Ardagh Group and Gores Holdings V, a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of The Gores Group, has announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement under which Gores Holdings V will combine with Ardagh’s metal packaging business that will be held by Ardagh Metal Packaging to create an independent public company.

So in affect, Ardagh’s glass and metal business will seperate into two entities.

Ardagh will retain an approximately 80% stake in AMP and receive up to $3.4 billion in cash in the transactions. Oliver Graham, CEO of Ardagh Metal Beverage, will be CEO of AMP. Paul Coulson, Chairman and CEO of Ardagh, will serve as Chairman and Shaun Murphy, COO of Ardagh, will serve as Vice Chairman of the Company following the closing of the transaction.

The Company intends to apply to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the new ticker symbol “AMBP”.

The Company believes that strong demand in traditional and new beverage categories coupled with environmentally-conscious end consumers are driving an inflection point in beverage can demand and the Company is well positioned to capitalise on these multifaceted growth opportunities.

The Company has a compelling financial profile, with a clear and tangible growth trajectory backed by long-term customer contracts and expects to double Adjusted EBITDA from $545 million in 2020 to over $1.1 billion in 2024.

“Ardagh Metal Packaging is benefiting from long-term megatrends, including sustainability and changing consumer preferences,” said Paul Coulson, Chairman and CEO of Ardagh. “The business has grown significantly since our acquisition of the metal beverage packaging business in 2016 and we have a clear roadmap that we believe will lead us to more than double Adjusted EBITDA by 2024, as we invest in support of our customers’ growth.

“We are delighted to partner with Gores Holdings V to create a NYSE-listed pure-play beverage can business of scale with impeccable ESG credentials, and we intend to remain a committed, long-term majority shareholder of AMP as it continues its growth journey.”

“Over the past five years, our metal packaging business has grown its position as one of the world’s leading beverage can producers through our agility and foresight in tapping into emerging consumer and market trends,” said Oliver Graham, CEO of AMP. “Our accelerated growth strategy is timely and deepens our connection with our customers as demand for sustainable beverage cans continues to grow.”

Alec Gores, Chairman and CEO of The Gores Group and Chairman of Gores Holdings V, said, “Ardagh Metal Packaging has solidified its position as a clear leader in sustainability. The Company has an entrepreneurial owner-manager culture that has led to a successful transformation underpinned by powerful industry dynamics.

“With a compelling financial profile and clear trajectory for growth, we believe AMP can continue to lead the charge, and we look forward to partnering with Paul Coulson and the team as they continue to execute a targeted expansion strategy supported by highly visible market demand and a strong track record of disciplined and efficient capital deployment.”

“Sustainability is an important component of our investment strategy, and AMP is a clear leader in this space—environmentally, ecologically and socially,” said Mark Stone, Senior Managing Director of The Gores Group and CEO of Gores Holdings V.

“As customers around the world continue to demand sustainable solutions, we believe the Company is strongly positioned to capitalise on the exceptional growth opportunities ahead and we’re thrilled to be partnering with the team to do so.”