Meritor acquisition is an important milestone for Cummins

Cummins Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire and Meritor, Inc., a global leader of drivetrain, mobility, braking, aftermarket and electric powertrain solutions for commercial vehicle and industrial markets. Under the terms of the agreement, Cummins will pay USD36.50 in cash per Meritor share, for a total transaction value of approximately USD3.7 billion, including assumed debt and net of acquired cash.

Meritor is an industry leader in axle and brake technology with a legacy dating back more than 110 years. The company, which is headquartered in Troy, Michigan, U.S.A. has more than 9,600 employees serving commercial truck, trailer, off-highway, defense, specialty and aftermarket customers around the world.

The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and Meritor shareholder approval, is expected to close by the end of the calendar year.

“The acquisition of Meritor is an important milestone for Cummins. Meritor is an industry leader, and the addition of their complementary strengths will help us address one of the most critical technology challenges of our age: developing economically viable zero carbon solutions for commercial and industrial applications,” said Tom Linebarger, chairman and CEO, Cummins. “Climate change is the existential crisis of our time and this acquisition accelerates our ability to address it. Our customers need economically viable decarbonized solutions.”

Cummins believes eAxles will be a critical integration point within hybrid and electric drivetrains. By accelerating Meritor’s investment in electrification and integrating development within its New Power business, Cummins expects to deliver market-leading solutions to global customers.

The acquisition adds products to Cummins’ components business that are independent of powertrain technology. By leveraging its global footprint, Linebarger said Cummins expects to accelerate the growth in Meritor’s core axle and brake businesses.

“There is also a compelling financial case for this acquisition, with significant synergies expected in SG&A, supply chain operations and facilities optimization,” said Linebarger.

“This agreement with Cummins builds on Meritor’s track-record of outstanding performance and service to our customers. Our offerings will continue to play an important, strategic role as commercial vehicles transform to become electric and autonomous,” said Chris Villavarayan, CEO and president of Meritor. “At closing, Meritor shareholders will receive immediate value at a compelling 48% premium to the Meritor trading price as of February 18, 2022, and customers will benefit from enhanced capabilities in technology and the ability to accelerate investment in axle and brake development and EV adoption.”

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is serving as financial advisor to Cummins and Mayer Brown is serving as legal advisor. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is serving as financial advisor to Meritor and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as legal advisor.