Ritchie Bros. Announces $500 Million Strategic Investment from Starboard Value
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE: RBA) announced a strategic investment from Starboard Value LP, involving a $485 million convertible preferred equity and $15 million common share purchase. This investment will enhance Ritchie Bros.' financial flexibility amidst its upcoming acquisition of IAA, Inc. Starboard's CEO Jeffrey Smith will join Ritchie Bros.' Board post-approval. The preferred shares feature a 5.5% dividend and an initial conversion price of $73.00 per share. The investment is contingent on customary closing conditions and aims to accelerate growth and value creation for shareholders.
- Starboard's $485 million investment enhances financial flexibility.
- Jeffrey Smith's appointment could bring valuable strategic input.
- Investment supports the acquisition of IAA, increasing market opportunities.
- The deal is subject to shareholder approvals, posing uncertainty.
- Potential risks associated with the IAA acquisition may affect share performance.
Jeffrey Smith to Be Appointed to the Ritchie Bros. Board Upon IAA Acquisition
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated (NYSE: RBA) (TSX: RBA) ("Ritchie Bros.") today announced that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with Starboard Value LP and certain of its affiliates (together, "Starboard") pursuant to which Starboard will make a concurrent
In connection with the investment, Starboard Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Smith will be appointed to the Ritchie Bros. Board of Directors effective following the later of the required approvals by Ritchie Bros. shareholders and IAA shareholders in connection with the company's pending acquisition of IAA, Inc. (the "IAA transaction").
"We welcome Starboard's strategic investment in Ritchie Bros., which we believe will provide us with additional financial flexibility," said Ann Fandozzi, CEO of Ritchie Bros. "Starboard shares our belief in the potential of the combination of Ritchie Bros. and IAA. We look forward to benefitting from Jeff's expertise and working together as we complete this transaction, which we believe will deliver significant value to all our shareholders."
"We are excited to become a shareholder of Ritchie Bros. as they take this important next step to accelerate the company's transformation and value-creation trajectory," said Mr. Smith. "We were investors in IAA's parent company prior to its spinout, so we know IAA well and are strong believers in the fundamentals of the business and the market opportunities that this transaction creates. We believe that, with Ritchie Bros.' leadership expertise, marketplace investments, yard footprint and comprehensive suite of solutions, they will be able to accelerate growth in each vertical. We are eager to work with the Ritchie Bros. team to ensure that the combined company executes on the significant synergy and growth opportunities outlined by Ritchie Bros. in today's investor presentation."
Under the terms of the securities purchase agreement, Starboard has agreed to purchase
Concurrently, Starboard has also agreed to purchase approximately
The shares underlying Starboard's investment will not be voted at the Special Meeting of Ritchie Bros. Shareholders to be held with respect to the IAA transaction.
In the event that the merger between Ritchie Bros. and IAA is terminated, the company will have the right to redeem the preferred shares at a redemption price of
The completion of the investment by Starboard remains subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the filing of articles of amendment for the senior preferred shares, the TSX's acceptance of the proposed terms of the investment, approval of the listing of the common shares on the NYSE and TSX, and receipt of customary closing deliverables.
Additional information regarding the investment will be available on the Form 8-K to be filed by Ritchie Bros. with the SEC and on SEDAR and which will be available on the investor relations section of Ritchie Bros.' website.
Jeffrey Smith is a Managing Member, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Starboard Value LP. Prior to founding Starboard Value LP, Mr. Smith was a Partner Managing Director of Ramius LLC, a subsidiary of the Cowen Group, Inc., and the Chief Investment Officer for the funds that comprised the Value and Opportunity investment platform. Mr. Smith was also a member of Cowen's Operating Committee and Cowen's Investment Committee. Prior to joining Ramius in January 1998, he served as Vice President of Strategic Development and a member of the Board of Directors of The Fresh Juice Company, Inc. Mr. Smith began his career in the Mergers and Acquisitions department at Société Générale. Mr. Smith is currently the Chair of the Board of Papa John's International, Inc and on the Board of Cyxtera Technologies, Inc. Mr. Smith was formerly Chair of the Boards of Starboard Value Acquisition Corp., Advance Auto Parts, Inc., Darden Restaurants, Inc. and Phoenix Technologies Ltd. and formerly a member of the Boards of Perrigo Company plc., Yahoo! Inc., Quantum Corporation, Office Depot, Inc., Regis Corporation, Surmodics, Inc., Zoran Corporation, Actel Corporation, Kensey Nash Corp., S1 Corp and the Fresh Juice Company. Mr. Smith graduated from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a B.S. in Economics.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC served as lead financial advisor and Guggenheim Securities, LLC served as co-lead financial advisor to Ritchie Bros. in connection with the pending acquisition of IAA and the Starboard investment. Evercore and RBC Capital Markets also served as financial advisors to the company. Goodwin Procter LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal advisors to Ritchie Bros.
Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offering live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with weekly featured auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance® equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Ritchie List, a self-serve listing service for North America; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales; and sector-specific solutions GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Ritchie Bros. Energy. The Company's suite of solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions and Rouse Services LLC, which together provides a complete end-to-end asset management, data-driven intelligence and performance benchmarking system; SmartEquip, an innovative technology platform that supports customers' management of the equipment lifecycle and integrates parts procurement with both OEMs and dealers; plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com.
This communication contains information relating to a proposed business combination transaction between Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated ("RBA") and IAA, Inc. ("IAA") in addition to information relating to the proposed investment into RBA by Starboard. This communication includes forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements may include statements relating to future events and anticipated results of operations, business strategies, the anticipated benefits of the proposed IAA transaction, the anticipated impact of the proposed IAA transaction on the combined company's business and future financial and operating results, the expected or estimated amount, achievability, sources, impact and timing of cost synergies and revenue, growth, operational enhancement, expansion and other value creation opportunities from the proposed IAA transaction, the expected debt, de-leveraging and capital allocation of the combined company, the anticipated closing date for the proposed IAA transaction, other aspects of RBA's or IAA's respective businesses, operations, financial condition or operating results and other statements that are not historical facts. There can be no assurance that the proposed IAA transaction will in fact be consummated. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "intends," "target," "goal," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue," "foresees," "forecasts," "estimates," "opportunity" or other words or phrases of similar import.
It is uncertain whether any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what impact they will have on the results of operations and financial condition of the combined companies or the price of RBA's common shares or IAA's common stock. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on any such statements and caution must be exercised in relying on forward-looking statements. While RBA's and IAA's management believe the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, these forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the parties' control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the possibility that shareholders of RBA may not approve the issuance of new common shares of RBA in the transaction or that stockholders of IAA may not approve the adoption of the merger agreement; the risk that a condition to closing of the proposed IAA transaction may not be satisfied (or waived), that either party may terminate the merger agreement or that the closing of the proposed IAA transaction might be delayed or not occur at all; the anticipated tax treatment of the proposed IAA transaction; potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed IAA transaction; the diversion of management time on transaction-related issues; the response of competitors to the proposed IAA transaction; the ultimate difficulty, timing, cost and results of integrating the operations of RBA and IAA; the effects of the business combination of RBA and IAA, including the combined company's future financial condition, results of operations, strategy and plans; the failure (or delay) to receive the required regulatory approval of the transaction; the fact that operating costs and business disruption may be greater than expected following the public announcement or consummation of the proposed IAA transaction; the effect of the announcement, pendency or consummation of the proposed IAA transaction on the trading price of RBA's common shares or IAA's common stock; the ability of RBA and/or IAA to retain and hire key personnel and employees; the significant costs associated with the proposed IAA transaction; the outcome of any legal proceedings that could be instituted against RBA, IAA and/or others relating to the proposed IAA transaction; restrictions during the pendency of the proposed IAA transaction that may impact the ability of RBA and/or IAA to pursue non-ordinary course transactions, including certain business opportunities or strategic transactions; the ability of the combined company to realize anticipated synergies in the amount, manner or timeframe expected or at all; the failure of the combined company to realize potential revenue, growth, operational enhancement, expansion or other value creation opportunities from the sources or in the amount, manner or timeframe expected or at all; the failure of the trading multiple of the combined company to normalize or re-rate and other fluctuations in such trading multiple; changes in capital markets and the ability of the combined company to finance operations in the manner expected or to de-lever in the timeframe expected; the failure of RBA or the combined company to meet financial and/or KPI targets; the failure to satisfy any of the conditions to closing of the Starboard investment in RBA; any legal impediment to the payment of the special dividend by RBA, including TSX consent to the dividend record date; legislative, regulatory and economic developments affecting the business of RBA and IAA; general economic and market developments and conditions; the evolving legal, regulatory and tax regimes under which RBA and IAA operates; unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, pandemics, acts of terrorism or outbreak of war or hostilities, as well as RBA's or IAA's response to any of the aforementioned factors. These risks, as well as other risks related to the proposed IAA transaction, are included in the registration statement on Form S-4 and joint proxy statement/prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities in connection with the proposed IAA transaction. While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors presented in the registration statement on Form S-4 are, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties.
For additional information about other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, please refer to RBA's and IAA's respective periodic reports and other filings with the SEC and/or applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the risk factors identified in RBA's most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K and IAA's most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date hereof. Neither RBA nor IAA undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information, future events, changes in its expectations or other circumstances that exist after the date as of which the forward-looking statements were made, except as required by law.
This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or 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. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, such registration requirements.
In connection with the proposed IAA transaction, RBA filed with the SEC and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities a registration statement on Form S-4 to register the common shares of RBA to be issued in connection with the proposed IAA transaction on December 14, 2022. The registration statement includes a joint proxy statement/prospectus which will be sent to the shareholders of RBA and stockholders of IAA seeking their approval of their respective transaction-related proposals. Each of RBA and IAA may also file other relevant documents with the SEC and/or applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities regarding the proposed IAA transaction. This document is not a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or any other document that RBA or IAA may file with the SEC and/or applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4 AND THE RELATED JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED IAA TRANSACTION OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT RBA, IAA AND THE PROPOSED IAA TRANSACTION.
Investors and security holders may obtain copies of these documents (when they are available) free of charge through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov, SEDAR at www.sedar.com or from RBA at its website, investor.ritchiebros.com, or from IAA at its website, investors.iaai.com. Documents filed with the SEC and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities by RBA (when they are available) will be available free of charge by accessing RBA's website at investor.ritchiebros.com under the heading Financials/SEC Filings, or, alternatively, by directing a request by telephone or mail to RBA at 9500 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, BC, V5J 0C6, Canada, and documents filed with the SEC by IAA (when they are available) will be available free of charge by accessing IAA's website at investors.iaai.com or by contacting IAA's Investor Relations at investors@iaai.com.
RBA and IAA, certain of their respective directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees, and Jeffrey C. Smith, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of RBA and IAA in respect of the proposed IAA transaction under the rules of the SEC. Information about RBA's directors and executive officers is available in RBA's definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A for its 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which was filed with the SEC and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on March 15, 2022, and certain of its Current Reports on Form 8-K. Information about IAA's directors and executive officers is available in IAA's definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A for its 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on May 2, 2022, and certain of its Current Reports on Form 8-K. Other information regarding persons who may be deemed participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, including information with respect to Mr. Smith, are contained or will be contained in the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials filed or to be filed with the SEC and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities regarding the proposed IAA transaction when they become available. Investors should read the joint proxy statement/prospectus carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from RBA or IAA free of charge using the sources indicated above.
Investors
Sameer Rathod Vice President, Investor Relations & Market Intelligence
(510) 381-7584
srathod@ritchiebros.com
Media
Dan Katcher / Lucas Pers / Haley Salas
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
(212) 355-4449
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SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
FAQ
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