LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill.,
April 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/
-- ACCO Brands Corporation (NYSE: ABD), a world leader in
branded office products, today announced that in conjunction with
the anticipated closing of the pending merger of a wholly owned
subsidiary of ACCO Brands with MeadWestvaco's Consumer & Office
Products business, its NYSE ticker symbol will change to
"ACCO". The new symbol is expected to become effective as of
the opening of NYSE trading on Tuesday, May
1, 2012.
The new ACCO ticker symbol now matches the widely recognized
ACCO Brands name. "The investing public and our customers know us
as ACCO Brands," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Robert J. Keller. "Our new
trading symbol will be another positive step in our
transformation."
As previously announced, on November 17,
2011, ACCO Brands and MeadWestvaco Corporation (NYSE: MWV)
signed a definitive agreement to merge MeadWestvaco's Consumer
& Office Products business into ACCO Brands. Today MWV
announced that it has received a ruling from the Internal Revenue
Service confirming the tax-free nature of the distribution of 50.5
percent of the outstanding shares of common stock of ACCO Brands to
MWV shareholders, which distribution will be made upon the merger
becoming effective.
Completion of the merger remains subject to the satisfaction or
waiver of certain conditions, including the approval of the merger
by ACCO Brands' shareholders at a special meeting of shareholders
scheduled for April 23, 2012. If the
merger is approved, the new shares to be issued will begin trading
on a when-issued basis April 24,
2012, under the NYSE ticker symbol "ACCO wi". Assuming
the merger is completed before May 1,
2012, it is anticipated that, effective upon the opening of
regular trading on May 1, 2012, all
shares of ACCO Brands common stock will trade under the new ticker
symbol "ACCO".
About ACCO Brands Corporation
ACCO Brands Corporation is a world leader in branded office
products. Its industry-leading brands include Day-Timer®,
Swingline®, Kensington®, Quartet®, GBC®, Rexel, NOBO, Derwent,
Marbig and Wilson Jones®, among others. Under the GBC brand, the
company is also a leader in the professional print finishing
market.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain statements which may
constitute "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks
and uncertainties, are made as of the date hereof and the company
assumes no obligation to update them.
Forward-looking statements relating to the proposed merger
involving ACCO Brands and the Consumer & Office Products
business of MeadWestvaco Corporation include, but are not limited
to: statements about the benefits of the proposed merger, including
future financial and operating results; ACCO Brands' plans,
objectives, expectations and intentions; the expected timing of
completion of the merger; and other statements relating to the
merger that are not historical facts. With respect to the
proposed merger, important factors could cause actual results to
differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking
statements, including, but not limited to: the risk that a
condition to closing of the merger may not be satisfied; the length
of time necessary to consummate the merger; 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 and the
impact of additional indebtedness. These risks, as well as
other risks associated with the proposed merger, are more fully
discussed in the proxy statement/prospectus included in the
registration statement on Form S-4 that ACCO Brands filed with the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on
March 22, 2012 in connection with the
proposed merger.
In connection with the proposed merger, the registration
statement has been declared effective by the SEC. This registration
statement includes a proxy statement/prospectus of ACCO Brands that
has been mailed to the shareholders of ACCO Brands. Shareholders
are urged to read the proxy statement/prospectus and any other
relevant documents, because they contain important information
about ACCO Brands and the proposed merger. The proxy
statement/prospectus and other documents relating to the proposed
merger can be obtained free of charge from the SEC's website at
www.sec.gov. The proxy statement/prospectus and other documents can
also be obtained free of charge from ACCO Brands upon written
request to ACCO Brands Corporation, Investor Relations, 300 Tower
Parkway, Lincolnshire, Illinois
60069, or by calling (847) 484-3020.
This communication is not a solicitation of a proxy from any
security holder of ACCO Brands. However, ACCO Brands and certain of
its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be
participants in the solicitation of proxies from shareholders in
connection with the proposed merger under the rules of the
SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers
of ACCO Brands may be found in its 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K
filed with the SEC on February 23,
2012, as amended, and its definitive proxy statement
relating to its 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders filed with the
SEC on March 30, 2012.
SOURCE ACCO Brands Corporation