VANCOUVER, BC, March 15,
2023 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie
Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated (NYSE: RBA) (TSX: RBA)
("Ritchie Bros.," the "Company,"
"we," "us" or "our"), today announced that its subsidiary,
Ritchie Bros. Holdings Inc. (the
"Issuer"), has closed an offering of (a) $550 million aggregate principal amount of 6.750%
senior secured notes due March 15,
2028 (the "Secured Notes") and (b) $800 million aggregate principal amount of 7.750%
senior notes due March 15, 2031 (the
"Unsecured Notes" and collectively with the Secured Notes, the
"Notes").
The Notes are the senior secured obligations of the Issuer,
secured only by the amounts deposited in the applicable escrow
account. Upon consummation of the Merger (as defined below), each
series of Notes will be, jointly and severally, fully and
unconditionally guaranteed, on a senior unsecured basis, in the
case of the Unsecured Notes, and on a senior secured basis, in the
case of the Secured Notes, by the Company and each of the Company's
subsidiaries (other than the Issuer) that is a borrower, or
guarantees indebtedness, under the Company's credit agreement or
certain capital markets indebtedness, including the other series of
Notes. The Secured Notes and the Unsecured Notes bear interest at a
rate equal to 6.750% and 7.750% per year, respectively, payable
semiannually in arrears on March 15
and September 15 of each year,
beginning on September 15, 2023, and
mature on March 15, 2028 and
March 15, 2031, respectively.
Ritchie Bros. intends to use the
net proceeds from the offering of the Notes, together with proceeds
from its term loan A facility and cash from its balance sheet, to
fund the cash portion of the consideration payable in the
previously announced merger with IAA, Inc. and its subsidiaries
("IAA" and such transaction, the "Merger"), refinance IAA's
existing indebtedness, repay or refinance all of Ritchie Bros.' indebtedness, including
Ritchie Bros.' existing 5.375%
Senior Notes due 2025 (the "existing 2025 notes"), pay a one-time,
special cash dividend to Ritchie
Bros.' shareholders1 and pay related fees
and expenses. This news release does not constitute a notice of
redemption of the existing 2025 notes. The gross proceeds from the
offering will be held in an escrow account pending the consummation
of the Merger.
The Notes have been offered and sold only to persons reasonably
believed to be qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule
144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
Act"), and to non-U.S. persons outside the U.S. in reliance on
Regulation S of the Securities Act. The Notes have not been and
will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state
securities laws and, unless so registered, may not be offered or
sold in the United States except
pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to,
the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable
state securities laws. The Notes have not been and will not be
qualified for sale to the public by prospectus under applicable
Canadian securities laws and accordingly, any offer and sale of the
securities in Canada has been and
will be made on a basis which is exempt from the prospectus
requirements of such securities laws.
This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to
buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in
any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
About Ritchie Bros.
Established in 1958, Ritchie
Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and
disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for
buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets.
Operating in a number of sectors, including construction,
transportation, agriculture, energy, mining, and forestry, the
Company's selling channels include: Ritchie
Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer
offering live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an
online marketplace with weekly featured auctions and providing the
exclusive IronClad Assurance® equipment condition certification;
Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and
timing options; Ritchie List, a
self-serve listing service for North
America; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing
service; Ritchie Bros. Private
Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales; and sector-specific
solutions GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Ritchie Bros. Energy. The Company's suite of
solutions also includes Ritchie
Bros. Asset Solutions and Rouse Services LLC, which together
provides a complete end-to-end asset management, data-driven
intelligence and performance benchmarking system; SmartEquip, an
innovative technology platform that supports customers' management
of the equipment lifecycle and integrates parts procurement with
both OEMs and dealers; plus equipment financing and leasing through
Ritchie Bros. Financial
Services.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains information relating to a proposed
business combination transaction between Ritchie Bros. and IAA. This news release
contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information
within the meaning of applicable U.S. and Canadian securities
legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"),
including, in particular, Ritchie
Bros.' ability to satisfy the conditions in the merger
agreement and consummate the transactions on the anticipated
timeline, or at all, the benefits and synergies of the Merger,
future opportunities for the combined businesses of Ritchie Bros. and IAA, future financial and
operational results, personnel matters and any other statements
regarding events or developments that Ritchie Bros. believes or anticipates will or
may occur in the future. Forward-looking statements are statements
that are not historical facts and are generally, although not
always, identified by words such as "expect", "plan, "anticipate",
"project", "target", "potential", "schedule", "forecast", "budget",
"estimate", "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their
negative connotations, or statements that events or conditions
"will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. All
such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and
estimates of management as of the date such statements are made.
Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks
and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Ritchie Bros.' control, including risks and
uncertainties related to: our ability to consummate the Merger and
to satisfy the conditions to releasing the proceeds of this
offering from escrow; our future strategy, objectives, targets,
projections performance; our ability to drive shareholder value;
potential growth and market opportunities; potential future mergers
and acquisitions, including the proposed acquisition of IAA; our
expected indebtedness in connection with the proposed acquisition
of IAA; our ability to integrate potential acquisitions, including
the Merger; our internet initiatives and the level of participation
in our auctions by internet bidders, and the success of our online
marketplaces; our ability to grow our businesses, acquire new
customers, enhance our sector reach, drive geographic depth and
scale our operations; the impact of our new initiatives, services,
investments and acquisitions on us and our customers; the severity,
magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the direct and
indirect impact of such pandemic, as well as responses to the
pandemic by the government, business and consumers, on our
operations and personnel, commercial activity and demand across our
business and our customers' businesses; the acquisition or
disposition of properties; our future capital expenditures and
returns on those expenditures; financing available to us from our
credit facilities or other sources, our ability to refinance
borrowings and the sufficiency of our working capital to meet our
financial needs; our ability to add new business and information
solutions, including, among others, our ability to maximize and
integrate technology to enhance our existing services and support
additional value-added service offerings; the supply trend of
equipment in the market and the anticipated price environment for
late model equipment, as well as the resulting effect on our
business and Gross Transaction Value ("GTV"); fluctuations in our
quarterly revenues and operating performance resulting from the
seasonality of our business; our compliance with all laws, rules,
regulations, and requirements that affect our business; effects of
various economic, financial, industry and market conditions or
policies, including rising interest rates, inflation and the supply
and demand for property, equipment or natural resources; the
geopolitical situation in Eastern
Europe in light of Russia's
invasion of Ukraine; the behavior
of equipment pricing; the relative percentage of GTV represented by
straight commission or underwritten (guarantee and inventory)
contracts, and its impact on revenues and profitability; the effect
of any currency exchange and interest rate fluctuations on our
results of operations; the grant and satisfaction of equity awards
pursuant to our compensation plans; any future declaration and
payment of dividends, including the special dividend to be paid to
our shareholders in connection with the Mergers, and the tax
treatment of any such dividends; our ability to satisfy our present
operating requirements and fund future growth through existing
working capital, credit facilities and debt; our failure to realize
the anticipated benefits of the Merger in the expected time frame
or at all; our expectations with respect to the integration and
results of operations of IAA and the impact of the Merger and this
offering; as well as the risks and uncertainties set forth in
Ritchie Bros.' Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31,
2022, which is available on the SEC, SEDAR, and Ritchie Bros.' websites. The foregoing list is
not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Ritchie Bros.' forward-looking statements. There
can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to
be accurate, and actual results may differ materially from those
expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news
release and Ritchie Bros. does not
undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein
unless required by applicable securities legislation. For the
reasons set forth above, you should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements.
No Offer or Solicitation
This news release is not intended to and shall not constitute an
offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell
any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor
shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of securities in any
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
Important Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed IAA transaction, Ritchie Bros. filed with the SEC and applicable
Canadian securities regulatory authorities a registration statement
on Form S-4 to register the common shares of Ritchie Bros. to be issued in connection with
the proposed IAA transaction on December 14,
2022 (the "Initial Registration Statement"), as amended by
Amendment No. 1 to the Initial Registration Statement filed with
the SEC and applicable Canadian security regulatory authorities on
February 1, 2023 and Amendment No. 2
to the Initial Registration Statement filed with the SEC and
applicable Canadian security regulatory authorities on February 9, 2023 (together with the Initial
Registration Statement, the "Registration Statement"). The
Registration Statement was declared effective by the SEC on
February 10, 2023. The Registration
Statement includes a joint proxy statement/prospectus which was
sent to the shareholders of Ritchie
Bros. and stockholders of IAA seeking their approval of
their respective transaction-related proposals. Each of
Ritchie Bros. and IAA may also file
other relevant documents with the SEC and/or applicable Canadian
securities regulatory authorities regarding the proposed IAA
transaction. This document is not a substitute for the proxy
statement/prospectus or Registration Statement or any other
document that Ritchie Bros. or IAA
may file with the SEC and/or applicable Canadian securities
regulatory authorities. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO
READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4 AND THE RELATED JOINT
PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR
SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS
FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC AND APPLICABLE CANADIAN
SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED
IAA TRANSACTION OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THE PROXY
STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN
THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT RITCHIE BROS., IAA AND THE PROPOSED IAA
TRANSACTION.
Investors and security holders may obtain copies of these
documents (when they are available) free of charge through the
website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov, SEDAR at
www.sedar.com or from Ritchie
Bros. at its website, investor.ritchiebros.com, or from IAA
at its website, investors.iaai.com. Documents filed with the SEC
and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities by
Ritchie Bros. (when they are
available) will be available free of charge by accessing
Ritchie Bros.' website at
investor.ritchiebros.com under the heading Financials/SEC
Filings, or, alternatively, by directing a request by telephone or
mail to Ritchie Bros. at 9500
Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, BC, V5J
0C6, Canada, and documents filed
with the SEC by IAA (when they are available) will be available
free of charge by accessing IAA's website at
investors.iaai.com or by contacting IAA's Investor Relations
at investors@iaai.com.
For more information, please contact:
Ian Malinski
Media Relations Manager
+1.778.331.5432
CorpComm@rbauction.com
For investor inquiries, please contact:
Sameer Rathod
Vice President, Investor Relations & Market Intelligence
+1.510.381.7584
srathod@ritchiebros.com
______________________________
|
1 Special
dividend of $1.08 per share would be payable contingent upon
closing of the Merger to Ritchie Bros. shareholders of record as of
a pre-closing record date to be determined with consent of the
TSX.
|
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SOURCE Ritchie Bros.
Auctioneers