Fiat has reached agreement to
purchase the two Turin-based plants belonging to Teksid Aluminium for the
symbolic price of 100 euros. Teksid Aluminium Luxembourg which currently owns
the facilities, which employ 1,000 people, will invest 10 million euros as part
of the agreement. The repurchase of the plants by Fiat, which sold them in 2002,
ensures an uninterrupted supply of components.
TK Aluminum issued
the following statement on Thursday (9th August): Teksid Aluminum Luxembourg S.à
r.l., S.C.A. (the “Company”) announced that, as of 12:00 P.M., New York City
time (5:00 P.M., London time), on Tuesday, August 7, 2007, consents representing
approximately 52% of the €205,598,000 aggregate principal amount of its
outstanding 11⅜% Senior Notes due 2011 (the “Senior Notes”) have been validly
delivered pursuant to its previously announced solicitation of consents pursuant
to a consent solicitation statement, dated as of August 2, 2007, as amended on
August 3, 2007 (the “Statement”), to implement certain proposed amendments (as
described below) to the indenture governing the Senior Notes (the “Indenture”).
Consequently, the Company, the note guarantors and the trustee executed a
supplemental indenture (the “Supplemental Indenture”) on Tuesday, August 7,
2007. Accordingly, the proposed amendments have become operative in accordance
with their terms. The consent solicitation expired on Wednesday, August 8, 2007
at 10:00 A.M., New York City time (3:00 P.M., London time) at which time
consents representing approximately 78% of Senior Notes had been validly
delivered.
The indenture amendments: (i) allow the sale of Teksid Aluminum S.r.l. and,
indirectly, its subsidiary Teksid Aluminum Getti Speciali S.r.l.(together with
Teksid Aluminum S.r.l., the “Fiat Sold Companies”) to Fiat Powertrain
Technologies S.p.A.(the “Fiat Sale”) pursuant to an agreement, dated July 25,
2007, as amended on August 3, 2007 (the “Fiat Sale Agreement”) (as such
agreement may be further amended in accordance with the terms of the Statement);
(ii) allow the repayment or settlement of certain intercompany obligations,
including the obligations owed by the Company and TK Aluminum-Luxembourg Finance
S.à r.l. to the Fiat Sold Companies and the obligations owed by the Fiat Sold
Companies to certain of the Company’s indirect subsidiaries organized under the
laws of France (the “French Entities”); (iii) permit the transfer of the quotas
held by the Company in Teksid Aluminum Getti Speciali S.r.l. to Teksid Aluminum
S.r.l.; (iv) extend the time by which an offer to purchase Senior Notes with the
proceeds of the sales of each of Teksid Aluminum Poland Sp. z o.o.,
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The repurchase of the two Teksid plants by Fiat,
which sold them in 2002, ensures an uninterrupted
supply of components. |
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Fiat has reached agreement to purchase the two
Turin-based plants belonging to Teksid Aluminium for
the symbolic price of 100 euros. |
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he Company’s indirectly held minority equity interest in
Nanjing Teksid Aluminum Foundry and the Company’s equity
interest in Cevher Dokum Sanayi A.S. is to be made to no
later than October 15, 2007; and (v) extend the time by
which an offer to purchase Senior Notes with the proceeds of
each of the Fiat Payment (as defined in the Indenture) and
the Escrow Amount (as defined in the Indenture) is to be
made to no later than ten (10) business days after receipt
of such payments, but in no event prior to October 15, 2007.
In addition the Company announced today that on August 8,
2007 it completed the Fiat Sale on the previously disclosed
terms set forth in the Statement. Pursuant to the terms of
the Fiat Sale Agreement, Fiat Powertrain purchased the Fiat
Sold Companies for €100, subject to certain conditions,
including a €10 million cash payment from the Company to the
Fiat Sold Companies.
The Company received €13 million of the €18 million Fiat
Payment (as defined in the Indenture). As previously
disclosed, in connection with the Fiat Sale Agreement, the
Company executed an escrow agreement, dated July 25, 2007,
as amended on August 3, 2007 (the “Fiat Escrow Agreement”),
which provides that (i) €2 million of the remaining €5
million of the Fiat Payment shall be held “in escrow” for a
period of up to 18 months from the closing of the Fiat Sale
and in accordance with the terms of the Fiat Sale Agreement
and the Fiat Escrow Agreement and (ii) the remaining €3
million of the Fiat Payment would be paid to the Company at
the closing of the Fiat Sale. The Escrow Fiat Payment may be
released prior to 18 months from the closing date of the
Fiat Sale upon certain events of release. Such events of
release include the date on which all transactions,
receivables and indebtedness between, to or from the Fiat
Sold Companies, on the one hand, and certain of the French
Entities, on the other hand, required to be settled pursuant
to the Fiat Sale Agreement are settled either (x) as set
forth in specific transaction steps attached to the Fiat
Sale Agreement or (y) in cash or by set off based on
principles of applicable law. In connection with the closing
of the Fiat Sale, the remaining €3 million of the Fiat
Payment was paid and the €2 million held in escrow was
released to the Company pursuant to the terms of the Escrow
Agreement.
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