Staples agrees to buy Office Depot for about $6.3 billion
Staples Inc. plans to acquire Office Depot Inc. in a deal that will reduce the U.S. office-supply industry to a single major chain and test the limits of antitrust regulators.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Articles
Largest Domino’s franchisee buying nearly 40 area stores
A franchisee that started with three Domino's stores in South Mississippi 34 years ago is buying 45 stores in Indiana from Bob Taylor, who owns more than 70 stores in the Hoosier state.
Indianapolis-area mergers and acquisitions in 2014
Look here to see a compilation of deals affecting Indianapolis-area companies last year. Also see whether the area is gaining or losing more than its share of headquarters.
Indiana companies smack in the middle of global spinoff spree
Just call 2014 the year of the corporate spinoff frenzy. And 2015 might be just as crazy.
Lilly to sell heartworm line for Novartis deal approval
Eli Lilly and Co. wants to combine Novartis with its own animal health business, Elanco, to create the second-largest animal health company in the U.S.
Local water logistics company expands in Chicago area
Indianapolis-based TPG Marine Enterprises LLC announced Thursday that it has acquired Chicago Dry Dock, a shipyard near Lake Michigan founded in 1979.
Covance shareholder sues over $6.1B LabCorp deal
A Covance Inc. investor contends in a lawsuit that the drug-testing company’s board erred in relying on what the shareholder called Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s conflict-tainted advice. Covance has major laboratory operations in Indianapolis.
One of city’s largest woman-owned businesses acquired
Distribution business HP Products Corp., a 450-employee company founded in Indianapolis in 1964, is now owned by Virginia-based Ferguson Enterprises Inc., the companies announced Tuesday.
Growth-minded Vertellus buys Dow Chemical unit
Indianapolis-based chemical producer Vertellus Specialties Inc. has announced its second big acquisition in as many months, in a deal believed to be worth as much as $200 million.
Ice Miller names new managing partner
Steven Humke is set to take the helm of the city’s third-largest law firm Jan. 1, assuming duties from outgoing chief managing partner Phil Bayt.
Order-fulfillment firm sells for $55M in cash
A publicly traded e-commerce firm has acquired Indianapolis-based Fifth Gear, a company with more than 500 employees that specializes in fulfilling consumer orders through catalogs and digital retail.
Health care deals lead big year for M&A activity
The health care industry has announced about $438 billion worth of mergers and acquisitions worldwide so far in 2014, about 14 percent of the $3.2 trillion total for all industries.
First Merchants closes $49M acquisition of Community Bank
The deal gives First Merchants a stronger foothold in affluent Hamilton County, and a total of 107 locations in three states.
Local steel fabricator to buy Vincennes steel firm
Indianapolis-based Lenex Steel Corp. plans to acquire Wabash Steel LLC of Vincennes from its Ohio-based owner, the local company announced Wednesday.
City’s top website developer merges with Ohio company
The merger of Indianapolis-based Fusion Alliance and Columbus-based Quick Solutions forms a company with 550 employees and annual revenue of $75 million.
Report: Herff Jones set to be sold for $1.5 billion
Class ring maker Herff Jones is set to be acquired by a private-equity group for about $1.5 billion, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the deal.
Maker of class rings may fetch $1 billion
Herff Jones might be on the verge of a sale for as much as $1 billion. The 94-year-old maker of class rings and yearbooks, quietly renamed Varsity Brands Inc. in June, has hired the investment banking firm Jefferies to explore a sale, unidentified sources told Reuters.
European regulators OK Lilly’s $5.4B Novartis deal
The European Union's antitrust authority has approved the $5.4 billion sale of Novartis' animal health division to Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Co.
UPDATE: Angie’s suitors could include Amazon, Yelp, IAC
Amazon has been developing its own local services marketplace. Yelp is the leading consumer-review service in the retail space. Website Holding company IAC, meanwhile, has a big stash of cash and owns competitor HomeAdvisor.com.
LDI acquisition could be latest springboard for growth
Indianapolis-based private investment company LDI Ltd. has acquired a small biotech manufacturer in a deal it says could be the launching point for many more acquisitions.