Mars Chews Up Wrigley, With Buffett's Aid

The maker of Snickers and M&M's merges with the Chicago gum and candymaker, with the Sage of Omaha chipping in financing and a big investment.

Author:: TSC Staff
Publish date:: Apr 28, 2008 10:11 AM EDT

The maker of Snickers and M&M's merges with the Chicago gum and candymaker, with the Sage of Omaha chipping in financing and a big investment.

Candy maker Mars on Monday said it was acquiring gum maker

William Wrigley Jr. Co.

( WWY) for $23 billion in cash, aided by financing and an investment from Warren Buffett's

Berkshire Hathaway

(BRK.A) - Get Report

Mars will pay $80 for each share of Wrigley stock, a more than 28% premium to Wrigley's closing price of $62.45 Friday. The deal is fully underwritten by Berkshire,

Goldman Sachs

(GS) - Get Report

and

JPMorgan Chase

(JPM) - Get Report

and is not subject to financing conditions, the companies said.

Mars will provide $11 billion of funding for the transaction and Goldman will provide a $5.7 billion committed senior debt facility. Berkshire will provide $4.4 billion in subordinated debt and at closing will invest $2.1 billion in Wrigley, which will become a standalone subsidiary of Mars.


Cramer: What Buffett's Wrigley Move Means for Banks
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"When you think of a business that's easy to understand, with favorable long-term economics, and able and trustworthy management -- you think of Wrigley," Buffett said in a statement issued by Wrigley. "Bringing together these iconic, world-class companies combines Wrigley's strengths with the deep resources and proven brand-building savvy of Mars and will result in a powerful force for innovation and growth in the global confectionery marketplace."

Wrigley shares soared more than 23% after the opening bell to $77.

Mars, which makes candy brands such as Snickers, M&M's and Dove, will add Wrigley's Doublemint, Spearmint and Juicy Fruit gums and Lifesavers to its product mix.

"The strong cultural heritage of two legendary American companies with a shared commitment to innovation, quality and best-in-class global brands provides a great basis for this combination," Mars Global President Paul Michaels said in a company statement. "We are looking forward to continuing on our path of growth by jointly developing those values even further."

Other candy makers

Hershey

(HSY) - Get Report

Tootsie Roll

(TR) - Get Report

and

Cadbury Schweppes

(CSG)

also were rising Monday morning.

This article was written by a staff member of TheStreet.com.