TransDigm Group Incorporated Commences Tender Offer for All Shares of Aerosonic Corporation
TransDigm Group Incorporated (“TransDigm”) (NYSE: TDG) and Aerosonic
Corporation (“Aerosonic”) (NYSE MKT: AIM) today announced that
TransDigm’s indirect wholly owned subsidiary, Buccaneer Acquisition Sub
Inc. (“Purchaser”), has commenced a tender offer to acquire all of the
outstanding shares of Aerosonic common stock for $7.75 per share in
cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes (the
“Offer”). The Offer is being made pursuant to the terms of the
previously announced definitive merger agreement (the “Agreement”)
entered into between TransDigm, Purchaser and Aerosonic on April 19,
2013.
If the Offer is successfully completed, pursuant to the terms of the
Agreement, TransDigm expects to acquire any of the Aerosonic common
shares not tendered in the tender offer through a merger transaction in
which the remaining shares of Aerosonic are converted into a right to
receive the same consideration per share as paid in the Offer.
The Offer is subject to customary closing conditions, including valid
tender of shares representing at least a majority of Aerosonic’s then
outstanding shares on a fully diluted basis. There is no financing
condition to the Offer.
The Offer is scheduled to expire at 12:00 Midnight, New York City time,
on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, unless otherwise extended.
As contemplated by the Agreement, Aerosonic, with the assistance of its
independent advisors, will solicit superior proposals from third parties
until May 29, 2013. Aerosonic does not anticipate disclosing any
developments regarding this process unless and until its Board of
Directors makes a decision with respect to a potential superior
proposal. There is no assurance that this process will result in a
superior proposal. TransDigm will terminate the Offer if Aerosonic
accepts a superior proposal and terminates the Agreement in accordance
with its terms.
Today, TransDigm is filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”) a tender offer statement on Schedule TO, including an offer
to purchase and related letter of transmittal, setting forth in detail
the terms of the Offer. In addition, Aerosonic is filing with the SEC
today a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 setting
forth in detail, among other things, the recommendation of Aerosonic’s
Board of Directors that Aerosonic stockholders tender their shares
pursuant to the Offer.
Copies of the offer to purchase, letter of transmittal and other related
materials, including the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, are
available free of charge to Aerosonic stockholders from Georgeson Inc.,
the Information Agent for the Offer, at (800) 868-1390 (toll-free). The
Depositary for the Offer is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
Advisors
Baker & Hostetler LLP is acting as legal advisor to TransDigm. Bluestone
Capital Partners is acting as financial advisor and Hill Ward Henderson,
PA is acting as legal advisor to Aerosonic. Hyde Park Capital also
provided financial advice to Aerosonic’s Board of Directors with respect
to the transaction.
About TransDigm
TransDigm, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is a leading global
designer, producer and supplier of highly engineered aircraft components
for use on nearly all commercial and military aircraft in service today.
Major product offerings, substantially all of which are ultimately
provided to end-users in the aerospace industry, include
mechanical/electro-mechanical actuators and controls, ignition systems
and engine technology, specialized pumps and valves, power conditioning
devices, specialized AC/DC electric motors and generators, NiCad
batteries and chargers, engineered latching and locking devices, rods
and locking devices, engineered connectors and elastomers, cockpit
security components and systems, specialized cockpit displays, aircraft
audio systems, specialized lavatory components, seatbelts and safety
restraints, engineered interior surfaces and lighting and control
technology.
About Aerosonic Corporation
Aerosonic designs and manufactures proprietary, highly engineered
aviation components for use on commercial and military aircraft. Major
product offerings include both mechanical and digital altimeters,
airspeed indicators, rate of climb indicators, microprocessor controlled
air data test sets, angle of attack stall warning systems, integrated
air data sensors and other aircraft sensors, monitoring systems and
flight instrumentation.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE TENDER OFFER
This press release is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an
offer to sell securities of Aerosonic. TransDigm is filing today its
offer to purchase and related materials with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “SEC”) on Schedule TO, and Aerosonic is filing today its
solicitation/recommendation statement with the SEC on Schedule 14D-9.
AEROSONIC STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THESE MATERIALS CAREFULLY SINCE
THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF
THE OFFER. Aerosonic stockholders may obtain a free copy of these
materials and other documents filed by TransDigm or Aerosonic with the
SEC at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.
In addition, these materials are available free of charge to Aerosonic
stockholders from Georgeson Inc., the Information Agent for the Offer,
at (800) 868-1390 (toll-free).
Some of the statements in this press release constitute
“forward-looking statements.” These statements are related to the
expected timing, completion and effects of the proposed transaction or
other future events, , and may be identified by terminology such as
"may," "will," "should," "expects," "scheduled," "plans," "intends,"
"anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "potential," or "continue," or
the negative of such terms, or other comparable terminology. These
statements are only predictions and are subject to risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Aerosonic and
TransDigm might not be able to complete the proposed transaction on
terms described above, other acceptable terms or at all because of a
failure to satisfy closing conditions, including receipt of sufficient
tenders, or other factors. Aerosonic and TransDigm make no
promise to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of
changes in underlying factors, new information, future events or
otherwise.