0001062613-16-000210.txt : 20161214 0001062613-16-000210.hdr.sgml : 20161214 20161214162903 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001062613-16-000210 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 425 PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 1 FILED AS OF DATE: 20161214 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20161214 SUBJECT COMPANY: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: FAIRPOINT COMMUNICATIONS INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001062613 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS (NO RADIO TELEPHONE) [4813] IRS NUMBER: 133725229 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 425 SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-32408 FILM NUMBER: 162051393 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 521 EAST MOREHEAD ST STREET 2: STE 250 CITY: CHARLOTTE STATE: NC ZIP: 28202 BUSINESS PHONE: 7043448150 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 521 EAST MOREHEAD ST STREET 2: STE 250 CITY: CHARLOTTE STATE: NC ZIP: 28202 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: MJD COMMUNICATIONS INC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19980527 FILED BY: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: FAIRPOINT COMMUNICATIONS INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001062613 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS (NO RADIO TELEPHONE) [4813] IRS NUMBER: 133725229 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 425 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 521 EAST MOREHEAD ST STREET 2: STE 250 CITY: CHARLOTTE STATE: NC ZIP: 28202 BUSINESS PHONE: 7043448150 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 521 EAST MOREHEAD ST STREET 2: STE 250 CITY: CHARLOTTE STATE: NC ZIP: 28202 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: MJD COMMUNICATIONS INC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19980527 425 1 a425response.htm 425 Document


Filed by FairPoint Communications, Inc.
Pursuant to Rule 425 under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
Subject Company: FairPoint Communications, Inc.
Exchange Act File No.: 001-32408

The following was first shared with various media outlets on December 14, 2016 in response to inquiries regarding a letter received from Senator Sanders and Congressman Welch dated December 13, 2016:

In recent years, FairPoint has successfully developed what many consider to be one of the best operating platforms in the industry and years of investment has yielded a robust fiber based network. The company has received the letter from Senator Sanders and Congressman Welch which does not acknowledge the more than $900 million FairPoint has invested in the region, including more than $100 million in the Vermont broadband infrastructure, since 2008. That investment has allowed FairPoint to increase the broadband coverage in its Vermont footprint from approximately 65% to over 90% during that time, enabling the residents of the state to participate in the information age economy. The company has also been an active participant in the community, donating more than $1 million to local charitable causes including a donation of over 10,000 square feet of space in the company’s downtown Burlington central office for use by the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies in their work to foster business development in the state.
The realities of rapidly evolving technology, changing consumer preferences and an ever-more-competitive telecommunications landscape have led to a significant decline in our legacy services and revenues. As any prudent business would, we have reduced our workforce to match our workload and the size and composition of our revenue.
We look forward to working with Senator Sanders, Congressman Welch and other elected officials and regulators as we take the needed steps to successfully close the transaction.
Safe Harbor

The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) encourages companies to disclose forward-looking information so that investors can better understand a company’s future prospects and make informed investment decisions. Certain statements in this filing are forward-looking statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect, among other things, current expectations, plans, strategies, and anticipated financial results of the Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (“Consolidated”) and FairPoint Communications, Inc. (“FairPoint”), both separately and as a combined entity. There are a number of risks, uncertainties, and conditions that may cause the actual results of Consolidated and FairPoint, both separately and as a combined entity, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include the timing and ability to complete the proposed acquisition of FairPoint by Consolidated, the expected benefits of the integration of the two companies and successful integration of FairPoint’s operations with those of Consolidated and realization of the synergies from the integration, as well as a number of factors related to the respective businesses of Consolidated and FairPoint, including economic and financial market conditions generally and economic conditions in Consolidated’s and FairPoint’s service areas; various risks to stockholders of not receiving dividends and risks to Consolidated’s ability to pursue growth opportunities if Consolidated continues to pay dividends according to the current dividend policy; various risks to the price and volatility of Consolidated’s common stock; changes in the valuation of pension plan assets; the substantial amount of debt and Consolidated’s ability to repay or refinance it or incur additional debt in the future; Consolidated’s need for a significant amount of cash to service and repay the debt and to pay dividends on the common stock; restrictions contained in the debt agreements that limit the discretion of management in operating the business; legal or regulatory proceedings or other matters that impact the timing or ability to complete the acquisition as contemplated, regulatory changes, including changes to subsidies, rapid development and introduction of new technologies and intense competition in the telecommunications industry; risks associated with Consolidated’s possible pursuit of acquisitions; system failures; losses of large customers or government contracts; risks associated with the rights-of-way for the network; disruptions in the relationship with third party vendors; losses of key management personnel and the inability to attract and retain




highly qualified management and personnel in the future; changes in the extensive governmental legislation and regulations governing telecommunications providers and the provision of telecommunications services; telecommunications carriers disputing and/or avoiding their obligations to pay network access charges for use of Consolidated’s and FairPoint’s network; high costs of regulatory compliance; the competitive impact of legislation and regulatory changes in the telecommunications industry; liability and compliance costs regarding environmental regulations; the possibility of disruption from the integration of the two companies making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the possibility that the acquisition is not consummated, including, but not limited to, due to the failure to satisfy the closing conditions; the possibility that the merger may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; and diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities. A detailed discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from such forward-looking statements are discussed in more detail in Consolidated’s and FairPoint’s respective filings with the SEC, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Consolidated for the year ended December 31, 2015, which was filed with the SEC on February 29, 2016, under the heading “Item 1A-Risk Factors,” and the Annual Report on Form 10-K of FairPoint for the year ended December 31, 2015, which was filed with the SEC on March 2, 2016, under the heading “Item 1A-Risk Factors,” and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by each of Consolidated and FairPoint. Many of these circumstances are beyond the ability of Consolidated and FairPoint to control or predict. Moreover, forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions on the part of Consolidated and FairPoint. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “project”, “intend”, “plan”, “should”, “may”, “will”, “would”, “will be”, “will continue” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Consolidated and FairPoint, and their respective subsidiaries, both separately and as a combined entity to be different from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on the respective behalf of Consolidated or FairPoint are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements that appear throughout this filing. Furthermore, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required under the federal securities laws or the rules and regulations of the SEC, each of Consolidated and FairPoint disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Important Merger Information and Additional Information

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. In connection with the proposed transaction, Consolidated and FairPoint will file relevant materials with the SEC. Consolidated will file a Registration Statement on Form S-4 that includes a joint proxy statement of Consolidated and FairPoint and which also constitutes a prospectus of Consolidated. Consolidated and FairPoint will mail the final joint proxy statement/prospectus to their respective stockholders. Investors are urged to read the joint proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed transaction when it becomes available, because it will contain important information. The joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents that have been or will be filed by Consolidated and FairPoint with the SEC are or will be available free of charge at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov, or by directing a request when such a filing is made to Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc., 121 South 17th Street, Mattoon, IL 61938, Attention: Investor Relations or to FairPoint Communications, Inc., 521 East Morehead Street, Suite 500, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, Attention: Secretary.

Consolidated, FairPoint and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Consolidated is set forth in its definitive proxy statement, which was filed with the SEC on March 28, 2016. Information about the directors and executive officers of FairPoint is set forth in its definitive proxy statement, which was filed with the SEC on March 25, 2016. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources listed above. Investors may obtain additional information regarding the interests of such participants by reading the joint proxy statement/prospectus Consolidated and FairPoint will file with the SEC when it becomes available.