425 1 v371212_425.htm 425

 

Filed by Fyffes plc

Pursuant to Rule 425

under the Securities Act of 1933 and

deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Subject Companies: Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (Commission File No. 001-01550); Fyffes plc

 

 

No Offer or Solicitation

 

This announcement is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Transaction or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

Important Additional Information Will Be Filed With The SEC

 

ChiquitaFyffes will file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 that will include the Joint Proxy Statement of Chiquita and Fyffes that also constitutes a Prospectus of ChiquitaFyffes. Chiquita and Fyffes plan to mail to their respective shareholders (and to Fyffes Equity Award Holders for information only) the Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular (including the Scheme) in connection with the transactions described above. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS/SCHEME CIRCULAR (INCLUDING THE SCHEME) AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CHIQUITA, FYFFES, CHIQUITAFYFFES, THE TRANSACTIONS AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular (including the Scheme) and other documents filed with the SEC by ChiquitaFyffes and Chiquita through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and shareholders will be able to obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular (including the Scheme) and other documents filed by Chiquita and ChiquitaFyffes with the SEC by contacting Chiquita Investor Relations at: Chiquita Brands International, Inc., c/o Corporate Secretary, 550 South Caldwell Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, or by calling (980) 636-5000, and will be able to obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular (including the Scheme) and other documents filed by Fyffes with the Register of Companies of Ireland by contacting Seamus Keenan, Company Secretary at c/o Fyffes, 29 North Anne Street, Dublin 7, Ireland or by calling + 353 1 887 2700.

 

Participants In The Solicitation

 

Chiquita, ChiquitaFyffes, Fyffes and their respective directors and executive officers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Fyffes is set forth in its Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2012, which was published on April 9, 2013. Information about the directors and executive officers of Chiquita is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, which was filed with the SEC on March 4, 2014, its proxy statement for its 2013 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 12, 2013, and its Current Report on Form 8-K which was filed with the SEC on July 18, 2013. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular described above and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Chiquita and Fyffes, including: the customary risks experienced by global food companies, such as prices for commodity and other inputs, currency exchange fluctuations, industry and competitive conditions (all of which may be more unpredictable in light of continuing uncertainty in the global economic environment), government regulations, food safety issues and product recalls affecting Chiquita and/or Fyffes or the industry, labor relations, taxes, political instability and terrorism; unusual weather events, conditions or crop risks; continued ability of Chiquita and Fyffes to access the capital and credit markets on commercially reasonable terms and comply with the terms of their debt instruments; access to and cost of financing; and the outcome of pending litigation and governmental investigations involving Chiquita and/or Fyffes, as well as the legal fees and other costs incurred in connection with these items. Readers are cautioned that any forward-looking statement is not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements relating to the transaction involving Fyffes and Chiquita include, but are not limited to: statements about the benefits of the transaction, including future financial and operating results; Fyffes’ and Chiquita’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions; the expected timing of completion of the transaction; and other statements relating to the transaction that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations and projections and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that actual results will not materially differ from expectations. Important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements.

 

 
 

 

 

With respect to the transaction, these factors include, but are not limited to: risks and uncertainties relating to the ability to obtain the requisite Fyffes and Chiquita shareholder approvals; the risk that Fyffes or Chiquita may be unable to obtain governmental and regulatory approvals required for the transaction, or required governmental and regulatory approvals may delay the transaction or result in the imposition of conditions that could reduce the anticipated benefits from the transaction or cause the parties to abandon the transaction; the risk that a condition to closing of the transaction may not be satisfied; the length of time necessary to consummate the transaction; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; the risk that the cost savings and any other synergies from the transaction may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; disruption arising as consequence of the transaction making it more difficult to maintain existing relationships or establish new relationships with customers, employees or suppliers; the diversion of management time on transaction-related issues; the ability of the combined company to retain and hire key personnel; the effect of future regulatory or legislative actions on the companies; and the risk that the credit ratings of the combined company or its subsidiaries may be different from what the companies expect.

 

These risks, as well as other risks associated with the transaction, will be more fully discussed in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus/Scheme Circular that will be included in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the transaction. Additional risks and uncertainties are identified and discussed in Chiquita’s reports filed with the SEC and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and in Fyffes’ reports filed with the Registrar of companies available at Fyffes’ website at www.fyffes.com. Forward-looking statements included in this document speak only as of the date of this document. Chiquita does not undertake any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document.

 

No statement in this announcement is intended to constitute a profit forecast for any period, nor should any statements be interpreted to mean that earnings or earnings per share will necessarily be greater or lesser than those for the relevant preceding financial periods for Fyffes, or Chiquita or ChiquitaFyffes, as appropriate. No statement is this announcement constitutes an asset valuation.

 

Statement Required By the Takeover Rules

 

The directors of Fyffes accept responsibility for the information contained in this announcement. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the directors of Fyffes (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information contained in this announcement is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.

 

***

 

The following announcement was issued by Fyffes plc on March 11, 2014.

 
 

  

Fyffes plc

 

ESM: FFY ID: AIM: FFY LN

 

Rule 2.10 announcement - Relevant securities in Issue

 

Dublin & London - 11 March 2014

 

In accordance with Rule 2.10 of the Irish Takeover Panel Act, 1997, Takeover Rules 2007, as amended (the “Irish Takeover Rules”), Fyffes (“Fyffes” or the “Company”) confirms that, as at the close of business on 10 March 2014, its issued share capital comprised 297,659,807 ordinary shares of €0.06 each (“Ordinary Shares”). The Company, and a subsidiary of the Company, also hold 28,075,000 Ordinary Shares as treasury shares.

 

In addition, the Company confirms there are 11,824,000 options (excluding options which have not vested and which will expire on 15 March 2014) to acquire Ordinary Shares which have been granted by the Company, which options have exercise prices ranging from €0.4519 to €0.925.

 

The International Securities Identification Number for the Ordinary Shares is IE0003295239.

 

Enquires

 

Seamus Keenan, Company Secretary, Fyffes

Tel: + 353 1 887 2700

 

Brian Bell, Wilson Hartnell PR (public relations adviser)

Tel: +353 1 669 0030

 

Lazard (financial adviser)

Tim George Nicholas Shott
Alexander Hecker Aamir Khan
Tel: +1 212 632 6000 Tel: +44 20 7187 2000

 

Davy Corporate Finance (corporate broker)

Ivan Murphy

/Fergal Meegan

Tel: +353 1 679 6363

 

The directors of Fyffes accept responsibility for the information contained in this announcement relating to Fyffes and the Fyffes Group and the directors of Fyffes and members of their immediate families, related trusts and persons connected with them. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the directors of Fyffes (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure such is the case), the information contained in this announcement for which they accept responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.

 

Lazard & Co., Limited (“Lazard”), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting exclusively as financial adviser to Fyffes and no one else in connection with the matters described in this announcement, and will not be responsible for anyone other than Fyffes for providing the protections afforded to clients of Lazard nor for providing advice in relation to the matters referred to in this announcement. Neither Lazard nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Lazard in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

 

Davy and Davy Corporate Finance each of which is regulated in Ireland by the Central Bank of Ireland, are acting for Fyffes and no one else in relation to the matters referred to herein. In connection with such matters, Davy and Davy Corporate Finance, its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents will not regard any other person as their client, nor will they be responsible to anyone other than Fyffes for providing the protections afforded to their clients or for providing advice in connection with the matters described in this Document or any matter referred to herein.

 

 
 

 

 

Dealing Disclosure Requirements

 

Under the provisions of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules, if any person is, or becomes, “interested” (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of “relevant securities” of Fyffes or Chiquita, all “dealings” in any “relevant securities” of Fyffes or Chiquita Brands International Inc. (“Chiquita”) (including by means of an option in respect of, or a derivative referenced to, any such “relevant securities”) must be publicly disclosed by not later than 3:30 p.m. (Irish time) on the “business day” following the date of the relevant transaction. This requirement will continue until the date on which the Scheme becomes effective or on which the “offer period” otherwise ends. If two or more persons co-operate on the basis of any agreement either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire an “interest” in “relevant securities” of Fyffes or Chiquita, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules. Under the provisions of Rule 8.1 of the Irish Takeover Rules, all “dealings” in “relevant securities” of Fyffes by Chiquita or “relevant securities” of Chiquita by Fyffes, or by any person “acting in concert” with either of them must also be disclosed by no later than 12 noon (Irish time) on the “business day” following the date of the relevant transaction.

 

A disclosure table, giving details of the companies in whose “relevant securities” “dealings” should be disclosed can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel’s website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie. “Interests in securities” arise, in summary, when a person has long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of securities. In particular, a person will be treated as having an “interest” by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to, securities. Terms in quotation marks are defined in the Irish Takeover Rules, which can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel’s website.

 

If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are required to disclose a “dealing” under Rule 8, please consult the Irish Takeover Panel’s website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie or contact the Irish Takeover Panel on telephone number +353 1 678 9020; fax number +353 1 678 9289.