UNIVAR INC. (NYSE:UNVR) Files An 8-K Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
Item 1.01
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On September17, 2018, Nexeo Solutions, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (Nexeo), Univar Inc., a Delaware corporation,
(Univar), Pilates Merger Sub I Corp, a Delaware
corporation and direct wholly owned Subsidiary of Univar
(Merger Sub I), and Pilates Merger Sub II LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company and a direct wholly owned Subsidiary of
Univar (Merger Sub II), entered into an Agreement and Plan
of Merger (the Merger Agreement) providing for the
acquisition of Nexeo by Univar.
Also on September17, 2018, following the execution of the Merger
Agreement, certain affiliates of TPG Capital LLC and First
Pacific Advisors, LLC and certain of its affiliates
(collectively, the Written Consent Parties), in their
capacity as direct and indirect stockholders of Nexeo, executed
and delivered support agreements to Univar (collectively, the
Support Agreements) to which they have agreed to provide
their written consents to adopt the Merger Agreement on the terms
specified in the Support Agreements (the Written
Consents).
The Merger Agreement
The Merger Agreement provides, among other things, upon the terms
and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement,
that (i)Merger Sub I will merge with and into Nexeo (the
Initial Merger), with Nexeo surviving the Initial Merger
as a wholly owned subsidiary of Univar, and (ii)immediately
following the Initial Merger, Nexeo will merge with and into
Merger Sub II (the Subsequent Merger and together with the
Initial Merger, the Mergers), with Merger Sub II surviving
as the surviving company in the Subsequent Merger .
to the Merger Agreement, each share of common stock, par value
$0.0001 per share, of Nexeo (collectively, the Shares)
issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of
the Initial Merger (such time, the Initial Effective Time)
(other than (i)Shares owned by Univar, Nexeo or any direct or
indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Nexeo or Univar (including
Merger Sub I and Merger Sub II) and (ii)Shares owned by
stockholders who have perfected and not withdrawn a demand for
appraisal rights to the Delaware General Corporations Law) will
be converted into the right to receive (A)the Cash Consideration,
described below, and (B) 0.305 of a share of common stock, par
value $0.01 per share, of Univar (Univar Common Stock)
(the Stock Consideration and, together with the Cash
Consideration and any cash in lieu of fractional shares of Parent
Common Stock, the Merger Consideration).
The Cash Consideration will be $3.29 per Share, subject to
reduction by up to $0.41 per Share based on the closing price of
Univar common stock on the day prior to the closing of the
Mergers. The Cash Consideration will be reduced on a linear basis
between $3.29 per Share and $2.88 per Share to the extent that
the closing price of Univar common stock is between $25.34 and
$22.18. If the closing price of Univar common stock is $22.18 per
share or lower, the Cash Consideration will be $2.88 per Share.
If the closing price of Univar common stock on is $25.34 per
share or higher, the Cash Consideration will be $3.29 per Share.
The holders of Nexeos warrants will, following the Initial
Effective Time, have the right to purchase the Merger
Consideration upon the exercise of such number of warrants
representing the right to purchase one Share prior to the Initial
Effective Time, upon the terms and conditions specified in Nexeos
warrants and the Warrant Agreement filed as Exhibit 4.1 to Nexeos
Current Report on Form8-K filed on June16, 2014.
At the Initial Effective Time, with respect to each outstanding
option to purchase Shares (each, a Company Option),
whether vested or unvested, will: (i)if the exercise price of
such Company Option is equal to or greater than the sum of (A)the
Cash Consideration plus (B)the product obtained by multiplying
(x)the Stock Consideration by (y)the volume weighted average
closing sale price of one (1)share of Parent Common Stock as
reported on the NYSE for the ten (10)consecutive trading days
ending on the trading day immediately preceding the Initial
Effective Time (the Per Share Cash Equivalent
Consideration), such Company Option will terminate and be
cancelled as of immediately prior to the Initial Effective Time,
without any consideration being payable in respect thereof, and
have no further force or effect, and (ii)if the exercise price of
such Company Option is less than the Per Share Cash Equivalent
Consideration, terminate
and be cancelled as of immediately prior to the Initial
Effective Time and be converted into the right to receive, in
respect of each net share covered by such Company Option, the
Merger Consideration, net of any taxes, the per share Merger
Consideration. The number of net shares covered by such
Company Option shall be determined in accordance with the
formula set forth in the Merger Agreement and takes in
account the exercise price of the applicable Company Option.
Each outstanding share of restricted stock (each, a
Company Restricted Stock Award) that is outstanding as
of immediately prior to the Effective Time, whether vested or
unvested, will terminate and be cancelled as of immediately
prior to the Initial Effective Time and be converted into the
right to receive the Merger Consideration, net of any taxes
withheld, with respect to the number of Shares subject to
such Company Restricted Stock Award immediately prior to the
Initial Effective Time.
Each outstanding performance share unit that was granted
under Nexeos stock plan (each, a Company Performance Share
Unit Award) that is outstanding or payable as of
immediately prior to the Initial Effective Time, whether
vested or unvested, will terminate and be cancelled as of
immediately prior to the Initial Effective Time and be
converted into the right to receive the Merger Consideration,
net of any taxes withheld, with respect to the number of
Shares subject to such Company Performance Share Unit Award
determined based on actual performance through the latest
practicable date prior to the Closing Date.
Each outstanding award of share-settled restricted share
units (each, a Company RSU Award) that is outstanding
or payable as of immediately prior to the Initial Effective
Time, whether vested or unvested, will terminate and be
cancelled as of immediately prior to the Initial Effective
Time and be converted into the right to receive the Merger
Consideration, net of any taxes withheld, with respect to the
number of Shares subject to such Company RSU Award
immediately prior to the Initial Effective Time.
Each outstanding award of cash-settled restricted share units
(each, a Company Cash RSU Award) that is outstanding
or payable as of immediately prior to the Initial Effective
Time, whether vested or unvested, will terminate and be
cancelled as of immediately prior to the Initial Effective
Time and be converted into the right to receive an amount in
cash equal to the Per Share Cash Equivalent Consideration,
net of any taxes withheld, with respect to each Share subject
to such Company Cash RSU Award immediately prior to the
Initial Effective Time.
The parties obligation to consummate the Mergers is subject
to the satisfaction or waiver of conditions set forth in the
Merger Agreement, including: (i)the adoption by Nexeos
stockholders of the Merger Agreement, (ii)the approval by
Univars stockholders of the issuance of the shares of Univar
Common Stock in connection with the transactions contemplated
by the Merger Agreement, (iii)the expiration of the waiting
period applicable to the Mergers under the Hart-Scott-Rodino
Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and the
receipt of other required regulatory approvals, (iv)the
absence of any law or governmental order prohibiting the
Mergers, (v)the effectiveness of the Registration Statement
(as defined below) and the approval for listing on the NYSE
of the shares of Univar Common Stock in connection with the
transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, (vi)no
material adverse effect on Univar, Nexeo or Nexeos plastics
segment having occurred since the signing of the Merger
Agreement, (vii)the termination of the Tax Receivable
Agreement dated as of June9, 2016, by and among WL Ross
Holding Corp., TPGVI NexeoII, L.P., TPGVI FOF Nexeo, L.P.,
Nexeo Holdco, LLC, TPGVI AIV SLP SD, LP, and TPGVI DE BDH, LP
and (viii)certain other customary conditions relating to the
parties representations and warranties in the Merger
Agreement and the performance of their respective
obligations. The consummation of the Mergers is not subject
to a financing contingency.
The Merger Agreement contains customary representations and
warranties made by each of the Univar and Nexeo, and also
contains customarypre-closingcovenants, including covenants,
among others, (i)by each of Univar and Nexeo to operate its
businesses in the ordinary course consistent with past
practice and to refrain from taking certain actions without
the other partys consent, (ii)by each of Univar and Nexeo not
to initiate, solicit, knowingly facilitate or knowingly
encourage any person making any proposal for an alternative
transaction, (iii)by Nexeo to use reasonable
best efforts to cause the Written Consent Parties to execute
and deliver the Written Consents and, in certain
circumstances where the Written Consents are not timely
delivered by the Written Consent Parties, at Univars
election, to call and hold a special stockholders meeting for
Nexeos stockholders to vote on the adoption of the Merger
Agreement; and (iv)by Univar to call and hold a special
stockholders meeting for Univars stockholders to vote on the
approval of the issuance of Univar common stock to the Merger
Agreement. Univar will file with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (the SEC) a registration statement
on Form S-4 (the Registration Statement) in connection
with the issuance of Univar Common Stock in connection with
the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, which
will include a prospectus and a joint proxy statement of
Univar and a consent solicitation statement of Nexeo.
Under the Merger Agreement, each of Univar and Nexeo has also
agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to consummate the
Mergers, including using reasonable best efforts to obtaining
all required regulatory approvals. In connection with this
obligation, Univar is required, among other things, to divest
businesses, assets or products of Nexeo or Univar, unless
such action would be with respect to both (i)businesses,
assets, or products representing, in the aggregate, in excess
of $125million of annual sales revenues for the last fiscal
year and (ii)more than two existing distribution centers in
the aggregate. If the Merger Agreement is terminated in
certain circumstances where required regulatory approvals are
not obtained, Univar would be required to pay Nexeo a
termination fee equal to $35million.
In addition, the Merger Agreement contains pre-closing
covenants by Nexeo not to participate in any discussions or
negotiations with any person making any proposal for an
alternative transaction and requiring the board of directors
of Nexeo to recommend to its stockholders that they adopt the
Merger Agreement. The Nexeo board of directors right to
change its recommendation in certain circumstances in
response to an unsolicited proposal for an alternative
transaction or following an intervening event terminated at
the time the Support Agreements were delivered to Univar
following the execution of the Merger Agreement.
The Merger Agreement also contains pre-closingcovenants by
Univar not to participate in any discussions or negotiations
with any person making any proposal for an alternative
transaction and requiring the board of directors of Univar to
recommend to its stockholders that they approve issuance of
the shares of Univar Common Stock in connection with the
transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, subject to
certain exceptions. The Univar board of directors may change
its recommendation in certain circumstances specified in the
Merger Agreement in response to an unsolicited proposal for
an alternative transaction or following an intervening event,
in which case Nexeo would have the right to terminate the
Merger Agreement and require that Univar pay to it a
termination fee equal to $128million.
The Merger Agreement provides certain other termination
rights for both Univar and Nexeo, including a termination
right for Univar in certain circumstances where the Written
Consents are not timely delivered the by the Written Consent
Parties.
The foregoing description of the Merger Agreement and the
Mergers do not purport to be complete and is qualified in its
entirety by the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement
and any related agreements. The Merger Agreement contains
representations, warranties and covenants that the respective
parties made to each other as of the date of such agreement
or other specific dates. The assertions embodied in those
representations, warranties and covenants were made for
purposes of the contract among the respective parties and are
subject to important qualifications and limitations agreed to
by the parties in connection with negotiating such agreement.
The Merger Agreement has been attached to provide investors
with information regarding its terms. It is not intended to
provide any other factual information about Univar, Nexeo or
any other party to the Merger Agreement. In particular, the
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements
contained in the Merger Agreement, which were made only for
purposes of such agreement and as of specific dates, were for
the benefit of the parties to the Merger Agreement, may be
subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties
(including being qualified by confidential disclosures made
for the purposes of allocating contractual risk between the
parties to the Merger Agreement instead of establishing these
matters as facts) and may be subject to standards of
materiality applicable to the contracting parties that differ
from those applicable to investors and security holders.
Investors and security holders are not third-party
beneficiaries under the Merger Agreement and should not rely
on the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements,
or any descriptions thereof, as characterizations of
the actual state of facts or condition of any party to the
Merger Agreement. Moreover, information concerning the
subject matter of the representations and warranties may
change after the date of the Merger Agreement, which
subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in
Univars or Nexeos public disclosures.
A copy of the Merger Agreement is filed with this Current
Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 2.1 and is incorporated herein
by reference, and the foregoing description of the Merger
Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference thereto.
Support Agreements
Following the execution of the Merger Agreement, the Written
Consent Parties in their capacity as direct and indirect
stockholders of Nexeo executed and delivered the Support
Agreements to which, among other things, each Written Consent
Party agreed to deliver a Written Consent in respect of
Shares beneficially owned by them representing in the
aggregate more than a majority of the total Shares
outstanding as of the date hereof. The Support Agreements
provide that the Written Consent Parties will deliver the
Written Consents within 24 hours of the Registration
Statement being declared effective. The Written Consent
Parties have also agreed to vote their shares in favor of the
adoption of the Merger Agreement and against any proposal
with respect to an alternative proposal in certain
circumstances in which a special meeting of Nexeos
stockholders is held. The Written Consent Parties agreed to
restrictions on transfers of their Shares prior to the
closing of the Mergers or the earlier termination of the
Support Agreements.
The Support Agreements terminate if the Merger Agreement is
terminated or in the event of certain amendments or waivers
of the Merger Agreement, including amendments or waivers that
diminish the Merger Consideration or otherwise materially and
adversely affects the rights of the Written Consent Parties.
Copies of the Support Agreement are filed with this Current
Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 10.1 and Exhibit 10.2 and are
incorporated herein by reference, and the foregoing
description of the Support Agreements is qualified in its
entirety by reference thereto.
Item 1.01 |
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(d) |
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2.1 |
Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated September17, 2018, by and among Nexeo, Univar, Pilates Merger Sub I Corp and Pilates Merger Sub II LLC. |
10.1 |
Sponsor Support Agreement, dated September17, 2018, by and among Univar and certain affiliates of TPG Capital, LLC. |
10.2 |
Sponsor Support Agreement, dated September17, 2018, by and among Univar and First Pacific Advisors, LLC and certain of its affiliates. |
EXHIBIT INDEX
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2.1 |
Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated September17, 2018, by and among Nexeo, Univar, Pilates Merger Sub I Corp and Pilates Merger Sub II LLC. |
10.1 |
Sponsor Support Agreement, dated September17, 2018, by and among Univar and certain affiliates of TPG Capital, LLC. |
10.2 |
Sponsor Support Agreement, dated September17, 2018, by and among Univar and First Pacific Advisors, LLC and certain of its affiliates. |
here
About UNIVAR INC. (NYSE:UNVR)
Univar Inc. is a distributor of commodity and specialty chemicals. The Company’s segments include Univar USA (USA); Univar Canada (Canada); Univar Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and Rest of World. The Rest of World segment includes developing businesses in Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico, and the Asia-Pacific region. Its USA segment offers commodity and specialty chemicals to manufacturing and industrial production sectors in the United States. Its Canadian operations are divided into approximately two regions: Eastern Canada, where it focuses on customer end markets, including cleaning and sanitization, chemical manufacturing, personal care and pharmaceutical, and Western Canada, where it focuses on forestry, chemical manufacturing, mining, and oil and gas markets, such as midstream gas and oil sands processing, as well as refining. Its EMEA segment caters to pharmaceutical products and ingredients, food, coating and adhesives, and personal care industries.