UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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| Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement |
On September 8, 2020, Universal Corporation (the “Company”) announced that it had entered into a Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 8, 2020 (the “Purchase Agreement”), with Silva International, Inc. (“Silva”), the holders of all of the capital stock of Silva (“Sellers”) and Torsten Steinhaus, as the Seller Representative, pursuant to which the Company will, subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, acquire 100% of the capital stock of Silva for approximately $170 million in cash (the “Acquisition”). At the closing of the Acquisition, Silva will become a wholly-owned direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company and will operate as part of Universal’s plant-based ingredients platform, which includes FruitSmart, Inc. and Carolina Innovative Food Ingredients, Inc.
The parties to the Purchase Agreement have each made customary representations, warranties and covenants. The parties have agreed to cooperate with each other and use commercially reasonable efforts to make all filings and obtain all consents, approvals and authorizations of all governmental entities to the extent required by law in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of the Purchase Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, subject to specified limitations. In connection with the consummation of the Acquisition, Silva will acquire real property currently leased from affiliates of Silva and the leases will be terminated in connection with closing.
Consummation of the Acquisition is expected in October 2020, subject to certain conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals, including the expiration or early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and other customary closing conditions and deliverables.
The Purchase Agreement may be terminated by either party under certain circumstances, including if the sale is not consummated by December 7, 2020.
The Company expects to fund the transaction with a combination of cash on hand and existing borrowing capacity.
The foregoing description of the Purchase Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to Purchase Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 2.1 hereto, and is incorporated into this report by reference.
The above description of the Purchase Agreement has been included to provide investors with information regarding its terms. The Purchase Agreement contains representations and warranties made by and to the parties thereto as of specific dates. The statements embodied in those representations and warranties were made for the purpose of allocating risk between the parties rather than establishing matters as facts and are subject to qualifications and limitations agreed upon by the parties in connection with negotiating the terms of the Purchase Agreement. In addition, certain representations and warranties were made as of a specified date and may be subject to a contractual standard of materiality different from those generally applicable to investors.
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| Item 7.01 | Regulation FD Disclosure |
On September 8, 2020, the Company issued a press release regarding the Acquisition. A copy of this release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information in this Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall either be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific references in such a filing.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “assume,” “estimate,” “expect,” “target” “project,” “predict,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “may,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward looking information. Forward-looking information in these materials includes, but is not limited to: the acquisition of Silva; the expected closing of the Silva acquisition; and contributions to future earnings. The Company cautions readers that any statements contained herein regarding financial condition, results of operation, and future business plans, operations, opportunities, and prospects for its performance are forward-looking statements based upon management’s current knowledge and assumptions about future events, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, prospects, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, product purchased not meeting quality and quantity requirements; reliance on a few large customers; its ability to maintain effective information technology systems and safeguard confidential information; anticipated levels of demand for and supply of its products and services; costs incurred in providing these products and services; timing of shipments to customers; changes in market structure; government regulation; product taxation; industry consolidation and evolution; changes in exchange rates and interest rates; impacts of regulation and litigation on its customers; industry-specific risks related to its food ingredient business; exposure to certain regulatory and financial risks related to climate change; changes in estimates and assumptions underlying its critical accounting policies; the promulgation and adoption of new accounting standards, new government regulations and interpretation of existing standards and regulations; and general economic, political, market, and weather conditions. Actual results, therefore, could vary from those expected. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties, and other factors can be found in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, and in other documents the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This information should be read in conjunction with the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2020 and the Form 10-Q for the most recently ended fiscal quarter. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements as these statements speak only as of the date when made, and it undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made.
| Item 9.01 | Exhibits. |
| (d) | Exhibits |
| 2.1 | Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 8, 2020, by and among Universal Corporation, Silva International, Inc., the Sellers named therein and Torsten Steinhaus, as the Seller Representative.* | |
| 99.1 | Press Release, dated September 8, 2020, issued by Universal Corporation | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101) | |
| * | Disclosure schedules and certain exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. The Purchase Agreement as filed identifies such schedules and exhibits, including the general nature of their contents. The Company will furnish a copy of any omitted attachment to the Securities and Exchange Commission on a confidential basis upon request. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
| UNIVERSAL CORPORATION (Registrant) | ||||||
| Date: September 8, 2020 | By: | /s/ Preston D. Wigner | ||||
| Preston D. Wigner | ||||||
| Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary | ||||||
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