Sonoco Signs Agreement to Acquire Majority Stake in Brazilian Flexible Packaging Company

HARTSVILLE, S.C., March 9, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoco (NYSE:SON), one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in Graffo Paranaense de Embalagens S/A (Graffo), a closely held flexible packaging business located in Pinhais, Curitiba, Brazil. Terms were not disclosed, and the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2015.

Founded in 2001, Graffo had sales of approximately $35 million USD in 2014. It operates high-quality rotogravure printing presses, including a new 10-color press, as well as sophisticated lamination applications at its Pinhais facility. With approximately 230 employees, Graffo serves the confectionery, dairy, pharmaceutical and industrial markets in Brazil.

"We're extremely pleased to join Graffo with Sonoco's growing global flexible packaging business," said Jack Sanders, president and chief executive officer, noting that Sonoco will be acquiring a two-thirds stake in Graffo. "We were looking to invest jointly in Brazil with a partner who has strong technical capabilities and established relationships with both large global consumer product companies and growing local businesses, where we could bring our customer relationships and technical capabilities to grow our presence in this important emerging market."

About Sonoco

Founded in 1899, Sonoco is a global provider of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and displays and packaging supply chain services. With annualized net sales of approximately $5.0 billion, the Company has 20,800 employees working in more than 330 operations in 34 countries, serving some of the world's best known brands in some 85 nations. Sonoco is a proud member of the 2014/2015 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. For more information on the Company, visit our website at www.sonoco.com.

Forward-looking Statements

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Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding availability and supply of raw materials and offsetting high raw material costs, improved productivity and cost containment, adequacy of income tax provisions, anticipated income tax rates, refinancing and repayment of debt, realization of synergies resulting from acquisitions, adequacy of cash flows, anticipated amounts and uses of cash flows, effects of acquisitions and dispositions, adequacy of provisions for environmental liabilities, financial strategies and the results expected from them, sales growth, market leadership, growth opportunities, continued payments of dividends, stock repurchases, producing improvements in earnings, improving margins, financial results for future periods, goodwill impairment charges, expected amounts of capital spending, anticipated contributions to benefit plans, and creation of long-term value for shareholders.

Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by management. Such information includes, without limitation, discussions as to guidance and other estimates, expectations, beliefs, plans, strategies and objectives concerning our future financial and operating performance. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict.

Therefore, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties include, without limitation:

• availability and pricing of raw materials;
• success of new product development and introduction;
• ability to maintain or increase productivity levels and contain or reduce costs;
• ability to manage the mix of business to take advantage of growing markets while reducing cyclical effects of some of the Company's existing business on operating results;
• international, national and local economic and market conditions;
• availability of credit to us, our customers and/or suppliers in needed amounts and/or on reasonable terms;
• fluctuations in obligations and earnings of pension and postretirement benefit plans;
• pricing pressures, demand for products and ability to maintain market share;
• continued strength of our paperboard-based tubes and cores, and composite can operations;
• anticipated results of restructuring activities;
• resolution of income tax contingencies;
• ability to successfully integrate newly acquired businesses into the Company's operations;
• ability to win new business and/or identify and successfully close suitable acquisitions at the levels needed to meet growth targets;
• rate of growth in foreign markets;
• foreign currency, interest rate and commodity price risk and the effectiveness of related hedges;
• liability for and anticipated costs of environmental remediation actions;
• accuracy of assumptions underlying projections related to goodwill impairment testing, and accuracy of management's assessment of goodwill impairment;
• accuracy of assumptions underlying fair value measurements, accuracy of management's assessments of fair value and fluctuations in fair value;
• accuracy in valuation of deferred tax assets;
• actions of government agencies and changes in laws and regulations affecting the Company;
• loss of consumer or investor confidence; and
• economic disruptions resulting from terrorist activities.

The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed herein might not occur.

Additional information concerning some of the factors that could cause materially different results is included in the Company's reports on forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such reports are available from the Securities and Exchange Commission's public reference facilities and its website, sec.gov, and from the Company's investor relations department and the Company's website, www.sonoco.com.

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CONTACT: Roger Schrum
         +843-339-6018
         [email protected]

Sonoco Products Company

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