To buy or not to buy other companies’ assets: That is the question for packaging executives in 2026. Commentary from company executives at the end of 2025 suggested muted outlooks for M&A activity in 2026 compared with previous years. “Sentiment after Q3 was fairly tepid” for 2026, said Cael Pulitzer, managing director who leads the packaging investment banking practice at Brown Gibbons Lang & Co. Activity could be more concentrated in certain adjacent sectors with tailwinds — such as with distribution services and packaging machinery — as opposed to packaging converters, he said. But analysts don’t expect a wholesale pullback in M&A activity this year. They anticipate the pace of packaging mergers and acquisitions will at least hold steady, or more likely pick up a bit in 2026.

Ahlstrom, a global leader in fiber-based specialty materials, launches today LamiBak™ Flex, the latest addition to its LamiBak™ portfolio of high-performance base papers. Designed specifically for flexible packaging, LamiBak™ Flex builds on the proven success of the original LamiBak™ product line. This launch reinforces Ahlstrom’s commitment to providing innovative solutions that address the growing need for safe and sustainable and high-barrier packaging materials. Ahlstrom equips converters and brands with an adaptable platform for paper-based flexible packaging. LamiBak™ Flex is ideally suited for further processing, such as coating, metallization, or extrusion, delivering superior barrier properties across food applications, including pouches, sachets, and flow packs. Its advanced design enables reduced primer coating needs, achieving exceptional barrier properties while optimizing costs and maintaining a sustainable and recyclable profile. LamiBak™ Flex underscores Ahlstrom’s commitment to sustainable flexible packaging solutions. By offering a paper-based flexible packaging alternative, it helps brands reduce reliance on plastics and metallic substrates, aligning with industry regulations and consumer demand for more eco-friendly packaging.

Pregis is launching Phantom Mask, a new temporary protective surface film as part of the Pregis PolyMask™ solutions portfolio, that has been engineered to eliminate costly and labor-intensive adhesive transfer problems on plastic sheets, parts and products. The product will be available from the Pregis PolyMask business unit across North America, Europe and other geographic markets. High clarity Phantom Mask protective film is ideal for appliances (hot tubs, shower enclosures), medical products (face shields, PPE), foodservice (sneeze guards, partitions), signage, construction materials, automotive, recreational products and more. Unlike traditional protective film structures, which apply the adhesive via a coating process, Phantom Mask uses a proprietary process that integrates the adhesive into the polyethylene-based coextrusion. The end result is a highly-engineered, heat-resistant material which doesn’t leave adhesive behind when it is removed. The material mitigates ghosting, making it a true workhorse in the protective film category.