Ardagh announced 17 July that it has agreed to buy the $800m-turnover business from its private equity owner Wayzata Investment Partners. Anchor will increase the size of Ardagh's overall glass packaging business by around 50% and will give it a major foothold in the US glass market; following the deal, Ardagh will have a market share in the US of around 23%. Based in Tampa, Florida, Anchor produces some 5.6bn containers annually from eight facilities across the US. It employs approximately 2,700 people and has sales of around $800m. The deal is its second acquisition in the US glass market in just three months after it bought Leone Industries, a family-owned firm based in New Jersey, in March. It also comes as Ardagh continues its plans for a public listing, expected to be on the New York Stock Exchange.
