Rohm & Haas bows out to Dow

When it comes to a mega M&A deal that involves an old-line company and a founding family, Warren Buffett is on speed-dial. For example, his firm, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A), provided $4.4 billion in financing for the Wrigley Co. (NYSE: WWY) buyout.

Now, Warren is plunking down some more cash on another big deal: Dow Chemical Co's (NYSE: DOW) $18.8 billion cash purchase of Rohm & Haas Co. (NYSE: ROH). In this case, the contribution comes to about $3 billion (in the form of a convertible preferred structure, which has a nice 8.5% coupon rate). As a result, Berkshire will become Dow's largest shareholder.

Yes, the US economy continues to be bleak and there is lots of fear. But, for long-term investors – such as Warren – this is an ideal time to pick up juicy opportunities.

In fact, this is evidence that the smart money sees lots of value from M&A deals – especially transformative ones. Then again, in order to compete on a global scale, there is a need for economies of scale.

For the most part, Dow focuses on petroleum-based chemicals. As for Rohm & Haas, it deals primarily with adhesives, personal care products, paints and so on. In other words, Dow is trying to find ways to diversify things.

Although, the deal for Rohm & Haas is no slam dunk. It's not easy to make such a transaction in a tough economic environment. Plus, Dow is paying a massive premium – thus setting a high bar for performance.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.