Cummins to acquire Meritor

Transaction will strengthen Cummins’ range of powertrain components and accelerate development of electrified power solutions for commercial vehicle applications.

Cummins and Meritor have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Cummins will acquire Meritor – a maker of drivetrain, mobility, braking, aftermarket and electric powertrain solutions for commercial vehicle and industrial markets. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Cummins will pay $36.50 in cash per Meritor share, for a total transaction value of approximately $3.7 billion, including assumed debt and net of acquired cash.

“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.” 

“In addition, our communities and our planet depend on companies like Cummins to invest in and develop these solutions,” Linebarger added. “This acquisition adds products to our components business that are independent of powertrain technology, and by leveraging our global footprint we expect 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.”

“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 Feb. 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. Our global team members and their commitment to excellence helped make this transaction possible and will fuel our innovations as we embark on this next chapter in our longstanding legacy.” 

Strategic rationale 

Meritor is an industry leader in axle and brake technology. The integration of Meritor’s people, technology and capabilities will position Cummins as one of the few companies able to provide integrated powertrain solutions across combustion and electric power applications. This is the right time to pursue this combination as demand for decarbonized solutions accelerates. 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.

Meritor has a legacy dating back more than 110 years. The company, which is headquartered in Troy, MI, has more than 9,600 employees serving commercial truck, trailer, off-highway, defence, specialty and aftermarket customers around the world.

The acquisition of Meritor is expected to be immediately accretive to Cummins’ adjusted EPS and is expected to generate annual pre-tax run-rate synergies of approximately $130 million by year three after closing. Cummins intends to finance the transaction using a combination of cash on the company’s balance sheet and debt and remains committed to maintaining its strong credit ratings.

The Board of Directors of Meritor has unanimously approved the agreement with Cummins and recommends that Meritor shareholders vote in favour of the transaction at the Special Meeting of Shareholders to be called in connection with the transaction. 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.

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.