Offer To Purchase For Cash All Outstanding Shares of Common Stock of GENTEK INC. at $38.00 NET PER SHARE by ASP GT ACQUISITION CORP.
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Exhibit
(a)(1)(A)
Offer To
Purchase For Cash
All Outstanding Shares of Common Stock
of
GENTEK INC.
at
$38.00 NET PER SHARE
by
ASP GT ACQUISITION CORP.
All Outstanding Shares of Common Stock
of
GENTEK INC.
at
$38.00 NET PER SHARE
by
ASP GT ACQUISITION CORP.
a wholly-owned subsidiary
of
THE OFFER AND WITHDRAWAL RIGHTS WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00
MIDNIGHT, NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2009,
UNLESS THE OFFER IS EXTENDED.
ASP GT Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (the
“Purchaser”) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASP GT
Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), is
offering to purchase all of the outstanding shares of common
stock, no par value (the “Shares”), of GenTek Inc., a
Delaware corporation (“GenTek”), at a purchase price
of $38.00 per Share (the “Offer Price”), net to the
seller in cash, without interest thereon and less any applicable
withholding taxes, upon the terms and subject to the conditions
set forth in this Offer to Purchase and in the related Letter of
Transmittal (which, together with the Offer to Purchase, each as
may be amended or supplemented from time to time, collectively
constitute the “Offer”).
The Offer is being made pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of
Merger, dated as of September 28, 2009 (as it may be
amended from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), by
and among Parent, the Purchaser and GenTek. The Merger Agreement
provides, among other things, that following the consummation of
the Offer and subject to certain conditions, the Purchaser will
be merged with and into GenTek (the “Merger”) with
GenTek continuing as the surviving corporation, wholly-owned by
Parent. In the Merger, each Share outstanding immediately prior
to the effective time of the Merger (other than Shares held
(i) in the treasury of GenTek or by GenTek’s
subsidiaries, Parent or the Purchaser, which Shares shall be
cancelled and shall cease to exist or (ii) by stockholders
who exercise appraisal rights under Delaware law with respect to
such Shares) will be cancelled and converted into the right to
receive $38.00 or any greater per Share price paid in the Offer,
without interest thereon and less any applicable withholding
taxes. Under no circumstances will interest be paid on the
purchase price for the Shares, regardless of any extension of
the Offer or any delay in making payment for the Shares.
The Offer is conditioned upon, among other things, (i) the
satisfaction of the Minimum Condition (as described below),
(ii) the expiration or termination of all statutory waiting
periods (and any extensions thereof) applicable to the Offer
under the
Xxxx-Xxxxx-Xxxxxx
Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR
Act”) (the “HSR Condition”), and (iii) the
receipt of any other required governmental approvals, the lapse
of any waiting periods (or extensions thereof) and the making of
any mandated filings, either unconditionally or on terms
reasonably satisfactory to Parent (the “Governmental
Approval Condition”). The Minimum Condition requires that
the number of Shares that have been validly tendered and not
properly withdrawn prior to the expiration of the Offer together
with the number of Shares (if any) then owned of record by
Parent or the Purchaser or with respect to which Parent or the
Purchaser otherwise has, directly or indirectly, sole voting
power, represents at least a majority of the Shares then
outstanding (determined on a fully diluted basis) and no less
than a majority of the voting power of the shares of capital
stock of GenTek then outstanding (determined on a fully diluted
basis) and entitled to vote in the election of directors or (if
a greater majority) upon the adoption of the Merger Agreement
and approval of the Merger. The Offer also is subject to other
conditions set forth in this Offer to Purchase. See
Section 15 — “Certain Conditions of the
Offer.”
The GenTek Board of Directors, among other things, has
unanimously (i) determined that the Merger Agreement and
the transactions contemplated thereby, are fair to, and in the
best interests of, GenTek and the stockholders of GenTek,
(ii) duly approved and declared advisable the Merger
Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including
the Merger and the Offer, and (iii) recommended that the
stockholders of GenTek accept the Offer, tender their Shares to
the Purchaser pursuant to the Offer and, if required by
applicable law, adopt the Merger Agreement and approve the
Merger.
A summary of the principal terms of the Offer appears on
pages S-i
through S-vi. You should read this entire document carefully
before deciding whether to tender your Shares in the Offer.
The Dealer Manager for the Offer is:
KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Cleveland, OH 44114
Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
KeyBanc Capital Markets is a
trade name under which corporate and investment banking products
and services of KeyCorp and its subsidiaries, KeyBanc Capital
Markets Inc., Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC, and KeyBank National
Association, are marketed.
September 29, 2009
Table of Contents
IMPORTANT
If you wish to tender all or a portion of your Shares to the
Purchaser in the Offer, you should either (i) complete and
sign the letter of transmittal (or a facsimile thereof) that
accompanies this Offer to Purchase (the “Letter of
Transmittal”) in accordance with the instructions in the
Letter of Transmittal and mail or deliver the Letter of
Transmittal and all other required documents to the Depositary
(as defined herein) together with certificates representing the
Shares tendered or follow the procedure for book-entry transfer
set forth in Section 3 — “Procedures for
Accepting the Offer and Tendering Shares” or
(ii) request your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust
company or other nominee to effect the transaction for you. If
your Shares are registered in the name of a broker, dealer,
commercial bank, trust company or other nominee, you must
contact that institution in order to tender your Shares.
If you wish to tender Shares and cannot deliver certificates
representing such Shares and all other required documents to the
Depositary on or prior to the Expiration Date (as defined
herein) or you cannot comply with the procedures for book-entry
transfer on a timely basis, you may tender your Shares by
following the guaranteed delivery procedures described in
Section 3 — “Procedures for Accepting the
Offer and Tendering Shares.”
Questions and requests for assistance should be directed to the
Information Agent (as defined herein) or the Dealer Manager (as
defined herein) at their respective addresses and telephone
numbers set forth on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase.
Additional copies of this Offer to Purchase, the related Letter
of Transmittal, the related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery and
other materials related to the Offer may also be obtained at our
expense from the Information Agent or the Dealer Manager.
Additionally, copies of this Offer to Purchase, the related
Letter of Transmittal, the related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery
and any other material related to the Offer may be found at
xxx.xxx.xxx. You may also contact your broker, dealer,
commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance.
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SUMMARY
TERM SHEET
The information contained in this summary term sheet is a
summary only and is not meant to be a substitute for the more
detailed description and information contained in the Offer to
Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and the Notice of Guaranteed
Delivery. You are urged to read carefully the Offer of Purchase,
the Letter of Transmittal and the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery
in their entirety. Parent and the Purchaser have included
cross-references in this summary term sheet to other sections of
the Offer to Purchase where you will find more complete
descriptions of the topics mentioned below. The information
concerning GenTek contained herein and elsewhere in the Offer to
Purchase has been provided to Parent and the Purchaser by GenTek
or has been taken from or is based upon publicly available
documents or records of GenTek on file with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or other public
sources at the time of the Offer. Parent and the Purchaser have
not independently verified the accuracy and completeness of such
information. Parent and the Purchaser have no knowledge that
would indicate that any statements contained herein relating to
GenTek provided to Parent and the Purchaser or taken from or
based upon such documents and records filed with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are untrue or
incomplete in any material respect.
Securities Sought
|
All issued and outstanding shares of common stock, no par value, of GenTek Inc. | |
Price Offered Per Share
|
$38.00 in cash, without interest thereon and less any applicable withholding taxes. | |
Scheduled Expiration of Offer
|
12:00 midnight, New York City time, at the end of Tuesday, October 27, 2009, unless the Offer is otherwise extended. See Section 1 — “Terms of the Offer.” | |
Purchaser
|
ASP GT Acquisition Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASP GT Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation. |
Who is
offering to buy my securities?
We are ASP GT Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation, formed
for the purpose of making this Offer. We are a wholly-owned
subsidiary of ASP GT Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation, or
“Parent.” Parent is beneficially owned by American
Securities Partners V, L.P., a Delaware limited
partnership, American Securities Partners V(B), L.P., a Delaware
limited partnership, and American Securities Partners V(C),
L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (collectively, the
“Sponsors”). See the “Introduction” to this
Offer to Purchase and Section 8 — “Certain
Information Concerning Parent and the Purchaser.”
Unless the context indicates otherwise, in this Offer to
Purchase, we use the terms “us,” “we” and
“our” to refer to the Purchaser and, where
appropriate, Parent. We use the term “Parent” to refer
to ASP GT Holding Corp. alone, the term the
“Purchaser” to refer to ASP GT Acquisition Corp. alone
and the terms “GenTek” or the “Company” to
refer to GenTek Inc.
What are
the classes and amounts of securities sought in the
Offer?
We are offering to purchase all of the outstanding shares of
common stock, no par value, of GenTek on the terms and subject
to the conditions set forth in this Offer to Purchase. Unless
the context otherwise requires, in this Offer to Purchase we use
the term “Offer” to refer to this offer and the term
“Shares” to refer to shares of GenTek common stock
that are the subject of the Offer.
See the “Introduction” to this Offer to Purchase and
Section 1 — “Terms of the Offer.”
How much
are you offering to pay? What is the form of payment? Will I
have to pay any fees or commissions?
We are offering to pay $38.00 per Share, in cash, without
interest and less any applicable withholding taxes. We refer to
this amount as the “Offer Price.” If you are the
record owner of your Shares and you directly tender your Shares
to us in the Offer, you will not have to pay brokerage fees or
similar expenses. If you own your Shares through a broker,
banker or other nominee, and your broker tenders your Shares on
your behalf, your broker, banker or other nominee may charge you
a fee for doing so. You should consult your broker, banker or
other nominee to determine whether any charges will apply.
See the “Introduction” to this Offer to Purchase.
Is there
an agreement governing the Offer?
Yes. Parent, the Purchaser and GenTek have entered into an
Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 28,
2009 (as it may be amended from time to time, the “Merger
Agreement”). The Merger Agreement provides, among other
things, for the terms and conditions of the Offer and the
subsequent merger of the Purchaser with and into GenTek (the
“Merger”).
See Section 11 — “The Merger Agreement;
Other Agreements” and Section 15 —
“Certain Conditions of the Offer.”
S-i
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Do you
have the financial resources to make payment?
Yes. We estimate that we will need approximately
$450 million to purchase all of the Shares pursuant to the
Offer and to consummate the Merger (which estimate includes
payment in respect of outstanding
in-the-money
options and warrants) and to pay related fees and expenses. The
Purchaser has obtained commitments from Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Credit
Partners L.P., KeyBank National Association, GE Capital Markets
Inc. and General Electric Capital Corporation for debt financing
up to $330 million (of which $210 million will be used
to refinance existing debt of GenTek and $30 million of
which will be an unfunded revolving credit facility). The
Sponsors will make equity contributions (expected to be in
excess of $270 million) to the Purchaser and Parent, which,
in addition to the expected $90 million of cash on hand of
GenTek, will be sufficient to fund the purchase of the Shares in
the Offer. Funding of the debt and equity financing is subject
to the satisfaction of the conditions to the Offer and the
conditions set forth in the commitment letters pursuant to which
the debt and equity financing will be provided. We will only be
able to complete the Offer if Xxxxxx receives the financing
contemplated by the debt commitment letter and the equity
commitment letter. The Offer is not conditioned upon our ability
to finance the purchase of Shares pursuant to the Offer. See
Section 9 — “Source and Amount of
Funds.”
Is your
financial condition relevant to my decision to tender my Shares
in the Offer?
No. We do not think our financial condition is relevant to your
decision whether to tender Shares and accept the Offer because:
• | the Offer is being made for all outstanding Shares solely for cash; | |
• | the Offer is not subject to any financing condition; and | |
• | if we consummate the Offer, we expect to acquire all remaining Shares for the same cash price in the Merger. |
See Section 9 — “Source and Amount of
Funds.”
How long
do I have to decide whether to tender my Shares in the
Offer?
You will have until 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 (which is the end of the day on
October 27, 2009), to tender your Shares in the Offer,
unless we extend the Offer. In addition, if we are required to,
by the terms of the Merger Agreement, or we otherwise decide to
provide a subsequent offering period for the Offer as described
below, you will have an additional opportunity to tender your
Shares. Other than as may be required by the Merger Agreement,
we do not currently intend to provide a subsequent offering
period, although we reserve the right to do so.
If you cannot deliver everything required to make a valid tender
by that time, you may still participate in the Offer by using
the guaranteed delivery procedure that is described later in
this Offer to Purchase prior to that time.
See Section 1 — “Terms of the Offer”
and Section 3 — “Procedures for Accepting
the Offer and Tendering Shares.”
Can the
Offer be extended and under what circumstances?
Yes. We have agreed in the Merger Agreement that, subject to our
rights to terminate the Merger Agreement in accordance with its
terms:
• | If, on or prior to the initial expiration date, the Minimum Condition, the HSR Condition or the Governmental Approval Condition (each as described below) is not satisfied or waived by Parent or the Purchaser, then, to the extent requested in writing by GenTek no less than two business days prior to the scheduled expiration date, we must extend the Offer for up to two periods each of 20 business days or less, to permit such conditions of the Offer to be satisfied; provided that we will not be required to extend the offer beyond December 31, 2009 (the “Initial Outside Date”) if any condition to the Offer has not been satisfied by the Initial Outside Date, unless on that date (i) all of the conditions to the Offer have been satisfied or waived by us, but the HSR Condition and/or the Government Approval Condition has not been satisfied or (ii) we or GenTek or our respective counsel have received comments from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or its staff that remain unresolved, or, if resolved, require the Expiration Date of the Offer to be extended, in which case the Initial Outside Date will be automatically extended to January 31, 2010 (the “Extended Outside Date”). | |
• | The Offer will be extended for any period required by any rule, regulation, interpretation or position of the SEC or its staff or the NASDAQ Global Market (“Nasdaq”) that is applicable to the Offer. |
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• | If any condition of the Offer has not been satisfied or waived at the scheduled expiration date of the Offer, we may, at our discretion, extend the Offer for one or more periods. |
If necessary to obtain sufficient Shares so that we hold at
least 90% of the Shares, we may, at our sole discretion, choose
to provide for a subsequent offering period (and one or more
extensions thereof) of up to 20 business days in accordance with
Rule 14d-11
promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, following the time for acceptance of the tendered
Shares (the “Acceptance Date”). A subsequent offering
period is different from an extension of the Offer. During a
subsequent offering period, you would not be able to withdraw
any of the Shares that you had already tendered; you also would
not be able to withdraw any of the Shares that you tender during
the subsequent offering period.
See Section 1 — “Terms of the Offer” of
this Offer to Purchase for more details on our obligation and
ability to extend the Offer.
How will
I be notified if the Offer is extended?
If we extend the Offer, we will inform BNY Mellon Shareowner
Services, which is the depositary for the Offer (the
“Depositary”), of any extension and will issue a press
release announcing the extension not later than 9:00 a.m.,
New York City time, on the next business day after the day on
which the Offer was scheduled to expire.
If we elect to provide or extend any subsequent offering period,
a public announcement of such determination will be made no
later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the next
business day following the Expiration Date or date of
termination of any prior subsequent offering period.
See Section 1 — “Terms of the Offer.”
What are
the most significant conditions to the Offer?
The Offer is conditioned upon, among other things:
• | The satisfaction of the Minimum Condition. The Minimum Condition requires that the number of Shares that has been validly tendered and not properly withdrawn prior to the expiration of the Offer together with the number of Shares (if any) then owned of record by Parent or the Purchaser or with respect to which Parent or the Purchaser otherwise has, directly or indirectly, sole voting power, represents at least a majority of the Shares then outstanding (determined on a fully diluted basis) and no less than a majority of the voting power of the shares of capital stock of GenTek then outstanding (determined on a fully diluted basis) and entitled to vote in the election of directors or (if a greater majority) upon the adoption of the Merger Agreement and approval of the Merger; | |
• | The satisfaction of the HSR Condition. The HSR Condition requires the expiration or termination of all statutory waiting periods (and any extensions thereof) applicable to the Offer under the Xxxx-Xxxxx-Xxxxxx Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”); and | |
• | The satisfaction of the Governmental Approval Condition. The Governmental Approval Condition requires that any other required governmental approvals have been obtained and any waiting periods (or extensions thereof) or mandated filings have lapsed or been made either unconditionally or on terms reasonably satisfactory to Parent. |
The Offer also is subject to a number of other conditions set
forth in this Offer to Purchase. We expressly reserve the right
to waive any such conditions, but we cannot, without
GenTek’s consent (i) decrease the Offer Price,
(ii) change the form of consideration payable in the Offer,
(iii) reduce the maximum number of Shares to be purchased
in the Offer, (iv) amend or waive the Minimum Condition,
(v) amend any of the other conditions and requirements to
the Offer in a manner adverse to the holders of Shares or GenTek
or (vi) extend the Expiration Date in a manner other than
in accordance with the Merger Agreement.
See Section 15 — “Certain Conditions of the
Offer.”
How do I
tender my Shares?
If you hold your Shares directly as the registered owner, you
can (i) tender your Shares in the Offer by delivering the
certificates representing your Shares, together with a completed
and signed Letter of Transmittal and any other documents
required by the Letter of Transmittal, to the Depositary or
(ii) follow the procedures for book-entry transfer set
forth in Section 3
S-iii
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of the Offer to Purchase, not later than the date and time the
Offer expires. The Letter of Transmittal is enclosed with this
Offer to Purchase.
If you hold your Shares in street name through a broker, dealer,
commercial bank, trust company or other nominee, you must
contact the institution that holds your Shares and give
instructions that your Shares be tendered. You should contact
the institution that holds your Shares for more details.
If you are unable to deliver everything that is required to
tender your Shares to the Depositary by the expiration of the
Offer, you may obtain a limited amount of additional time by
having a broker, a bank or another fiduciary that is an eligible
institution guarantee that the missing items will be received by
the Depositary using the enclosed Notice of Guaranteed Delivery.
To validly tender Shares in this manner, however, the Depositary
must receive the missing items within the time period specified
in the notice.
See Section 3 — “Procedures for Accepting
the Offer and Tendering Shares.”
Until
what time may I withdraw previously tendered Shares?
You may withdraw your previously tendered Shares at any time
until the Offer has expired. In addition, if we have not
accepted your Shares for payment by November 27, 2009, you
may withdraw them at any time after that date until we accept
Shares for payment. This right to withdraw will not, however,
apply to Shares tendered in any subsequent offering period, if
one is provided. See Section 4 — “Withdrawal
Rights.”
How do I
withdraw previously tendered Shares?
To withdraw previously tendered Shares, you must deliver a
written notice of withdrawal, or a facsimile of one, with the
required information to the Depositary while you still have the
right to withdraw Shares. If you tendered Shares by giving
instructions to a broker, banker or other nominee, you must
instruct the broker, banker or other nominee to arrange for the
withdrawal of your Shares. See Section 4 —
“Withdrawal Rights.”
What does
the GenTek Board think of the Offer?
The GenTek Board of Directors (the “GenTek Board”),
among other things, has unanimously (i) determined that the
Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, are
fair to, and in the best interests of, GenTek and the
stockholders of GenTek, (ii) duly approved and declared
advisable the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated
thereby, including the Merger and the Offer and
(iii) recommended that the stockholders of GenTek accept
the Offer, tender their Shares to the Purchaser pursuant to the
Offer and, if required by applicable law, adopt the Merger
Agreement and approve the Merger.
A more complete description of the reasons of the GenTek
Board’s approval of the Offer and the Merger will be set
forth in the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on
Schedule 14D-9
that will be mailed to you by GenTek.
If a
majority of the Shares are tendered and accepted for payment,
will GenTek continue as a public company?
No. Following the purchase of Shares in the Offer, we expect to
consummate the Merger. If the Merger takes place, GenTek no
longer will be publicly owned. Even if for some reason the
Merger does not take place, if we purchase all of the tendered
Shares, there may be so few remaining stockholders and publicly
held Shares that GenTek’s common stock will no longer be
eligible to be traded through Nasdaq or other securities
exchanges, there may not be an active public trading market for
GenTek common stock, and GenTek may no longer be required to
make filings with the SEC or otherwise comply with the SEC rules
relating to publicly held companies.
See Section 13 — “Certain Effects of the
Offer.”
If I
decide not to tender, how will the Offer affect my
Shares?
If the Offer is consummated and certain other conditions are
satisfied, the Purchaser will merge with and into GenTek and all
of the then outstanding Shares (other than Shares held
(i) in the treasury of GenTek or by GenTek’s
subsidiaries, Parent or the Purchaser, which Shares shall be
cancelled and shall cease to exist or (ii) by stockholders
who exercise appraisal rights under Delaware law with respect to
such Shares) will be cancelled and converted in the Merger into
the right to receive an amount in cash equal to the Offer Price,
without interest thereon and less any applicable withholding
taxes. If we accept and purchase
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Shares in the Offer, we will have sufficient voting power to
approve the Merger without the affirmative vote of any other
stockholder of GenTek. Furthermore, if pursuant to the Offer or
otherwise we own in excess of 90% of the outstanding Shares, we
may effect the Merger without any further action by the
stockholders of GenTek.
See Section 11 — “The Merger Agreement;
Other Agreements.”
If the Merger is consummated, GenTek’s stockholders who do
not tender their Shares in the Offer will, unless they validly
exercise appraisal rights (as described below), receive the same
amount of cash per Share that they would have received had they
tendered their Shares in the Offer. Therefore, if the Offer and
the Merger are consummated, the only differences to you between
tendering your Shares and not tendering your Shares in the Offer
are that (i) you will be paid earlier if you tender your
Shares in the Offer and (ii) appraisal rights will not be
available to you if you tender Shares in the Offer but will be
available to you in the Merger. See Section 17 —
“Appraisal Rights.” However, if the Offer is
consummated but the Merger is not consummated, the number of
GenTek’s stockholders and the number of Shares that are
still in the hands of the public may be so small that there will
no longer be an active public trading market (or, possibly,
there may not be any public trading market) for the Shares.
Also, as described below, GenTek may cease making filings with
the SEC or otherwise may not be required to comply with the
rules relating to publicly held companies.
See the “Introduction” to this Offer to Purchase and
Section 13 — “Certain Effects of the
Offer.”
What is
the market value of my Shares as of a recent date?
On September 25, 2009, the last full day of trading before
the public announcement of the terms of the Offer and the
Merger, the reported closing sales price of the Shares on Nasdaq
was $27.00 per Share. On September 28, 2009, the last full
day of trading before the commencement of the Offer, the
reported closing sales price of the Shares on Nasdaq was $37.76
per Share. The Offer Price represents a premium of 40.2% over
GenTek’s volume weighted average share price for the 20
trading days immediately preceding the public announcement of
the Offer and the Merger and a premium of 40.7% over the closing
price on the last full day of trading before the public
announcement of the Offer and the Merger.
We encourage you to obtain a recent quotation for Shares of
GenTek common stock in deciding whether to tender your Shares.
See Section 6 — “Price Range of Shares;
Dividends.”
What is
the
“Top-Up
Option” and when will it be exercised?
Under the Merger Agreement, if we do not acquire at least 90% of
the outstanding Shares in the Offer after our acceptance of, and
payment for Shares pursuant to the Offer, we have the option,
subject to certain limitations, to purchase from GenTek up to a
number of additional Shares sufficient to cause us (including
any of our subsidiaries) to own one share more than 90% of the
Shares then outstanding at a price per Share equal to the Offer
Price to enable us to effect a short-form merger. We
may exercise this right after the Acceptance Date if the Minimum
Condition has been satisfied. We refer to this option as the
“Top-Up
Option.”
Will I
have appraisal rights in connection with the Offer?
No appraisal rights will be available to you in connection with
the Offer. However, if we accept Shares in the Offer,
stockholders will be entitled to appraisal rights in connection
with the Merger if they do not tender Shares in the Offer and do
not vote in favor of the Merger, subject to and in accordance
with Delaware law. Stockholders must properly perfect their
right to seek appraisal under Delaware law in connection with
the Merger in order to exercise appraisal rights.
See Section 17 — “Appraisal Rights.”
What will
happen to my employee stock options in the Offer?
The Offer is made only for Shares and is not made for any
employee stock options to purchase Shares that were granted
under any GenTek stock plan (“Options”). Pursuant to
the Merger Agreement, each Option (vested or unvested) having an
exercise price per share that is less than the Offer Price and
that is outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of
the Merger will be cancelled and terminated and converted at
that time into the right to receive an amount in cash, without
interest
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and less any applicable withholding taxes, equal to the excess
of the Offer Price over the per Share exercise price of the
Option for each Share subject to the Option. See
Section 11 — “The Merger Agreement; Other
Agreements — GenTek Stock Options.”
What will
happen to my warrants in the Offer?
The Offer is made only for Shares and is not made for any
warrants to purchase Shares. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement,
each warrant to purchase shares that is issued, unexpired and
unexercised immediately prior to the effective time of the
Merger and not terminated pursuant to its terms in connection
with the Merger (the “Warrants”), will entitle the
holder to receive a payment in cash, less any applicable
withholding taxes, equal to the excess of the Offer Price over
the per Share exercise price previously subject to such Warrant
for each Share previously subject to such Warrant. See
Section 11 — “The Merger Agreement; Other
Agreements — GenTek Warrants.”
What are
the material United States federal income tax consequences of
tendering Shares?
The receipt of cash in exchange for your Shares in the Offer or
the Merger will be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal
income tax purposes and may also be a taxable transaction under
applicable state, local or foreign income or other tax laws. In
general, you will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount
equal to the difference between the amount of cash you receive
and your adjusted tax basis in the Shares sold pursuant to the
Offer or exchanged for cash pursuant to the Merger. This capital
gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have
held the Shares for more than one year as of the date of your
sale or exchange of the Shares pursuant to the Offer or the
Merger. See Section 5 — “Certain United
States Federal Income Tax Consequences” for a more detailed
discussion of the tax treatment of the Offer.
We urge you to consult with your own tax advisor as to the
particular tax consequences to you of the Offer and the
Merger.
Who
should I call if I have questions about the Offer?
You may call MacKenzie Partners, Inc. at
(000) 000-0000
(Toll Free) or KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. at
(000) 000-0000
(Toll Free). MacKenzie Partners, Inc. is acting as the
information agent (the “Information Agent”) and
KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. is acting as the dealer manager
(the “Dealer Manager”) for our tender offer. See the
back cover of this Offer to Purchase for additional contact
information.
S-vi
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To the Holders of Shares of
Common Stock of GenTek Inc.:
INTRODUCTION
We, ASP GT Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (the
“Purchaser”) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASP GT
Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), are
offering to purchase all outstanding shares of common stock, no
par value (the “Shares”), of GenTek Inc., a Delaware
corporation (“GenTek” or the “Company”), at
a price of $38.00 per Share (the “Offer Price”), net
to the seller in cash, without interest thereon and less any
applicable withholding taxes, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions set forth in this Offer to Purchase and in the
related Letter of Transmittal (which collectively, as each may
be amended or supplemented from time to time, constitute the
“Offer”).
We are making the Offer pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of
Merger, dated as of September 28, 2009 (as it may be
amended from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), by
and among Parent, the Purchaser and GenTek. The Merger Agreement
provides, among other things, for the making of the Offer and
also provides that following the consummation of the Offer and
subject to certain conditions, the Purchaser will be merged with
and into GenTek (the “Merger”) with GenTek continuing
as the surviving corporation, wholly-owned by Parent. Pursuant
to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger
(the “Effective Time”), each Share outstanding
immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than Shares held
(i) in the treasury of GenTek or by GenTek’s
subsidiaries, Parent or the Purchaser, which Shares shall be
cancelled and shall cease to exist or (ii) by stockholders
who validly exercise their appraisal rights in connection with
the Merger as described in Section 17 —
“Appraisal Rights”) will be cancelled and converted
into the right to receive an amount in cash equal to the Offer
Price, without interest thereon and less any applicable
withholding taxes. The Merger Agreement is more fully described
in Section 11 — “The Merger Agreement; Other
Agreements” which also contains a discussion of the
treatment of stock options, warrants and restricted stock.
Tendering stockholders who are record owners of their Shares and
who tender directly to the Depositary (as defined below) will
not be obligated to pay brokerage fees or commissions or, except
as otherwise provided in Instruction 6 of the Letter of
Transmittal, stock transfer taxes with respect to the purchase
of Shares by the Purchaser pursuant to the Offer. Stockholders
who hold their Shares through a broker, banker or other nominee
should consult such institution as to whether it charges any
service fees or commissions.
The GenTek Board of Directors (the “GenTek Board”),
among other things, has unanimously (i) determined that the
Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, are
fair to, and in the best interests of, GenTek and the
stockholders of GenTek, (ii) duly approved and declared
advisable the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated
thereby, including the Merger and the Offer, and
(iii) recommended that the stockholders of GenTek accept
the Offer, tender their Shares to the Purchaser pursuant to the
Offer and, if required by applicable law, adopt the Merger
Agreement and approve the Merger.
The Offer is conditioned upon, among other things, (i) the
satisfaction of the Minimum Condition (as described below),
(ii) the expiration or termination of all statutory waiting
periods (and any extensions thereof) applicable to the Offer
under the
Xxxx-Xxxxx-Xxxxxx
Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR
Act”) (the “HSR Condition”), and (iii) the
receipt of any other required governmental approvals, the lapse
of any waiting periods (or extensions thereof) and the making of
any mandated filings, either unconditionally or on terms
reasonably satisfactory to Parent (the “Governmental
Approval Condition”). The Minimum Condition requires that
the number of Shares that has been validly tendered and not
properly withdrawn prior to the expiration of the Offer together
with the number of Shares (if any) then owned of record by
Parent or the Purchaser or with respect to which Parent or the
Purchaser otherwise has, directly or indirectly, sole voting
power, represents at least a majority of the Shares then
outstanding (determined on a fully diluted basis) and no less
than a majority of the voting power of the shares of capital
stock of GenTek then outstanding (determined on a fully diluted
basis) and entitled to vote in the election of directors or (if
a greater majority) upon the adoption of the Merger Agreement
and approval of the Merger. The Offer also is subject to other
conditions set forth in this Offer to Purchase. See
Section 15 — “Certain Conditions of the
Offer.”
GenTek has advised Parent that Moelis & Company,
(“Moelis”), XxxXxx’s financial advisor, rendered
its opinion to GenTek’s Board to the effect that, as of
September 28, 2009 and based upon and subject to the
factors and assumptions set forth therein, the Offer Price to be
received by the holders of Shares in the Offer and the Merger
was fair from a financial point of view to such holders. The
full text of the written opinion of Xxxxxx, dated as of
September 28, 2009, which sets forth the
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assumptions made, procedures followed, matters considered and
limitations on the review undertaken in connection with such
opinion, will be attached as an annex to GenTek’s
Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on
Schedule 14D-9
to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”) which will be mailed to GenTek’s
stockholders by GenTek. Moelis provided its opinion for the
information and assistance of XxxXxx’s Board in connection
with its consideration of the Offer and the Merger. The opinion
of Xxxxxx does not constitute a recommendation as to whether or
not you should tender Shares in connection with the Offer or how
you should vote with respect to the adoption of the Merger
Agreement or any other matter.
Consummation of the Merger is conditioned upon, among other
things, the adoption of the Merger Agreement by the requisite
vote of stockholders of GenTek, if required by Delaware law.
Under Delaware law, the affirmative vote of a majority of the
outstanding Shares is the only vote of any class or series of
GenTek’s capital stock that would be necessary to adopt the
Merger Agreement at any required meeting of GenTek’s
stockholders. If we accept and purchase Shares in the Offer, we
will have sufficient voting power to approve the Merger without
the affirmative vote of any other stockholder of GenTek. In
addition, Delaware law provides that if a corporation owns at
least 90% of the outstanding shares of each class of stock of a
subsidiary corporation entitled to vote on a merger, the
corporation holding such stock may merge such subsidiary into
itself, or itself into such subsidiary, without any action or
vote on the part of the board of directors or the stockholders
of such other corporation. Under the Merger Agreement, if, after
the expiration of the Offer or the expiration of any subsequent
offering period, the Purchaser owns at least 90% of the
outstanding Shares (including Shares issued pursuant to the
Top-Up
Option), Parent and GenTek are required to take all necessary
and appropriate action to cause the Merger to become effective,
without a meeting of the holders of Shares, in accordance with
Section 253 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (as
amended, the “DGCL”).
This Offer to Purchase and the related Letter of Transmittal
contain important information that should be read carefully in
its entirety before any decision is made with respect to the
Offer.
THE
TENDER OFFER
1. | Terms of the Offer. |
The Purchaser is offering to purchase all of the outstanding
Shares of GenTek. According to XxxXxx, as of September 24,
2009, there were 10,196,370 Shares issued and outstanding
(including restricted stock), 461,691 Shares reserved and
available for issuance upon, or otherwise deliverable in
connection with, the exercise of outstanding options and
955,074 Shares reserved and available for issuance upon, or
otherwise deliverable in connection with, the exercise of
outstanding warrants.
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer
(including, if the Offer is extended or amended, the terms and
conditions of such extension or amendment), we will accept for
payment and promptly pay for all Shares validly tendered prior
to the Expiration Date and not properly withdrawn as permitted
under Section 4 — “Withdrawal Rights.”
The term “Expiration Date” means 12:00 midnight, New
York City time, at the end of Tuesday, October 27, 2009,
unless we, in accordance with the Merger Agreement, extend the
period during which the Offer is open, in which event the term
“Expiration Date” means the latest time and date at
which the Offer, as so extended, expires.
The Offer is conditioned upon, among other things, the
satisfaction of the Minimum Condition, the HSR Condition and the
other conditions described in Section 15 —
“Certain Conditions of the Offer.”
The Merger Agreement provides that we may, without the consent
of GenTek, (i) extend the Offer for one or more periods if,
at the Expiration Date, any condition of the Offer has not been
satisfied or waived, and (ii) if necessary to obtain
sufficient Shares such that Parent, the Purchaser, and their
respective subsidiaries shall then hold, in the aggregate, at
least 90% of the Shares (the “Short
Form Threshold”), choose to provide for a subsequent
offering period (and one or more extensions thereof) of up to 20
business days in accordance with
Rule 14d-11
promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the “Exchange Act”), following the time for
acceptance of the tendered Shares (the “Acceptance
Date”). In addition, if, on or prior to the initial
expiration date, the Minimum Condition, the HSR Condition or the
Governmental Approval Condition has not been satisfied or waived
by Parent or the Purchaser, then, to the extent requested in
writing by GenTek no less than two business days prior to the
scheduled expiration date, we must extend the Offer for up to
two periods each of 20 business days or less, to permit such
conditions of the Offer to be satisfied; provided that we will
not be required to extend the offer beyond December 31,
2009 (the “Initial Outside Date”) if any condition to
the Offer has not been satisfied by the Initial Outside Date,
unless on that date (i) all of the conditions to the Offer
have been satisfied or waived by us, but the HSR Condition
and/or the
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Government Approval Condition has not been satisfied or
(ii) we or GenTek or our respective counsel have received
comments from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“SEC”) or its staff that remain unresolved, or, if
resolved, require the Expiration Date of the Offer to be
extended, in which case the Initial Outside Date will be
automatically extended to January 31, 2010 (the
“Extended Outside Date”). Under the Merger Agreement,
we will also extend the Offer for any period required by any
rule, regulation, interpretation or position of the SEC or its
staff or Nasdaq that is applicable to the Offer.
We have agreed in the Merger Agreement that, without the consent
of GenTek, we will not (i) decrease the Offer Price,
(ii) change the form of consideration payable in the Offer,
(iii) reduce the maximum number of Shares to be purchased
in the Offer, (iv) amend or waive the Minimum Condition,
(v) amend any of the other conditions and requirements to
the Offer in a manner adverse to the holders of Shares or GenTek
or (vi) extend the Expiration Date in a manner other than
in accordance with the Merger Agreement.
If we extend the Offer, are delayed in our acceptance for
payment of or payment (whether before or after our acceptance
for payment for Shares) for Shares or are unable to accept
Shares for payment pursuant to the Offer for any reason, then,
without prejudice to our rights under the Offer, the Depositary
may retain tendered Shares on our behalf, and such Shares may
not be withdrawn except to the extent that tendering
stockholders are entitled to withdrawal rights as described
herein under Section 4 — “Withdrawal
Rights.” However, our ability to delay the payment for
Shares that we have accepted for payment is limited by
Rule 14e-1(c)
under the Exchange Act, which requires us to pay the
consideration offered or return the securities deposited by or
on behalf of stockholders promptly after the termination or
withdrawal of the Offer.
Except as set forth above, and subject to the applicable rules
and regulations of the SEC, we expressly reserve the right to
waive any condition to the Offer (other than the Minimum
Condition, which may not be waived without GenTek’s prior
consent), increase the Offer Price
and/or
modify the other terms of the Offer. Any extension, delay,
termination or amendment of the Offer will be followed as
promptly as practicable by public announcement thereof, and such
announcement in the case of an extension will be made no later
than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the next business
day after the previously scheduled Expiration Date. Without
limiting the manner in which we may choose to make any public
announcement, we currently intend to make announcements
regarding the Offer by issuing a press release and making any
appropriate filing with the SEC.
If we make a material change in the terms of the Offer or the
information concerning the Offer or if we waive a material
condition of the Offer, we will disseminate additional tender
offer materials and extend the Offer if and to the extent
required by
Rules 14d-4(d)(1),
14d-6(c) and
14e-1 under
the Exchange Act. The minimum period during which an offer must
remain open following material changes in the terms of the Offer
or information concerning the Offer, other than a change in
price or a change in percentage of securities sought, will
depend upon the facts and circumstances, including the relative
materiality of the terms or information changes. In the
SEC’s view, an offer should remain open for a minimum of
five business days from the date the material change is first
published, sent or given to stockholders, and with respect to a
change in price or a change in percentage of securities sought,
a minimum 10 business day period generally is required to allow
for adequate dissemination to stockholders and investor response.
If, on or before the Expiration Date, we increase the
consideration being paid for Shares accepted for payment in the
Offer, such increased consideration will be paid to all
stockholders whose Shares are purchased in the Offer, whether or
not such Shares were tendered before the announcement of the
increase in consideration.
We expressly reserve the right, in our sole discretion, subject
to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement and the
applicable rules and regulations of the SEC, not to accept for
payment any Shares if, at the expiration of the Offer, any of
the conditions to the Offer have not been satisfied or upon the
occurrence of any of the events set forth in Section 15
— “Certain Conditions of the Offer.” Under
certain circumstances, we may terminate the Merger Agreement and
the Offer.
After the expiration of the Offer and acceptance of the Shares
tendered in, and not withdrawn from, the Offer, we may decide
pursuant to the Merger Agreement to provide one or more
subsequent offering periods. A subsequent offering period, if
included, will be an additional period of not less than three
business days and up to 20 business days beginning on the next
business day following the Expiration Date, during which any
remaining stockholders may tender, but not withdraw, their
Shares and receive the Offer Price. If we include a subsequent
offering period, we will immediately accept and promptly pay for
all Shares that were validly tendered during the initial
offering period. During a subsequent offering period, tendering
stockholders will not have withdrawal rights, and we will
immediately accept and promptly pay for any Shares tendered
during the subsequent offering period.
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Other than as may be required by the terms of the Merger
Agreement, we do not currently intend to provide a subsequent
offering period for the Offer, although we reserve the right to
do so. If we elect to provide or extend any subsequent offering
period, a public announcement of such inclusion or extension
will be made no later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time,
on the next business day following the Expiration Date or date
of termination of any prior subsequent offering period.
Under the Merger Agreement, if we do not acquire at least 90% of
the outstanding Shares in the Offer after our acceptance of, and
payment for, Shares pursuant to the Offer, we have the option
(the
“Top-Up
Option”), exercisable upon the terms and conditions set
forth in the Merger Agreement, to purchase from GenTek up to
that number of Shares equal to a number of Shares that, when
added to the number of Shares directly or indirectly owned by
Parent or the Purchaser at the time of such exercise, will
constitute one Share more than 90% of the Shares outstanding
immediately after exercise of the
Top-Up
Option at a price per Share equal to the Offer Price. We may
exercise the
Top-Up
Option after the Acceptance Date if the Minimum Condition has
been satisfied.
GenTek has provided us with GenTek’s stockholder list and
security position listings for the purpose of disseminating the
Offer to holders of Shares. This Offer to Purchase and the
related Letter of Transmittal will be mailed to record holders
of Shares whose names appear on GenTek’s stockholder list
and will be furnished, for subsequent transmittal to beneficial
owners of Shares, to brokers, dealers, commercial banks, trust
companies and similar persons whose names, or the names of whose
nominees, appear on the stockholder list or, if applicable, who
are listed as participants in a clearing agency’s security
position listing.
2. | Acceptance for Payment and Payment for Shares. |
Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all the conditions to
the Offer set forth in Section 15 — “Certain
Conditions of the Offer,” we will accept for payment and
promptly pay for Shares validly tendered and not withdrawn
pursuant to the Offer on or after the Expiration Date. If we
commence a subsequent offering period in connection with the
Offer, we will immediately accept for payment and promptly pay
for all additional Shares tendered during such subsequent
offering period, subject to and in compliance with the
requirements of
Rule 14d-11(e)
under the Exchange Act. Subject to compliance with
Rule 14e-1(c)
under the Exchange Act, we expressly reserve the right to delay
payment for Shares in order to comply in whole or in part with
any applicable law, including, without limitation, the HSR Act
and any other applicable foreign antitrust, competition or
merger control laws. See Section 16 —
“Certain Legal Matters; Regulatory Approvals.”
In all cases, we will pay for Shares accepted for payment
pursuant to the Offer only after timely receipt by the
Depositary of (i) the certificates evidencing such Shares
(the “Share Certificates”) or confirmation of a
book-entry transfer of such Shares (a “Book-Entry
Confirmation”) into the Depositary’s account at The
Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) pursuant to the
procedures set forth in Section 3 —
“Procedures for Accepting the Offer and Tendering
Shares,” (ii) the Letter of Transmittal (or a manually
signed facsimile thereof), properly completed and duly executed,
with any required signature guarantees or, in the case of a
book-entry transfer, an Agent’s Message (as defined below)
in lieu of the Letter of Transmittal and (iii) any other
documents required by the Letter of Transmittal. Accordingly,
tendering stockholders may be paid at different times depending
upon when Share Certificates or Book-Entry Confirmations with
respect to Shares are actually received by the Depositary.
The term “Agent’s Message” means a message,
transmitted by DTC to and received by the Depositary and forming
a part of a Book-Entry Confirmation, that states that DTC has
received an express acknowledgment from the participant in DTC
tendering the Shares that are the subject of such Book-Entry
Confirmation, that such participant has received and agrees to
be bound by the terms of the Letter of Transmittal and that the
Purchaser may enforce such agreement against such participant.
For purposes of the Offer, we will be deemed to have accepted
for payment, and thereby purchased, Shares validly tendered and
not withdrawn as, if and when we give oral or written notice to
the Depositary of our acceptance for payment of such Shares
pursuant to the Offer. Upon the terms and subject to the
conditions of the Offer, payment for Shares accepted for payment
pursuant to the Offer will be made by deposit of the Offer Price
for such Shares with the Depositary, which will act as agent for
tendering stockholders for the purpose of receiving payments
from us and transmitting such payments to tendering stockholders
whose Shares have been accepted for payment. If we extend the
Offer, are delayed in our acceptance for payment of Shares or
are unable to accept Shares for payment pursuant to the Offer
for any reason, then, without prejudice to our rights under the
Offer, the Depositary may retain tendered Shares on our behalf,
and such Shares may not be withdrawn except to the extent that
tendering stockholders are entitled to withdrawal rights as
described herein under Section 4 —
“Withdrawal Rights” and as otherwise required by
Rule 14e-1(c)
under the Exchange Act. Under no circumstances will we pay
interest on the purchase price for Shares by reason of any
extension of the Offer or any delay in making such payment.
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If any tendered Shares are not accepted for payment for any
reason pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Offer, or if
Share Certificates are submitted evidencing more Shares than are
tendered, Share Certificates evidencing unpurchased Shares will
be returned, without expense to the tendering stockholder (or,
in the case of Shares tendered by book-entry transfer into the
Depositary’s account at DTC pursuant to the procedure set
forth in Section 3 — “Procedures for
Accepting the Offer and Tendering Shares,” such Shares will
be credited to an account maintained at DTC), as promptly as
practicable following the expiration or termination of the Offer.
3. | Procedures for Accepting the Offer and Tendering Shares. |
Valid Tenders. In order for a stockholder to
validly tender Shares pursuant to the Offer, either (i) the
Letter of Transmittal (or a manually signed facsimile thereof),
properly completed and duly executed, together with any required
signature guarantees (or, in the case of a book-entry transfer,
an Agent’s Message in lieu of the Letter of Transmittal)
and any other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal
must be received by the Depositary at one of its addresses set
forth on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase and either
(A) the Share Certificates evidencing tendered Shares must
be received by the Depositary at such address or (B) such
Shares must be tendered pursuant to the procedure for book-entry
transfer described below and a Book-Entry Confirmation must be
received by the Depositary, in each case prior to the Expiration
Date or (ii) the tendering stockholder must comply with the
guaranteed delivery procedures described below under
“Guaranteed Delivery.”
Book-Entry Transfer. The Depositary will
establish an account with respect to the Shares at DTC for
purposes of the Offer within two business days after the date of
this Offer to Purchase. Any financial institution that is a
participant in the system of DTC may make a book-entry delivery
of Shares by causing DTC to transfer such Shares into the
Depositary’s account at DTC in accordance with DTC’s
procedures for such transfer. However, although delivery of
Shares may be effected through book-entry transfer at DTC,
either the Letter of Transmittal (or a manually signed facsimile
thereof), properly completed and duly executed, together with
any required signature guarantees, or an Agent’s Message in
lieu of the Letter of Transmittal, and any other required
documents, must, in any case, be received by the Depositary at
one of its addresses set forth on the back cover of this Offer
to Purchase prior to the Expiration Date, or the tendering
stockholder must comply with the guaranteed delivery procedure
described below. Delivery of documents to DTC does not
constitute delivery to the Depositary.
Signature Guarantees. No signature guarantee
is required on the Letter of Transmittal (i) if the Letter
of Transmittal is signed by the registered holder(s) (which
term, for purposes of this Section 3, includes any
participant in DTC’s systems whose name appears on a
security position listing as the owner of the Shares) of the
Shares tendered therewith, unless such holder has completed
either the box entitled “Special Delivery
Instructions” or the box entitled “Special Payment
Instructions” on the Letter of Transmittal or (ii) if
the Shares are tendered for the account of a financial
institution (including most commercial banks, savings and loan
associations and brokerage houses) that is a member in
goodstanding in the Security Transfer Agents Medallion Program
or any other “eligible guarantor institution,” as such
term is defined in
Rule 17Ad-15
of the Exchange Act (each an “Eligible Institution”
and collectively “Eligible Institutions”). In all
other cases, all signatures on a Letter of Transmittal must be
guaranteed by an Eligible Institution. See Instruction 1 of
the Letter of Transmittal. If a Share Certificate is registered
in the name of a person or persons other than the signer of the
Letter of Transmittal, or if payment is to be made or delivered
to, or a Share Certificate not accepted for payment or not
tendered is to be issued in, the name(s) of a person other than
the registered holder(s), then the Share Certificate must be
endorsed or accompanied by appropriate duly executed stock
powers, in either case signed exactly as the name(s) of the
registered holder(s) appear on the Share Certificate, with the
signature(s) on such Share Certificate or stock powers
guaranteed by an Eligible Institution as provided in the Letter
of Transmittal. See Instructions 1 and 5 of the Letter of
Transmittal.
Guaranteed Delivery. If a stockholder desires
to tender Shares pursuant to the Offer and the Share
certificates evidencing such stockholder’s Shares are not
immediately available or such stockholder cannot deliver the
Share Certificates and all other required documents to the
Depositary prior to the Expiration Date, or such stockholder
cannot complete the procedure for delivery by book-entry
transfer on a timely basis, such Shares may nevertheless be
tendered, provided that all of the following conditions are
satisfied:
• | such tender is made by or through an Eligible Institution; | |
• | a properly completed and duly executed Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, substantially in the form made available by us, is received prior to the Expiration Date by the Depositary as provided below; and |
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• | the Share Certificates (or a Book-Entry Confirmation) evidencing all tendered Shares, in proper form for transfer, in each case together with the Letter of Transmittal (or a manually signed facsimile thereof), properly completed and duly executed, with any required signature guarantees (or, in the case of a book-entry transfer, an Agent’s Message), and any other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal are received by the Depositary within three trading days after the date of execution of such Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. |
The Notice of Guaranteed Delivery may be delivered by hand or
transmitted by manually signed facsimile transmission or mailed
to the Depositary and must include a guarantee by an Eligible
Institution in the form set forth in the form of Notice of
Guaranteed Delivery made available by the Purchaser.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Offer, payment for
Shares accepted pursuant to the Offer will in all cases only be
made after timely receipt by the Depositary of
(i) certificates evidencing such Shares or a Book-Entry
Confirmation of a book-entry transfer of such Shares into the
Depositary’s account at DTC pursuant to the procedures set
forth in this Section 3, (ii) the Letter of
Transmittal (or a manually signed facsimile thereof), properly
completed and duly executed, with any required signature
guarantees or, in the case of a book-entry transfer, an
Agent’s Message in lieu of the Letter of Transmittal and
(iii) any other documents required by the Letter of
Transmittal. Accordingly, tendering stockholders may be paid at
different times depending upon when Share Certificates or
Book-Entry Confirmations with respect to Shares are actually
received by the Depositary.
The method of delivery of Shares, the Letter of Transmittal
and all other required documents, including delivery through
DTC, is at the option and risk of the tendering stockholder, and
the delivery of all such documents will be deemed made only when
actually received by the Depositary (including, in the case of a
book-entry transfer, receipt of a Book-Entry Confirmation). If
delivery is by mail, registered mail with return receipt
requested, properly insured, is recommended. In all cases,
sufficient time should be allowed to ensure timely delivery.
The tender of Shares pursuant to any one of the procedures
described above will constitute the tendering stockholder’s
acceptance of the Offer, as well as the tendering
stockholder’s representation and warranty that such
stockholder has the full power and authority to tender and
assign the Shares tendered, as specified in the Letter of
Transmittal. Our acceptance for payment of Shares tendered
pursuant to the Offer will constitute a binding agreement
between the tendering stockholder and us upon the terms and
subject to the conditions of the Offer.
Determination of Validity. All questions as to
the validity, form, eligibility (including time of receipt) and
acceptance for payment of any tender of Shares will be
determined by us, in our sole discretion, which determination
shall be final and binding on all parties. We reserve the
absolute right to reject any and all tenders determined by us
not to be in proper form or the acceptance for payment of which
may, in the opinion of our counsel, be unlawful. We also reserve
the absolute right to waive any defect or irregularity in the
tender of any Shares of any particular stockholder, whether or
not similar defects or irregularities are waived in the case of
other stockholders. No tender of Shares will be deemed to have
been validly made until all defects and irregularities have been
cured or waived to our satisfaction. None of the Purchaser, the
Depositary, the Dealer Manager, the Information Agent or any
other person will be under any duty to give notification of any
defects or irregularities in tenders or incur any liability for
failure to give any such notification. Our interpretation of the
terms and conditions of the Offer (including the Letter of
Transmittal and the instructions thereto) will be final and
binding.
Appointment. By executing the Letter of
Transmittal as set forth above, the tendering stockholder will
irrevocably appoint designees of the Purchaser as such
stockholder’s attorneys-in-fact and proxies in the manner
set forth in the Letter of Transmittal, each with full power of
substitution, to the full extent of such stockholder’s
rights with respect to the Shares tendered by such stockholder
and accepted for payment by the Purchaser and with respect to
any and all other Shares or other securities or rights issued or
issuable in respect of such Shares. All such powers of attorney
and proxies will be considered irrevocable and coupled with an
interest in the tendered Shares. Such appointment will be
effective when, and only to the extent that, we accept for
payment Shares tendered by such stockholder as provided herein.
Upon such appointment, all prior powers of attorney, proxies and
consents given by such stockholder with respect to such Shares
or other securities or rights will, without further action, be
revoked and no subsequent powers of attorney, proxies, consents
or revocations may be given by such stockholder (and, if given,
will not be deemed effective). The designees of the Purchaser
will thereby be empowered to exercise all voting and other
rights with respect to such Shares and other securities or
rights, including, without limitation, in respect of any annual,
special or adjourned meeting of GenTek’s stockholders,
actions by written consent in lieu of any such meeting or
otherwise, as they in their sole discretion deem proper. We
reserve the right to require that, in order for Shares to be
deemed validly tendered, immediately upon our acceptance for
payment of such Shares, the Purchaser must be able to exercise
full
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voting, consent and other rights with respect to such Shares and
other related securities or rights, including voting at any
meeting of stockholders.
Information Reporting and Backup
Withholding. Payments made to stockholders of
GenTek in the Offer or the Merger generally will be subject to
information reporting and may be subject to backup withholding
(currently at a rate of 28%). To avoid backup withholding,
stockholders that do not otherwise establish an exemption should
complete and return the
Form W-9
included in the Letter of Transmittal, certifying that such
stockholder is a U.S. person, the taxpayer identification
number provided is correct, and that such stockholder is not
subject to backup withholding. Certain stockholders (including
corporations) generally are not subject to backup withholding.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts
withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a
refund or a credit against a U.S. Holder’s
U.S. federal income tax liability provided the required
information is timely furnished to the IRS.
4. | Withdrawal Rights. |
Except as otherwise provided in this Section 4, tenders of
Shares made pursuant to the Offer are irrevocable.
Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer may be withdrawn at any
time prior to the Expiration Date and, unless theretofore
accepted for payment by the Purchaser pursuant to the Offer, may
also be withdrawn at any time after November 27, 2009.
For a withdrawal to be effective, a written, telegraphic or
facsimile transmission notice of withdrawal must be timely
received by the Depositary at one of its addresses set forth on
the back cover page of this Offer to Purchase. Any such notice
of withdrawal must specify the name of the person who tendered
the Shares to be withdrawn, the number of Shares to be withdrawn
and the name of the registered holder of such Shares, if
different from that of the person who tendered such Shares. If
Share certificates evidencing Shares to be withdrawn have been
delivered or otherwise identified to the Depositary, then, prior
to the physical release of such Share certificates, the serial
numbers shown on such Share certificates must be submitted to
the Depositary and the signature(s) on the notice of withdrawal
must be guaranteed by an Eligible Institution, unless such
Shares have been tendered for the account of an Eligible
Institution. If Shares have been tendered pursuant to the
procedure for book-entry transfer as set forth in
Section 3 — “Procedures for Accepting the
Offer and Tendering Shares,” any notice of withdrawal must
also specify the name and number of the account at DTC to be
credited with the withdrawn Shares.
Withdrawals of Shares may not be rescinded. Any Shares properly
withdrawn will thereafter be deemed not to have been validly
tendered for purposes of the Offer. However, withdrawn Shares
may be re-tendered by again following one of the procedures
described in Section 3 — “Procedures for
Accepting the Offer and Tendering Shares” at any time prior
to the Expiration Date.
No withdrawal rights will apply to Shares tendered during a
subsequent offering period and no withdrawal rights apply during
the subsequent offering period with respect to Shares tendered
in the Offer and accepted for payment. See
Section 1 — “Terms of the Offer.”
We will determine, in our sole discretion, all questions as
to the form and validity (including time of receipt) of any
notice of withdrawal and our determination will be final and
binding. None of the Purchaser, the Depositary, the Dealer
Manager, the Information Agent or any other person will be under
any duty to give notification of any defects or irregularities
in any notice of withdrawal or incur any liability for failure
to give any such notification.
5. | Certain United States Federal Income Tax Consequences. |
The following is a summary of certain United States federal
income tax consequences of the Offer and the Merger to
stockholders of GenTek whose Shares are tendered and accepted
for payment pursuant to the Offer or whose Shares are converted
into the right to receive cash in the Merger. The summary is for
general information only and does not purport to consider all
aspects of United States federal income taxation that might be
relevant to stockholders of GenTek. The summary is based on
current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the “Code”), existing, proposed and temporary
regulations thereunder and administrative and judicial
interpretations thereof, all of which are subject to change,
possibly with retroactive effect. The summary applies only to
stockholders of GenTek in whose hands Shares are capital assets
within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code. This
summary does not address foreign, state or local tax
consequences of the Offer or the Merger, nor does it purport to
address the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the
transactions to stockholders who will actually or constructively
(under the rules of Section 318 of the Code) own any stock
of GenTek following the Offer and the Merger or to special
classes of taxpayers (e.g., foreign taxpayers, small
business investment companies, regulated investment
7
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companies, real estate investment trusts, controlled foreign
corporations, passive foreign investment companies, banks and
certain other financial institutions, insurance companies,
tax-exempt organizations, retirement plans, shareholders that
are, or hold Shares through, partnerships or other pass-through
entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes,
U.S. persons whose functional currency is not the
U.S. dollar, dealers in securities or foreign currency,
traders that
mark-to-market
their securities, expatriates and former long-term residents of
the United States, persons subject to the alternative minimum
tax, and shareholders holding Shares that are part of a
straddle, hedging, constructive sale or conversion transaction
or who received Shares under GenTek’s Amended and Restated
2003 Management and Directors Incentive Plan or pursuant to the
exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as
compensation). In addition, this summary does not address
U.S. federal taxes other than income taxes. This summary
assumes that the Shares are not United States real property
interests within the meaning of Section 897 of the Code.
Because individual circumstances may differ, each stockholder
should consult its, his or her own tax advisor to determine the
applicability of the rules discussed below and the particular
tax effects of the Offer and the Merger on a beneficial holder
of Shares, including the application and effect of the
alternative minimum tax and any state, local and foreign tax
laws and of changes in such laws.
The exchange of Shares for cash pursuant to the Offer or the
Merger will be a taxable transaction for United States
federal income tax purposes. In general, a stockholder who sells
Shares pursuant to the Offer or receives cash in exchange for
Shares pursuant to the Merger will recognize gain or loss for
United States federal income tax purposes in an amount equal to
the difference, if any, between the amount of cash received
(determined before the deduction of any withholding tax) and the
stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in the Shares sold
pursuant to the Offer or exchanged for cash pursuant to the
Merger. Gain or loss will be determined separately for each
block of Shares (that is, Shares acquired at the same cost in a
single transaction) tendered pursuant to the Offer or exchanged
for cash pursuant to the Merger. Such gain or loss will be
long-term capital gain or loss provided that a
stockholder’s holding period for such Shares is more than
one year at the time of consummation of the Offer or the Merger,
as the case may be. Capital gains recognized by an individual
upon a disposition of a Share that has been held for more than
one year generally will be subject to a maximum United States
federal income tax rate of 15%. In the case of a Share that has
been held for one year or less, such capital gains generally
will be subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates. Certain
limitations apply to the use of a stockholder’s capital
losses.
A stockholder whose Shares are purchased in the Offer or
exchanged for cash pursuant to the Merger is subject to
information reporting and may be subject to backup withholding
unless certain information is provided to the Depositary or an
exemption applies. See Section 3 —
“Procedures for Accepting the Offer and Tendering
Shares.”
6. | Price Range of Shares; Dividends. |
The Shares currently trade on the NASDAQ Global Market
(“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “GETI.”
According to XxxXxx, as of September 24, 2009, there were
10,196,370 Shares issued and outstanding,
461,691 Shares reserved and available for issuance upon, or
otherwise deliverable in connection with, the exercise of
outstanding options and 955,074 Shares reserved and
available for issuance upon, or otherwise deliverable in
connection with, the exercise of outstanding warrants.
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The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the
high and low sale prices per Share for each quarterly period
within the three preceding fiscal years, as reported by Nasdaq
based on published financial sources.
High | Low | |||||||
Year Ended December 31, 2007
|
||||||||
First Quarter
|
$ | 38.00 | $ | 31.25 | ||||
Second Quarter
|
36.39 | 32.76 | ||||||
Third Quarter
|
36.53 | 28.14 | ||||||
Fourth Quarter
|
36.09 | 27.96 | ||||||
Year Ended December 31, 2008
|
||||||||
First Quarter
|
$ | 30.08 | $ | 25.62 | ||||
Second Quarter
|
33.15 | 26.89 | ||||||
Third Quarter
|
29.56 | 25.71 | ||||||
Fourth Quarter
|
25.56 | 14.35 | ||||||
Year Ended December 31, 2009
|
||||||||
First Quarter
|
$ | 20.36 | $ | 13.00 | ||||
Second Quarter
|
24.91 | 16.34 | ||||||
Third Quarter (through September 25, 2009)
|
29.19 | 20.06 |
On September 25, 2009, the last full day of trading before
the public announcement of the terms of the Offer and the
Merger, the reported closing sales price of the Shares on Nasdaq
was $27.00 per Share. On September 28, 2009, the last full
day of trading before the commencement of the Offer, the
reported closing sales price of the Shares on Nasdaq was $37.76
per Share. The Offer Price represents a premium of 40.2% over
GenTek’s volume weighted average share price for the 20
trading days immediately preceding the public announcement of
the Offer and the Merger and a premium of 40.7% over the closing
price on the last full day of trading before the public
announcement of the Offer and the Merger. GenTek has not
declared or paid a dividend in the past two years. According to
XxxXxx’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, XxxXxx
currently intends to retain its earnings for use in the
operation and expansion of its business and, therefore, it does
not anticipate paying regular cash dividends in the foreseeable
future. Additionally, GenTek’s credit facilities and the
Merger Agreement directly limit the ability of GenTek to
declare, set aside, make or pay any dividends. Stockholders
are urged to obtain a current market quotation for the
Shares.
7. | Certain Information Concerning GenTek. |
Except as specifically set forth herein, the information
concerning GenTek contained in this Offer to Purchase has been
taken from or is based upon information furnished by GenTek or
its representatives or upon publicly available documents and
records on file with the SEC and other public sources. The
summary information set forth below is qualified in its entirety
by reference to GenTek’s public filings with the SEC (which
may be obtained and inspected as described below) and should be
considered in conjunction with the more comprehensive financial
and other information in such reports and other publicly
available information. We have no knowledge that would indicate
that any statements contained herein based on such documents and
records are untrue. However, we do not assume any responsibility
for the accuracy or completeness of the information concerning
GenTek, whether furnished by GenTek or contained in such
documents and records, or for any failure by GenTek to disclose
events which may have occurred or which may affect the
significance or accuracy of any such information but which are
unknown to us.
General. GenTek is a Delaware corporation with
its principal offices located at 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxxxx 00000. The telephone number for GenTek is
(000) 000-0000.
The following description of GenTek and its business has been
taken from GenTek’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 and is
qualified in its entirety by reference to such
Form 10-K. GenTek
is a holding company whose subsidiaries manufacture industrial
components and performance chemicals. GenTek operates through
two primary business segments: (i) valve actuation systems
and (ii) performance chemicals. The valve actuation systems
segment provides precision engineered valve actuation systems
and components for gasoline and diesel engines. The performance
chemicals segment provides value-added chemical products to four
principal markets: water treatment, chemical processing,
pharmaceutical and food additives, and technology. GenTek’s
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products are frequently highly engineered and are important
components of, or provide critical attributes to, its
customers’ end products or operations.
Available Information. The Shares are
registered under the Exchange Act. Accordingly, GenTek is
subject to the information reporting requirements of the
Exchange Act and, in accordance therewith, is required to file
periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with
the SEC relating to its business, financial condition and other
matters. Information as of particular dates concerning
GenTek’s directors and officers, their remuneration, stock
options granted to them, the principal holders of GenTek’s
securities, any material interests of such persons in
transactions with GenTek and other matters is required to be
disclosed in proxy statements, the last one having been filed
with the SEC on March 30, 2009 and distributed to
GenTek’s stockholders. Such information also will be
available in GenTek’s Solicitation/Recommendation Statement
on
Schedule 14D-9
and the Information Statement annexed thereto. Such reports,
proxy statements and other information are available for
inspection at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at
000 X Xxxxxx, X.X., Xxxxxxxxxx, X.X. 00000.
Please call the SEC at
0-000-XXX-0000
for further information on the public reference room. Copies of
such information may be obtainable by mail, upon payment of the
SEC’s customary charges, by writing to the SEC at
000 X Xxxxxx, X.X., Xxxxxxxxxx, X.X.
00000-0213.
The SEC also maintains a web site on the Internet at
xxxx://xxx.xxx.xxx
that contains reports, proxy statements and other information
regarding registrants, including GenTek, that file
electronically with the SEC.
Financial Projections. In connection with our
due diligence review of GenTek, GenTek made available to us
certain non-public and financial information about GenTek,
including financial projections prepared by GenTek’s
management in September 2009 with respect to the fiscal years
ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
GenTek has advised us that its financial projections reflect
numerous estimates and assumptions with respect to industry
performance, general business, economic, regulatory, market and
financial conditions and other future events, as well as matters
specific to GenTek’s business, all of which are difficult
to predict and many of which are beyond GenTek’s control.
These financial projections are subjective in many respects and
thus are susceptible to multiple interpretations and periodic
revisions based on actual experience and business developments.
As such, these financial projections constitute forward-looking
information and are subject to risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from the results
forecasted in such projections, including the various risks set
forth in GenTek’s periodic reports. There can be no
assurance that the projected results will be realized or that
actual results will not be significantly higher or lower than
projected. The financial projections cover multiple years and
such information by its nature becomes less reliable with each
successive year.
GenTek has advised us that the financial projections were
prepared solely for internal use and not with a view toward
public disclosure or toward complying with generally accepted
accounting principles or “GAAP,” the published
guidelines of the SEC regarding projections or the guidelines
established by the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants for preparation and presentation of prospective
financial information. The financial projections included below
were prepared by, and are the responsibility of, XxxXxx’s
management. Neither GenTek’s independent registered public
accounting firm, nor any other independent accountants, have
compiled, examined or performed any procedures with respect to
the financial projections included below, nor have they
expressed any opinion or any other form of assurance on such
information or its achievability, and they assume no
responsibility for, and disclaim any association with, the
financial projections.
The inclusion of the financial projections herein will not be
deemed an admission or representation by GenTek or us that they
are viewed by GenTek or us as material information of GenTek.
The financial projections do not take into account any
circumstances or events occurring after the date they were
prepared, including the announcement of the acquisition of
GenTek by us pursuant to the Offer and the Merger. Further, the
financial projections do not take into account the effect of any
failure to occur of the Offer or the Merger and should not be
viewed as accurate or continuing in that context. GenTek has
neither updated or revised, nor intends to update or otherwise
revise, the financial projections to reflect circumstances
existing since their preparation or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events even in the event that any or all of the
underlying assumptions are shown to be in error.
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | ||||||||||
(in millions) | ||||||||||||
Sales
|
$ | 503 | $ | 462 | $ | 489 | ||||||
Net Income
|
$ | 67 | $ | 54 | $ | 49 | ||||||
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization*
|
$ | 147 | $ | 121 | $ | 116 |
* | Non-GAAP Measure |
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8. | Certain Information Concerning Parent and the Purchaser. |
The Purchaser is a Delaware corporation and to date has engaged
in no activities, and will engage in no activities, other than
those incident to its formation and the commencement of the
Offer and the Merger. The Purchaser is a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Parent. The office address of the Purchaser is
c/o American
Securities LLC, The Chrysler Center, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000. The telephone number at such office is
(000) 000-0000.
Parent is a Delaware corporation and to date has engaged in no
activities other than those incident to its formation and the
commencement of the Offer. The office address of the Parent is
c/o American
Securities LLC, The Chrysler Center, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000. The telephone number at such office is
(000) 000-0000.
Parent is beneficially owned by American Securities
Partners V, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, American
Securities Partners V(B), L.P., a Delaware limited partnership,
and American Securities Partners V(C), L.P., a Delaware limited
partnership (collectively, the “Sponsors”). The office
address of each Sponsor is
c/o American
Securities LLC, The Chrysler Center, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000. The telephone number at such office is
(000) 000-0000.
The Sponsors are private equity funds that invest in equity and
debt securities and other business opportunities.
Each Sponsor is controlled by its general partner, American
Securities Associates V, LLC (“GP”), a Delaware
limited liability company. The office address of GP is
c/o American
Securities LLC, The Chrysler Center, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000. The telephone number at such office is
(000) 000-0000.
GP serves as the general partner of each Sponsor and advises
each Sponsor on investment opportunities.
American Securities LLC (“Advisor”) is a Delaware
limited liability company that provides investment advisory
services to GP and the Sponsors. The office address of Advisor
is American Securities LLC, The Chrysler Center, 000 Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000. The telephone number at such
office is
(000) 000-0000.
We refer to the Purchaser, Parent, the Sponsors, GP, Advisor and
their respective subsidiaries and affiliates, collectively, as
“AS.”
The name, citizenship, business address, present principal
occupation or employment and five-year employment history of
each of the directors or managing members and executive officers
of the Purchaser, Parent, GP and Advisor are listed in
Schedule I to this Offer to Purchase.
During the last five years, none of AS or, to the best knowledge
of the Purchaser and Parent, any of the persons listed in
Schedule I to this Offer to Purchase (i) has been
convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations
or similar misdemeanors) or (ii) was a party to any
judicial or administrative proceeding (except for matters that
were dismissed without sanction or settlement) that resulted in
a judgment, decree or final order enjoining the person from
future violations of, or prohibiting activities subject to,
federal or state securities laws, or a finding of any violation
of such laws.
Except as described above or in Schedule I hereto,
(i) none of AS or, to the best knowledge of Parent and the
Purchaser, any of the persons listed in Schedule I to this
Offer to Purchase or any associate or majority-owned subsidiary
of Parent or the Purchaser or any of the persons so listed
beneficially owns or has any right to acquire, directly or
indirectly, any Shares and (ii) none of Parent, the
Purchaser or, to the best knowledge of Parent and the Purchaser,
any of the persons or entities referred to Schedule I
hereto nor any director, executive officer or subsidiary of any
of the foregoing has effected any transaction in the Shares
during the past 60 days.
Except as provided in the Merger Agreement or as otherwise
described in this Offer to Purchase, none of AS or, to the best
knowledge of Parent and the Purchaser, any of the persons listed
in Schedule I to this Offer to Purchase, has any contract,
arrangement, understanding or relationship with any other person
with respect to any securities of GenTek, including, but not
limited to, any contract, arrangement, understanding or
relationship concerning the transfer or voting of such
securities, finder’s fees, joint ventures, loan or option
arrangements, puts or calls, guarantees of loans, guarantees
against loss, guarantees of profits, division of profits or loss
or the giving or withholding of proxies.
Except as set forth in this Offer to Purchase, none of AS or, to
the best knowledge of Parent and the Purchaser, any of the
persons listed on Schedule I hereto, has had any business
relationship or transaction with GenTek or any of its executive
officers, directors or affiliates that is required to be
reported under the rules and regulations of the SEC applicable
to the Offer. Except as set forth in this Offer to Purchase,
there have been no contacts, negotiations or transactions
between Parent or any of its subsidiaries or, to the best
knowledge of Parent, any of the persons listed in
Schedule I to this Offer to Purchase, on the one hand, and
GenTek or its affiliates, on the other hand, concerning a
merger, consolidation or acquisition, tender offer or other
acquisition of securities, an election of directors or a sale or
other transfer of a material amount of assets during the past
two years.
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Available Information. Pursuant to
Rule 14d-3
under the Exchange Act, we have filed with the SEC a Tender
Offer Statement on Schedule TO (the
“Schedule TO”), of which this offer to purchase
forms a part, and exhibits to the Schedule TO. The
Schedule TO and the exhibits thereto, as well as other
information filed by the Purchaser with the SEC, are available
for inspection at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at
000 X Xxxxxx, X.X., Xxxxxxxxxx, X.X. 00000.
Please call the SEC at
0-000-XXX-0000
for further information on the public reference room. Copies of
such information may be obtainable by mail, upon payment of the
SEC’s customary charges, by writing to the SEC at
000 X Xxxxxx, X.X., Xxxxxxxxxx, X.X.
00000-0213.
The SEC also maintains a web site on the Internet at
xxxx://xxx.xxx.xxx
that contains the Schedule TO and the exhibits thereto and
other information that the Purchaser has filed electronically
with the SEC.
9. | Source and Amount of Funds. |
The Purchaser estimates that it will need approximately
$450 million to purchase all of the Shares pursuant to the
Offer and to consummate the Merger (which estimate includes
payment in respect of outstanding
in-the-money
options and warrants) and to pay related fees and expenses. The
Offer is not conditioned upon Parent’s or the
Purchaser’s ability to finance the purchase of Shares
pursuant to the Offer.
The Purchaser anticipates funding these payments with
(i) funds contributed by the Sponsors pursuant to an equity
commitment letter, dated September 28, 2009, by the
Sponsors (the “Equity Commitment Letter”);
(ii) funds borrowed under credit facilities committed
pursuant to a commitment letter, dated September 28, 2009,
by Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Credit Partners L.P., KeyBank National
Association, GE Capital Markets, Inc. and General Electric
Capital Corporation and (iii) certain cash on hand of
GenTek.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Parent and the Purchaser are
obligated to use their reasonable best efforts to obtain the
debt financing described below as promptly as practicable. In
the event that any portion of the debt financing expires or
terminates prior to the Merger, each of Parent and the Purchaser
is obligated to promptly arrange for alternative financing to
replace the debt financing contemplated by the debt commitment
letter.
No alternative financing arrangements or alternative financing
plans have been made in the event that the financing
arrangements described below are not available as anticipated.
Equity
Financing
The Sponsors will make equity contributions (expected to be in
excess of $270 million) to Parent and the Purchaser, which,
in addition to the expected $90 million of cash on hand of
GenTek, will be sufficient to fund the purchase of the Shares in
the Offer. The commitments pursuant to the Equity Commitment
Letter are generally subject to the satisfaction of all of the
conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement to the obligations
of Parent and the Purchaser to consummate the Offer. The
obligations of the Sponsors under the Equity Commitment Letter
are several but not joint. The obligation to fund the equity
commitment will terminate automatically upon the earlier of the
consummation of the Offer and the Merger and the termination of
the Merger Agreement in accordance with its terms. GenTek is a
third-party beneficiary of the Equity Commitment Letter but its
recourse to Parent, the Purchaser and the Sponsors is limited
solely to the Parent Termination Fee.
A copy of the Equity Commitment Letter has been filed as an
exhibit to the Schedule TO. Reference is made to such
exhibit for a more complete description of the terms and
conditions of the commitments, and such exhibit is incorporated
herein by reference.
Debt
Financing
The Purchaser has received a debt commitment letter, dated as of
September 28, 2009 (the “Debt Commitment
Letter”), from Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Credit Partners L.P.
(“Xxxxxxx Xxxxx”), KeyBank National Association
(together with any of its affiliates that may provide services
or perform obligations under the Debt Commitment Letter,
“KeyBank”), GE Capital Markets, Inc. and General
Electric Capital Corporation (together with any of its
affiliates that may provide services or perform obligations
under the Debt Commitment Letter “GECC” and, together
with Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, KeyBank and GE Capital Markets, Inc., the
“Commitment Parties”), pursuant to which, subject to
the conditions set forth therein, in connection with the Offer
and the Merger, the Commitment Parties have severally, but not
jointly, committed to provide (i) a $300 million term
loan credit facility (which amount is subject to reduction by a
portion of any proceeds received from the sale of certain
potential business dispositions and certain cash of GenTek) and
(ii) a $30 million revolving credit facility
(collectively, the “Facilities”). Approximately
$210 million of the term loan facilities will be used to
refinance certain existing debt of GenTek.
12
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The documentation governing the Facilities has not been
finalized and, accordingly, the actual terms of the Facilities
may differ from those described in this Offer to Purchase.
Conditions Precedent to the Debt
Financing. The availability of the initial
funding under the debt financing is subject to the satisfaction
or waiver of a number of conditions, including, without
limitation:
• | there shall not have occurred, since December 31, 2008, a Company Material Adverse Effect (as further discussed in Section 11 — “The Merger Agreement; Other Agreements — Termination”); | |
• | equity contributions having been made pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of the Equity Commitment Letter; | |
• | the satisfactory negotiation, execution and delivery, in the discretion of the Commitment Parties, of appropriate definitive loan documents relating to the Facilities to be based upon and substantially consistent with the terms set forth in the Debt Commitment Letter and the absence of any default or event of default under such loan documents; | |
• | either (a)(i) the Purchaser’s acquisition of 90% or more of the outstanding Shares, (ii) the consummation of the Merger on the closing date of the Facilities and (iii) all the conditions to the consummation of the Merger and the Offer shall have been satisfied or (b) the satisfaction of the conditions to the Offer set forth in the Merger Agreement and certain specified conditions precedent to the funding obligations under the Debt Commitment Letter; | |
• | the receipt by Xxxxxxx Xxxxx of certain audited and unaudited financial information regarding GenTek and certain of its subsidiaries; | |
• | the existence of not more than a limited amount of indebtedness of GenTek and its subsidiaries relative to EBITDA; | |
• | delivery of customary legal opinions, corporate records and documents from public officials, lien searches and officer’s certificates; | |
• | satisfactory confirmation of repayment of existing indebtedness of GenTek and its subsidiaries (other than as agreed with the Commitment Parties); | |
• | receipt of all material third party and necessary governmental consents required by the Merger Agreement; | |
• | perfection of liens, pledges, and, subject to post-closing periods as may be necessary, mortgages on the collateral securing the Facilities; | |
• | delivery of certain documentation, including satisfactory commitments for title insurance, evidence of insurance, applicable solvency certificates and all documentation and other information required by bank regulatory authorities under applicable “know-your-customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Patriot Act; | |
• | no later than 12 days prior to the closing of the Facilities, the receipt by the Purchaser of (i) a public corporate family rating for GenTek Holding, LLC and its subsidiaries from Xxxxx’x, (ii) a public corporate credit rating from S&P, and (iii) a credit rating for each of the Facilities from each of Xxxxx’x and S&P; | |
• | certain minimum cash requirements; | |
• | the completion of the Internal Reorganization (as described in Section 11 — “The Merger Agreement; Other Agreements — Internal Reorganization”); and | |
• | certain other conditions. |
A copy of the Debt Commitment Letter has been filed as an
exhibit to the Schedule TO. Reference is made to such
exhibit for a more complete description of the terms and
conditions of the commitments, and such exhibit is incorporated
herein by reference.
Roles. Xxxxxxx Xxxxx has been appointed as
sole lead arranger and sole bookrunner for the Facilities.
Keybank has been appointed as sole syndication agent for the
Facilities. GECC has been appointed as sole administrative agent
for the Facilities.
Interest Rates. The interest rates per annum
applicable to the term loan credit facility will be, at the
option of GenTek Holding, LLC, (i) the Base Rate plus 3.75%
or (ii) the reserve adjusted Eurodollar Rate plus 4.75%.
The interest rates per annum applicable to the revolving credit
facility will be, at the option of GenTek Holding, LLC,
(i) the Base Rate plus 3.50% or (ii) the
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reserve adjusted Eurodollar Rate plus 4.50%. As used in the Debt
Commitment Letter, the terms “Base Rate” and
“reserve adjusted Eurodollar Rate” have the meanings
customary and appropriate for financings of the type described
therein.
The reserve adjusted Eurodollar Rate is subject to a floor of
2.50% and the Base Rate is subject to a floor of 3.50%. In no
event shall the Base Rate be less than the sum of (i) the
one-month reserve adjusted Eurodollar Rate (after giving effect
to the floor of the reserve adjusted Eurodollar Rate) plus
(ii) the difference between the applicable stated margin
for reserve adjusted Eurodollar Rate loans and the applicable
stated margin for Base Rate loans.
The interest rate for the Facilities will be increased by 1.00%
(allocated by Xxxxxxx Xxxxx in its sole discretion) if the
public corporate credit ratings provided by either S&P or
Xxxxx’x on the closing of the Offer are lower than B1 and
B+, respectively (in each case with a stable or better outlook).
Mandatory Prepayments and Commitment
Reductions. Subject to certain basket amounts to
be negotiated in the definitive loan documents, loans under the
term loan credit facility and the revolving credit facility
shall be prepaid in varying proportions if GenTek or its
subsidiaries effectuates asset sales, receives insurance
proceeds, incurs indebtedness or has excess cash flow.
All mandatory prepayments will be without penalty or premium
(except for breakage costs, if any) and will be applied, first,
to the term loan facility (and applied to scheduled amortization
payments in the order of their maturity); and, second, to
outstanding loans (and to the permanent reduction of
commitments) under the revolving credit facility.
Optional Pre-Payments and Commitment
Reductions. The term loan credit facility and the
revolving credit facility may be prepaid at any time in whole or
in part without premium or penalty (except for breakage costs,
if any). Voluntary prepayments of the term loan facility shall
be applied to scheduled amortization payments as directed by
GenTek Holding, LLC.
Guarantees and Security. The obligations of
GenTek Holding, LLC will be guaranteed by each of the existing
and future domestic subsidiaries of GenTek Holding, LLC
(collectively, the “Subsidiary Guarantors”), the
immediate parent company of GenTek Holding, LLC
(“Intermediate Holdco”) and, to the extent required by
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx in its sole discretion, any additional parent
holding companies of GenTek Holding, LLC up to and including
GenTek (provided, that the guarantee of GenTek, if any, shall
not have recourse to the stock of GenTek Technologies Marketing
Inc. (“GenTek Technologies”) after the completion of
the spin-off of such entity) (together with Intermediate Holdco,
“Holdco” and together with the Subsidiary Guarantors,
the “Guarantors”).
The obligations of GenTek Holding, LLC and each of the
Guarantors shall be secured (on a first priority basis) by valid
and perfected security interests (subject to certain exceptions
to be set forth in the loan documents) in (i) all assets,
including without limitation, all personal, real and mixed
property of GenTek Holding, LLC and the Guarantors (except as
otherwise agreed to by Xxxxxxx Xxxxx); (ii) 100% of the
capital stock of GenTek Holding, LLC and each domestic
subsidiary of GenTek Holding, LLC; (iii) 65% of the capital
stock of each first tier foreign subsidiary of GenTek Holding,
LLC and each Guarantor; and (iv) all intercompany debt
owing to GenTek Holding, LLC or a Guarantor.
Other Terms. The term loan credit facility and
revolving credit facility will contain customary representations
and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants and events of
default applicable to GenTek, GenTek Holding, LLC and their
subsidiaries.
If the Purchaser does not consummate the Merger as a “short
form” merger on the date the Offer is consummated, the
Purchaser will be required to escrow all proceeds of the
Facilities and all excess cash on hand that was not used by the
Purchaser to consummate the Offer. All such escrowed amounts
will be subject to a lien in favor of the lenders and GenTek
Holding, LLC will not have access to the escrow proceeds until
consummation of the Merger.
10. | Background of the Offer; Past Contacts or Negotiations with GenTek. |
• | AS is engaged in (among other activities) making investments in public and private companies. In the ordinary course of business, AS evaluates strategic opportunities for investment purposes and long-term growth potential. | |
• | On June 19, 2009, representatives of AS met with representatives of KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. (“KeyBanc”), which has advised AS in connection with past matters and which introduced the possibility of a transaction involving GenTek. Following that meeting, Xxxxxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, a managing director at KeyBanc contacted Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, Xx., CEO of GenTek, to advise him that AS may be interested in making a proposal to acquire all of GenTek. |
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• | From June 20, 2009 through June 29, 2009, representatives of AS, with the assistance of KeyBanc, conducted preliminary due diligence on GenTek, based on publicly available information. | |
• | On June 29, 2009, AS submitted through Xx. Xxxxxx a non-binding preliminary indication of interest to Xx. Xxxxxxx regarding an acquisition of GenTek at a price of up to $30.00 per Share. The indication of interest was, among other things, subject to the satisfactory completion of due diligence and the negotiation of mutually-acceptable transaction documentation. | |
• | In response to the AS proposal, on June 29, 2009, Xx. Xxxxxxx advised KeyBanc that the proposal did not adequately value the company and he saw no reason for further contact with AS. | |
• | From June 30, 2009 through July 7, 2009, AS performed additional due diligence on GenTek, based on publicly available information. | |
• | On July 7, 2009, through Xx. Xxxxxx, AS submitted a revised non-binding preliminary indication of interest to acquire GenTek at a price per Share between $35.00 and $38.00. The indication of interest was based on certain valuation assumptions that required confirmation through additional diligence, and was conditioned upon, among other things, the satisfactory completion of due diligence, the negotiation of mutually-acceptable transaction documentation and the satisfaction of any conditions set forth therein. | |
• | In response to the AS proposal and at AS’s request, Xx. Xxxxxxx advised Xx. Xxxxxx that he would be willing, with the concurrence of the GenTek Board, to meet with AS representatives. Representatives of XxxXxx indicated that they would be interested in an in-person meeting with representatives of AS to further discuss the strategic possibilities between the parties. | |
• | On July 17, 2009, representatives of AS, along with representatives of KeyBanc, met with Xx. Xxxxxxx in New York to discuss AS’s interest in investigating an acquisition of GenTek. KeyBanc subsequently was engaged by AS to serve as its exclusive financial advisor in connection with a possible transaction involving GenTek. | |
• | On July 21, 2009, XxxXxx and AS executed a confidentiality agreement (the “Confidentiality Agreement”) that would permit AS to access certain confidential information of GenTek to be used in connection with AS’s continuing consideration of a strategic transaction. | |
• | On July 22, 2009, Xx. Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, CFO of GenTek, and Xxxxxx X. Xxxx, Vice President and General Manager of General Chemical, met with representatives of AS and KeyBanc at the offices of AS. At the meeting, the management of GenTek presented an overview of GenTek’s business, certain key initiatives of GenTek and financial data. | |
• | On July 29, 2009, AS submitted a further revised non-binding preliminary indication of interest to acquire 100% of the outstanding capital stock of GenTek at a price of $37.00 per Share. The indication of interest proposed that the transaction would be financed through a combination of equity and senior debt commitments and requested that GenTek undertake exclusive negotiations with AS for 45 days. The indication of interest was conditioned upon, among other things, the satisfactory completion of due diligence, the negotiation of a mutually-acceptable transaction documentation and the satisfaction of any conditions set forth therein. Xx. Xxxxxxx advised AS that XxxXxx was not yet prepared to enter into exclusive negotiations with AS. | |
• | On August 6, 2009, AS submitted a further revised non-binding preliminary indication of interest to acquire 100% of the outstanding capital stock of GenTek at a price of $38.00 per Share. The indication of interest reiterated that the transaction would be financed through a combination of equity and senior debt commitments and again requested a 45-day period of exclusive negotiations between GenTek and AS. The indication of interest was subject to, among other things, the satisfactory completion of due diligence, the negotiation of a mutually-acceptable transaction documentation and the satisfaction of any conditions set forth therein. | |
• | After receiving the August 6, 2009 non-binding indication of interest, representatives of AS and representatives of XxxXxx discussed the most recent proposal by AS and the terms thereof. During this period, the parties negotiated the duration of the exclusivity period between them and the terms of an exclusivity agreement. On August 10, 2009, XxxXxx and AS executed and delivered to one another an exclusivity agreement governing the period between August 10, 2009 and September 8, 2009. |
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• | On August 10, 2009, representatives of AS sent an initial due diligence request list to GenTek and, on August 14, 2009, representatives of AS, including Xxxx, Gotshal & Xxxxxx LLP (“Weil”), counsel to AS, began to conduct documentary and other due diligence of materials made available by GenTek through e-mail correspondence. | |
• | On August 14, 2009, Weil received an initial draft of the Merger Agreement from Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP (“Latham”), counsel to GenTek. | |
• | From August 14, 2009 through August 31, 2009, representatives of AS, Weil and PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PWC”), AS’s accounting advisor, continued their due diligence investigation of GenTek. During this period, representatives of AS and PWC met with representatives of GenTek at its Parsippany headquarters to conduct accounting due diligence and participated in follow-up diligence calls and meetings regarding PWC’s accounting and tax review of GenTek. In addition, representatives of AS and Xxxx & Company, consultants to AS, met with representatives of GenTek at its Parsippany headquarters to conduct market diligence with respect to GenTek. On August 31, 2009, representatives of AS toured GenTek’s Augusta, Georgia site as well as its Tallahassee, Florida site to meet with each facility’s senior management team and review their respective operations. During this time, XxxXxx provided Weil with additional information in response to its initial information requests, and, on September 1, 2009, Weil submitted a follow-up due diligence request to GenTek. | |
• | On September 3, 2009, Weil provided a revised draft of the Merger Agreement to Latham, reflecting comments from AS, and the parties continued to negotiate the terms of the Merger Agreement. | |
• | On September 8, 2009, XxxXxx and AS agreed to extend the exclusivity period until September 15, 2009 in order to provide AS with sufficient time to complete diligence and to resolve any outstanding issues. | |
• | On September 10, 2009, representatives of AS, Weil and Xxxxxx met at Xxxxxx’x offices in New York City to discuss the draft Merger Agreement and other documentation relating to the transaction. Discussions on the Merger Agreement continued throughout the day and into the evening. In response to these discussions, on September 11, 2009, Latham delivered a revised Merger Agreement to AS and Weil. | |
• | In parallel to negotiation of the Merger Agreement, from the beginning of September until the execution of the Merger Agreement, representatives of AS, Weil and Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Co. negotiated the Debt Commitment Letter relating to the debt financing for the Offer and Merger. | |
• | From September 8, 2009 through September 27, 2009, representatives of AS, Weil, PWC and other third parties engaged by AS continued their due diligence investigation of GenTek, including site visits by representatives of AS at certain facilities of GenTek and teleconferences with representatives of GenTek to address due diligence queries. On September 9, 2009, representatives of AS held a teleconference with Xx. Xxxxxxx to discuss additional diligence items. On September 14, 2009 and September 15, 2009, representatives of Weil held teleconferences with Xx. Xxxxxxx and Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx, respectively, regarding legal diligence matters. | |
• | On September 15, 2009, XxxXxx and AS agreed to further extend the exclusivity period until September 23, 2009 to provide AS with additional time to complete due diligence and for all parties to finalize the documentation relating to the transaction. | |
• | On September 15, 2009, representatives of AS, XxxXxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, KeyBanc and GECC met at the offices of Weil to discuss the operations and performance of GenTek in the context of the proposed debt financing relating to the transaction. At this meeting, the management of GenTek presented an overview of GenTek’s business, certain key initiatives of GenTek and financial data. | |
• | On September 15, 2009, Xxxxxx and Weil continued to negotiate the terms of the Merger Agreement, and, in connection with these discussions, on September 15, 2009, Weil delivered a revised Merger Agreement to GenTek and Xxxxxx and requested commitments from a stockholder with a representative on the GenTek Board and certain executive officers of GenTek to support the transaction. Xxxxxx, in turn, provided Weil with a draft tender and support agreement pursuant to which certain stockholders and executive officers of GenTek would agree to tender their Shares into the Offer and support the transaction (the “Tender and Support Agreement”). | |
• | On September 16, 2009, AS conducted an internal review to discuss the merits of the transaction and definitively determined to proceed with the transaction at a $38.00 price per Share. On September 16, 2009, Xxxxxx submitted a revised draft of the Merger Agreement to Weil. |
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• | On September 17, 2009, representatives of AS met with Xx. Xxxxxxx to discuss and resolve open business terms in the Merger Agreement and relating to the transaction. A copy of the draft Equity Commitment Letter, by and among the Purchaser, Parent and the Sponsors also was circulated by Weil to Xxxxxx. | |
• | On September 18, 2009, Xxxxxx circulated disclosure schedules to the Merger Agreement to Weil and a revised draft of the Equity Commitment Letter and a draft reliance letter from the Sponsors addressed to GenTek (the “Reliance Letter”). | |
• | From September 18, 2009 through September 27, 2009, negotiations on the Merger Agreement, the disclosure schedules and related ancillary documents continued among representatives of AS, GenTek, Weil and Xxxxxx. Representatives of AS, GenTek, Weil and Xxxxxx held numerous telephone conferences to finalize documents for signing and circulated various drafts thereof. Negotiation of the Debt Commitment Letter continued between AS and Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Co., along with KeyBanc and GECC as well and drafts of the Debt Commitment Letter were circulated to Xxxxxx for review. | |
• | From September 22, 2009 through September 27, 2009, Xx. Xxxxxxx and Xx. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx held discussions with representatives of AS, Weil and Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel to Xx. Xxxxxxx, regarding the terms upon which they may be prepared to continue their employment following completion of the transaction. | |
• | On the afternoon of September 24, 2009, Xxxxxx advised Weil that the GenTek Board held a meeting that morning, during which it unanimously (i) determined that the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, were fair to, and in the best interests of, GenTek and the stockholders of GenTek, (ii) duly approved and declared advisable the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Merger and the Offer, and (iii) recommended that the stockholders of GenTek accept the Offer, tender their Shares to pursuant to the Offer and, if required, adopt the Merger Agreement and approve the Merger. | |
• | Between September 24, 2009 and September 27, 2009, the parties finalized the terms of the Merger Agreement, the disclosure schedules and the ancillary documents related thereto as well as the Debt Commitment Letter and the employment arrangements with Messrs. Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxxxxx. | |
• | On the morning of September 28, 2009 and prior to the opening of trading on Nasdaq, applicable representatives and affiliates of GenTek and representatives of Parent and the Purchaser executed the definitive Merger Agreement, the Debt Commitment Letter, the Equity Commitment Letter, the Reliance Letter, the Tender and Support Agreement, the employment arrangements and related documentation. Shortly thereafter, XxxXxx issued a press release announcing the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby. |
11. | The Merger Agreement; Other Agreements |
The
Merger Agreement
The following is a summary of the material provisions of the
Merger Agreement. The following description of the Merger
Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in
its entirety by reference to the Merger Agreement, a copy of
which is filed as an exhibit to the Schedule TO and is
incorporated herein by reference. For a complete understanding
of the Merger Agreement, you are encouraged to read the full
text of the Merger Agreement. The Merger Agreement is not
intended to provide you with any other factual information about
Parent, the Purchaser or GenTek. Such information can be found
elsewhere in this Offer to Purchase.
The Offer. The Merger Agreement provides for
the commencement of the Offer by the Purchaser as promptly as
practicable, but in no event later than October 9, 2009.
The Offer was commenced on September 29, 2009. The
obligations of the Purchaser to (and the obligations of Parent
to cause the Purchaser to) accept for payment, and pay for,
Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer are subject to the
satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions that are described
in Section 15 — “Certain Conditions of the
Offer.” The Merger Agreement provides that each GenTek
stockholder who validly tenders Shares in the Offer will receive
$38.00 for each Share tendered, net to the stockholder in cash,
without interest (less applicable withholding taxes). The
Purchaser expressly reserves the right to increase the Offer
Price, to waive any condition to the Offer
and/or
modify the terms of the Offer, except that without the consent
of GenTek, the Purchaser shall not (i) decrease the Offer
Price; (ii) change the form of consideration payable in the
Offer; (iii) reduce the maximum number of Shares to be
purchased in the Offer; (iv) amend or waive the Minimum
Condition; (v) amend any of the other conditions and
requirements to the Offer in a manner adverse to the holders of
Shares or GenTek; or (vi) extend the Expiration Date in a
manner other than in accordance with the Merger Agreement.
Extensions of the Offer/Subsequent Offering
Period. The Merger Agreement provides that the
Purchaser may, in its sole discretion and without the consent of
GenTek, (i) subject to GenTek’s rights to terminate
the Merger Agreement, extend the
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Offer for one or more periods if, at the scheduled expiration
date, any condition of the Offer has not been satisfied or
waived and (ii) if necessary to obtain sufficient Shares
such that Parent, the Purchaser, and their respective
subsidiaries shall then hold, in the aggregate, at least 90% of
the Shares (the “Short Form Threshold”), choose
to provide for a subsequent offering period (and one or more
extensions thereof) of at least three and up to 20 business days
in accordance with
Rule 14d-11
promulgated under the Exchange Act, following the Acceptance
Date. In addition, if, on or prior to the initial expiration
date, the Minimum Condition, the HSR Condition or the
Governmental Approval Condition has not been satisfied or waived
by Parent or the Purchaser, then, to the extent requested in
writing by GenTek no less than two business days prior to the
scheduled Expiration Date, the Purchaser must extend the Offer
for up to two periods each of 20 business days or less, to
permit such conditions of the Offer to be satisfied; provided
that the Purchaser will not be required to extend the offer
beyond the Initial Outside Date if any condition to the Offer
has not been satisfied by the Initial Outside Date, unless on
that date (i) all of the conditions to the Offer have been
satisfied or waived by Parent and the Purchaser, but the HSR
Condition
and/or the
Government Approval Condition has not been satisfied or
(ii) Parent, the Purchaser, GenTek or their respective
counsel have received comments from the Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”) or its staff that remain
unresolved, or, if resolved, require the Expiration Date of the
Offer to be extended, in which case the Initial Outside Date
will be automatically extended by 30 days to the Extended
Outside Date.
Top-Up
Option. GenTek granted the Purchaser an
irrevocable option to purchase from GenTek the number of shares
of GenTek common stock (the
“Top-Up
Option Shares”) equal to the number of Shares that, when
added to the number of Shares owned by Parent or the Purchaser
at the time of exercise of the
Top-Up
Option, constitutes one share more than 90% of the number of
Shares that would be outstanding immediately after the issuance
of Shares pursuant to the exercise of the
Top-Up
Option. The exercise price for each Share acquired in the
Top-Up
Option is equal to the Offer Price. The Merger Agreement
provides that the
Top-Up
Option will not be exercisable until after the Acceptance Date
(and satisfaction of the Minimum Condition) and unless
immediately after such exercise the Purchaser and Parent would
own more than 90% of the Shares then outstanding and in no event
will the
Top-Up
Option be exercisable for a number of Shares in excess of
GenTek’s authorized and unissued Shares. The aggregate
purchase price payable for the Shares being purchased by the
Purchaser pursuant to the
Top-Up
Option will be payable, at the option of Parent, either in cash
or by delivery of a promissory note. The Purchaser may exercise
the Top-Up
Option after the Acceptance Date if the Minimum Condition has
been satisfied.
The Merger. The Merger Agreement provides
that, at the effective time of the Merger (the “Effective
Time”), the Purchaser will be merged with and into GenTek,
with GenTek being the surviving corporation (the “Surviving
Corporation”). Following the Merger, the separate existence
of the Purchaser will cease, and GenTek will continue as the
Surviving Corporation, wholly-owned by Parent. The directors of
the Purchaser immediately prior to the Effective Time will be
the initial directors of the Surviving Corporation.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the Effective Time, each
Share held in treasury by GenTek or owned of record by any
subsidiary of GenTek and each Share that is owned by Parent or
the Purchaser or any of their respective wholly-owned
Subsidiaries shall be cancelled and shall cease to exist,
without any conversion thereof and no payment shall be made with
respect thereto.
Each Share issued and outstanding immediately prior to the
Effective Time (other than Company Dissenting Shares (as defined
below) and Shares to be cancelled in accordance with the
preceding paragraph) shall be converted into the right to
receive an amount in cash equal to the Offer Price (the
“Merger Consideration”), payable to the holder thereof
in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement as
described herein. At the Effective Time, all such Shares shall
no longer be outstanding and shall automatically be cancelled
and shall cease to exist, and each holder of any such Share
immediately prior to the Effective Time shall cease to have any
rights with respect thereto, except the right to receive the
Merger Consideration, without interest.
Shares that are outstanding immediately prior to the Effective
Time and that are held by any person who is entitled to demand,
and who properly demands, appraisal of such Shares pursuant to,
and who complies in all respects with, Section 262 of the
Delaware General Corporations Law (as amended, the
“DGCL”) (such Section, “Section 262”
and, such Shares, “Company Dissenting Shares”) shall
not be converted into the right to receive the Merger
Consideration and shall instead represent the right to receive
payment of the fair value of such Company Dissenting Shares in
accordance with, and to the extend provided by, Section 262
(and, at the Effective Time, such Company Dissenting Shares
shall no longer be outstanding and shall automatically be
cancelled and shall cease to exist, and such holders shall cease
to have any right with respect thereto, except the right to
receive the fair value of such Company Dissenting Shares in
accordance with Section 262). If any such holder fails to
perfect or otherwise waives, withdraws or loses the right to
appraisal under Section 262, then the right of such holder
to be paid the fair
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value of such holder’s Company Dissenting Shares shall
cease and such Company Dissenting Shares shall be deemed to have
been converted as of the Effective Time into, and to have become
exchangeable solely for, the right to receive the Merger
Consideration (without interest thereon and less any applicable
withholding taxes).
GenTek Stock Options. The Merger Agreement
provides that prior to the Effective Time, the GenTek Board will
adopt appropriate resolutions and take all other actions
necessary and appropriate to provide that, immediately prior to
the Effective Time, each unexpired and unexercised option to
purchase Shares (the “Company Options”), under any
equity incentive plan of GenTek (the “Company Stock
Plans”), including GenTek’s Amended and Restated 2003
Management and Directors Incentive Plan, or any other plan,
agreement or arrangement, whether or not exercisable or vested,
will be cancelled and each former holder of any such cancelled
Company Option will receive at the Effective Time, in
consideration of the cancellation of such Company Option and in
settlement therefore, a payment in cash of an amount equal to
the product of (i) the total number of Shares previously
subject to such Company Option and (ii) the excess, if any,
of the Merger Consideration over the exercise price per Share
previously subject to such Company Option (the “Option
Payment”) (less any applicable withholding taxes). From and
after the Effective Time, any such cancelled Company Option
shall no longer be exercisable by the former holder thereof, but
shall only entitle such holder to the payment, if any, of the
Option Payment.
GenTek Restricted Stock. The Merger Agreement
provides that immediately prior to the Effective Time, each
unvested Share subject to forfeiture restrictions, repurchase
rights or other restrictions under the Company Stock Plans or
any other plan agreement or arrangement (“Restricted
Stock”) shall vest in full and all restrictions (including
forfeiture restrictions or repurchase rights) otherwise
applicable to such Restricted Stock shall lapse and the
Restricted Stock shall be converted into the right to receive
the Merger Consideration, without interest (less any applicable
withholding taxes).
GenTek Warrants. The Merger Agreement provides
that at the Effective Time, each warrant to purchase Shares that
is issued, unexpired and unexercised immediately prior to the
Effective Time (the “Warrants”) and not terminated
pursuant to its terms in connection with the Merger shall, in
accordance with its terms, entitle the holder thereof to receive
a payment in cash of an amount equal to the product of
(i) the total number of Shares previously subject to such
Warrant and (ii) the excess, if any, of the Merger
Consideration over the exercise price per Share previously
subject to such Warrant (such amounts are referred to as the
“Warrant Payments”) (less any applicable withholding
taxes).
Representations and Warranties. In the Merger
Agreement, GenTek has made customary representations and
warranties to Parent and the Purchaser, including
representations relating to: organization and qualification of
GenTek; organization, existence and good standing of
GenTek’s subsidiaries; GenTek’s capitalization;
authorization with respect to the Merger Agreement; no conflicts
with or consents required in connection with the Merger
Agreement; required filings and consents; GenTek’s
compliance with laws; GenTek’s SEC filings and financial
statements; XxxXxx’s internal controls; absence of
undisclosed liabilities; absence of material adverse effect or
certain changes or events; employee benefit and employment
matters plans; labor matters; material contracts; legal
proceedings; environmental matters; intellectual property; tax
matters; insurance; assets; real property; interested party
transactions; opinion of financial advisors; information
supplied; the required vote; and brokers.
In the Merger Agreement, Parent and the Purchaser have made
customary representations and warranties to GenTek, including
representations relating to: organization and qualification;
authorization with respect to the Merger Agreement; no conflicts
with or consents required in connection with the Merger
Agreement; required filings and consents; legal proceedings;
information supplied; ownership of Shares; availability of
funds; ownership of the Purchaser; management arrangements;
brokers; and investigation by Parent and the Purchaser.
The representations and warranties will not survive consummation
of the Merger.
Operating Covenants. The Merger Agreement
provides that, from the date of the Merger Agreement to the
Effective Time, except as set forth in GenTek’s disclosure
schedule, as expressly required pursuant to the Merger Agreement
or unless consented to by Parent in writing (in its sole
discretion, except with respect to certain covenants, which
consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or
conditioned with respect to certain covenants), GenTek and its
subsidiaries shall (i) conduct its operations in all
material respects in the ordinary course of business consistent
with past practice, (ii) use commercially reasonable
efforts to keep available the services of the current officers
of GenTek and each GenTek subsidiary and preserve the goodwill
and current relationships of GenTek and each GenTek subsidiary
with customers, suppliers and other persons with which GenTek or
any GenTek subsidiary has significant business relations and
(iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve
substantially intact its business organization.
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From the date of the Merger Agreement to the Effective Time,
GenTek is subject to customary operating covenants and
restrictions, including restrictions relating to the amendment
of charter documents and bylaws; the amendment or modification
of any warrants, restricted stock plans or options; the
redemption, purchase or acquisition of equity interests; the
issuance, sale, pledge disposal, grant or transfer of stock,
options, warrants or other equity interests of GenTek and its
subsidiaries; the sale, pledge, disposal, transfer or
encumbrance of material property or material assets; the
declaration, setting aside or payment of dividends or other
distributions; the reclassification, combination, split,
amendment, redemption or purchase of capital stock, other equity
interests or securities of GenTek; mergers or consolidations;
the acquisition of equity interests or assets of another person,
other than for consideration not in excess of limits specified
in the Merger Agreement; the incurrence or cancellation of
indebtedness; making loans, advances or capital contributions;
the termination, cancellation, transfer or assignment of any
GenTek material contract; the making of certain capital
expenditures; increase compensation or benefits or xxxxx
xxxxxxxxx rights to any director, officer or certain employees
or establish collective bargaining agreements or waive
performance or vesting criteria under GenTek benefits plan; the
payment, discharge, settlement or satisfaction of certain
liabilities, obligations or liens; changes in accounting
policies; tax issues; collective bargaining agreements and the
creation of subsidiaries.
In addition to the limitations on the operation of GenTek
between the date of the Merger Agreement to the Effective Time
set forth above, the Merger Agreement requires that GenTek and
its subsidiaries enter into agreements with the Purchaser,
pursuant to which they will lend to the Purchaser or place in
escrow all of the cash and cash equivalents on hand of GenTek
and its subsidiaries prior to the Acceptance Date (other than
certain amounts required to remain at GenTek by the Debt
Commitment Letter). As a result of these lending requirements
and the operating limitations on GenTek between the date of the
Merger Agreement and the Effective Time, GenTek and its
subsidiaries will have a finite amount of cash available for
certain specified operating purposes prior to the Effective Time.
Stockholders Meeting. The Merger Agreement
provides that, if following the Acceptance Date and any
subsequent offering period, the Short Form Threshold has
not been reached and the Purchaser has not exercised the
Top-Up
Option, GenTek shall prepare a proxy statement or information
statement for the Special Meeting (defined below) (the
“Proxy Statement”) relating to the Merger and the
Merger Agreement, with the intention that the Proxy Statement be
filed with the SEC, and after clearance from the SEC, printed
and mailed to the stockholders of GenTek as promptly as
practicable following the Acceptance Date and any subsequent
offering period.
The Merger Agreement provides that GenTek will, if the adoption
of the Merger Agreement by GenTek’s stockholders is
required by law in order to consummate the Merger, as soon as
practicable after the later of the Acceptance Date and the
expiration of any subsequent offering period, in consultation
with Parent, duly set a record date for and, after receipt of
SEC clearance of the Proxy Statement, call and give notice of a
special meeting of its stockholders (the “Special
Meeting”) for the purpose of approving and adopting the
Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby and
convene and hold the special meeting and as promptly as
practicable after the Acceptance Date, file the Proxy Statement
with the SEC and, after clearance from the SEC, cause the Proxy
Statement to be printed and mailed to the stockholders of GenTek.
At the Special Meeting or any postponement or adjournment
thereof, Parent shall vote, or cause to be voted, all of the
Shares then owned of record by Parent or the Purchaser or with
respect to which Parent or the Purchaser otherwise has, directly
or indirectly, sole voting power in favor of the adoption of the
Merger Agreement and approval of the Merger and deliver or
provide, in its capacity as stockholder of GenTek, any other
approvals that are required by applicable law to effect the
Merger.
No Solicitation Provisions. The Merger
Agreement provides that during the period beginning on the date
of the Merger Agreement and continuing until 11:59 p.m.
(New York time) on the date that is 45 days after the
public announcement of the transaction (the “Solicitation
Period End Date”), GenTek may (i) solicit, initiate or
encourage any Acquisition Proposal (as defined below) or any
inquiries, proposals or offers that may lead to an Acquisition
Proposal and (ii), subject to compliance with certain
restrictions, participate in discussions or negotiations
regarding, furnish to any person information with respect to,
and take any other action to facilitate any inquiries or the
making of any proposal that constitutes, or would reasonably be
expected to lead to, an Acquisition Proposal. During this
period, prior to providing material non-public information to
any third party, XxxXxx must execute a confidentiality agreement
with provisions no more favorable to such person than those
confidentiality provision contained in the confidentiality
agreement with Parent. GenTek also must promptly provide to
Parent any material non-public information concerning GenTek or
its subsidiaries that was not previously provided to Parent.
The Merger Agreement provides that, as of the Solicitation
Period End Date, GenTek shall, and shall cause its subsidiaries
and shall direct their respective directors, officers,
employees, investment bankers, financial advisors, attorneys,
accountants, agents and other representatives (collectively,
“Representatives”) to (i) immediately cease any
solicitation, encouragement,
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discussions or negotiations with any parties that may be ongoing
with respect to an Acquisition Proposal, (ii) request the
prompt return or destruction of all confidential information
previously furnished to any person in respect of an Acquisition
Proposal and (iii) not terminate, waive, amend, release or
modify any provision of any confidentiality or standstill
agreement to which it or any of its affiliates or
representatives is a party with respect to any Acquisition
Proposal and shall enforce the provisions of any such agreement.
The Merger Agreement also provides that during the period
beginning on the Solicitation Period End Date and continuing
until the Effective Time or, if earlier, the termination of the
Merger Agreement, GenTek shall not, nor shall it permit any of
its subsidiaries to, nor shall it authorize or permit any
Representative to, directly or indirectly, (i) solicit,
initiate or knowingly facilitate or knowingly encourage
(including by way of furnishing information), or knowingly take
any other action designed or reasonably likely to facilitate or
encourage, any inquiry with respect to, or the making,
submission or announcement of, any proposal that constitutes, or
may reasonably be expected to lead to, any Acquisition Proposal,
(ii) participate in any discussions or negotiations
(including by way of furnishing information) regarding an
Acquisition Proposal, or furnish any non-public information or
access to its properties, books, records or personnel to, any
person that has made or, to the Company’s knowledge, is
considering making an Acquisition Proposal, (iii) make a
Change of Recommendation (as defined below), (iv) enter
into any letter of intent or agreement in principle or any
agreement providing for any Acquisition Proposal (except for
confidentiality agreements otherwise permitted by the Merger
Agreement) or (v) resolve, propose or agree to any of the
foregoing.
The Merger Agreement provides that any time from the
Solicitation Period End Date and continuing until the earlier of
the Acceptance Date and the termination of the Merger Agreement,
subject to GenTek’s compliance with the non-solicitation
provisions, if GenTek receives an unsolicited bona fide written
Acquisition Proposal (i) which (a) constitutes a
Superior Proposal (as defined below) or (b) which
GenTek’s Board determines in good faith could reasonably be
expected to result in a Superior Proposal and
(ii) GenTek’s Board determines in good faith, after
consultation with GenTek’s legal counsel that the failure
of GenTek’s Board to take the actions set forth in
clauses (x) and (y) below with respect to such
Acquisition Proposal would be inconsistent with the
directors’ exercise of their fiduciary obligations to
GenTek’s stockholders under applicable law, then GenTek
may: (x) furnish non-public information to the third party
making such Acquisition Proposal (if, and only if, prior to
furnishing such information, GenTek receives from the third
party an executed confidentiality agreement with confidentiality
provisions no more favorable to such person than those
confidentiality provisions contained in the confidentiality
agreement between GenTek and Parent) and (y) engage in
discussions or negotiations with such third party with respect
to such Acquisition Proposal.
GenTek shall promptly, and in any event within 24 hours,
notify Parent if GenTek, its subsidiaries or its or their
Representatives receives (i) any Acquisition Proposal or
(ii) any inquiry or request for discussions or negotiations
regarding any Acquisition Proposal. GenTek shall notify Parent
promptly and in any event within 24 hours, of the identity
of such Person and provide a written copy of such Company
Acquisition Proposal, inquiry or request and keep Parent
reasonably informed on a current basis (and in any event within
24 hours) after the occurrence of any changes or
developments of any Acquisition Proposal, inquiry or request.
As used in the Merger Agreement, “Acquisition
Proposal” means any inquiry, offer or proposal made by any
Person or group of Persons (other than a proposal or offer by
Parent or any of its Subsidiaries) relating to, or that would
reasonably be expected to lead to, in one transaction or a
series of transactions, a (a) merger, reorganization, share
exchange, consolidation, business combination, recapitalization,
dissolution, liquidation or similar transaction involving GenTek
or any GenTek Subsidiary, (b) sale, lease or other
disposition directly or indirectly by merger, consolidation,
business combination, share exchange, joint venture or
otherwise, of assets of GenTek (including equity interests of a
GenTek Subsidiary) or any GenTek Subsidiary representing 15% or
more of the consolidated assets, net revenues or net income of
GenTek and GenTek Subsidiaries, (c) issuance or sale or
other disposition (including by way of merger, tender offer,
consolidation, business combination, share exchange,
recapitalization, joint venture or similar transaction) of 15%
or more of the equity interests (by vote or value) of GenTek,
(d) transaction in which any Person will acquire beneficial
ownership or the right to acquire beneficial ownership or any
group has been formed which beneficially owns or has the right
to acquire beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the Equity
Interests (by vote or value) of GenTek or (e) any
combination of the foregoing (in each case, other than the Offer
and the Merger).
As used in the Merger Agreement, “Superior Proposal”
means a bona fide written Acquisition Proposal (except the
references therein to 15% shall be replaced by 90%) made by a
third party on terms that the GenTek Board determines in good
faith, after consultation with GenTek’s financial advisors
and outside legal counsel, and taking into account all relevant
factors, (a) if accepted, is reasonably likely to be
consummated on the terms proposed and (b) if consummated,
would be more favorable
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to GenTek and its stockholders from a financial point of view
than the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement,
including the Merger and the Offer.
Change of Recommendation. Pursuant to a
meeting duly called and held, the GenTek Board, among other
things, has unanimously (i) determined that the Merger
Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, are fair
to, and in the best interests of, GenTek and the stockholders of
GenTek, (ii) duly approved and declared advisable the
Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby,
including the Merger and the Offer, and (iii) recommended
that the stockholders of GenTek accept the Offer, tender their
Shares to the Purchaser pursuant to the Offer and, if required
by applicable law, adopt the Merger Agreement and approve the
Merger (the “Company Board Recommendation”). The
GenTek Board may withdraw, modify or amend the Company Board
Recommendation in certain circumstances as summarized herein and
as specified in detail in Section 5.4(e) of the Merger
Agreement.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, except as described below,
neither the GenTek Board nor any committee thereof shall
(i) change, qualify, withdraw or modify, or propose
publicly to change, qualify, withdraw or modify, in a manner
adverse to Parent, the Company Board Recommendation,
(ii) approve, adopt or recommend, or propose publicly to
approve, adopt or recommend, any Acquisition Proposal,
(iii) make any recommendation in connection with a tender
offer or exchange offer other than a recommendation against such
offer, (iv) exempt any person from the restrictions
contained in any state takeover or similar laws, including
Section 203 of the DGCL, any action described in clause
(i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) being referred to as a
“Change of Recommendation” or (v) enter into or
authorize GenTek to enter into any letter of intent, merger,
acquisition, or similar agreement with respect to any
Acquisition Proposal other than any confidentiality agreement to
be entered into by GenTek (each a “Company Acquisition
Agreement”).
Under the Merger Agreement, at any time prior to the Acceptance
Date, the GenTek Board may, in response to a Superior Proposal
that has not been withdrawn or abandoned, make either (i) a
Change of Recommendation if the GenTek Board has concluded in
good faith that the failure of the GenTek Board to effect a
Change of Recommendation would be inconsistent with the
directors’ exercise of their fiduciary obligations to the
stockholders of GenTek under applicable law
and/or
(ii) terminate the Merger Agreement to enter into a Company
Acquisition Agreement with respect to such Superior Proposal (a
“Superior Termination”); provided that GenTek may not
effect such Change of Recommendation or a Superior Termination,
in each case in connection with a Superior Proposal, unless both
of the following conditions have been met: (i) GenTek shall
have provided prior written notice to Parent, at least
48 hours or such greater time as necessary to include one
entire business day (ending at midnight) in advance (the
“Notice Period”), of its intention to effect a Change
of Recommendation
and/or
Superior Termination in response to such Superior Proposal,
which notice shall in addition specify the material terms and
conditions (including price) of any such Superior Proposal
(including the identity of the Person or group of Persons making
the Superior Proposal), and contemporaneously with providing
such notice shall have provided a copy of the relevant proposed
acquisition agreement and other material documents related
thereto with the party making such Superior Proposal; and
(ii) prior to effecting such Change of Recommendation
and/or
Superior Termination in response to a Superior Proposal, GenTek
shall, and shall cause its legal and financial advisors to,
during the Notice Period, negotiate with Parent in good faith
(to the extent Parent desires to negotiate) to make such
adjustments to the terms and conditions the Merger Agreement so
that such Superior Proposal ceases to constitute a Superior
Proposal.
Reasonable Best Efforts to Consummate the Merger; Regulatory
Filings. GenTek and Parent agreed in the Merger
Agreement to use their reasonable best efforts to (i) take,
or cause to be taken, all appropriate action and do, or cause to
be done, all things necessary, proper or advisable to consummate
and make effective the transactions contemplated by the Merger
Agreement as promptly as practicable, (ii) obtain from any
governmental entities any consents, licenses, permits, waivers,
approvals, authorizations or orders required to be obtained by
Parent or GenTek or any of their respective subsidiaries, or to
avoid any action or proceeding by any governmental entity
(including, without limitation, those in connection with the HSR
Act), in connection with the authorization, execution and
delivery of the Merger Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated therein and (iii) as promptly as
reasonably practicable, and in any event within 15 business days
after the date of the Merger Agreement, make all necessary
filings, and thereafter make any other required submissions, and
pay any fees due in connection therewith, with respect to this
Agreement, the Offer and the Merger required under the Exchange
Act (and any other applicable federal or state securities laws),
the HSR Act (with a request for early termination under the HSR
Act) and any other applicable law. GenTek and Parent also agreed
to give any notices to third parties and use commercially
reasonable efforts to obtain any third party consents necessary,
proper or advisable to consummate the transactions contemplated
by the Merger Agreement, required to prevent a material adverse
effect from occurring to GenTek prior to or after the Effective
Time and certain specified third party consents.
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Additionally, Parent, the Purchaser and GenTek each agreed to:
(i) give the other parties prompt notice of the making or
commencement of any request, inquiry, investigation, action or
legal proceeding by or before any governmental entity with
respect to the Offer, the Merger or any of the other
transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement,
(ii) keep the other parties informed as to the status of
any such request, inquiry, investigation, action or legal
proceeding and (iii) promptly inform the other parties of
any communication to or from the Federal Trade Commission, the
Department of Justice or any other governmental entity regarding
the Offer or the Merger. Parent, the Purchaser and GenTek also
agreed to use their respective reasonable best efforts to
resolve any objections that may be asserted by any governmental
entity with respect to the transactions contemplated by the
Merger Agreement and to use their reasonable best efforts to
cause the Closing to occur as promptly as practicable, including
by defending against any lawsuits, actions or proceedings,
judicial or administrative, challenging the Merger Agreement or
the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, and
seeking to have any restraint or prohibition entered or imposed
by any court or other governmental entity that is not yet final
and nonappealable vacated or reversed. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, neither Parent nor GenTek will be required to sell,
hold separate or otherwise dispose of or conduct their business
in a specified manner, or agree to sell, hold separate or
otherwise dispose of or conduct their businesses in a specified
manner, or enter into or agree to enter into a voting trust
arrangement, proxy arrangement, “hold separate”
agreement or arrangement or similar agreement or arrangement
with respect to the assets, operations or conduct of their
business in a specified manner, or permit the sale, holding
separate or other disposition of, any assets of Parent, GenTek
or their subsidiaries or affiliates.
Employment and Employee Benefits. For a period
of one year following the Effective Time, Parent will provide to
employees of GenTek (and its subsidiaries) who are retained by
Parent, with (i) base salary or wages, (ii) bonus
opportunity and (iii) benefits that are no less favorable
in the aggregate (not including any value attributable to
equity-based compensation or change of control benefits) than
the base salary or wages, bonus opportunity and benefits
provided to such GenTek employee on the date of the Merger
Agreement.
Parent will ensure that, as of the Closing Date, each GenTek
employee receives full credit (for all purposes, including
eligibility to participate, vesting, vacation entitlement and
severance benefits, but excluding accrual under defined benefit
plans) for service with GenTek and GenTek Subsidiaries under
each of the comparable employee benefit plans, programs and
policies of Parent, the Surviving Corporation or the relevant
subsidiary, as applicable, in which such GenTek Employee becomes
a participant.
Parent will, or will cause the Surviving Corporation or the
relevant subsidiary to credit to GenTek employees the amount of
vacation time that such employees had earned under any
applicable vacation plan or policy of GenTek or its subsidiaries
as of the Closing Date.
Indemnification and Insurance. The Merger
Agreement provides that for a period of six years from and
after the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall to the
fullest extent permissible under applicable provisions of the
DGCL indemnify and hold harmless all past and present directors,
officers and employees of GenTek entitled to indemnification
(the “Covered Persons”) to the same extent such
Persons are indemnified as of the date of the Merger Agreement
for acts or omissions in their capacity as directors, officers
or employees of GenTek or any GenTek Subsidiary occurring at or
prior to the Effective Time.
For a period of six years from and after the Effective
Time, the Surviving Corporation shall maintain for the benefit
of GenTek’s directors and officers, as of the date of this
Agreement and as of the Effective Time, who are covered by the
directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy
maintained by GenTek, an insurance and indemnification policy
that provides coverage for actions or omissions of such officers
and directors prior to the Effective Time in their capacities as
such (the “D&O Insurance”) that is substantially
equivalent to and in any event not less favorable in the
aggregate than GenTek’s existing policy or, if
substantially equivalent insurance coverage is unavailable, the
best available coverage (“Equivalent Coverage”).
GenTek may, after prior consultation with Parent, purchase
six year “tail” prepaid policies prior to the
Effective Time which provide such directors and officers with
Equivalent Coverage.
State Takeover Laws. The Merger Agreement
provides that if any “fair price,” “business
combination” or other anti-takeover law becomes or is
deemed to be applicable to GenTek, Parent or the Purchaser, the
Offer, the Merger, the
Top-Up
Option or any transaction contemplated by the Merger Agreement,
then the GenTek Board shall take all action necessary to render
such law inapplicable to the foregoing and the parties shall use
commercially reasonable efforts to take such actions as are
reasonably necessary so that the transactions contemplated
thereunder may be consummated as promptly as practicable on the
terms contemplated thereby.
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Financing. Parent and the Purchaser have
agreed to use their reasonable best efforts to do all things
necessary, proper and advisable to maintain in effect the
financing and the financing commitments, enter into definitive
agreements with respect to the financing and the financing
commitments, and consummate the financing at or prior to the
Acceptance Date. Parent and the Purchaser will provide GenTek
with copies of all final documents relating to the financing.
GenTek has agreed to, and to cause its subsidiaries to,
reasonably cooperate with Parent and the Purchaser in connection
with the financing during the period from the date of the Merger
Agreement until the closing date of the Merger. Parent and the
Purchaser must reimburse GenTek for documented
out-of-pocket
expenses incurred by GenTek in connection with such cooperation
promptly upon request.
In the event that any portion of the financing or financing
commitments expire or terminate prior to the closing of the
Merger, Parent and the Purchaser have agreed to
(A) promptly notify GenTek, and (B) promptly arrange
for alternate financing.
Rule 14(d)-(10)(d)
Matters. The Merger Agreement provides that,
prior to the Acceptance Date, GenTek will take all steps that
may be required to cause each agreement, arrangement or
understanding entered into by GenTek or its subsidiaries on or
after the date of the Merger Agreement with any of GenTek’s
officers, directors or employees pursuant to which consideration
is paid to such officer, director or employee to be approved as
an “employment compensation, severance or other employee
benefit arrangement” within the meaning of
Rule 14(d)-10(d)
under the Exchange Act and to satisfy the requirements of the
non-exclusive safe harbor set forth in such Rule.
Stockholder Litigation. GenTek has agreed to
give Parent the opportunity to participate in the defense or
settlement of any stockholder litigation against GenTek or its
officers or directors relating to the transactions contemplated
by the Merger Agreement, and no such settlement will be agreed
to without Parent’s prior written consent.
Directors and Officers. The Merger Agreement
provides that the directors of the Purchaser immediately prior
to the Effective Time will become the directors of the Surviving
Corporation. The officers of GenTek immediately prior to the
Effective Time shall be the officers of the Surviving
Corporation.
Conditions to the Merger. The Merger Agreement
provides that the obligations of GenTek, Parent and the
Purchaser to consummate the Merger are subject to the
satisfaction at or prior to the Effective Time of the following:
(i) the adoption of the Merger Agreement and the approval
of the Merger by a requisite vote of GenTek stockholders, if
required by applicable law, (ii) the Purchaser shall have
accepted for payment, or caused to be accepted for payment, all
Shares validly tendered and not withdrawn in the Offer and
(iii) the consummation of the Merger shall not then be
restrained, enjoined or prohibited by any order, judgment,
decree, injunction or ruling(whether temporary, preliminary or
permanent) of a court of competent jurisdiction or any other
governmental authority and no law shall be in effect or have
been enacted, promulgated or deemed applicable to the Merger by
any governmental authority which prevents or prohibits
consummation of the Merger.
Termination. The Merger Agreement may be
terminated and the Merger may be abandoned, whether before or
after obtaining the GenTek stockholder approval, as follows (the
date of any such termination, the “Termination Date”):
a) by mutual written consent of Xxxxxx and XxxXxx at any
time prior to the Acceptance Date;
b) by GenTek, if Parent or the Purchaser fails to commence
the Offer by October 9, 2009; provided that the right to
terminate the Merger Agreement will not be available to GenTek
in the case of (i) a Company Material Adverse Effect
occurring or (ii) GenTek failing to comply with its
obligations related to the preparation for the Offer, in each
case on or before October 9, 2009;
c) by either GenTek or Parent, if the Offer expires as a
result of the non-satisfaction of any condition to the Offer or
is terminated or withdrawn pursuant to its terms without any
Shares being purchased; provided that this right to terminate
shall not be available to any party whose material breach of the
Merger Agreement has been the cause of or resulted in the
non-satisfaction of any condition to the Offer or the
termination or withdrawal of the Offer without any Shares being
purchased;
d) by GenTek or Parent, if any court of competent
jurisdiction or other governmental entity has issued an order,
decree or ruling or taken any other action permanently
restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting (i) prior
to the Acceptance Date, the acceptance for payment of, or
payment for, Shares pursuant to the Offer or (ii) prior to
the Effective Time, the Merger, and such order, decree, ruling
or other action shall have become final and nonappealable;
e) by Xxxxxx, at any time prior to the Acceptance Date if
(i) the GenTek Board has failed to include the Company
Board Recommendation in the
Schedule 14d-9
or a Change of Recommendation shall have occurred or been
publicly
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proposed, (ii) GenTek or the GenTek Board endorses,
approves, adopts or recommends any Acquisition Proposal or
(iii) the GenTek Board or any committee thereof has
resolved to take any of the actions described in
subsections (i) and (ii) above;
f) by GenTek to enter into a Company Acquisition Agreement
with respect to a Superior Proposal, in accordance with
Section 5.4(e) of the Merger Agreement and as described in
“Change of Recommendation” above; provided that GenTek
has complied with Section 5.4 of the Merger Agreement and
that it simultaneously pays to Parent the applicable Termination
Fee in accordance with the Merger Agreement;
g) by Parent, at any time prior to the Acceptance Date if:
(i) there shall be an Uncured Inaccuracy (as defined the
Merger Agreement) in any representation or warranty of GenTek
contained in the Merger Agreement or breach of any covenant of
GenTek contained in the Merger Agreement, in any case, such that
any of certain specified conditions to the Offer are not or
would reasonably be likely not to be satisfied, (ii) Parent
shall have delivered to GenTek written notice of such Uncured
Inaccuracy or breach and (iii) either such Uncured Inaccuracy or
breach is not capable of cure or at least 30 days shall
have elapsed since the date of delivery of such written notice
to GenTek and such Uncured Inaccuracy or breach shall not have
been cured in all material respects; provided that Parent shall
not be permitted to terminate the Merger Agreement if:
(A) any material covenant of Parent or the Purchaser
contained in the Merger Agreement shall have been breached in
any material respect, and such breach shall not have been cured
in all material respects or (B) there shall be an Uncured
Inaccuracy in any representation or warranty of Parent or the
Purchaser contained in the Merger Agreement;
h) by GenTek, at any time prior to the Acceptance Date if:
(i) there shall be an Uncured Inaccuracy in any
representation or warranty of Parent or the Purchaser contained
in the Merger Agreement or breach of any covenant of Parent or
the Purchaser contained in the Merger Agreement that shall have
had or is reasonably like to have, individually or in the
aggregate, a material adverse effect upon Parent’s or the
Purchaser’s ability to consummate the Offer or the Merger,
(ii) GenTek shall have delivered to Parent written notice
of such Uncured Inaccuracy or breach and (iii) either such
Uncured Inaccuracy or breach is not capable of cure or at least
30 days shall have elapsed since the date of delivery of
such written notice to Parent and such Uncured Inaccuracy or
breach shall not have been cured in all material respects;
provided that Parent shall not be permitted to terminate the
Merger Agreement if: (A) any material covenant of GenTek
contained in the Merger Agreement shall have been breached in
any material respect, and such breach shall not have been cured
in all material respects or (B) there shall be an Uncured
Inaccuracy in any representation or warranty of GenTek contained
in the Merger Agreement; or
i) by either GenTek or Parent, if the Acceptance Date has
not occurred on or before the Initial Outside Date or, if
applicable, the Extended Outside Date; provided that GenTek
cannot terminate the Merger Agreement prior to the expiration of
any applicable Notice Period.
Purchaser commenced the Offer on September 29, 2009 and
therefore the termination right under (b) is no longer
applicable.
As used in the Merger Agreement, “Company Material Adverse
Effect” means any change, event, development, condition,
occurrence or effect that, individually or in the aggregate, has
or would reasonably be expected to result in any change or
effect, that is materially adverse to the business, condition
(financial or otherwise), assets, liabilities or results of
operations of GenTek and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
provided, however, that none of the following shall be deemed in
themselves to constitute, and that none of the following shall
be taken into account in determining whether there has been or
will be, a Company Material Adverse Effect: (a) any change
generally affecting the economy, financial markets or political,
economic or regulatory conditions in the United States or any
other geographic region in which GenTek and its subsidiaries
conduct business (except to the extent that GenTek or a
subsidiary is disproportionately adversely affected relative to
other participants in the industries in which GenTek or such
subsidiary participates), (b) general financial, credit or
capital market conditions, including interest rates or exchange
rates, or any changes therein, (c) conditions (or changes
therein) in any industry or industries in which GenTek operates
to the extent that such conditions do not disproportionately
have a greater adverse impact on GenTek and its subsidiaries,
taken as a whole, relative to other companies operating in such
industry or industries, (d) any change attributable to the
negotiation, execution, announcement, pendency or pursuit of the
transactions contemplated thereby, including the Offer and the
Merger, including any litigation resulting therefrom, any
cancellation of or delays in customer orders, any reduction in
sales and any disruption in supplier, distributor, partner or
similar relation ships, (e) acts of war (whether or not
declared), the commencement, continuation or escalation of a
war, acts of armed hostility, sabotage or terrorism or other
international or national calamity or any material worsening of
such conditions threatened or existing as of the date of the
Merger Agreement,
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(f) any hurricane, earthquake, flood, natural disaster, or
other force majeure event, (g) changes in GAAP or
(h) a decline in the price of GenTek’s common stock on
the Nasdaq or any other market in which such securities are
quoted for purchase and sale (it being understood that the facts
and circumstances giving rise to such decline may be deemed to
constitute, and may be taken into account in determining whether
there has been, a Company Material Adverse Effect if such facts
and circumstances are not otherwise described in clauses (a)-(g)
of the definition).
Termination Fee. The Merger Agreement
contemplates that the certain termination fees will be payable
to the parties under certain circumstances, as follows:
a) If the Merger Agreement is terminated prior to, on or
after the Solicitation Period End Date by Parent pursuant to
paragraph (e) under “Termination” above, then
GenTek shall pay to Parent within two business days following
such termination a termination fee of $10,000,000 in cash plus
an amount equal to Parent and the Purchaser’s documented
out-of-pocket
fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Merger
Agreement, the Offer and the Merger not to exceed $2,000,000
(the “Expense Reimbursement Fee” and with the
$10,000,000, the “Company Termination Fee”).
b) If the Merger Agreement is terminated prior to, on or
after the Solicitation Period End Date by GenTek pursuant to
paragraph (f) under “Termination” above, then
GenTek shall pay to Parent in advance of or concurrently with
such termination the Company Termination Fee.
c) If (A) prior to the termination of the Merger
Agreement any Acquisition Proposal is publicly proposed or
disclosed or otherwise presented to GenTek by any person since
the date of the Merger Agreement, (B) the Merger Agreement
is terminated pursuant to any of paragraphs (c), (g) or
(i) under “Termination” above, and
(C) concurrently with or within nine months after such
termination, GenTek enters into a definitive agreement with
respect to or consummates a transaction with respect to any
Acquisition Proposal with any such person or an affiliate
thereof, then GenTek shall in advance of or concurrently with
the execution of any such definitive agreement or the
consummation of such transaction pay to Parent the Company
Termination Fee.
d) If the Merger Agreement is terminated by GenTek pursuant
to paragraph (b) under “Termination” above and
GenTek has not otherwise breached the Merger Agreement, or by
GenTek pursuant to paragraph (h) under
“Termination” above, then Parent or its affiliates
shall pay to GenTek within two business days following such
termination, a fee of $12,000,000 in cash (the “Parent
Termination Fee”).
e) If the Merger Agreement is terminated pursuant to
paragraphs (i) or (g) under “Termination”
above, then GenTek shall pay to Parent the Expense Reimbursement
Fee.
Amendment. The Merger Agreement may be amended
by GenTek, Parent and the Purchaser by action taken by or on
behalf of their respective boards of directors at any time prior
to the Effective Time; provided that, after approval of the
Merger by GenTek’s stockholders, no amendment may be made
which, by law or in accordance with the rules of any relevant
stock exchange, requires further approval by such stockholders.
The Merger Agreement may not be amended except by an instrument
in writing signed by the parties thereto.
Specific Performance. The parties have agreed
irreparable damage would occur in the event that any provisions
of the Merger Agreement were not performed by GenTek in
accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached.
Therefore, the parties have agreed that, prior to the
termination of the Merger Agreement, Parent and the Purchaser
will be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent
breaches of the Merger Agreement and to specifically enforce the
terms and provisions of the Merger Agreement. Additionally, the
parties agreed that GenTek will not be entitled to an injunction
or injunctions to prevent breaches of the Merger Agreement or to
specifically enforce the terms and provisions of the Merger
Agreement.
Limitation on GenTek Remedies. The Merger
Agreement also provides that the Parent Termination Fee shall,
and is intended to be, the sole and exclusive direct or indirect
remedy available to GenTek against the Purchaser, Parent and any
of their affiliates in respect of any liabilities or obligations
arising under or in connection with the Merger Agreement.
Internal Reorganization. In connection with
the consummation of the Offer, GenTek is required to take
certain actions which are necessary to facilitate the financing
as contemplated by the Debt Commitment Letter, including
entering into agreements to effectuate an internal
reorganization of the GenTek subsidiaries prior to the
Acceptance Date (the “Internal Reorganization”). These
actions include (i) certain intercompany transactions to
make the subsidiary which owns all of the entities comprising
the valve actuation systems business a direct subsidiary of
GenTek and (ii) forming a new holding company
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as a subsidiary of GenTek (“New Holdco”) to own and
operate the performance chemicals business. As a result of the
Internal Reorganization, the subsidiaries of GenTek which own
and operate the two business segments of GenTek will be
separated. The borrower under the Facilities will be a
subsidiary of New Holdco. As noted earlier, one of the
conditions to the debt financing is that the valve actuation
systems business of GenTek shall be owned by subsidiaries of
GenTek that conduct no business other than the valve actuation
systems business (for further details about the Debt Financing
see Section 9 — “Source and Amount of
Funds” — Debt Financing). Initially
following the Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx Xx. will continue in
his role as chief executive officer of both the performance
chemicals and valve actuation systems businesses.
Other
Agreements
The Tender and Support Agreement. On
September 28, 2009, Hawkeye Capital LLC, Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx,
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx Xx., Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxx,
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx and Xxxx Xxxxxxxx (the “Principal
Stockholders”) entered into a Tender and Support Agreement
with Parent and the Purchaser.
Pursuant to the Tender and Support Agreement, each Principal
Stockholder agrees, among other things (i) to tender all
Shares they beneficially own in the Offer and (ii) to vote
such shares (A) in favor of adopting the Merger Agreement
and the transactions contemplated thereby and (B) against
any proposal, action or contract that would reasonably be
expected to result in (1) a breach of any covenant,
representation, warranty or any other obligation or agreement of
GenTek under the Merger Agreement, (2) certain of the
conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement not being fulfilled
or satisfied, (3) any action, agreement or transaction that
would reasonably be expected to adversely affect the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger
Agreement, including the Offer, (4) any Acquisition
Proposal or (5) any merger, acquisition, sale,
consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, extraordinary
dividend, dissolution, liquidation, winding up of or by GenTek,
or any other extraordinary transaction involving GenTek. Each
Principal Stockholder also agrees not to (i) offer to
transfer, transfer or consent to any transfer of any or all
Shares they beneficially own without the prior written consent
of Parent, (ii) enter into any contract with respect to any
transfer of any such Shares or any interest therein,
(iii) grant any proxy,
power-of-attorney,
right of first offer or refusal or other authorization or
consent in or with respect to any such Shares, (iv) deposit
any such Shares into a voting trust or enter into a voting
agreement with respect to such Shares, (v) permit any liens
to be created on any such Shares or (vi) take any other
action that would make any representation or warranty of such
Principal Stockholder contained in the Tender and Support
Agreement incorrect in any material respect or restrict in any
material respect the performance of such Principal
Stockholder’s obligations thereunder or the transactions
contemplated thereby.
With respect to any Principal Stockholder, the Tender and
Support Agreement terminates upon the earliest of (i) the
mutual written agreement of Parent and such Principal
Stockholder, (ii) the Effective Time, (iii) the date
of termination of the Merger Agreement and (iv) any
withdrawal or modification of the Company Board Recommendation.
As of the date of this Offer to Purchase and based on the
information provided by the stockholders subject to the Tender
and Support Agreement, the Shares owned by the stockholders
subject to the Tender and Support Agreement represent
approximately 11.5% of GenTek’s outstanding Shares or 12.7%
on a fully diluted basis assuming the exercise by the
individuals party to the Tender and Support Agreement of all of
their “in the money” options and warrants to acquire
Shares.
The Employment Arrangements. At the request of
the Sponsors, and in conjunction with the execution of the
Merger Agreement, Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx Xx. has entered into an
employment agreement (the “Xxxxxxx Agreement”) and
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx has signed an offer letter (the
“Xxxxxxxxx Letter”), each with a subsidiary of GenTek,
both of which are subject to and effective upon the closing of
the Merger.
Pursuant to the Xxxxxxx Agreement, dated September 28,
2009, Xx. Xxxxxxx will serve as President and Chief
Executive Officer of GenTek Technologies and as Chief Executive
Officer of General Chemical Performance Products LLC
(“General Chemical Performance Products”). The
Xxxxxxxxx Letter sets forth the principal terms of an employment
agreement into which Xx. Xxxxxxxxx and General Chemical
Performance Products intend to enter. Pursuant to the Xxxxxxxxx
Letter, dated September 28, 2009, Xx. Xxxxxxxxx would
serve as President of General Chemical Performance Products. The
term of the Xxxxxxx Agreement and the Xxxxxxxxx Letter commence
upon the Closing Date and are effective for an indefinite period.
Pursuant to the terms of the Xxxxxxx Agreement, Xx. Xxxxxxx
will receive an annual base annual salary of $400,000 for his
services to GenTek Technologies and a monthly fee of $15,000 for
his services to General Chemical Performance Products. Beginning
in fiscal year 2010, Xx. Xxxxxxx will be entitled to an
annual target cash bonus. Xx. Xxxxxxx’x annual target
cash
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bonus will be based in equal part upon GenTek Technologies’
EBITDA and free cash flow and will be targeted at 125% of annual
base salary, with a range of between 0% and 175% of base salary.
Under the terms of the Xxxxxxx Agreement, Xx. Xxxxxxx will
continue to be entitled to an annual target cash bonus for
fiscal year 2009 in accordance with his current employment
agreement. The amount of the bonus will be based on actual
year-end financials in accordance with the GenTek, Inc. 2009
Short Term Incentive Plan.
Xx. Xxxxxxx will also receive, subject to his execution of
a release, a one-time payment equal to three times his current
annual base salary as set forth in his current employment
agreement. Xx. Xxxxxxx may also receive a
gross-up
payment if he receives change in control benefits subject to the
excise tax under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Pursuant to the Xxxxxxx Agreement, Xx. Xxxxxxx will be
eligible to receive a grant of long-term incentive compensation
pursuant to any equity plan established by GenTek Technologies.
The Xxxxxxx Agreement further provides that the amount and the
terms of any such equity awards will be consistent with
Xx. Xxxxxxx’x title and position.
The Xxxxxxx Agreement provides that in the event
Xx. Xxxxxxx’x employment is terminated by
Xx. Xxxxxxx for “Good Reason” (as defined
therein) or by GenTek Technologies “without Cause” (as
defined therein) following the occurrence of an event
constituting “Good Reason” (as defined therein) and,
subject to his execution of a release of all claims,
Xx. Xxxxxxx will be entitled to a lump sum payment equal to
one times his annual base salary then in effect, plus continued
medical and dental insurance coverage for a period of three
years.
Under the terms of the Xxxxxxx Agreement, Xx. Xxxxxxx is
required to purchase equity in both GenTek Technologies and
General Chemical Performance Products in an amount equal to 20%
of his pre-tax equity investment in GenTek that is liquidated in
connection with the closing of the Merger.
The Xxxxxxx Agreement also includes non-solicitation,
non-competition and confidentiality provisions.
Pursuant to the terms of the Xxxxxxxxx Letter, if
Xx. Xxxxxxxxx and General Chemical Performance Products
enter into the employment agreement contemplated in the letter,
Xx. Xxxxxxxxx would receive a base annual salary of
$350,000. Beginning in fiscal year 2010, Xx. Xxxxxxxxx
would be entitled to an annual cash bonus.
Xx. Xxxxxxxxx’x annual cash bonus would be based in
equal part upon General Chemical Performance Products EBITDA and
free cash flow and would be targeted at 75% of annual base
salary, with a range of between 0% and 175% of base salary.
Under the terms of the Xxxxxxxxx Letter, Xx. Xxxxxxxxx
would continue to be entitled to an annual cash bonus for fiscal
year 2009 in accordance with the GenTek 2009 Short Term
Incentive Plan. The amount of the bonus would be based on actual
year-end financials.
The Xxxxxxxxx Letter provides for certain termination payments
and benefits in the event Xx. Xxxxxxxxx’x employment
were terminated by General Chemical Performance Products other
than for “Cause” (as defined therein). If
Xx. Xxxxxxxxx’x employment were terminated under such
circumstances, subject to the execution of a release,
Xx. Xxxxxxxxx would be paid a lump sum payment equal to the
sum of one times his annual base salary then in effect, plus
continued medical and dental insurance coverage for a period of
one year. However, if Xx. Xxxxxxxxx’x employment were
terminated by General Chemical Performance Products other than
for Cause at any time following a “Change in Control”
of General Chemical Performance Products (as defined in the
employment agreement), subject to the execution of a release,
Xx. Xxxxxxxxx would be paid a lump sum payment equal to the
sum of two times his annual base salary and one times his annual
target cash bonus then in effect, plus continued medical and
dental insurance coverage for a period of two years.
Pursuant to the Xxxxxxxxx Letter, Xx. Xxxxxxxxx would be
required to purchase equity in General Chemical Performance
Products in an amount equal to 50% of his after tax equity
investment in GenTek that is liquidated in connection with the
closing of the Merger (other than in respect of his Restricted
Stock).
12. | Purpose of the Offer; Plans for GenTek. |
Purpose of the Offer. The purpose of the Offer
is for the Purchaser to acquire control of, and the entire
equity interest in, GenTek. The Offer, as the first step in the
acquisition of GenTek, is intended to facilitate the acquisition
of all outstanding Shares. The purpose of the Merger is to
acquire all outstanding Shares not tendered and purchased
pursuant to the Offer. If the Offer is successful, the Purchaser
intends to consummate the Merger as promptly as practicable.
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If you sell your Shares in the Offer, you will cease to have any
equity interest in GenTek or any right to participate in its
earnings and future growth. If you do not tender your Shares,
but the Merger is consummated, you also will no longer have an
equity interest in GenTek. Similarly, after selling your Shares
in the Offer or the subsequent Merger, you will not bear the
risk of any decrease in the value of GenTek.
Short-form Merger. The DGCL provides that
if a parent company owns at least 90% of each class of stock of
a subsidiary, the parent company can effect a short-form merger
with that subsidiary without the action of the other
stockholders of the subsidiary. Accordingly, if, as a result of
the Offer, the
Top-Up
Option or otherwise, the Purchaser directly or indirectly owns
at least 90% of the Shares, Parent and the Purchaser anticipate
to effect the Merger without prior notice to, or any action by,
any other stockholder of GenTek if permitted to do so under the
DGCL. Even if Parent and the Purchaser do not own at least 90%
of the outstanding Shares following consummation of the Offer,
Parent and the Purchaser could seek to purchase additional
Shares in the open market, from GenTek or otherwise in order to
reach the 90% threshold and effect a short-form merger. The
consideration per Share paid for any Shares so acquired, other
than Shares acquired pursuant to the
Top-Up
Option, may be greater or less than that paid in the Offer.
Plans for GenTek. Except as otherwise provided
herein, it is expected that, initially following the Merger, the
business and operations of GenTek will, except as set forth in
this Offer to Purchase, be continued substantially as they are
currently being conducted. Parent will continue to evaluate the
business and operations of GenTek during the pendancy of the
Offer and after the consummation of the Offer and the Merger and
will take such actions as it deems appropriate under the
circumstances then existing. Thereafter, Parent intends to
review such information as part of a comprehensive review of
GenTek’s business, operations, capitalization and
management with a view to optimizing development of
GenTek’s potential in conjunction with Parent’s
existing business.
If we purchase Shares pursuant to the Offer, Parent intends to
promptly upon the acceptance for payment of, and payment by the
Purchaser for, any Shares pursuant to the Offer (and for so long
thereafter as Parent and its subsidiaries own more than 50% of
the outstanding Shares) to designate for appointment or election
to the GenTek Board a number of directors that is proportionate
to the percentage of Shares then beneficially owned by Parent
and its subsidiaries. GenTek is required to promptly cause
Xxxxxx’s designees to be appointed or elected to
GenTek’s Board, and to the extent necessary, increase the
size of GenTek’s Board, obtain the resignation of certain
directors or amend its bylaws as is necessary. GenTek is also
required to cause individuals designated by Parent to have
proportionate representation on (i) each committee of
GenTek’s Board, subject to compliance with applicable law
and Nasdaq rules, and (ii) each board of directors (or
similar body) of each subsidiary of GenTek and each committee of
each such board. The Merger Agreement also provides that in the
event that Xxxxxx’s designees are elected or appointed to
the GenTek Board, until the Effective Time, the GenTek Board
shall have at least such number of directors as may be required
by Nasdaq rules or the federal securities laws who are
considered independent directors within the meaning of such
rules and laws (but Parent’s designees will always
constitute a majority of the GenTek Board following election or
appointment).
Following the election or appointment of Xxxxxx’s designees
to the GenTek Board and until the Effective Time of the Merger,
the approval of a majority of the directors on the GenTek Board
who were not designated by Parent and are not employees of
GenTek will be required for approval of any amendment to the
certificate of incorporation or bylaws of GenTek that adversely
affects holders of Shares and certain actions relating to the
Merger or pursuant to the Merger Agreement.
As part of its continued evaluation of the business and
operations of GenTek, Parent is considering a number of
proposals in connection with various businesses of GenTek,
including possible asset dispositions following the Closing Date.
In addition, Parent is aware that GenTek is considering a number
of proposals regarding various businesses, including possible
asset dispositions. Additional information may be provided in
GenTek’s Solicitation/Recommendation Statement and
Schedule 14D-9
to be filed with the SEC and which will be mailed to
GenTek’s Stockholders by GenTek.
Internal Reorganization. In connection with
the consummation of the Offer, GenTek is required to take
certain actions which are necessary to facilitate the financing
as contemplated by the Debt Commitment Letter, including
entering into agreements to effectuate the Internal
Reorganization. These actions include (i) certain
intercompany transactions to make the subsidiary which owns all
of the entities comprising the valve actuation systems business
a direct subsidiary of GenTek and (ii) forming New Holdco,
a subsidiary of GenTek, which owns and operates the performance
chemicals business. As a result of the Internal Reorganization,
the subsidiaries of GenTek which own and operate the two
business segments of GenTek will be separated. The borrower
under the Facilities will be a subsidiary of New Holdco. As
noted earlier, one of the conditions to the
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debt financing is that the valve actuation systems business of
GenTek shall be owned by subsidiaries of GenTek that conduct no
business other than the valve actuation systems business (for
further details about the Debt Financing see
Section 9 — “Source and Amount of
Funds” — Debt Financing). Initially
following the Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx Xx. will continue in
his role as chief executive officer of both the performance
chemicals and valve actuation systems businesses.
Except as set forth in this Offer to Purchase, including as
contemplated in Section 12 — “Purpose of the
Offer, Plans for GenTek — Plans for GenTek”,
Parent and the Purchaser have no present plans or proposals that
would relate to or result in (i) any extraordinary
corporate transaction involving GenTek or any of its
subsidiaries (such as a merger, reorganization, liquidation,
relocation of any operations or sale or other transfer of a
material amount of assets), (ii) any sale or transfer of a
material amount of assets of GenTek or any of its subsidiaries,
(iii) any material change in GenTek’s capitalization
or dividend policy or (iv) any other material change in
GenTek’s corporate structure or business.
13. | Certain Effects of the Offer. |
Market for the Shares. The purchase of Shares
pursuant to the Offer will reduce the number of holders of
Shares and the number of Shares that might otherwise trade
publicly, which could adversely affect the liquidity and market
value of the remaining Shares. We cannot predict whether the
reduction in the number of Shares that might otherwise trade
publicly would have an adverse or beneficial effect on the
market price for, or marketability of, the Shares or whether
such reduction would cause future market prices to be greater or
less than the Offer Price.
Stock Quotation. Depending upon the number of
Shares purchased pursuant to the Offer, the Shares may no longer
meet the requirements for continued listing on Nasdaq. According
to the published guidelines of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (the
“Nasdaq Stock Market”), the Nasdaq Stock Market would
consider disqualifying the Shares for listing on Nasdaq (though
not necessarily for listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market) if,
among other possible grounds, the number of publicly held Shares
falls below 750,000, the total number of beneficial holders of
round lots of Shares falls below 400, the market value of
publicly held Shares over a 30 consecutive business day period
is less than $5 million, there are fewer than two active
and registered market makers in the Shares over a 10 consecutive
business day period, GenTek has stockholders’ equity of
less than $10 million, or the bid price for the Shares over
a 30 consecutive business day period is less than $1.
Furthermore, the Nasdaq Stock Market would consider delisting
the Shares from Nasdaq altogether if, among other possible
grounds, (i) the number of publicly held Shares falls below
500,000, (ii) the total number of beneficial holders of
round lots of Shares falls below 300, (iii) the market
value of publicly held Shares over a 30 consecutive business day
period is less than $1 million, (iv) there are fewer
than two active and registered market makers in the Shares over
a 10 consecutive business day period, (v) the bid price for
the Shares over a 30 consecutive business day period is less
than $1 or (vi) (A) GenTek has stockholders’ equity of
less than $2.5 million, (B) the market value of
GenTek’s listed securities is less than $35 million
over a 10 consecutive business day period and
(C) GenTek’s net income from continuing operations is
less than $500,000 for the most recently completed fiscal year
and two of the last three most recently completed fiscal years.
Shares held by officers or directors of GenTek, or by any
beneficial owner of more than 10% of the Shares, will not be
considered as being publicly held for this purpose. According to
XxxXxx, as of September 24, 2009, there were
10,196,370 Shares outstanding. If, as a result of the
purchase of Shares pursuant to the Offer or otherwise, the
Shares are either no longer eligible for Nasdaq or are delisted
from Nasdaq altogether, the market for Shares will be adversely
affected.
Margin Regulations. The Shares are currently
“margin securities” under the Regulations of the Board
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal
Reserve Board”), which has the effect, among other things,
of allowing brokers to extend credit on the collateral of the
Shares. Depending upon factors similar to those described above
regarding the market for the Shares and stock quotations, it is
possible that, following the Offer, the Shares would no longer
constitute “margin securities” for the purposes of the
margin regulations of the Federal Reserve Board and, therefore,
could no longer be used as collateral for loans made by brokers.
Exchange Act Registration. The Shares are
currently registered under the Exchange Act. Such registration
may be terminated upon application of GenTek to the SEC if the
Shares are neither listed on a national securities exchange nor
held by 300 or more holders of record. Termination of
registration of the Shares under the Exchange Act would
substantially reduce the information required to be furnished by
GenTek to its stockholders and to the SEC and would make certain
provisions of the Exchange Act no longer applicable to GenTek,
such as the short-swing profit recovery provisions of
Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, the requirement of
furnishing a proxy statement pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Exchange Act in connection with stockholders’ meetings
and the related requirement of furnishing an annual report to
stockholders and the requirements of
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Rule 13e-3
under the Exchange Act with respect to “going private”
transactions. Furthermore, the ability of “affiliates”
of GenTek and persons holding “restricted securities”
of GenTek to dispose of such securities pursuant to
Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, may be impaired or eliminated. If registration of the
Shares under the Exchange Act were terminated, the Shares would
no longer be “margin securities” or be eligible for
listing on Nasdaq. We intend and will cause GenTek to terminate
the registration of the Shares under the Exchange Act as soon
after consummation of the Offer as the requirements for
termination of registration are met. If registration of the
Shares is not terminated prior to the Merger, the registration
of the Shares under the Exchange Act will be terminated
following the consummation of the Merger.
14. | Dividends and Distributions. |
The Merger Agreement provides that from the date of the Merger
Agreement to the Effective Time, without the prior written
consent of Parent, GenTek will not, and will not allow its
subsidiaries to, declare, set aside, make or pay any dividends
on or make any distribution with respect to the capital Stock of
GenTek or any subsidiary of GenTek.
15. | Certain Conditions of the Offer. |
For the purposes of this Section 15, capitalized terms used
but not defined herein will have the meanings set forth in the
Merger Agreement. Notwithstanding any other provision of the
Offer, the Purchaser shall not be required to accept for payment
or, subject to the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC,
including
Rule 14e-1(c)
under the Exchange Act, pay for any Shares tendered pursuant to
the Offer, unless (i) the Minimum Condition shall have been
satisfied; (ii) the HSR Condition shall have been
satisfied; (iii) the Governmental Approval Condition shall
have been satisfied; and (iv), at the then scheduled
Expiration Date of the Offer, none of the following conditions
shall exist:
(a) there shall be any statute, rule, decree, regulation,
judgment, order or injunction enacted, entered, enforced,
promulgated or which is deemed applicable pursuant to an
authoritative interpretation by or on behalf of a Government
Entity to the Offer, the Merger or any other transaction
contemplated by the Agreement, or any other action shall be
taken by any Governmental Entity, other than the application to
the Offer or the Merger of applicable waiting periods under the
HSR Act or similar waiting periods with respect to the Other
Required Governmental Approvals, which in any such case
(A) restrains or prohibits the making or consummation of
the Offer or the consummation of the Merger or the performance
of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or
(B) prohibits or materially limits the ownership or
operation by GenTek, Parent or any of their respective
subsidiaries of any portion of any business or of any assets of
GenTek, Parent or any of their respective subsidiaries;
(b) (i) the representations and warranties of GenTek
contained in Section 3.2(a) (Subsidiaries),
Section 3.4(a) (Authority),
Section 3.10(a) (Absence of Certain Changes or
Events), Section 3.23 (Opinion of Financial
Advisor), Section 3.26 (Required Vote) and
Section 3.27 (Brokers) of the Merger Agreement shall
not be true and correct in all respects, in each case both when
made and at and as of the Expiration Date, as if made at and as
of such time (except to the extent expressly made as of an
earlier date, in which case as of such date), (ii) the
representations and warranties of GenTek contained in Section
3.3 (Capitalization) of the Merger Agreement shall not be
true and correct in all respects, other than immaterial
misstatements or omissions, both when made and at and as of the
Expiration Date, as if made at and as of such time and
(iii) all other representations and warranties of GenTek
set forth in the Merger Agreement shall not be true and correct
both when made and at and as of the Expiration Date, as if made
at and as of such time (except to the extent expressly made as
of an earlier date, in which case as of such date), except where
the failure of such representations and warranties to be so true
and correct (without giving effect to any limitation as to
“materiality” or “Company Material Adverse
Effect” set forth therein) does not have, and would not
reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the
aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect;
(c) GenTek shall have breached or failed, in any material
respect, to perform or to comply with any agreement or covenant
to be performed or complied with by it under the Merger
Agreement and such breach or failure shall not have been cured
on or prior to the Expiration Date;
(d) since the date of the Merger Agreement, there shall
have occurred a Company Material Adverse Effect;
(e) GenTek shall have failed to deliver to Parent a
certificate executed on behalf of GenTek by the chief executive
officer and chief financial officer of GenTek certifying that
none of the conditions in clauses (b), (c) or
(d) above have occurred;
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(f) any of the Tender and Support Agreements is not in full
force and effect, unless terminated in accordance with the terms
of such Tender and Support Agreement;
(g) GenTek Holding, LLC has not entered into agreements or
arrangements on terms acceptable to the Purchaser and Parent
providing that, subject to and as promptly as possible following
the receipt of funds by GenTek Holding, LLC pursuant to the Debt
Financing, GenTek Holding, LLC will loan to the Purchaser, by no
later than the date determined by the Purchaser, all or a
portion of such funds in excess of the amount used to repay the
existing indebtedness of GenTek, the specific amount of which
shall be determined by the Purchaser, and which amount shall be
paid in accordance with the direction of the Purchaser;
(h) GenTek and its subsidiaries have not entered into
agreements or arrangements with the Purchaser on terms
acceptable to the Purchaser and Parent providing for the loan to
the Purchaser, by no later than the date determined by the
Purchaser, all the cash and cash equivalents of GenTek and its
subsidiaries on hand as of immediately prior to the Acceptance
Date other than such amount of cash or cash equivalents as is
required to be retained by GenTek or its subsidiaries pursuant
to the Debt Commitment Letter, which funds shall be paid in
accordance with the direction of the Purchaser;
(i) GenTek and its subsidiaries have not entered into
agreements or arrangements providing for the Internal
Reorganization steps required to be completed by GenTek prior to
the scheduled Expiration Date (other than steps that Parent or
the Purchaser has indicated in writing to the Company prior to
the scheduled Expiration Date should not be undertaken);
(j) as of the Expiration Date, any of the conditions to the
consummation of the Merger set forth in Article 6 of the
Merger Agreement are unable to be satisfied by the Closing
Date; or
(k) the Merger Agreement shall have been terminated in
accordance with its terms.
The foregoing conditions (i) are for the benefit of Parent
and the Purchaser and may be asserted by Parent or the Purchaser
regardless of the circumstances giving rise to such condition,
(ii) other than the Minimum Condition, may be waived by
Parent and the Purchaser, in whole or in part, at any time and
from time to time, in their sole discretion, subject to the
terms of the Merger Agreement and the applicable rules and
regulations of the SEC and (iii) other than the Minimum
Condition, shall be deemed met if such condition or requirement
is so waived. The failure by Parent or the Purchaser at any time
to exercise any of the foregoing rights shall not be deemed a
waiver of any such rights and each such right shall be deemed an
ongoing right which may be asserted at any time and from time to
time.
16. | Certain Legal Matters; Regulatory Approvals. |
General. We are not aware of any pending legal
proceeding relating to the Offer. Except as described in this
Section 16, based on our examination of publicly available
information filed by GenTek with the SEC and other information
concerning GenTek, we are not aware of any governmental license
or regulatory permit that appears to be material to
GenTek’s business that might be adversely affected by our
acquisition of Shares as contemplated herein or of any approval
or other action by any governmental, administrative or
regulatory authority or agency, domestic or foreign, that would
be required for the acquisition or ownership of Shares by the
Purchaser or Parent as contemplated herein. Should any such
approval or other action be required, we currently contemplate
that, except as described below under “State Takeover
Statutes,” such approval or other action will be sought.
While we do not currently intend to delay acceptance for payment
of Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer pending the outcome of
any such matter, there can be no assurance that any such
approval or other action, if needed, would be obtained or would
be obtained without substantial conditions or that if such
approvals were not obtained or such other actions were not
taken, adverse consequences might not result to GenTek’s
business, any of which under certain conditions specified in the
Merger Agreement, could cause us to elect to terminate the Offer
without the purchase of Shares thereunder under certain
conditions. See Section 15 — “Certain
Conditions of the Offer.”
Antitrust Compliance. Under the HSR Act, and
the related rules and regulations that have been issued by the
Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”), certain
transactions may not be consummated until specified information
and documentary material (“Premerger Notification and
Report Forms”) have been furnished to the FTC and the
Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (the
“Antitrust Division”) and certain waiting period
requirements have been satisfied. These requirements of the HSR
Act apply to the acquisition of Shares in the Offer and the
Merger.
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Under the HSR Act, our purchase of Shares in the Offer may not
be completed until the expiration of a 15 calendar day waiting
period following the filing by American Securities
Partners V, L.P., as the ultimate parent entity of the
Purchaser, of a Premerger Notification and Report Form
concerning the Offer with the FTC and the Antitrust Division,
unless the waiting period is earlier terminated by the FTC and
the Antitrust Division. American Securities Partners V,
L.P. filed Premerger Notification and Report Forms with the FTC
and the Antitrust Division in connection with the purchase of
Shares in the Offer and the Merger on September 28, 2009.
Accordingly, the required waiting period with respect to the
Offer and the Merger will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York
City time, on October 13, 2009, unless earlier terminated
by the FTC and the Antitrust Division or unless the FTC or the
Antitrust Division issues a request for additional information
and documentary material (a “Second Request”) prior to
that time. If within the 15 calendar day waiting period either
the FTC or the Antitrust Division issues a Second Request, the
waiting period with respect to the Offer and the Merger would be
extended until 10 calendar days following the date of
substantial compliance by American Securities Partners V,
L.P. with that request, unless the FTC or the Antitrust Division
terminates the additional waiting period before its expiration.
After the expiration of the 10 calendar day waiting period, the
waiting period could be extended only by court order or with
American Securities Partners V, L.P.’s consent. In
practice, complying with a Second Request can take a significant
period of time. Although GenTek is required to file certain
information and documentary material with the FTC and the
Antitrust Division in connection with the Offer, neither
XxxXxx’s failure to make those filings nor a request for
additional documents and information issued to GenTek from the
FTC or the Antitrust Division will extend the waiting period
with respect to the purchase of Shares in the Offer and the
Merger. The Merger will not require an additional filing under
the HSR Act if the Purchaser owns more than 50% of the
outstanding Shares at the time of the Merger or if the Merger
occurs within one year after the HSR Act waiting period
applicable to the Offer expires or is terminated.
The FTC and the Antitrust Division will scrutinize the legality
under the antitrust laws of the Purchaser’s proposed
acquisition of GenTek. At any time before or after the
Purchaser’s acceptance for payment of Shares pursuant to
the Offer, if the Antitrust Division or the FTC believes that
the Offer would violate the US federal antitrust laws by
substantially lessening competition in any line of commerce
affecting US consumers, the FTC and the Antitrust Division have
the authority to challenge the transaction by seeking a federal
court order enjoining the transaction or, if shares have already
been acquired, requiring disposition of such Shares, or the
divestiture of substantial assets of the Purchaser, GenTek, or
any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates or requiring
other conduct relief. US state attorneys general and private
persons may also bring legal action under the antitrust laws
seeking similar relief or seeking conditions to the completion
of the Offer. While Xxxxxx believes that consummation of the
Offer would not violate any antitrust laws, there can be no
assurance that a challenge to the Offer on antitrust grounds
will not be made or, if a challenge is made, what the result
will be. If any such action is threatened or commenced by the
FTC, the Antitrust Division or any state or any other person,
the Purchaser may not be obligated to consummate the Offer or
the Merger. See Section 15 — “Certain
Conditions of the Offer.”
Industrial Site Recovery Act Compliance. The
proposed transaction will trigger the New Jersey Industrial Site
Recovery Act (“ISRA”), which requires the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection to approve the transfer
of ownership or control of certain industrial establishments.
The closing of the Merger is conditioned on the Company
obtaining the requisite approvals required under ISRA.
State Takeover Laws. GenTek is incorporated
under the laws of the State of Delaware. In general,
Section 203 of the DGCL prevents a Delaware corporation
from engaging in a “business combination” (defined to
include mergers and certain other actions) with an
“interested stockholder” (including a person who owns
or has the right to acquire 15% or more of a corporation’s
outstanding voting stock) for a period of three years following
the date such person became an “interested
stockholder” unless, among other things, the “business
combination” is approved by the board of directors of such
corporation before such person became an “interested
stockholder.” XxxXxx has elected not to be governed by
Section 203 of the DGCL and, therefore, Section 203 of
the DGCL is inapplicable to the Merger Agreement and the
transactions contemplated therein.
A number of states have adopted laws and regulations applicable
to attempts to acquire securities of corporations that are
incorporated, or have substantial assets, stockholders,
principal executive offices or principal places of business, or
whose business operations otherwise have substantial economic
effects, in such states. In 1982, in Xxxxx x. MITE
Corp., the Supreme Court of the United States invalidated on
constitutional grounds the Illinois Business Takeover Statute
which, as a matter of state securities law, made takeovers of
corporations meeting certain requirements more difficult.
However, in 1987, in CTS Corp. v. Dynamics Corp. of
America, the Supreme Court held that the State of Indiana
could, as a matter of corporate law, constitutionally disqualify
a potential acquiror from voting shares of a target corporation
without the prior approval of the remaining stockholders where,
among other things, the corporation is incorporated, and has a
substantial number of stockholders, in the state. Subsequently,
in TLX Acquisition Corp. v. Telex Corp., a
U.S. federal district court in Oklahoma ruled that the
Oklahoma statutes were unconstitutional as applied to
corporations incorporated outside Oklahoma in that they would
subject such corporations to inconsistent regulations.
Similarly, in
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Tyson Foods, Inc. x. XxXxxxxxxx, a U.S. federal
district court in Tennessee ruled that four Tennessee takeover
statutes were unconstitutional as applied to corporations
incorporated outside Tennessee. This decision was affirmed by
the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. In
December 1988, a U.S. federal district court in Florida
held in Grand Metropolitan PLC x. Xxxxxxxxxxx that
the provisions of the Florida Affiliated Transactions Act and
the Florida Control Share Acquisition Act were unconstitutional
as applied to corporations incorporated outside of Florida. The
state law before the Supreme Court was by its terms applicable
only to corporations that had a substantial number of
stockholders in the state and were incorporated there.
GenTek, directly or through subsidiaries, conducts business in a
number of states throughout the United States, some of
which have enacted takeover laws. We do not know whether any of
these laws will, by their terms, apply to the Offer or the
Merger and have not attempted to comply with any such laws.
Should any person seek to apply any state takeover law, we will
take such action as then appears desirable, which may include
challenging the validity or applicability of any such statute in
appropriate court proceedings. In the event any person asserts
that the takeover laws of any state are applicable to the Offer
or the Merger, and an appropriate court does not determine that
it is inapplicable or invalid as applied to the Offer or the
Merger, we may be required to file certain information with, or
receive approvals from, the relevant state authorities. In
addition, if enjoined, we may be unable to accept for payment
any Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer, or be delayed in
continuing or consummating the Offer and the Merger. In such
case, we may not be obligated to accept for payment any Shares
tendered in the Offer. See Section 15 —
“Certain Conditions of the Offer.”
17. | Appraisal Rights. |
No appraisal rights are available with respect to Shares
tendered and accepted for purchase in the Offer. However, if the
Merger is consummated, stockholders who do not tender their
Shares in the Offer and who do not vote for adoption of the
Merger Agreement will have certain rights under the DGCL to
demand appraisal of, and to receive payment in cash of the fair
value of, their Shares, in lieu of the right to receive the
Merger Consideration. Such rights to demand appraisal, if the
statutory procedures are met, could lead to a judicial
determination of the fair value of the Shares, as of the
Effective Time (excluding any element of value arising from the
accomplishment or expectation of the Merger), required to be
paid in cash to such dissenting holders for their Shares. In
addition, such dissenting stockholders would be entitled to
receive interest from the date of consummation of the Merger on
the amount determined to be the fair value of their Shares.
Unless the Court in its discretion determines otherwise for good
cause shown, such interest shall be compounded quarterly and
shall accrue at 5% over the Federal Reserve discount rate
(including any surcharge) as in effect from time to time during
the period between the Effective Time and the date of payment of
the judgment. In determining the fair value of the Shares, the
court is required to take into account all relevant factors.
Accordingly, such determination could be based upon
considerations other than, or in addition to, the market value
of the Shares, including, among other things, asset values and
earning capacity. In Xxxxxxxxxx v. UOP, Inc., the
Delaware Supreme Court stated, among other things, that
“proof of value by any techniques or methods which are
generally considered acceptable in the financial community and
otherwise admissible in court” should be considered in an
appraisal proceeding. Therefore, the value so determined in any
appraisal proceeding could be the same as, or more or less than,
the Offer Price or the Merger Consideration.
If any holder of Shares who demands appraisal under Delaware law
fails to perfect, or effectively withdraws or loses his rights
to appraisal as provided under Delaware law, each Share of such
stockholder will be converted into the right to receive the
Merger Consideration. A stockholder may withdraw his, her or its
demand for appraisal by delivering to GenTek a written
withdrawal of his, her or its demand for appraisal and
acceptance of the Merger within 60 days after the Effective
Time of the Merger (or thereafter with the consent of the
Surviving Corporation).
The foregoing discussion is not a complete statement of law
pertaining to appraisal rights under Delaware law and is
qualified in its entirety by reference to Delaware law.
You cannot exercise appraisal rights at this time. The
information set forth above is for informational purposes only
with respect to your alternatives if the Merger is consummated.
If you are entitled to appraisal rights in connection with the
Merger, you will receive additional information concerning
appraisal rights and the procedures to be followed in connection
therewith, including the text of the relevant provisions of
Delaware law, before you have to take any action relating
thereto.
If you sell your Shares in the Offer, you will not be
entitled to exercise appraisal rights with respect to your
Shares but, rather, will receive the Offer Price therefor.
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18. | Fees and Expenses. |
KeyBanc is acting as Dealer Manager in connection with the Offer
and has provided certain financial advisory services to Parent
and the Purchaser in connection with the proposed acquisition of
GenTek, for which services KeyBanc will receive customary
compensation. KeyBanc will be reimbursed for its reasonable fees
and expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of
KeyBanc’s counsel, incurred in connection with
KeyBanc’s engagement, and to indemnify KeyBanc, and certain
related parties against specified liabilities, including
liabilities under the federal securities laws. In the ordinary
course of business, KeyBanc and its affiliates may actively
trade or hold securities or loans of GenTek for their own
accounts or for the accounts of customers and, accordingly,
KeyBanc and/or its affiliates may at any time hold long or short
positions in these securities or loans.
Parent and the Purchaser have retained MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
to be the Information Agent and BNY Mellon Shareowner Services
to be the Depositary in connection with the Offer. The
Information Agent may contact holders of Shares by mail,
telephone, telecopy, telegraph and personal interview and may
request banks, brokers, dealers and other nominees to forward
materials relating to the Offer to beneficial owners of Shares.
The Information Agent and the Depositary each will receive
reasonable and customary compensation for their respective
services in connection with the Offer, will be reimbursed for
reasonable
out-of-pocket
expenses and will be indemnified against certain liabilities and
expenses in connection therewith, including certain liabilities
under federal securities laws.
Neither Parent nor the Purchaser will pay any fees or
commissions to any broker or dealer or to any other person
(other than to the Depositary and the Information Agent) in
connection with the solicitation of tenders of Shares pursuant
to the Offer. Brokers, dealers, commercial banks and trust
companies will, upon request, be reimbursed by the Purchaser for
customary mailing and handling expenses incurred by them in
forwarding offering materials to their customers. In those
jurisdictions where applicable laws require the Offer to be made
by a licensed broker or dealer, the Offer shall be deemed to be
made on behalf of the Purchaser by the Dealer Manager or one or
more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of
such jurisdiction to be designated by the Purchaser.
19. | Miscellaneous. |
The Offer is not being made to (nor will tenders be accepted
from or on behalf of) holders of Shares in any jurisdiction in
which the making of the Offer or the acceptance thereof would
not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws
of such jurisdiction. In those jurisdictions where applicable
laws require the Offer to be made by a licensed broker or
dealer, the Offer shall be deemed to be made on behalf of the
Purchaser by the Dealer Manager or one or more registered
brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction
to be designated by the Purchaser.
No person has been authorized to give any information or to
make any representation on behalf of Parent or the Purchaser not
contained herein or in the Letter of Transmittal, and, if given
or made, such information or representation must not be relied
upon as having been authorized. No broker, dealer, bank, trust
company, fiduciary or other person shall be deemed to be the
agent of the Purchaser, the Depositary, the Dealer Manager or
the Information Agent for the purpose of the Offer.
The Purchaser has filed with the SEC a Tender Offer Statement on
Schedule TO pursuant to
Rule 14d-3
of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act,
together with exhibits furnishing certain additional information
with respect to the Offer, and may file amendments thereto.
GenTek is required under the rules of the SEC to file its
Solicitation/Recommendation Statement with the SEC no later than
10 business days from the date of this Offer to Purchase on
Schedule 14D-9,
setting forth the recommendation of the GenTek Board with
respect to the Offer and the reasons for such recommendation and
furnishing certain additional related information. A copy of
such documents, and any amendments thereto, may, when filed, be
examined at, and copies may be obtained from, the SEC in the
manner set forth under Section 7 — “Certain
Information Concerning GenTek” above.
ASP GT Acquisition Corp.
September 29, 2009
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SCHEDULE I
INFORMATION
RELATING TO THE PURCHASER, PARENT AND CERTAIN RELATED
PERSONS
1. | THE PURCHASER |
The name, business address, present principal occupation or
employment and material occupations, positions, offices or
employment for the past five years of each of the directors and
executive officers of the Purchaser are set forth below. The
business address and phone number of each such director and
executive officer is
c/o American
Securities LLC, The Chrysler Center, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000 XXX,
(000) 000-0000.
All directors and executive officers listed below are citizens
of the United States.
Name and Position
|
Present Principal Occupation or Employment
|
|
Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxx Director and President |
Xx. XxXxxxx is a Managing Director of AS and has been with AS since 1999. Xx. XxXxxxx currently serves on the board of directors of the following portfolio companies owned by funds managed by AS: Lakeside Energy LLC, United Central Industrial Supply Company, LLC., Oreck Corporation, Delphi Midstream Partners, LLC, Liberty Tire Recycling, LLC and Fibermark Holdings, LLC. | |
Xxxxx Xxxxx Director, Vice President and Treasurer |
Xx. Xxxxx is a Vice President of AS and originally joined AS in 2002. From 2004 to 2006, Xx. Xxxxx attended the Xxxxxxx School at the University of Pennsylvania where he received his MBA. Xx. Xxxxx currently serves on the board of directors of the following portfolio companies owned by funds managed by AS: MECS, Inc., Lakeside Energy LLC, ASP Westward, LP and Delphi Midstream Partners, LLC. | |
Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx Vice President, Assistant Treasurer and Secretary |
Xx. Xxxxxxxxx has been the General Counsel of AS since 2005. Prior to joining AS, Xx. Xxxxxxxxx was Of Counsel in the business, finance and restructuring department at Weil, Gotshal & Xxxxxx LLP for five years. Xx. Xxxxxxxxx is currently a member of the New York State Bar Association. |
2. | PARENT |
The name, business address, present principal occupation or
employment and material occupations, positions, offices or
employment for the past five years of each of the directors and
executive officers of Parent are set forth below. The business
address and phone number of each such director and executive
officer is
c/o American
Securities LLC, The Chrysler Center, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000 XXX,
(000) 000-0000.
All directors and executive officers listed below are citizens
of the United States.
Present Principal Occupation or |
||
Name and Position
|
Employment and Employment History
|
|
Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxx Director and President |
See above. | |
Xxxxx Xxxxx Director, Vice President and Treasurer |
See above. | |
Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx Vice President, Assistant Treasurer and Secretary |
See above. |
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3. |
AMERICAN
SECURITIES PARTNERS V, L.P. AMERICAN SECURITIES PARTNERS V(B), L.P. AMERICAN SECURITIES PARTNERS V(C), L.P. AMERICAN SECURITIES ASSOCIATES V, LLC AMERICAN SECURITIES LLC |
American Securities Associates V, LLC is a Delaware limited
liability company and the general partner of each of American
Securities Partners V, L.P., American Securities Partners
V(B), L.P. and American Securities Partners V(C), L.P., each of
which is a Delaware limited partnership.
The name, business address, present principal occupation or
employment and material occupations, positions, offices or
employment for the past five years of each of the managing
members of American Securities Associates V, LLC are set
forth below. The business address and phone number of each such
managing member is
c/o American
Securities LLC, The Chrysler Center, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000 XXX,
(000) 000-0000.
All managing members listed below are citizens of the United
States.
Present Principal Occupation or |
||
Name and Position
|
Employment and Employment History
|
|
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx Managing Member |
Xx. Xxxxx has served as Managing Director of AS since its founding in 1994. Xx. Xxxxx has also been a member of the New York State Bar Association and the New York Society of Security Analysts. Currently Xx. Xxxxx serves as a managing member of a series of AS private equity funds managed by AS. In addition, Xx. Xxxxx serves as a member of (i) the investment committee of the Sterling American Property series of real estate funds since 1993 and (ii) the board of Ametek Inc. (NYSE). In addition, Xx. Xxxxx serves on the board of various non-profit organizations, including the Population Council and New York University School of Law. | |
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx Managing Member |
Xx. Xxxxx has been President of AS since its founding in 1994. Xx. Xxxxx is a managing member of AS and of the general partner of the associated American Securities Partners’ series of private equity funds. Xx. Xxxxx currently serves on the boards of numerous AS affiliated enterprises including the following portfolio companies: NEP, Inc., Oreck Corporation and Xxxxxxxxx Aviation, LLC. In addition, Xx. Xxxxx serves as a member of the investment committees of: (i) the Sterling American Property series of real estate funds; (ii) the ICV Partners series of private equity funds; (iii) the ACI Capital series of funds; and (iv) American Securities Opportunities Fund, L.P., a fund focusing on distressed debt investments. He also serves on the advisory board of Great Point Partners I, L.P.. In addition, Xx. Xxxxx serves as a Trustee or Board Member of the following organizations: (i) the Brick Presbyterian Church; (ii) the Princeton Theological Seminary; (iii) Human Rights Watch; and (iv) the Mount Sinai Department of Medicine. | |
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx Managing Member |
Xx. Xxxxxx is a managing director of AS and has been with AS since 1995. Xx. Xxxxxx currently serves on the board of directors of the following portfolio companies owned by funds managed by AS: NEP, Inc., Oreck Corporation, Xxxxxxx Engineering, Inc., Healthy Directions, LLC, Liberty Tire Recycling, LLC and NEP, Inc. |
American Securities LLC is a Delaware limited liability company.
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx serves as president and the sole executive
officer. See above for more information regarding
Xx. Xxxxx. The business address and phone number of
American Securities LLC is The Chrysler Center, 000 Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 XXX,
(000) 000-0000.
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Manually signed facsimiles of the Letter of Transmittal,
properly completed, will be accepted. The Letter of Transmittal
and certificates evidencing Shares and any other required
documents should be sent or delivered by each stockholder or
its, his or her broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company
or other nominee to the Depositary at one of its addresses set
forth below:
The Depositary for the Offer is:
If delivering by mail: | If delivering by hand or courier: | |
BNY Mellon Shareowner Services c/o Mellon Investor Services LLC Attn: Corporate Actions Department, 27th Floor P.O. Box 0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000 |
BNY Mellon Shareowner Services c/o Mellon Investor Services LLC Attn: Corporate Actions Department, 27th Floor 000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx, XX 00000 |
Questions or requests for assistance may be directed to the
Information Agent or the Dealer Manager at their respective
addresses and telephone numbers listed below. Additional copies
of this Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and the
Notice of Guaranteed Delivery may also be obtained from the
Information Agent or the Dealer Manager. Stockholders may also
contact brokers, dealers, commercial banks or trust companies
for assistance concerning the Offer.
The Information Agent for the Offer is:
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
(000) 000-0000 (Call Collect)
or
(000) 000-0000 (Toll Free)
Email: xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
(000) 000-0000 (Call Collect)
or
(000) 000-0000 (Toll Free)
Email: xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
The Dealer Manager for the Offer is:
KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Cleveland, OH 44114
Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
KeyBanc Capital Markets is a trade name under which corporate
and investment banking products and services of KeyCorp and its
subsidiaries, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Member
NYSE/FINRA/SIPC, and KeyBank National Association, are
marketed.