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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for the quarterly period ended December 30, 2017

Commission File Number 001-35672

 

 

BERRY GLOBAL GROUP, INC.

 

   

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"):

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) have been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes   No   

  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).   Yes  No    

  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company.  See definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer         Accelerated filer       Non-accelerated filer  Smaller reporting company      Emerging growth company ☐

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.    Yes   ☐   No   ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.  

Yes     No  

 

 

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This Form 10-Q includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with respect to our financial condition, results of operations and business and our expectations or beliefs concerning future events.  The forward-looking statements include, in particular, statements about our plans, strategies and prospects under the heading "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."  These statements contain words such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "seeks," "approximately," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "outlook," "anticipates" or "looking forward" or similar expressions that relate to our strategy, plans, intentions, or expectations.  All statements we make relating to our estimated and projected earnings, margins, costs, expenditures, cash flows, growth rates and financial results or to our expectations regarding future industry trends are forward-looking statements.  In addition, we, through our senior management, from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning our expected future operations and performance and other developments.  These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may change at any time, and, therefore, our actual results may differ materially from those that we expected.  We derive many of our forward-looking statements from our operating budgets and forecasts, which are based upon many detailed assumptions.  While we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, we caution that it is very difficult to predict the impact of known factors, and it is impossible for us to anticipate all factors that could affect our actual results.  All forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us on the date of this Form 10-Q. 

 

Readers should carefully review the factors discussed in our most recent Form 10-K in the section titled "Risk Factors" and other risk factors identified from time to time in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Berry Global Group, Inc.

Form 10-Q Index

For Quarterly Period Ended December 30, 2017

 

 

 

Item 1.

Financial Statements

 

Berry Global Group, Inc.

Consolidated Statement of Income

(Unaudited)

(in millions of dollars, except per share amounts)

 

 

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

(Unaudited)

(in millions of dollars) 

 

 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

Berry Global Group, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in millions of dollars)

 

 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

Berry Global Group, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

(in millions of dollars)

 

 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

Berry Global Group, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

(tables in millions of dollars, except per share data)

 

1.	Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Berry Global Group, Inc. ("the Company," "we," or "Berry") have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission for interim reporting.  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements.  In preparing financial statements in conformity with GAAP, we must make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures at the date of the financial statements and during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.  Certain reclassifications have been made to prior periods to conform with current reporting.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included, and all subsequent events up to the time of the filing have been evaluated.  For further information, refer to the Company's most recent Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

2.	Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

 

Changes to GAAP are established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") in the form of accounting standards updates to the FASB's Accounting Standards Codification.  During fiscal 2018, with the exception of the below, there have been no developments to the recently adopted accounting pronouncements from those disclosed in the Company's 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K that are considered to have a material impact on our unaudited consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

 

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued a final standard on revenue recognition.  Under the new standard, an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.  For public entities, the provisions of the new standard are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods therein.  An entity can apply the new revenue standard on a full retrospective approach to each prior reporting period presented or on a modified retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of initially applying the standard recognized at the date of initial application in retained earnings.

The Company plans to adopt the new standard, which at a minimum will result in expanded revenue disclosures, using the modified retrospective approach, and is currently evaluating the impact to the consolidated financial statements which will be effective for the Company beginning in fiscal 2019.

Hedges

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities in order to more closely align the results of hedge accounting with risk management activities through changes to the designation and measurement guidance.  The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018.  The effect of adoption should be reflected on all active hedges as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption.  The Company has chosen to early adopt this guidance for fiscal 2018, and the adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on any of its active hedges.

3.	Acquisitions

 

AEP Industries Inc.

In January 2017, the Company acquired AEP Industries Inc. ("AEP") for a purchase price of $791 million, net of cash acquired.  A portion of the purchase price consisted of issuing 6.4 million of Berry common shares which were valued at $324 million at the time of closing.  AEP manufactures and markets an extensive and diverse line of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride flexible plastic packaging products for consumer, industrial, and agricultural applications.  The acquired business is operated in our Engineered Materials segment.  To finance the purchase, the Company entered into an incremental assumption agreement to increase the commitments under the Company's existing term loan credit agreement by $500 million due 2024.

The acquisition has been accounted for under the purchase method of accounting, and accordingly, the purchase price has been allocated to the identifiable assets and liabilities based on fair values at the acquisition date.  The results of AEP have been included in the consolidated results of the Company since the date of the acquisition.  The Company has recognized Goodwill on this transaction primarily as a result of expected cost synergies, and does not expect Goodwill to be deductible for tax purposes.  The following table summarizes the allocation of purchase price and the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of the acquisition:

Unaudited pro forma net sales and net income were $1.8 billion and $51 million, respectively, for the quarterly period ended December 31, 2016.  The unaudited pro forma net sales and net income assume that the AEP acquisition had occurred at the beginning of the period.

Adchem Corp.

In June 2017, the Company acquired Adchem Corp.'s ("Adchem") tapes business for a purchase price of $49 million, which the Company financed using existing liquidity.  Adchem is a leader in the development of high performance adhesive tape systems for the automotive, construction, electronics, graphic arts, medical and general tape markets.  The acquired business is operated in our Engineered Materials segment.  The acquisition has been accounted for under the purchase method of accounting and accordingly, the purchase price has been allocated to the identifiable assets and liabilities based on preliminary estimates of fair value at the acquisition date.  The results of Adchem have been included in the consolidated results of the Company since the date of the acquisition.  The Company has not finalized the allocations of the purchase price to the fair value of deferred taxes (including assessment of uncertain tax positions), fixed assets, and certain working capital accounts.  The assets acquired and liabilities assumed consisted of working capital of $10 million, property and equipment of $2 million, intangible assets of $22 million, and goodwill of $15 million.  The Company has recognized Goodwill on this transaction primarily as a result of expected cost synergies, and expects Goodwill to be deductible for tax purposes.

4.	Accounts Receivable Factoring Agreements

 

The Company has entered into various factoring agreements, both in the U.S. and at a number of foreign subsidiaries, to sell certain receivables to unrelated third-party financial institutions. The Company accounts for these transactions in accordance with ASC 860, "Transfers and Servicing" ("ASC 860").  ASC 860 allows for the ownership transfer of accounts receivable to qualify for sale treatment when the appropriate criteria is met, which permits the Company to present the balances sold under the program to be excluded from Accounts receivable, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  Receivables are considered sold when (i) they are transferred beyond the reach of the Company and its creditors, (ii) the purchaser has the right to pledge or exchange the receivables, and (iii) the Company has surrendered control over the transferred receivables.  In addition, the Company provides no other forms of continued financial support to the purchaser of the receivables once the receivables are sold.

There were no amounts outstanding from financial institutions related to U.S. based programs at December 30, 2017 or September 30, 2017.  Gross amounts factored under these U.S. based programs at December 30, 2017 and September 30, 2017 were $118 million and $129 million, respectively.  The fees associated with transfer of receivables for all programs were not material for any of the periods presented.

5.	Restructuring and Impairment Charges

 

The Company incurred restructuring costs related to severance and facility exit costs of $11 million and $4 million for the quarterly periods ended December 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.  The costs incurred in the quarter relate primarily to severance charges associated with acquisition integrations.  The tables below set forth the significant components of the restructuring charges recognized, by segment:

 

The table below sets forth the activity with respect to the restructuring accrual at December 30, 2017:

6.	Accrued Expenses, Other Current Liabilities and Other Long-Term Liabilities

 

The following table sets forth the totals included in Accrued expenses and other current liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets:

 

 

The following table sets forth the totals included in Other long-term liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets:

 

 

 

Long-term debt consists of the following:

 

 

The Company was in compliance with all covenants for all periods presented.

Debt discounts and deferred financing fees are presented net of Long-term debt, less the current portion on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are amortized to Interest expense through maturity.

Term Loans

In November 2017, the Company executed an amendment to lower interest rates under certain term loans.  The term loans maturing in February 2020 and January 2021 bear interest at LIBOR plus 2.00% with no LIBOR floor.  The term loans maturing in October 2022 and January 2024 bear interest at LIBOR plus 2.25% with no LIBOR floor.

During fiscal 2018, the Company has made $108 million of repayments on long-term borrowings using existing liquidity.  As a result of the current year prepayments and modifications, the Company recorded a $1 million loss on debt extinguishment in Other expense (income), net, reflecting the write-off of deferred financing fees and debt discounts, net of amortization associated with the portion of debt that was considered extinguished.

8.	Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements

In the normal course of business, the Company is exposed to certain risks arising from business operations and economic factors.  The Company may use derivative financial instruments to help manage market risk and reduce the exposure to fluctuations in interest rates and foreign currencies.  These financial instruments are not used for trading or other speculative purposes.  For those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, the Company must designate the hedging instrument, based upon the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge, or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation.

To the extent hedging relationships are found to be effective, as determined by FASB guidance, changes in the fair value of the derivatives are offset by changes in the fair value of the related hedged item and recorded to Accumulated other comprehensive loss. Any identified ineffectiveness, or changes in the fair value of a derivative not designated as a hedge, is recorded to the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Cross-Currency Swaps

In November 2017, the Company entered into certain cross-currency swap agreements with a notional amount of 250 million euro to effectively convert a portion of our fixed-rate U.S. dollar denominated term loans, including the monthly interest payments, to fixed-rate euro-denominated debt.  The swap agreements mature in May 2022.  The risk management objective is to manage foreign currency risk relating to net investments in certain European subsidiaries denominated in foreign currencies and reduce the variability in the functional currency cash flows of a portion of the Company's term loans.  Changes in fair value of the derivative instruments are recognized in a component of Accumulated other comprehensive loss, to offset the changes in the values of the net investments being hedged.

Interest Rate Swaps

The primary purpose of the Company's interest rate swap activities is to manage cash flow variability associated with our outstanding variable rate term loan debt.

 

In February 2013, the Company entered into a $1 billion interest rate swap transaction with an effective date of May 2016 and expiration in May 2019.  In June 2013, the Company elected to settle this derivative instrument and received $16 million as a result of this settlement.  The offset is included in Accumulated other comprehensive loss and is being amortized to Interest expense from May 2016 through May 2019, the original term of the swap agreement.

During fiscal 2017 the Company modified various term loan rates and maturities.  In conjunction with these modifications the Company realigned existing swap agreements which resulted in the de-designation of the original hedge and re-designation of the modified swaps as effective cash flow hedges.  The amounts included in Accumulated other comprehensive loss at the date of de-designation are being amortized to Interest expense through the terms of the original swaps.

 

At December 30, 2017, the Company effectively had (i) a $450 million interest rate swap transaction that swaps a one-month variable LIBOR contract for a fixed annual rate of 2.00%, with an effective date in May 2017 and expiration in May 2022, (ii) a $1 billion interest rate swap transaction that swaps a one-month variable LIBOR contract for a fixed annual rate of 1.5190% with an effective date in March 2017 and expiration in June 2019, (iii) a $1 billion interest rate swap transaction that swaps a one-month variable LIBOR contract for a fixed annual rate of 2.0987% with an effective date in February 2017 and expiration in September 2021.

The Company records the fair value positions of all derivative financial instruments on a net basis by counterparty for which a master netting arrangement is utilized.  When valuing swaps the Company utilizes Level 2 inputs (substantially observable).  Balances on a gross basis as of the current period are as follows:

  

 

The effect of the Company's derivative instruments on the Consolidated Statements of Income is as follows:

 

 

The amortization related to unrealized losses in Accumulated other comprehensive loss is expected to be $2 million in the next 12 months.

Non-recurring Fair Value Measurements

 

The Company has certain assets that are measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis when impairment indicators are present or when the Company completes an acquisition.  The Company adjusts certain long-lived assets to fair value only when the carrying values exceed the fair values.  The categorization of the framework used to value the assets is considered Level 3, due to the subjective nature of the unobservable inputs used to determine the fair value.  These assets that are subject to our annual impairment analysis primarily include our definite lived and indefinite lived intangible assets, including Goodwill and our property, plant and equipment.  The Company reviews Goodwill and other indefinite lived assets for impairment as of the first day of the fourth fiscal quarter each year and more frequently if impairment indicators exist.  The Company determined Goodwill and other indefinite lived assets were not impaired in our annual fiscal 2017 assessment.  An incremental sustained earnings decline of 10-15% in the Health, Hygiene & Specialties - South America reporting unit, or future declines in our peer companies, market capitalizations, or total enterprise value, as well as lower valuation market multiples could impact future impairment tests.

Included in the following table are the major categories of assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis as of December 30, 2017 and September 30, 2017, along with the impairment loss recognized on the fair value measurement during the period:

 

 

 

The Company's financial instruments consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, long-term debt, interest rate and cross-currency swap agreements, and capital lease obligations.  The fair value of our long-term indebtedness exceeded book value by $61 million as of December 30, 2017.  The Company's long-term debt fair values were determined using Level 2 inputs as other significant observable inputs were not available.  

9.	Income Taxes

 

In December 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Tax Act"). The Tax Act significantly revises the future ongoing U.S. corporate income tax by, among other things, lowering U.S. corporate income tax rates.  As the Company has a September fiscal year-end, the lower corporate income tax rate will be phased in during fiscal 2018 and will be 21% in subsequent years.  Partially offsetting the lower corporate income tax, the Tax Act also eliminates certain domestic deductions that were previously included in our estimated annual tax rate.  The estimated impact of the corporate income tax net reduction along with the transitional taxes, discussed below, were recorded to the Consolidated Statements of Income in the quarter.

As part of the transition to the new tax system, the Tax Act (i) imposes a one-time repatriation tax on deemed repatriation of historical earnings of foreign subsidiaries and (ii) requires the Company revalue our U.S. net deferred tax liability position to the lower federal base rate of 21%.  These transitional impacts resulted in a provisional transition benefit of $95 million for the quarter, comprised of an estimated repatriation tax charge of $44 million (comprised of the U.S. repatriation taxes and foreign withholding taxes) and an estimated net deferred tax revaluation benefit of $139 million.  After exclusion of this benefit, the effective tax rate was 26% for the Quarter and was positively impacted by 3% from the share-based compensation excess tax benefit deduction and a 2% benefit from the domestic manufacturing deduction.  These favorable items were partially offset by increases of 3% from U.S. state income taxes, 2% from foreign valuation allowance, 1% from higher tax rates in foreign jurisdictions, and other discrete items.

The changes included in the Tax Act are broad and complex.  The final transition impacts of the Tax Act may differ from the above estimate, possibly materially, due to, among other things, changes in interpretations of the Tax Act, any legislative action to address questions that arise because of the Tax Act, any changes in accounting standards for income taxes or related interpretations in response to the Tax Act, or any updates or changes to estimates the Company has utilized to calculate the transition impacts.  The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued guidance that would allow for a measurement period of up to one year after the enactment date of the Tax Act to finalize the recording of the related tax impacts.  We currently anticipate finalizing and recording any resulting adjustments by the end of fiscal 2018.

10.	Operating Segments

 

The Company's operations are organized into three operating segments: Engineered Materials, Health, Hygiene & Specialties, and Consumer Packaging.  The structure is designed to align us with our customers, provide optimal service, and drive future growth in a cost efficient manner.  Selected information by reportable segment is presented in the following tables: 

 

 

Selected information by geography is presented in the following tables:

 

Selected information by product line is presented in the following tables:

Goodwill  

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment are as follows: 

 

11.	Contingencies and Commitments

 

The Company is party to various legal proceedings involving routine claims which are incidental to its business.  Although the Company's legal and financial liability with respect to such proceedings cannot be estimated with certainty, management believes that any ultimate liability would not be material to its financial statements.

 

The Company has various purchase commitments for raw materials, supplies, and property and equipment incidental to the ordinary conduct of business.

 

 

12.	Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Share

 

Basic net income per share is calculated by dividing the net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period, without consideration for common stock equivalents.  Diluted net income per share is calculated by dividing the net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common share equivalents outstanding for the period determined using the treasury-stock method and the if-converted method.  For purposes of this calculation, stock options are considered to be common stock equivalents and are only included in the calculation of diluted net income per share when their effect is dilutive.  There were no shares excluded from the calculations as the effect of their conversion into shares of our common stock would be antidilutive.

 

The following tables provide a reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of the basic and diluted net income per share calculations.

 

 

The components and activity of Accumulated other comprehensive loss are as follows: 

 

 

 

14.	Guarantor and Non-Guarantor Financial Information

 

Berry Global, Inc. ("Issuer") has notes outstanding which are fully, jointly, severally, and unconditionally guaranteed by its parent, Berry Global Group, Inc. (for purposes of this Note, "Parent") and substantially all of Issuer's domestic subsidiaries.  Separate narrative information or financial statements of the guarantor subsidiaries have not been included because they are 100% owned by Parent and the guarantor subsidiaries unconditionally guarantee such debt on a joint and several basis.  A guarantee of a guarantor subsidiary of the securities will terminate upon the following customary circumstances:  the sale of the capital stock of such guarantor if such sale complies with the indentures, the designation of such guarantor as an unrestricted subsidiary, the defeasance or discharge of the indenture or in the case of a restricted subsidiary that is required to guarantee after the relevant issuance date, if such guarantor no longer guarantees certain other indebtedness of the issuer.  The guarantees of the guarantor subsidiaries are also limited as necessary to prevent them from constituting a fraudulent conveyance under applicable law and any guarantees guaranteeing subordinated debt are subordinated to certain other of the Company's debts.  Parent also guarantees the Issuer's term loans and revolving credit facilities.  The guarantor subsidiaries guarantee our term loans and are co-borrowers under our revolving credit facility.  Presented below is condensed consolidating financial information for the Parent, Issuer, guarantor subsidiaries and non-guarantor subsidiaries.  The Issuer and guarantor financial information includes all of our domestic operating subsidiaries; our non-guarantor subsidiaries include our foreign subsidiaries, certain immaterial domestic subsidiaries and the unrestricted subsidiaries under the Issuer's indentures.  The Parent uses the equity method to account for its ownership in the Issuer in the Condensed Consolidating Supplemental Financial Statements.  The Issuer uses the equity method to account for its ownership in the guarantor and non-guarantor subsidiaries.  All consolidating entries are included in the eliminations column along with the elimination of intercompany balances.

Condensed Supplemental Consolidated Balance Sheet

 

Condensed Supplemental Consolidated Statements of Operations

 

 

15. Subsequent Events

In January 2018, the Company issued $500 million aggregate principal amount of 4.50% second priority senior secured notes due 2026 (the "Notes") through a private placement offering.  The net proceeds from the Notes were used to fund the acquisition of Clopay Plastic Products Company, Inc. ("Clopay").

In February 2018, the Company acquired Clopay for a purchase price of $475 million, which is preliminary and subject to adjustment.  Clopay manufactures printed breathable films and is an innovator in the development of elastic films and laminates with product offerings uniquely designed for applications used in a number of markets including: hygiene, healthcare, construction and industrial protective apparel.  Clopay will be operated within the Health, Hygiene and Specialties segment.

 

This discussion contains forward-looking statements and involves numerous risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those described in our most recent Form 10-K in the section titled "Risk Factors" and other risk factors identified from time to time in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  As a result, our actual results may differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.  The forward-looking statements referenced within this report should be read with the explanation of the qualifications and limitations included herein.  Fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2018 are fifty-two week periods.

 

Executive Summary

 

Business.  The Company's operations are organized into three operating segments: Engineered Materials, Health, Hygiene & Specialties, and Consumer Packaging.  The structure is designed to align us with our customers, provide optimal service, and drive future growth in a cost efficient manner.  The Engineered Materials segment primarily consists of tapes and adhesives, polyethylene based film products, can liners, printed films, and specialty coated, and laminated products.  The Health, Hygiene & Specialties segment primarily consists of nonwoven specialty materials and films used in hygiene, infection prevention, personal care, industrial, construction and filtration applications.  The Consumer Packaging segment primarily consists of containers, foodservice items, closures, overcaps, bottles, prescription containers, and tubes.

Acquisitions.  Our acquisition strategy is focused on improving our long-term financial performance, enhancing our market positions, and expanding our existing and complementary product lines. We seek to obtain businesses for attractive post-synergy multiples, creating value for our stockholders from synergy realization, leveraging the acquired products across our customer base, creating new platforms for future growth, and assuming best practices from the businesses we acquire.  While the expected benefits on earnings is estimated at the commencement of each transaction, once the execution of the plan and integration occur, we are generally unable to accurately estimate or track what the ultimate effects have been due to system integrations and movements of activities to multiple facilities. As historical business combinations and restructuring plans have not allowed us to accurately separate realized synergies compared to what was initially identified, we measure the synergy realization based on the overall segment profitability post integration.

AEP Industries Inc.

 

In January 2017, the Company acquired AEP Industries Inc. ("AEP") for a purchase price of $791 million, net of cash acquired.  A portion of the purchase price consisted of issuing 6.4 million of Berry common shares which were valued at $324 million at the time of closing.  AEP manufactures and markets an extensive and diverse line of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride flexible plastic packaging products with consumer, industrial, and agricultural applications.  The acquired business is operated in our Engineered Materials segment.  To finance the purchase, the Company entered into an incremental assumption agreement to increase the commitments under the Company's existing term loan credit agreement by $500 million due 2024.  The Company expects annual cost synergies of approximately $80 million from the AEP transaction with full realization expected in fiscal 2018.

Adchem Corp.

In June 2017, the Company acquired Adchem Corp.'s ("Adchem") tapes business for a purchase price of $49 million.  Adchem is a leader in the development of high performance adhesive tape systems for the automotive, construction, electronics, graphic arts, medical and general tape markets.  The acquired business is operated in our Engineered Materials segment.  To finance the purchase, the Company used existing liquidity.   

Clopay Plastic Products Company, Inc.

 

In February 2018, the Company acquired Clopay for a purchase price of $475 million, which is preliminary and subject to adjustment.  Clopay manufactures printed breathable films and is an innovator in the development of elastic films and laminates with product offerings uniquely designed for applications used in a number of markets including: hygiene, healthcare, construction and industrial protective apparel.  Clopay will be operated within the Health, Hygiene and Specialties segment.  The Company expects to realize annual cost synergies of approximately $20 million from the completion of the Clopay transaction.  To finance the purchase, the Company used the proceeds from the $500 million Notes (see footnote 15).

Raw Material Trends.  Our primary raw material is plastic resin consisting primarily of polypropylene and polyethylene. Plastic resins are subject to price fluctuations, including those arising from supply shortages and changes in the prices of natural gas, crude oil and other petrochemical intermediates from which resins are produced. The three month simple average price per pound, as published by U.S. market indexes, was as follows:

 

 

Due to differences in the timing of passing through resin cost changes to our customers on escalator/de-escalator programs, segments are negatively impacted in the short term when plastic resin costs increase and are positively impacted when plastic resin costs decrease. This timing lag in passing through raw material cost changes could affect our results as plastic resin costs fluctuate. 

 

Outlook.  The Company is impacted by general economic and industrial growth, plastic resin availability and affordability, and general industrial production.  Our business has both geographic and end-market diversity, which reduces the effect of any one of these factors on our overall performance.  Our results are affected by our ability to pass through raw material cost changes to our customers, improve manufacturing productivity and adapt to volume changes of our customers.  We believe there are long term growth opportunities within the health, pharmaceuticals, personal care and food packaging markets existing in developing countries, where expected per capita consumption increases should result in organic market growth.  In addition, while we continue to believe that long term dynamics of the resin markets will be an advantage to Berry, the short term challenges to regional transportation systems and higher raw material prices in part as a result of resin supply disruptions, as well as macroeconomic pressures in South America could create short-term headwinds for early fiscal 2018.  For fiscal 2018, including the impact from the recent Clopay transaction, we project cash flow from operations and adjusted free cash flow of $1,007 million and $630 million, respectively.  Our fiscal 2018 projections assume negative $40 million in working capital due to the recent raw material inflation, $340 million of capital spending and cash interest costs of $250 million.  Within our adjusted free cash flow guidance, we are also assuming cash taxes to be $160 million, including the $37 million payment made in the first quarter under the Company's tax receivable agreement and an estimated $50 million of cash tax savings related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ( the "Tax Act"), along with other cash uses of $50 million related to items such as acquisition integration expenses and costs to achieve synergies.  For the definition of Adjusted free cash flow and further information related to Adjusted free cash flow as a non-GAAP financial measure, see "Liquidity and Capital Resources."

 

Results of Operations

 

Comparison of the Quarterly Period Ended December 30, 2017 (the "Quarter") and the Quarterly Period Ended December 31, 2016 (the "Prior Quarter")

 

Acquisition (businesses acquired in the last twelve months) sales and operating income disclosed within this section represents the results from acquisitions for the current period.  Business integration expenses consist of restructuring and impairment charges, acquisition related costs, and other business optimization costs.  Tables present dollars in millions.