mergers acquisitions and takeovers

Robert D.H. Harvey, a career Baltimore banker who rose from bank runner to leading the effort that resulted in the founding of the old Maryland National Bank and later served as chairman and CEO of Maryland National Corp., died.

Maryland's regulatory body approved on Friday, in a three-to-two vote, a $6.9 billion merger between Baltimore Gas and Electric parent Exelon Corp. and Pepco Holdings.

If ever there was a deal that deserved to be rejected, surely it's the proposed merger between Exelon and Pepco. The merger would benefit shareholders at the expense of Maryland ratepayers, and it would inhibit the growth of clean, reliable, and affordable electricity. Exelon has failed to garner any state government support and they have attracted a growing coalition of local opposition.

A Pepco Holdings merger with Exelon is a good deal and is in the best interest of residents of the state of Maryland. It has the potential to make Maryland a national leader in the development of microgrids, energy efficiency, distributed energy — including renewables — and other technology that will be the backbone of the grid of the future and a strong incentive for businesses to locate here.

A Hunt Valley real estate firm focused on skilled nursing facilities said Wednesday it had closed on its acquisition of a smaller Chicago company in a deal that expands its holdings to more than 900 properties in 41 states.

Maryland is joining with nine other states, the District of Columbia and the Federal Trade Commission in opposing a merger of the country's two largest food distribution companies on grounds that the union would create a near monopoly in this region and potentially raise prices for consumers.

Attorney General Frosh raises important questions about whether the combined company would wield too much influence over regional energy policy.

McCormick & Co. Inc. said it has acquired Brand Aromatics, a privately held New Jersey-based maker of marinades and broths, for about $63 million in cash.

R2integrated, a Baltimore-based digital marketer, has acquired the largest marketing services agency in Silicon Valley, California as part of the CEO's aspiration to establish his company as a national name in a growing industry.

Personal finance company Springleaf Holdings is buying Citigroup's OneMain Financial for $4.25 billion.

A study commissioned by the Baltimore County Volunteer Firemen's Association recommending the merger of the Lansdowne and English Consul volunteer fire departments and the closure of the Violetville Volunteer Fire Department has caused concern for some in those communities.

McCormick & Co. Inc. is expanding in Europe with the acquisition of top Italian spice maker Drogheria & Alimentari for $97 million, the Sparks-based company said Friday.

Exelon Corp. said Friday it reached a settlement with advocacy groups and other parties in its proposed Pepco Holdings, Inc. merger case before Delaware regulators, overcoming a key hurdle.

The lawmakers who visited Under Armour's global headquarters in Locust Point Monday saw employees lifting weights in a two-level gym and chatting over lunch in the Humble and Hungry Café.

Opponents and supporters of a proposed utility merger involving Baltimore Gas and Electric parent Exelon Corp. began a calculated dance before Maryland regulators this week, with some hoping to sink the deal and others hoping to sweeten it.

The parent company of Ellicott City-based Howard Bank reported strong growth and a more than five-fold increase in its earnings in 2014, driven largely by its acquisition of a failed Rising Sun bank.

Ironmark is a printing company that designs and creates a variety of publications, images, signage and digital products, like websites, for its clients. The company was created in 2011 by the merger of Frank Gumpert Printing and Corporate Printing Solutions, which were previously based in Annapolis and Hunt Valley, respectively. After the merger, the new company, temporarily dubbed CPS Gumpert, looked to consolidate its operation, eventually finding a home in Howard County.

Energy company has been responsible citizen and merger with Pepco Holdings should be good for Maryland

A class action lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses Millennial Media executives of hiding information that reflected poorly on the company, and, once released publicly, sent the company's stock price tumbling.

A 20-group coalition on Thursday called on state regulators to reject a proposed merger between Chicago energy giant Exelon Corp. and Pepco Holdings Inc., citing the company's track record on the environment and fears the deal would give it too much power in the state.

Ironmark, a printing and image consultant company that was formed through the 2011 merger of Frank Gumpert Printing and Corporate Printing Solutions, announced Monday it will consolidate its Annapolis and Hunt Valley operations into a new headquarters in Howard County.

Maryland-based EMG merged this month with an Arizona firm, a move that adds project management services to the Hunt Valley engineering, environmental and capital planning company's capabilities.

Tribune is just the latest multimedia news company to split up its broadcasting and publishing assets, joining Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. and E.W. Scripps, which completed such a spinoff just last week. Such separation is gaining momentum as traditional media seek to adapt to the fast-evolving digital landscape.

An $8.5 billion merger of dollar stores to create North America's biggest discount chain could mean stiff competition for mass discounters such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. but less choice and higher prices for shoppers.

Silicon Valley's deals for two Columbia firms — the proposed Micros Systems acquisition last week and Sourcefire last year — strike local entrepreneurs as wins rather than losses. They want more California tech giants doing business here, more billion-dollar-plus acquisitions, more companies spinning off with the money from those deals.

The proposed deal between Comcast and Time Warner could keep the companies from going the way of Blockbuster.

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc., likely a few weeks away from finalizing a $1.8 billion deal to be acquired by Men's Wearhouse, posted a $37.1 million first quarter loss stemming from merger-related expenses.

Gov. Martin O'Malley and Delaware's governor sent a joint letter to Pfizer Thursday expressing concerns about its plans to acquire pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, which employs thousands in both states.

The Baltimore Sun Media Group announced today that it purchased The Capital in Annapolis, the Carroll County Times and the Maryland publications and websites affiliated with those news organizations from Landmark Media Enterprises.

The Baltimore Sun Media Group announced Thursday it purchased The Capital in Annapolis, the Carroll County Times and other area publications and websites, a move that expands its journalistic footprint in Maryland.

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co.'s parent said Wednesday that it has struck a $6.9 billion deal to acquire Pepco Holdings Inc., 17 years after BGE walked away from a protracted effort to buy its southern neighbor.

Hunt Valley-based PSA Insurance & Financial Services announced Wednesday a $3 million merger with Armada Employer Services, a retail employee benefit consulting and human resources firm.

The chairman of Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. will get a golden parachute payout of up to $5.8 million as part of the chain's acquisition by The Men's Wearhouse in a $1.8 billion deal.

Hampstead-based Jos. A. Bank Clothiers will be acquired by rival Men's Wearhouse for $65 a share in cash, a $1.8 billion deal that ends a months-long hostile takeover fight.

Tax giant KPMG LLP has acquired Cynergy Systems Inc., a Baltimore-based company that builds and designs software and mobile applications, for an undisclosed sum.

Calvin G. Butler Jr. came to Baltimore nearly three years ago with one foot here and the other in Chicago, flying west on weekends to his wife and two teenagers.

On Thursday, Jos. A. Bank rejected Men's Wearhouse's latest bid, a $63.50-per-share offer to buy the Hampstead-based clothier, but in the first sign of thawing, its board has agreed to meet with Wearhouse to discuss a possible acquisition.

Men's Wearhouse sweetened its hostile bid for Hampstead-based Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. Monday, raising its price more than 10 percent in a deal that hinges on the smaller men's apparel chain dropping its plans to buy Eddie Bauer.

The Baltimore Sun Media Group said today it is buying the alternative weekly City Paper for an undisclosed price.

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. said Wednesday it has started buying back up to $300 million worth of its shares at $65 each, a step toward its planned acquisition of retail chain Eddie Bauer.

Eminence Capital LLC, a shareholder that's suing Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. for rejecting a takeover bid from rival Men's Wearhouse, accused the Hampstead-based men's retailer Tuesday of resorting to "desperate tactics" to protect management jobs by planning to buy outdoor clothing retailer Eddie Bauer.

Hampstead-based suit seller Jos. A. Bank Friday acquired casual clothing chain Eddie Bauer for about $825 million in cash and stock.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. capped a year of strong broadcast revenue growth and station acquisitions with a 33 percent jump in fourth quarter sales but a drop in profit as the Hunt Valley company paid off debt.

A large shareholder of Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. went to court Monday to force the Hampstead-based men's retailer to negotiate with rival Men's Wearhouse and stop Bank from acquiring another retailer to "sabotage" the Houston-chain's $1.61 billion hostile takeover attempt of Bank

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. is known for buy-one-get-two men's suit deals at stores around the U.S. and more recently for a heated, ongoing takeover battle with rival Men's Wearhouse.

Just as its offer was rejected, Jos A. Bank Clothiers Inc. rejected the $1.2 billion turn-table acquisition bid by The Men's Wearhouse Inc. on Monday, but most observers still believe a merger is inevitable.

Plans to lay off 191 employees from the Saks Incorporated Distribution Facility in Aberdeen, announced earlier this month, will end up affecting about 70 percent of the facility's workforce and are raising questions among workers if the facility is heading for a full shutdown.

Sysco Corp will buy US Foods Inc., a former Columbia-based company, for about $3.5 billion from its private equity owners in a deal that will combine the top two U.S. food distributors and create a company commanding at least a quarter of the $235 billion North American market.