JBT Corporation Announces Expiration of the Voluntary Takeover Offer for All Marel hf. Shares and Satisfaction of the Minimum Acceptance Condition

Rhea-AI Summary

JBT announced the successful completion of its voluntary takeover offer for Marel hf., achieving over 90% acceptance of all issued and outstanding shares. The settlement is expected on January 2, 2025, with shareholders having the option to receive all cash, all JBT common stock, or a combination of both.

Following the acquisition, JBT will change its corporate name to JBT Marel and its stock ticker to JBTM. The company will maintain its NYSE listing and add a secondary listing on Nasdaq Iceland, with trading expected to commence on January 3, 2025. JBT plans to initiate a compulsory purchase of remaining untendered shares within three months of settlement and will pursue delisting Marel from Nasdaq Iceland and Euronext Amsterdam.

Positive

• Achieved over 90% acceptance rate in takeover offer, ensuring full control
• Dual listing strategy maintains NYSE presence while adding Nasdaq Iceland exposure
• Strategic combination creates a leading food and beverage process company
• Compulsory purchase rights secured for remaining shares

Negative

• None.

Insights

M&A Specialist

The successful completion of JBT's takeover of Marel marks a transformative acquisition in the food processing equipment industry. Achieving over 90% acceptance is crucial, enabling JBT to proceed with compulsory acquisition of remaining shares and delist Marel from Nasdaq Iceland and Euronext Amsterdam. The deal structure offering cash, stock, or combination options demonstrates sophisticated financial engineering to accommodate diverse shareholder preferences.

The merged entity, JBT Marel , will create significant market consolidation in the food processing equipment sector. The dual listing strategy on NYSE and Nasdaq Iceland shows strategic consideration for maintaining strong market presence and liquidity across key regions. This positions JBTM as a dominant player with enhanced scale and complementary technological capabilities.

Financial Analyst

This transaction represents a major strategic evolution for JBT, with market implications extending beyond the immediate deal terms. The high acceptance rate validates the deal's valuation and strategic rationale. The planned corporate rebranding to JBT Marel and ticker change to JBTM signifies a commitment to integrated operations rather than maintaining Marel as a separate subsidiary.

The secondary listing on Nasdaq Iceland is a smart move to maintain access to Nordic investors and preserve Marel's strong regional presence. The January 2, 2025 settlement date and subsequent trading commencement on January 3 provides clear timeline for portfolio managers to adjust positions. For investors, this merger creates a more diversified global player in food processing technology with potentially stronger pricing power and operational synergies.

Industry Expert

The combination of JBT and Marel creates a powerhouse in food processing technology solutions, significantly altering the competitive landscape. The merger brings together JBT's strength in protein processing and preservation with Marel's expertise in poultry, meat and fish processing solutions. This consolidation will likely accelerate technological innovation and automation in food processing equipment.

The integration will create a more comprehensive product portfolio, enabling the combined entity to offer end-to-end solutions and compete more effectively against other major players. For customers in the food and beverage industry, this could mean access to more integrated processing solutions and potentially more innovative technologies, though it may also lead to reduced competition in certain equipment segments.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- JBT Corporation (NYSE: JBT), a leading global technology solutions provider to high-value segments of the food and beverage industry, today announced that JBT’s voluntary takeover offer to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Marel hf. (ICL: Marel) expired on December 20, 2024, at 12:00 PM GMT.

JBT has now satisfied all conditions to the offer, including the minimum acceptance condition with at least 90 percent of all issued and outstanding shares of Marel having been validly tendered in the offer. Further information regarding the final result of the offer, including the number of shares tendered, will be disclosed in JBT’s upcoming 8-K filing. JBT will complete the offer in accordance with its terms given the minimum acceptance conditions and other required conditions have been met.

“Today marks the final major milestone in combining JBT and Marel to form a leading food and beverage process company,” said Brian Deck, President and Chief Executive Office of JBT. “We are pleased with the outcome of the Marel shareholders’ tender decisions and extend our appreciation to shareholders for supporting the transaction. The compelling industrial logic of this transaction is clear, and we are focused on delivering meaningful value for the combined company’s customers, employees, and shareholders.”

Settlement of Offer Consideration

The settlement of the transaction is expected to occur on January 2, 2025. All Marel shareholders who validly tendered their shares had the option to elect to receive either all cash, all JBT common stock, or a combination of cash and JBT common stock in respect of their Marel shares, subject to the proration feature.

It is JBT’s intention to acquire all of the issued and outstanding Marel shares not yet validly tendered and to apply for the Marel shares to be delisted from Nasdaq Iceland hf. (Nasdaq Iceland) and Euronext Amsterdam as soon as permitted and reasonably practicable under applicable laws and regulations. As JBT’s ownership in Marel will exceed 90 percent of all Marel shares after settlement of the offer, JBT intends to redeem any Marel shares not tendered in the offer by way of a compulsory purchase, pursuant to Article 110 of the Icelandic Takeover Act no. 108/2007, as amended, within three months of the settlement of the offer.

Corresponding Corporate Name and Stock Ticker Symbol Change

In conjunction with the combination of JBT and Marel, JBT will change its corporate name and stock ticker symbol to “JBT Marel Corporation” and “JBTM,” respectively, which is expected to occur on or about January 2, 2025. JBTM shares will remain listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with a secondary listing on Nasdaq Iceland. JBT has secured an approval for secondary listing on Nasdaq Iceland. Shares of JBTM are expected to commence trading on both NYSE and Nasdaq Iceland on January 3, 2025.

Transaction Advisors

Goldman Sachs Co LLC is acting as JBT’s financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP and LEX are serving as JBT’s legal counsel. Arion banki hf. is acting as JBT’s lead manager for the Icelandic offer and advising on the Icelandic listing, and ABN AMRO Bank N.V. is acting as JBT’s Euronext Amsterdam Exchange agent.

About JBT Corporation

JBT Corporation (NYSE: JBT) is a leading global technology solutions provider to high-value segments of the food & beverage industry. JBT designs, produces and services sophisticated products and systems for a broad range of end markets, generating roughly one-half of its annual revenue from recurring parts, service, rebuilds and leasing operations. JBT employs approximately 5,100 people worldwide and operates sales, service, manufacturing and sourcing operations in more than 25 countries. For more information, please visit www.jbtc.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are information of a non-historical nature and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are beyond JBT’s ability to control. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements relating to our business combination transaction with Marel. The factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, the following factors: the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination or abandonment of the voluntary takeover offer (the “Offer”); the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the proposed transaction with Marel; the risk that problems may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of Marel and JBT, which may result in the combined company not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected; the risk that the combined company may be unable to achieve cost-cutting synergies or that it may take longer than expected to achieve those synergies; fluctuations in our financial results; unanticipated delays or accelerations in our sales cycles; deterioration of economic conditions, including impacts from supply chain delays and reduced material or component availability; inflationary pressures, including increases in energy, raw material, freight and labor costs; disruptions in the political, regulatory, economic and social conditions of the countries in which we conduct business; changes to trade regulation, quotas, duties or tariffs; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; changes in food consumption patterns; impacts of pandemic illnesses, food borne illnesses and diseases to various agricultural products; weather conditions and natural disasters; the impact of climate change and environmental protection initiatives; acts of terrorism or war, including the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East; termination or loss of major customer contracts and risks associated with fixed-price contracts, particularly during periods of high inflation; customer sourcing initiatives; competition and innovation in our industries; our ability to develop and introduce new or enhanced products and services and keep pace with technological developments; difficulty in developing, preserving and protecting our intellectual property or defending claims of infringement; catastrophic loss at any of our facilities and business continuity of our information systems; cyber-security risks such as network intrusion or ransomware schemes; loss of key management and other personnel; potential liability arising out of the installation or use of our systems; our ability to comply with U.S. and international laws governing our operations and industries; increases in tax liabilities; work stoppages; fluctuations in interest rates and returns on pension assets; a systemic failure of the banking system in the United States or globally impacting our customers’ financial condition and their demand for our goods and services; availability of and access to financial and other resource; the risk factors discussed in our proxy statement/prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (File No. 333-279438), on June 25, 2024, forming part of the Registration Statement on Form S-4, initially filed by us on May 15, 2024 and declared effective on June 25, 2024; and other factors described under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in JBT’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and in any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. JBT cautions shareholders and prospective investors that actual results may differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. JBT undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments, subsequent events or changes in circumstances or otherwise.

Important Notices

This release is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. In particular, this release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States, Iceland, the Netherlands or Denmark.

Note to U.S. Shareholders

It is important that U.S. shareholders understand that the Offer and any related offer documents are subject to disclosure and takeover laws and regulations in Iceland and other European jurisdictions, which may be different from those of the United States. The Offer is made in compliance with the U.S. tender offer rules, including Regulation 14E under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and any exemption available to JBT in respect of securities of foreign private issuers provided by Rule 14d-1(d) under the Exchange Act.

Important Additional Information

No offer of JBT securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption from registration, and applicable European regulations, including the Icelandic Prospectus Act no. 14/2020 and the Icelandic Takeover Act no. 108/2007 on takeovers. In connection with the Offer, JBT filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-279438) (the “Registration Statement”) that included a proxy statement/prospectus (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”). The Registration Statement was declared effective by the SEC on June 25, 2024. Additionally, JBT filed with the Financial Supervisory Authority of the Central Bank of Iceland (the “FSA”) an offer document and a prospectus, which have been approved by the FSA and which have been published.

SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, THE PROSPECTUS, AND THE OFFER DOCUMENT, AS APPLICABLE, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC OR THE FSA CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

Shareholders may obtain a free copy of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about JBT, without charge, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and on JBT’s website at https://ir.jbtc.com/overview/default.aspx. You may obtain a free copy of the prospectus on the FSA’s website at www.fme.is and on JBT’s website at https://www.jbtc.com/jbt-marel-offer-launch/ as well as a free copy of the offer document.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219248571/en/

Investors & Media:

Marlee Spangler

(312) 861-5789

marlee.spangler@jbtc.com

Source: JBT Corporation

FAQ

When will JBT complete the Marel acquisition settlement?

The settlement of the Marel acquisition is expected to occur on January 2, 2025.

What will be JBT's new stock ticker symbol after the Marel merger?

JBT will change its stock ticker symbol to 'JBTM' on or about January 2, 2025.

What options did Marel shareholders have in the JBT takeover offer?

Marel shareholders could choose to receive all cash, all JBT common stock, or a combination of cash and stock, subject to proration.

When will JBTM shares start trading on NYSE and Nasdaq Iceland?

JBTM shares are expected to commence trading on both NYSE and Nasdaq Iceland on January 3, 2025.

What happens to Marel shares not tendered in the JBT takeover?

JBT will initiate a compulsory purchase of untendered shares within three months of settlement, as their ownership exceeds 90%.