’Tis the Season for Serious Dealmaking —Michelson

Making the deal is the easy part of any acquisition. Senior execs at RR Donnelley, Cenveo and Valassis will now have to roll up their sleeves and carefully navigate the critical integration stage. They’re faced with customer bases looking for assurances that it will be business as usual. Employees—especially those within the acquired companies—won’t know if they have a position within the new corporate structure. And current suppliers may be replaced outright or be facing calls for contract renegotiations. The shockwaves from these major deals will have a ripple effect throughout the entire industry. Hopefully, they won’t cause a tsunami.