With COVID-19 vaccines starting to roll out and economic recovery underway, a palpable sense of optimism is beginning to emerge like the first rays of sunlight after a dark night.
The cover of a recent issue of Time magazine dubbed 2020 “The Worst Year Ever.” From the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global economic fallout to a tumultuous U.S. presidential election and the loss of icons like Kobe Bryant, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Alex Trebek, 2020 certainly has been a year for the books. Suffice to say, we’re all eager to turn the page to 2021. With COVID-19 vaccines starting to roll out and economic recovery underway, a palpable sense of optimism is beginning to emerge like the first rays of sunlight after a dark night.
Over the last few months, Grace Matthews has noticed a comparable sense of hope and optimism within the M&A community in adhesives and sealants and across the broader chemicals value chain. What began as a slow drumbeat of activity as we moved into the second half of 2020 has steadily evolved into an almost frenetic pace. Many have asked if we expect a return to “pre-pandemic” M&A levels in 2021. We think it’s certainly possible; we’re already seeing a strong uptick in activity as we close out the year.