Merger-TI Grp-FullDetailsPt 1

Smiths Industries PLC 18 September 2000 PART 1 Not for release, publication or distribution in or into, Canada, Japan or Australia Proposed Merger of Smiths Industries plc and TI Group plc The Boards of Smiths Industries plc and TI Group plc are pleased to announce that they have unanimously agreed the terms of a merger of their two companies. The Merger will create a new force in specialist engineering with a pro forma combined market capitalisation of approximately £4.5 billion (based on the London Stock Exchange closing market prices for the two companies on 15 September 2000). Smiths Industries and TI Group Shareholders will hold approximately 57.6 per cent. and 42.4 per cent. respectively of the enlarged issued ordinary share capital of Smiths Industries following completion of the Merger. The Merger will create: - a group comprising four world leading businesses in the aerospace, medical, sealing solutions and industrial equipment sectors with exposure to high growth markets - a group with combined sales of approximately £3 billion with the management, resources and scale to take advantage of opportunities to develop its chosen businesses - a group with attractive financial characteristics including high operating margins, strong cash flows and a strong balance sheet - a global organisation with a strong presence in the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific and a worldwide distribution capability - a stronger combined management team with complementary cultures - substantial opportunities in the combined aerospace division, arising from reinforced first tier status and complementary customer bases - the opportunity to make initial cost savings of at least £25 million in the first full year of trading following completion of the Merger Under the terms of the Merger, TI Group Shareholders will receive 0.46 of a new Smiths Industries Share for every TI Group Share. In addition, subject to the Merger becoming effective, TI Group Shareholders will be entitled to receive a special interim dividend of 12p per TI Group Share payable by TI Group for the year ending 31 December 2000. Further to the announcement made on 15 September 2000, TI Group will continue to proceed with the sale of its Automotive Systems Division. Subsequent announcements will be made in due course as developments warrant. To the extent that the net proceeds from this disposal exceed £900 million (including net debt assumed by a purchaser but less costs and tax), TI Group Shareholders will participate in the excess through the receipt of deferred proceeds. Applying the preliminary offers received and based on the Board of TI Group's estimate of tax and costs, the Board of TI Group estimates that the deferred proceeds would be worth between 20p and 65p per share. Commenting on the Merger, Sir Christopher Lewinton, Chairman of TI Group, said: 'The combination of the sale of TI Group Automotive Systems Division and the creation of the Merged Group provides an excellent opportunity for shareholder value creation. TI Group shareholders will not only benefit from the value realised from the disposal, but will also enjoy the opportunities that the enhanced platform will provide for our business. This deal provides for an exciting future'. Commenting on the Merger, Keith Butler-Wheelhouse, Chief Executive Officer of Smiths Industries, said: 'This exciting Merger doubles the size of our existing Aerospace operations and adds a new competency to the Smiths Industries portfolio in TI Group's world leading Sealing Solutions business. The Merged Group will be well placed for future growth'. There will be a briefing for analysts at 8.45 a.m. (for 9.00 a.m.) today, 18 September 2000, at 10 Aldermanbury, London EC2V 7RF. Smiths Industries has today also released its preliminary results for the year ended 31 July 2000. This summary should be read in conjunction with the full text of the attached press release about the Merger. Enquiries: Smiths Industries 020 8457 8203 TI Group 020 7560 5700 Keith Butler-Wheelhouse Martin Angle Alan Thomson Russell Plumley Richard Poston Chase 020 7638 5858 UBS Warburg 020 7567 8000 Bernard Taylor Robin Budenberg Julian Oakley Aidan Clegg Paul Nicholls Cazenove & Co. 020 7588 2828 Morgan Stanley 020 7425 5000 David Mayhew Dean Witter Arthur Drysdale Robert Scully Mark Warham Brunswick 020 7404 5959 Finsbury 020 7251 4112 Alan Parker Roland Rudd Locksley Ryan Rollo Head Chase, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by The Securities and Futures Authority Limited, is acting for Smiths Industries and no one else in connection with the Merger and will not be responsible to anyone other than Smiths Industries for providing the protections afforded to customers of Chase, nor for providing advice in relation to the Merger. UBS Warburg, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by The Securities and Futures Authority Limited, is acting for TI Group and no one else in connection with the Merger and will not be responsible to anyone other than TI Group for providing the protections afforded to customers of UBS Warburg, nor for providing advice in relation to the Merger. Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by The Securities and Futures Authority Limited, is acting for TI Group and no one else in connection with the Merger and will not be responsible to anyone other than TI Group for providing the protections afforded to customers of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, nor for providing advice in relation to the Merger. This announcement does not constitute an offer or an invitation to purchase any securities. The new Smiths Industries Shares to be issued pursuant to the Scheme have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act nor under the securities laws of any state of the United States but are intended to be issued to persons within the United States pursuant to the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act provided by Section 3(a)(10) of the Securities Act. In addition, no steps have been taken, nor will any be taken, to enable the new Smiths Industries Shares to be offered in compliance with the applicable securities laws of Canada or Japan and no prospectus in relation to the new Smiths Industries Shares has been, or will be, lodged with or registered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Accordingly, the new Smiths Industries Shares may not be offered, sold, transferred, resold, delivered or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into Canada, Japan or Australia (except in transactions exempt from or not subject to the registration requirements of the relevant securities laws of Canada, Japan or Australia). This announcement contains a number of forward-looking statements relating to Smiths Industries and TI Group with respect to, among others, the following: financial condition; results of operations; the businesses of Smiths Industries and TI Group; cost savings or synergies; competitive positions and growth opportunities for existing products; dividends; and management plans and objectives. Smiths Industries and TI Group consider any statements that are not historical facts as 'forward-looking statements'. They involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from estimates or forecasts contained in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following possibilities: future revenues are lower than expected; costs or difficulties relating to the integration of the businesses of Smiths Industries and TI Group, or of other future acquisitions, are greater than expected; expected cost savings from the transaction or from other future acquisitions are not fully realised or realised within the expected time frame; competitive pressures in the industry increase; general economic conditions or conditions affecting the relevant industries, whether internationally or in the places Smiths Industries and TI Group do business are less favourable than expected; and/or conditions in the securities market are less favourable than expected. Appendix V contains the definitions of certain terms used in this announcement. Not for release, publication or distribution in or into Canada, Japan or Australia Proposed Merger of Smiths Industries plc and TI Group plc 1. Introduction The Boards of Smiths Industries plc and TI Group plc are pleased to announce that they have unanimously agreed the terms of a merger of their two companies. The Merger will create a new force in specialist engineering with a pro forma combined market capitalisation of approximately £4.5 billion (based on the London Stock Exchange closing market prices for the two companies on 15 September 2000). Under the terms of the Merger (which are set out in more detail in Section 4) and on the basis of the current issued share capital of each company, Smiths Industries and TI Group Shareholders will hold approximately 57.6 per cent. and 42.4 per cent. respectively of the enlarged issued ordinary share capital of Smiths Industries following completion of the Merger. 2. Rationale for the Merger and Merger Benefits The Merger will create: - a group comprising four world leading businesses in the aerospace, medical, sealing solutions and industrial equipment sectors with exposure to high growth markets - a group with combined sales of approximately £3 billion with the management, resources and scale to take advantage of opportunities to develop its chosen businesses - a group with attractive financial characteristics including high operating margins, strong cash flows and a strong balance sheet - a global organisation with a strong presence in the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific and a worldwide distribution capability - a stronger combined management team with complementary cultures - the opportunity to make initial cost savings of at least £25 million in the first full year of trading following completion of the Merger The strategy of the Merged Group will be to focus on the key sectors in which the two companies currently operate and to grow its businesses through organic development and acquisitions. The Merged Group will comprise the following divisions: - Aerospace, incorporating Smiths Industries' aerospace activities and TI Group's Dowty, with estimated combined sales in excess of £1.1 billion. The combination will reinforce the Merged Group's first tier status with major customers and provide an enhanced product range with attractive synergies in areas such as actuation equipment. Dowty's Airbus strength will expand the addressable markets for the combined business, which will also have a stronger position with Boeing and a strong position with Lockheed. In addition, in Civil, Dowty's strengths in the regional and business jet markets will provide opportunities for Smiths Industries' businesses. The combined division will have an even balance between Civil and Defence sales and a separate business addressing aircraft operators' aftermarket needs. - Medical, with sales of approximately £420 million in the high growth healthcare market. Its two principal areas of operation are single use anaesthesia/respiratory care and infusion therapy. - the newly formed Sealing Solutions, with sales of approximately £1 billion, will bring together TI Group's John Crane and Specialty Polymer Products businesses to create a world leader in advanced sealing solutions. This new division will have an outstanding global distribution network and an expanded product range which will drive both revenue growth and enhanced productivity, including through accelerated development of E-commerce opportunities. Industrial, with sales of approximately £460 million, will focus on the rapidly growing telecom infrastructure sector, leveraging recent acquisitions in this market. Further to the announcement made on 15 September 2000, TI Group is proceeding with the sale of its Automotive Systems Division. Further announcements will be made in due course, as developments warrant. 3. Board and Management The proposed Merger provides the opportunity to draw on the strength and depth of the management teams of Smiths Industries and TI Group, as well as their highly experienced non-executive directors. The new Board will comprise eight executive directors and seven non-executive directors and is set out below: Proposed role in the Merged Group Current role Chairman (Non-executive) Sir Christopher Lewinton Chairman, TI Group Deputy Chairman (Non-executive) Keith Orrell-Jones Chairman, Smiths Industries Chief Executive Officer Keith Butler-Wheelhouse Chief Executive Officer, Smiths Industries Financial Director Alan Thomson Financial Director, Smiths Industries Executive Director (Strategy) Martin Angle Finance Director, TI Group Executive Director (Aerospace) John Ferrie Executive Director (Aerospace), Smiths Industries Executive Director (Medical) Lawrence Kinet Executive Director (Medical), Smiths Industries Executive Director John Langston Executive Director (Sealing Solutions) (Specialty Polymer Products), TI Group Executive Director (Industrial) Einar Lindh Executive Director (Industrial), Smiths Industries General Counsel David Lillycrop General Counsel, TI Group Non-executive Director Sir Colin Chandler Non-executive Director, TI Group Non-executive Director Sir Nigel Broomfield Non-executive Director, TI Group Non-executive Director John Hignett Non-executive deputy Chairman, TI Group Non-executive Director Julian Horn-Smith Non-executive Director, Smiths Industries Non-executive Director Robert O'Leary Non-executive Director, Smiths Industries There will be Nominations, Audit and Remuneration committees of the Board, each comprising four non-executive directors. Bill Laule, Chief Executive of TI Group, supported by Allan Welsh, Chief Executive of TI Group Automotive Systems, will be leading the disposal of the Automotive Systems Division. 4. Details of the proposed Merger The Merger is to be effected by way of a scheme of arrangement of TI Group under section 425 of the Companies Act. The Merger is conditional upon the matters set out in Appendix I, including the approval of the Merger by the shareholders of both TI Group and Smiths Industries, the sanction of the Scheme by the High Court and certain regulatory conditions. Under the Scheme, all of TI Group's issued ordinary share capital (other than any TI Group Shares held by Smiths Industries) will be either cancelled and re-issued to, or transferred to, Smiths Industries. TI Group Shareholders who are on the register of TI Group on the day prior to the effective date of the Scheme will receive new Smiths Industries Shares on the following basis: for each TI Group Share 0.46 of a new Smiths Industries Share Fractions of new Smiths Industries Shares will not be allotted, but will be aggregated and sold in the market for the benefit of the Merged Group. In addition, the TI Group Board intends to declare a special interim dividend of 12p per share which will be payable by TI Group, subject to the Merger becoming effective, for the year ending 31 December 2000, to shareholders on the register of TI Group on the record date (currently expected to be on the day immediately before the Scheme becomes effective). The Merger will result in the issue of up to 232.7 million new Smiths Industries Shares (without taking account of the exercise of any options under the TI Group Share Option Schemes), representing approximately 42.4 per cent. of the enlarged issued ordinary share capital of Smiths Industries. The new Smiths Industries Shares issued pursuant to the Merger will be issued credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing Smiths Industries Shares including the right to receive and retain in full future dividends and other distributions (if any) declared, made or paid after the date of this announcement other than the Smiths Industries final dividend of 15.7p declared today by Smiths Industries for the year ended 31 July 2000. The TI Group Shares which are the subject of the Merger are to be acquired by Smiths Industries fully paid and free from all liens, charges, encumbrances, rights of pre-emption and any other third party rights of any nature whatsoever and together with all rights attaching to them, including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions (if any) declared, made or paid after the date of this announcement, other than the interim dividend of 6.1p payable by TI Group on 11 October 2000 and the special interim dividend of 12p per share. 5. Deferred Proceeds On completion of the sale of the Automotive Systems Division, the Merged Group will be entitled to retain the first £900 million of proceeds (including net debt assumed by a purchaser but less costs and tax). The existing TI Group Shareholders and option holders will be entitled to receive the next £300 million of such proceeds by way of a deferred right. Any such proceeds in excess of £1,200 million will be divided as to 50 per cent. to TI Group Shareholders and option holders and 50 per cent. to the Merged Group. It is intended that any entitlement to deferred proceeds will be paid in ordinary shares or other instrument of Smiths Industries or cash in a form which does not prejudice the capital gains tax treatment of TI Group Shareholders as a whole. As noted above, the sale process for the Automotive Systems Division is proceeding and price indications have been received from prospective purchasers which may increase or decrease as the sale process continues. Applying the preliminary offers received and based on the Board of TI Group's estimate of tax and costs, the Board of TI Group estimates that the deferred proceeds would be worth between 20p and 65p per share. The deferred proceeds are payable in circumstances where any agreement for the sale of the Automotive Systems Division is entered into prior to 30 April 2002. There can be no assurance that any agreement relating to the sale of the Automotive Systems Division will be entered into prior to 30 April 2002 or as to the level of such sale proceeds. Further details relating to the calculation of the deferred proceeds, the arrangements for the sale process if the sale of the Automotive Systems Division is not completed prior to the date on which the Scheme becomes effective and the issue of ordinary shares or other instrument of Smiths Industries will be provided in the Scheme document. 6. Other matters relating to the Merger The Merger will require approval by an ordinary resolution of the holders of Smiths Industries Shares to be proposed at an extraordinary general meeting of Smiths Industries. A special resolution to change the name of Smiths Industries will also be proposed at the same meeting. The Scheme will require approval by holders of TI Group Shares at a meeting to be convened by direction of the High Court. The approval required at the Court-convened meeting of holders of TI Group Shares is a majority in number representing not less than three fourths in value of those holders present and voting in person or by proxy at the meeting. The Scheme may also require approval by a special resolution of the holders of TI Group Shares to be proposed at an extraordinary general meeting of TI Group. In addition, the Scheme will also require the sanction of the High Court. Once the necessary approvals from the TI Group and Smiths Industries shareholders have been obtained and the relevant regulatory and other conditions have been satisfied or, where relevant, waived the Scheme will become effective upon the delivery to the Registrar of Companies of a copy of the order of the High Court sanctioning the Scheme and registration of such order. This is expected to occur by the end of December 2000. The formal documentation relating to the Merger will be despatched to TI Group and Smiths Industries shareholders in due course. This documentation will include the notices of the meetings of TI Group and Smiths Industries shareholders and full details of the Scheme, and will specify the necessary actions to be taken by both TI Group and Smiths Industries shareholders. 7. Summary financial information Summary financial and other information on Smiths Industries and TI Group is set out in Appendices II and III respectively. The information in relation to Smiths Industries and TI Group has been derived from the latest audited consolidated accounts of each company for the two years ended 31 July 1999 and 31 December 1999 respectively and the unaudited preliminary announcement of Smiths Industries for the year ended 31 July 2000. Smiths Industries will account for the Merger using merger accounting under UK GAAP. The first full set of results of the Merged Group will be drawn up for the year ending 31 July 2001. The Merger is expected to be earnings neutral for Smiths Industries in the first full financial year following completion (1). 8. Employees The Boards of Smiths Industries and TI Group confirm that the existing rights, including pension rights, of all management and employees of Smiths Industries and TI Group will be fully safeguarded following completion of the Merger. 9. Share option schemes Appropriate proposals will be made in due course to holders of options under the TI Group Share Option Schemes. 10. Dividend policy The dividend policy of the Merged Group will be progressive with cover (prior to exceptional items and goodwill amortisation) being maintained in excess of two times. 11. United States shareholders This announcement is not an offer of Smiths Industries Shares. Smiths Industries Shares may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the Securities Act or an exemption from registration. The new Smiths Industries Shares will not be registered under the Securities Act; however, Smiths Industries intends to issue new Smiths Industries Shares to holders of TI Group Shares under the Scheme in reliance upon an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act provided by Section 3(a)(10) of that Act. (1) This statement should not be construed as a profit forecast or be interpreted to mean that the future earnings per share of the Merged Group will necessarily be the same as, or greater than, the earnings per share of Smiths Industries for completed financial periods. 12. Settlement, listing and dealing Application will be made to the UK Listing Authority for the new Smiths Industries Shares to be admitted to the Official List, and to the London Stock Exchange for the new Smiths Industries Shares to be admitted to trading on its market for listed securities. No certificates for new Smiths Industries Shares will be issued in respect of the entitlements of TI Group Shareholders who hold their TI Group Shares in CREST, settlement for which will be made through the applicable CREST procedures. Certificates for new Smiths Industries Shares to be held in certificated form will be despatched no later than 14 days after the effective date of the Scheme. Further details on settlement, listing and dealing will be included in the documents to be sent to Smiths Industries Shareholders and to TI Group Shareholders. 13. Recommendations The TI Group Board, which has been so advised by UBS Warburg and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, its financial advisers, considers the terms of the Merger to be fair and reasonable to TI Group. In providing their advice to the TI Group Board, UBS Warburg and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter have taken into account the TI Group Board's assessment of the commercial merits of the Merger. The TI Group Directors believe that the terms of the Merger are in the best interests of TI Group Shareholders as a whole and unanimously recommend that TI Group Shareholders vote in favour of the resolutions to be proposed at the court meeting and the extraordinary general meeting of TI Group, as they intend to do in respect of their own respective beneficial holdings. The Smiths Industries Board, which has been so advised by Chase, its financial adviser, considers the terms of the Merger to be fair and reasonable to Smiths Industries. In providing its advice to the Smiths Industries Board, Chase has taken into account the Smiths Industries Board's assessment of the commercial merits of the Merger. The Smiths Industries Directors believe that the terms of the Merger are in the best interests of Smiths Industries Shareholders as a whole and unanimously recommend that Smiths Industries Shareholders vote in favour of the resolutions to be proposed at the extraordinary general meeting of Smiths Industries, as they intend to do in respect of their own respective beneficial holdings. There will be a briefing for analysts at 8.45 a.m. (for 9.00 a.m.) today, 18 September 2000, at 10 Aldermanbury, London EC2V 7RF. Smiths Industries has today also released its preliminary results for the year ended 31 July 2000. Enquiries: Smiths Industries 020 8457 8203 TI Group 020 7560 5700 Keith Butler-Wheelhouse Martin Angle Alan Thomson Richard Poston Russell Plumley Chase 020 7638 5858 UBS Warburg 020 7567 8000 Bernard Taylor Robin Budenberg Julian Oakley Aidan Clegg Paul Nicholls Cazenove & Co. 020 7588 2828 Morgan Stanley 020 7425 5000 David Mayhew Dean Witter Arthur Drysdale Robert Scully Mark Warham Brunswick 020 7404 5959 Finsbury 020 7251 4112 Alan Parker Roland Rudd Locksley Ryan Rollo Head Chase, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by The Securities and Futures Authority Limited, is acting for Smiths Industries and no one else in connection with the Merger and will not be responsible to anyone other than Smiths Industries for providing the protections afforded to customers of Chase, nor for providing advice in relation to the Merger. UBS Warburg, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by The Securities and Futures Authority Limited, is acting for TI Group and no one else in connection with the Merger and will not be responsible to anyone other than TI Group for providing the protections afforded to customers of UBS Warburg, nor for providing advice in relation to the Merger. Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by The Securities and Futures Authority Limited, is acting for TI Group and no one else in connection with the Merger and will not be responsible to anyone other than TI Group for providing the protections afforded to customers of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, nor for providing advice in relation to the Merger. This announcement does not constitute an offer or an invitation to purchase any securities. The new Smiths Industries Shares to be issued pursuant to the Scheme have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act nor under the securities laws of any state of the United States but are intended to be issued to persons within the United States pursuant to the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act provided by Section 3(a)(10) of the Securities Act. In addition, no steps have been taken, nor will any be taken, to enable the new Smiths Industries Shares to be offered in compliance with the applicable securities laws of Canada or Japan and no prospectus in relation to the new Smiths Industries Shares has been, or will be, lodged with or registered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Accordingly, the new Smiths Industries Shares may not be offered, sold, transferred, resold, delivered or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into Canada, Japan or Australia (except in transactions exempt from or not subject to the registration requirements of the relevant securities laws of Canada, Japan or Australia). This announcement contains a number of forward-looking statements relating to Smiths Industries and TI Group with respect to, among others, the following: financial condition; results of operations; the businesses of Smiths Industries and TI Group; cost savings or synergies; competitive positions and growth opportunities for existing products; dividends and management plan, and objectives. Smiths Industries and TI Group consider any statements that are not historical facts as 'forward-looking statements'. They involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from estimates or forecasts contained in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following possibilities: future revenues are lower than expected; costs or difficulties relating to the integration of the businesses of Smiths Industries and TI Group, or of other future acquisitions, are greater than expected; expected cost savings from the transaction or from other future acquisitions are not fully realised or realised within the expected time frame; competitive pressures in the industry increase; general economic conditions or conditions affecting the relevant industries, whether internationally or in the places Smiths Industries and TI Group do business, are less favourable than expected; and/or conditions in the securities market are less favourable than expected. Appendix V contains the definitions of certain terms used in this announcement. MORE TO FOLLOW
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