MeadWestvaco sets date to complete deal with ACCO Brands

MeadWestvaco Corp. said Friday it has set a record date of April 24 for the spin-off of its consumer and office products business based in Kettering and the subsequent merger of that division with ACCO Brands Corp.

Under the spin-off, MeadWestvaco will distribute all of its shares of the consumer and office products business to its shareholders by means of a stock dividend. Immediately following that, the division will merge with ACCO Brands.

MeadWestvaco shareholders will receive one-third of a share of ACCO stock for each share of MeadWestvaco stock they own. MeadWestvaco shareholders will receive cash for any fractional shares.

The distribution of consumer and office products shares will generally qualify as tax-free to MeadWestvaco shareholders, the company said.

The spin-off and merger are expected to close on April 30 and become effective May 1. Once completed, MeadWestvaco shareholders will collectively own 50.5 percent of ACCO common stock and ACCO shareholders will own the remainder.

Beginning on or about April 24 and continuing through the anticipated closing date of April 30, there will be two markets in MeadWestvaco common stock on the New York Stock Exchange: a “regular way” market and an “ex-distribution” market. Also during this period of two-way trading in MeadWestvaco Corporation common stock, a MeadWestvaco Corporation stockholder can also sell the right to his ACCO Brands Corporation common stock that he will receive following the closing of the merger, the company said.