-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, Q7X8eQtJCVyN6UwXe1soylRGiRWxyWzd0JCxFbPZdl6V/NEDg1C7nAWz4YMEQnT0 PP8C1RWkeCBLH/RbRoMuGA== 0000950152-04-007756.txt : 20041029 0000950152-04-007756.hdr.sgml : 20041029 20041029172820 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000950152-04-007756 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 2 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20041025 ITEM INFORMATION: Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement ITEM INFORMATION: Other Events ITEM INFORMATION: Financial Statements and Exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 20041029 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20041029 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: HAWK CORP CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000849240 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: AIRCRAFT PART & AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT, NEC [3728] IRS NUMBER: 341608156 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-13797 FILM NUMBER: 041107553 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 200 PUBLIC SQ. STREET 2: STE 1500 CITY: CLEVELAND STATE: OH ZIP: 44114 BUSINESS PHONE: 2168613553 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 200 PUBLIC SQUARE STREET 2: STE 1500 CITY: CLEVELAND STATE: OH ZIP: 44114-2301 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: HAWK GROUP OF COMPANIES INC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19950417 8-K 1 l10284ae8vk.htm HAWK CORPORATION HAWK CORPORATION
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Act of 1934

Date of Report: October 25, 2004
(Date of earliest event reported)

Hawk Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
         
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
  001-13797
(Commission
File Number)
  34-1608156
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

200 Public Square, Suite 1500, Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(Address of principal executive offices including zip code)

(216) 861-3553
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

     Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

     o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

     o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

     o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

     o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Item 8.01. Other Events.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
SIGNATURES
EXHIBIT INDEX
EX-99.1 PRESS RELEASE DATED OCTOBER 29, 2004


Table of Contents

Item 8.01. Other Events.

Tender Offer

On October 29, 2004, Hawk announced the completion of its cash tender offer for its Old Notes. The tender offer expired as scheduled at midnight, New York City time, on October 28, 2004. A total of $34,131,166, or approximately 51.5%, of the Old Notes were validly tendered prior to the expiration of the tender offer and were accepted for payment. A copy of the press release announcing the completion of the tender offer is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this report.

Issuance of 8¾% Senior Notes and New Credit Facility.

Hawk Corporation (“Hawk”) and its subsidiary guarantors intend to issue $110 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes (the “New Notes”). Interest on the New Notes will be payable semi-annually at 8¾% per annum and the New Notes will mature in 2014. The offering is expected to close on November 1, 2004. Hawk intends to use the proceeds of the offering to refinance its 12% Senior Notes due 2006 (the “Old Notes”), to repay loans under its existing senior credit facility and to pay fees and expenses of the transaction. Concurrent with the closing of the offering, Hawk intends to enter into a new $30.0 million bank facility, with a $5.0 million letter of credit subfacility. Hawk expects the new bank facility to mature on November 1, 2009, subject to extension at Hawk’s request on an annual basis thereafter, with the consent of the lender. Hawk expects the interest rates on the new bank facility to range from 150 to 225 basis points over the London Interbank Offered Rates, or alternatively, 0 basis points over the prime rate and the commitment fee to be 25 points.

The New Notes are being sold only to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), certain accredited investors pursuant to Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) of the Securities Act and outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S of the Securities Act. The New Notes will not be registered under the Securities Act.

Hawk Audit Committee Determination

Hawk’s independent registered public accountant, Ernst & Young LLP (“E&Y”), has recently notified the audit committee of Hawk’s board of directors that certain non-audit work performed by an E&Y member firm in China for one of Hawk’s subsidiaries raises questions regarding E&Y’s independence with respect to its performance of audit services.

Commencing in April 2002 through January 2004, the E&Y member firm assisted Hawk’s subsidiary in China with preparing its business tax returns. In connection with this work, the E&Y member firm also assisted one employee at Hawk’s China subsidiary with his individual tax returns. During this period, E&Y disclosed to Hawk’s audit committee that its China affiliate made payments of individual income taxes on behalf of the employee to the Chinese tax authorities, and to make the required tax payments, handled Hawk funds totaling $38,000. These payment services were discontinued in January 2004, and E&Y’s China member firm returned excess funds in its control to Hawk totaling approximately $200. The E&Y member firm received fees for these individual tax return preparation and payment services totaling approximately $5,000.

Custody of the assets of an audit client is not permitted under the auditor independence rules in Regulation S-X promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The audit committee of Hawk’s board of directors considered the impact that the holding and paying of Hawk funds to the Chinese tax authorities may have had on E&Y’s independence with respect to Hawk and concluded that E&Y’s independence was not compromised. In making this determination, the audit committee considered that:

    the amount of funds involved was extremely small compared to the revenues and assets of Hawk as a whole,
 
    none of the personnel from the E&Y China member firm were involved with the provision of services to Hawk as part of the audit of Hawk’s financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2002,
 
    the payment services were ministerial in nature and the payments made were for individual rather than corporate tax liabilities,
 
    no conflict of interest ever existed between E&Y and Hawk, and
 
    E&Y’s own conclusion that its independence was not impaired under the applicable independence rules adopted by the SEC under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

In fulfillment of the audit committee’s duties pursuant to Hawk’s audit committee charter, the audit committee will continue to evaluate and review matters relevant to the maintenance of the independence of E&Y.

2


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Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

     (c) Exhibits

     
99.1
  Press Release dated October 29, 2004

3


Table of Contents

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 hereunto duly authorized.
         
Date: October 29, 2004  HAWK CORPORATION
 
 
  By:   /s/ Thomas A. Gilbride    
    Thomas A. Gilbride   
    Vice President – Finance and Treasurer   
 

4


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EXHIBIT INDEX

     
Exhibit Number
  Description
99.1
  Press Release dated October 29, 2004

 

EX-99.1 2 l10284aexv99w1.txt EX-99.1 PRESS RELEASE DATED OCTOBER 29, 2004 (HAWK CORPORATION LOGO) EXHIBIT 99.1 HAWK ANNOUNCES EXPIRATION OF CASH TENDER OFFER FOR 12% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2006 Cleveland, Ohio - October 29, 2004 - Hawk Corporation (AMEX: HWK) announced today that its cash tender offer for any and all of its $66.3 million outstanding principal amount of 12% Senior Notes due 2006 (the "Notes") expired at midnight, New York City time, on October 28, 2004, as scheduled. A total of $34,131,166, or approximately 51.5%, of the Notes were validly tendered prior to the expiration of the tender offer and have been accepted for payment. Jefferies & Company, Inc. is the exclusive dealer manager in connection with the tender offer. Questions regarding the tender offer or requests for documentation may be directed to Jeff Zolkin at Jefferies & Company, Inc., telephone number (504) 681-5774. This announcement is not an offer to purchase, a solicitation of an offer to purchase or a solicitation of a consent with respect to any securities. The tender offer was made solely by the Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement dated September 30, 2004. THE COMPANY Hawk Corporation is a leading worldwide supplier of highly engineered products. Its friction products group is a leading supplier of friction materials for brakes, clutches and transmissions used in airplanes, trucks, construction equipment, farm equipment and recreational and performance automotive vehicles. Through its precision components group, the Company is a leading supplier of powder metal and metal injected molded components used in industrial, consumer and other applications, such as pumps, motors and transmissions, lawn and garden equipment, appliances, small hand tools, trucks and telecommunications equipment. The Company's performance racing group manufactures clutches and gearboxes for motorsport applications and performance automotive markets. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Hawk has approximately 1,600 employees and 16 manufacturing, research and administrative sites in 5 countries at its continuing operations. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Hawk's tender offer that involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based upon management's expectations and beliefs concerning future events. Forward-looking statements are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Hawk that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. Hawk cannot provide assurance that the tender offer will be completed. Actual results and events may differ significantly from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Reference is made to Hawk's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other periodic filings, for a description of the foregoing and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and Hawk undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION Ronald E. Weinberg, Chairman, CEO and President (216) 861-3553 Thomas A. Gilbride, Vice President - Finance (216) 861-3553 Hawk Corporation is online at: www.hawkcorp.com
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