Scenario preset
EBITDA multiple
12x
6x
18x
EBITDA margin
20%
8%
30%
Packaging industry comp set
Earth Brands is a vertically integrated packaging co — not a distributor
| Company | Model | EBITDA Margin | Rev Growth | EV/EBITDA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Packaging | Vert. integrated mfg | 16–19% | ~2% | ~8x | Low growth = compressed multiple |
| Winpak | Specialty flexible/rigid pkg | ~22% | ~3% | ~9x | Best margin in set; no growth premium |
| Karat Packaging | Dist + mfg, foodservice | ~12% | ~6% | ~10x | Same category; no vertical integration or platform |
| Pactiv / Novolex | Large-scale foodsvc mfg | ~16% | flat | ~8x | Acquired at $6.7B; no growth story |
| Cimpress / Vistaprint | Vert. integrated D2B print | ~10% | ~3% | ~8x | Print-on-demand model; some vertical integration, heavy marketing spend |
| Earth Brands | Vert. integrated + AI + D2B | 20% | 60–80% | 12x | Growth premium + margin expansion |
| Comp median | ex. Earth Brands | ~16% | ~3% | ~8x | Graphic, Winpak, Karat, Pactiv, Cimpress |
Sources: Public filings 2024–2025. Graphic Packaging (GPK), Winpak (WPK:TSX), Karat (KRT), Pactiv/Novolex (PTVE), Cimpress (CMPR). EV/EBITDA per Nomura Greentech Sustainable Packaging Report, Mar 2026.
Recent M&A activity in the space
The industry is consolidating fast — incumbents are buying scale, not building it
| Date | Transaction | Deal Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | Sysco acquires Restaurant Depot | $29.1B | 1.8x revenue for cash-and-carry. EB delivers same products direct, no warehouses |
| Aug 2025 | BradyPLUS + Imperial Dade merger | undisclosed | Two major foodservice packaging distributors combining for scale; signals fragmentation |
| May 2025 | Amcor acquires Berry Global | $8.4B | Creates $24B global packaging giant — scale play, not innovation play |
| Apr 2025 | Novolex acquires Pactiv Evergreen | $6.7B | ~8x EBITDA; creates 250 brands, 39K SKUs — still a traditional model |
| Jul 2024 | Smurfit Kappa acquires WestRock | $11.2B | Paperboard consolidation; forming Smurfit WestRock, a global fiber packaging leader |
| Oct 2021 | Pactiv Evergreen acquires Fabri-Kal | $380M | Foodservice cups, lids, clamshells — core EB product categories |