPont merger is not only the biggest merger of the year, but it has also shown just how transformational such mergers can be. By bringing together two long-time rivals, the combined entity offers vast and diverse products and services, innovation, and sustainability. The merger could turn out to be the perfect recipe for long-term success in the rapidly evolving chemical industry.
