Sumitomo Corporation (“Sumitomo”) and Fyffes plc (“Fyffes”) are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms of a unanimously recommended cash offer by Sumitomo pursuant to which Swordus Ireland Holding Limited (“Bidco”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo, will acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Fyffes.
· Under the terms of the Acquisition, Fyffes Shareholders will be entitled to receive:
for each Fyffes Ordinary Share €2.23 in cash
· The Acquisition values the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Fyffes at approximately €751,365,470.
· The Acquisition represents a premium of approximately:
o 49% to Fyffes’ closing share price of €1.50 on 8 December 2016 (being the last practicable date prior to the publication of this Announcement);
o 53% to Fyffes’ volume weighted average share price of approximately €1.46 over the 30 trading day period ending 8 December 2016;
o 52% to Fyffes’ volume weighted average share price of approximately €1.47 over the 90 trading day period ending 8 December 2016; and
o 37% to Fyffes’ all-time high share price[1] of €1.62, which occurred on 22 April 2016.
In addition, Fyffes Shareholders will be paid a final dividend in respect of calendar year 2016 by Fyffes of €0.02 per share in cash, bringing the total amount to be received by Fyffes shareholders to €2.25 per Fyffes Ordinary Share in cash. The final dividend will be paid to Fyffes Shareholders on the earlier of the Effective Date or 1 May 2017.
· Commenting on the Acquisition, Hirohiko Imura, Representative Director, Managing Executive Officer of Sumitomo, said:
“Sumitomo Corporation has long admired Fyffes for its outstanding track record and market leading position, and we are delighted that the Fyffes Directors have unanimously agreed to recommend our offer to shareholders. We believe that our offer represents a great reward for Fyffes’ shareholders. We are grateful that the McCann family has provided an irrevocable commitment of support and is entrusting us to continue with them the rich Fyffes heritage. Sumitomo will provide Fyffes with experience, support and investment to continue to build on the tremendous Fyffes skills and experience and reach greater potential.
We have significant experience in the produce sector and look forward to working with Fyffes’ executive directors, senior management and employees, customers and other stakeholders to strengthen Fyffes’ already impressive market position through continued investment. We look forward to working with the Fyffes team to further develop the business over the longer-term and to expanding into new markets to better serve customers.”
· Commenting on the Acquisition, David McCann, Chairman of Fyffes said:
“We believe this transaction represents a compelling proposition for our shareholders and crystallises the substantial value created in recent years through the various strategic developments and the strong operating performance of our Group. Our employees, customers, suppliers and joint venture partners will benefit from Fyffes being part of an enlarged group with greater scale, reach and resources to broaden and accelerate delivery of Fyffes’ strategic objectives. We look forward to working with the Sumitomo team to develop and enhance our Group’s strategy and to build on its long track record of successful growth”.
· The Sumitomo Board believes that Fyffes’ strong position as an international grower, importer and distributor of high quality produce in complementary markets makes it a natural fit with Sumitomo’s organisation. The Sumitomo Board intends to work with Fyffes management and employees to grow and expand its various produce offerings, expand into new geographies, and accelerate the execution of its strategy.
· It is intended that the Acquisition will be implemented by means of a High Court sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Chapter 1 of Part 9 of the Act (or, if Sumitomo elects, subject to the terms of the Transaction Agreement and with the consent of the Panel, a Takeover Offer). The Acquisition is conditional on, among other things, (i) the approval by Fyffes Shareholders of the Scheme Meeting Resolution and the EGM Resolutions and (ii) the sanction of the Scheme and the confirmation of the Reduction of Capital, by the High Court.
· Having taken into account the relevant factors and applicable risks, the Fyffes Board, who has been so advised by Lazard and Davy Corporate Finance, financial advisers to Fyffes, consider the terms of the Acquisition as set out in this Announcement to be fair and reasonable. In providing such advice, Lazard and Davy Corporate Finance have taken into account the commercial assessments of the Fyffes Directors. Accordingly the Fyffes Board unanimously recommends that Fyffes Shareholders vote in favour of the Acquisition and all of the Resolutions, as they intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings of in aggregate, 3,948,981 Fyffes Ordinary Shares which represent in aggregate, approximately 1.20% of the existing issued share capital of Fyffes as at the last practicable date before this Announcement being 8 December 2016.
· In addition, Sumitomo and Bidco have received irrevocable undertakings to vote in favour of each of the Resolutions required to implement the Acquisition from certain other Fyffes Shareholders in respect of an aggregate of 80,719,612 Fyffes Ordinary Shares representing approximately 24.47% of the issued share capital of Fyffes. Sumitomo has received these irrevocable undertakings from Balkan Investment Company and its related companies, The Article 6 Marital Trust under the First Amended and Restated Jerry Zucker Revocable Trust, dated April 2, 2007 and Farringdon, an institutional investor.
· Sumitomo and Bidco have also received a commitment from Farringdon in respect of 5,100,000 Fyffes Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 1.55% of the issued share capital of Fyffes, over which Farringdon has a contract for difference, to request that the counterparty to the contract for difference delivers the relevant Fyffes Ordinary Shares to Farringdon and, if such shares are so delivered, to vote in favour of the Scheme in respect of such Fyffes Ordinary Shares.
· In aggregate therefore, irrevocable undertakings and other commitments to vote in favour of the Scheme have been received by Sumitomo and Bidco over, in aggregate, 89,768,593 Fyffes Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 27.21% of the issued share capital of Fyffes. Further details of the irrevocable undertakings and other commitments are set out below in paragraph 6 of this Announcement, including the circumstances in which the irrevocable undertakings and other commitments cease to be binding.
· The Scheme Document, which will contain, amongst other things, further information about the Acquisition, notices convening the Scheme Meeting and the Extraordinary General Meeting, the expected timetable for Completion and action to be taken by Fyffes Shareholders, will be published as soon as practicable and, in any event, within 28 days of this Announcement. It is anticipated that the Scheme will, subject to obtaining the necessary anti-trust approvals, be declared effective in the first quarter of 2017.
About Sumitomo Corporation
Sumitomo is a leading global trading company with 109 locations in 66 countries. The entire Sumitomo Corporation group consists of over 800 companies and more than 65,000 personnel, creating a publicly traded company with a market capitalisation of c.US$15 billion with c.US$8 billion in cash on balance sheet as at fiscal year end on 31 March 2016. Sumitomo has been active in the banana industry since the 1960s and is the market leader in Asia with a fully integrated business model with interests ranging from plantation operations in the Philippines to retail distribution across the Asian region. Currently, the Sumitomo Group imports approximately 30% of the bananas into the Japanese market.
About Fyffes plc
Fyffes is a leading international grower, importer and distributor of top quality, healthy produce. With annual turnover in excess of €1.2 billion it is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with operations in Europe, the US, Canada, Central America and South America and Asia. Fyffes activities include the production, procurement, shipping, ripening, distribution and marketing of bananas, pineapples, melons and mushrooms. It markets its produce under a variety of very well-known brands including Fyffes®, Sol®, Turbana®, Hoya®, Highline® and All Seasons® and employs in excess of 17,000 people worldwide.
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