sv4za
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
January 26, 2006
Registration
No. 333-128753
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Amendment No. 3 to
Form S-4
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
THE VALSPAR CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware |
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36-2443580 |
(State of incorporation) |
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(Primary SIC Code Number) |
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
1101 Third Street South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415
(612) 332-7371
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
area code, of registrants principal executive offices)
Rolf Engh, Executive Vice President, Secretary and General
Counsel
1101 Third Street South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415
(612) 332-7371
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)
Copies of communication, including all communication sent
to the agent for service, should be sent to:
Martin R. Rosenbaum, Esq.
Paul D. Chestovich, Esq.
Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP
3300 Wells Fargo Center, 90 South 7th Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
Telephone: (612) 672-8200
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to
public: from time to time after this registration statement
becomes effective.
If the securities being registered on this Form are being
offered in connection with the formation of a holding company
and there is compliance with General Instruction G, check
the following
box: o
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an
offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act,
please check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective
registration statement for the same
offering: o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to
Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following
box and list the Securities Act registration number of the
earliest effective registration statement for the same
offering: o
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on
such dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until
the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically
states that this registration statement shall thereafter become
effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities
Act of 1933, or until the registration statement shall become
effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange
Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may
determine.
The information in this prospectus is
incomplete and may be changed. Securities included in the
registration statement of which this prospectus is a part may
not be exchanged, offered or sold until the registration
statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is
effective. This prospectus is not an offer to exchange or sell
these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to exchange
or buy these securities in any state where the exchange, offer
or sale is not permitted.
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SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JANUARY
26, 2006
PROSPECTUS
THE VALSPAR CORPORATION
Offer to Exchange
All of our outstanding 5.100% Notes due 2015
for
new 5.100% Notes due 2015
We, The Valspar Corporation, a Delaware corporation, are
offering to exchange all of our outstanding 5.100% Notes
due 2015 (the old notes) issued on July 15,
2005 in a Rule 144A private placement, for an equal number
of new 5.100% Notes due 2015 (the new notes).
To participate in the exchange, old notes must be properly
tendered on the terms set forth in this prospectus prior to the
expiration of the exchange offer. The exchange offer will expire
at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on February 28, 2006,
unless we extend it. We will announce any extensions by press
release or other permitted means no later than 9:00 a.m.,
New York City time, on February 28, 2006. You may withdraw
any tendered old notes until the expiration of the exchange
offer.
We may exchange up to $150,000,000 in aggregate principal amount
of old notes in the exchange offering. See The Exchange
Offer Procedures for Exchange for how to
tender your old notes. The terms of the new notes are
substantially identical to the terms of the old notes. See
page 7 for a summary of the terms of new notes. The new
notes will not be listed on any national securities exchange,
automated quotation system or
over-the-counter
market. We believe that the exchange of notes in the exchange
offering will not be a taxable event for U.S. federal
income-tax purposes.
Our board of directors makes no recommendation about whether you
should exchange your old notes for new notes.
This prospectus describes the exchange offer in detail and we
urge you to read it carefully. For a discussion of factors that
you should consider before you decide to participate in the
exchange offer, see Risk Factors beginning on
page 10.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved of these
securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or
complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
The date of this prospectus is January 26, 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This
prospectus incorporates important business and financial
information about us that is not included in or delivered with
this prospectus. The registration statement containing this
prospectus, including the exhibits to the registration
statement, and other information incorporated into this
prospectus by reference is available without charge to holders
of the old notes upon written or oral request to The Valspar
Corporation, 1101 Third Street South, Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55415, Attention: Investor Relations; or telephoning
us at
(612) 332-7371. To
obtain timely delivery, noteholders must request information no
later than February 21, 2006.
You should rely only on the information contained in this
document or to which we have referred you. We have not
authorized anyone to provide you with information that is
different. This document may only be used where it is legal to
engage in the transactions with respect to the securities that
are registered under the Securities Act. The information in this
document may only be accurate on the date of this document. Our
business, financial condition or results of operations may have
changed since that date.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements
and other information with the SEC. The reports, proxy
statements and other information that we file electronically
with the SEC are available to the public free of charge at the
SECs website at www.sec.gov. You may also read and
copy any document we file with the SEC, at prescribed rates, at
the SECs Public Reference Room at 100 F Street,
N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call
the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330 for
further information on the operation of its Public Reference
Room. Our most current SEC filings, such as our annual,
quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and press
releases are available to the public free of charge on our
website at www.valspar.com. Our website is not intended
to be, and is not, a part of this prospectus. We will provide
electronic or paper copies of our SEC filings to any stockholder
or noteholder free of charge upon a written or oral request for
any such filing. All written requests should be sent to the
attention of Investor Relations at The Valspar Corporation,
1101 Third Street South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415. Oral
requests may be submitted to us at
(612) 332-7371.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus the
information we file with the SEC, which means that we can
disclose important information to you by referring you to those
documents. The information incorporated by reference is an
important part of this prospectus. In addition to any filings we
make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 after the initial
filing of the registration statement that contains this
prospectus and before the termination of the exchange offer
pursuant to this prospectus, we incorporate by reference the
documents listed below:
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Annual report on
Form 10-K for the
year ended October 28, 2005 (including information
specifically incorporated by reference into our
Form 10-K), as
filed on January 11, 2006. |
The information about us that is contained in this prospectus is
not comprehensive and you should also read the information in
the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
Information that we file later with the SEC and that is
incorporated by reference into this prospectus will
automatically update and supersede information in this
prospectus.
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights certain information found in greater
detail elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary may not
contain all of the information that may be important to you. We
urge you to read this entire prospectus carefully, specifically
including the risks of participating in the exchange offer and
investing in the new notes discussed under Risk
Factors, and the financial statements and other
information that is incorporated by reference into this
prospectus, before you make an investment decision with respect
to exchange offer. In addition, this prospectus summarizes other
documents which we urge you to read.
All references in this prospectus to Valspar,
the Company we, us, or
our refer to The Valspar Corporation and our
consolidated subsidiaries. Fiscal years are referred to in this
offering memorandum according to the calendar year in which they
end. For example, the fiscal year ended October 28, 2005 is
referred to as 2005.
The Company
The Valspar Corporation is a leading global coatings and paint
manufacturer and distributor, based on revenues and trade
publication rankings. The Company manufactures and distributes a
broad portfolio of products, including coatings for industrial
and packaging products, architectural paints and other polymers,
composites and colorants used in coatings. Our net sales in 2005
from our coatings and paint segments were $1,573 billion
and $869 million, respectively. Our total net sales in 2005
were $2.714 billion.
Coatings Segment. Within the coatings segment, our
industrial coatings product line includes a broad range of
decorative and protective coatings for metal, wood, plastic and
glass, primarily for sale to OEM customers. Products within our
industrial coatings product line include fillers, primers,
stains and topcoats used by customers in a wide range of
manufacturing industries, including building products,
appliances, automotive parts, furniture, transportation,
agricultural and construction equipment and metal fabrication.
We utilize a wide variety of coatings technologies to meet our
customers coatings requirements, including
electro-deposition, powder, solvent-borne, water-borne, and UV
light-cured coatings.
Our packaging coatings product line within the coatings segment
includes coatings for the interior and exterior of rigid
packaging containers, principally food containers and beverage
cans. We also produce coatings for aerosol and paint cans,
bottle crowns for glass and plastic packaging and glass bottle
closures. We believe we are the worlds largest supplier of
rigid packaging coatings. Consolidation and globalization of our
customers has been apparent in this product line, and we have
responded by offering a wide variety of packaging coatings
products throughout the world.
Paints Segment. Our architectural paint product line is
the largest part of our paints segment. We offer a broad
portfolio of interior and exterior paints, stains, primers,
varnishes and specialty decorative products. We sell these
products primarily into the
do-it-yourself market
through home centers, mass merchants, hardware wholesalers and
independent dealers, including Lowes,
Wal-Mart and
Do-It-Best stores. We
develop customized merchandising and marketing support programs
for our architectural paints customers, enabling them to
differentiate their paint departments through
point-of-purchase
materials, labeling and product and color selection assistance.
We offer exclusive private label brands for customers and our
own branded products. At key customers such as Lowes, we
also offer additional marketing and customer support by
providing in-store employees to answer coatings questions.
Within the paints segment, we also offer automotive refinish
paints that are sold through automotive refinish distributors
and body shops, aerosol spray paints that are sold through
automotive distributors and automotive supply retailers and high
performance floor paints for commercial and industrial
applications.
All Other. In addition to the main product lines within
our two segments, we make and sell specialty polymers, colorants
and composites, and we sell furniture protection plans. The
specialty polymers and colorants are for internal use and for
external sale to other coatings and building products
manufacturers. We believe our ability to develop proprietary
polymers for use in our coatings and paints (especially our
architectural paints) provides us with an advantage over
competitors who do not produce these products
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themselves. Our composites products include gelcoats and related
products that are sold to boat manufacturers, shower and tub
manufacturers and others.
The Valspar Corporation is a Delaware corporation and was
founded in 1806. Our principal executive offices are located at
1101 Third Street South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415, and
our telephone number at that address is (612) 332-7271. Our
website address is www.valspar.com. The information on
our website is not part of this prospectus.
Acquisitions. Much of our growth has occurred during the
last decade. During this time we have expanded our business into
international markets. A significant portion of our business
growth has been accomplished through acquisitions. Since 1995,
we have made more than 20 acquisitions, including purchases
of equity in joint ventures.
In June 2005, we completed the acquisition of Samuel Cabot
Incorporated, a privately owned manufacturer of premium quality
exterior and interior stains and finishes. Cabot, based in
Newburyport, Massachusetts, had sales of approximately
$58 million in the year ended September 30, 2004, and
had been family owned since 1877.
Strategy. Our objective is to build value by maintaining
sales and earnings growth and by being an industry leader in
each of our chosen market segments. Specifically, we employ the
following strategies to accomplish our objective:
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Focus our business on high growth product and geographic markets
by aligning ourselves with leading customers, expanding our
technology base through research and development and targeted
acquisitions, and expanding our business geographically as our
customers expand globally; |
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Target acquisition candidates that have business operations
closely aligned with ours, allowing us to expand the breadth of
our product lines, technology or geographic scope; |
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Maintain a broad and balanced mix of products and markets,
allowing us to achieve consistent sales and earnings growth by
reducing our reliance on a particular product or
segment; and |
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Foster a low cost culture throughout our company, which has
historically allowed us to sustain earnings growth in strong
economies and optimize our financial performance in weak
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The Exchange Offer
On July 15, 2005, we completed the private offering of
$150 million in aggregate principal amount of our old
notes. These old notes were not registered under the Securities
Act and, therefore, they are subject to significant restrictions
on resale. Accordingly, when we sold these old notes, we entered
into a registration rights agreement with the initial purchasers
that requires us to deliver to you this prospectus and to permit
you to exchange your old notes for new notes that have
substantially identical terms to old notes, except that the new
notes will be freely transferable and will not have covenants
regarding registration rights or additional interest. The new
notes will be issued under the same indenture under which the
old notes were issued and, as a holder of the new notes, you
will be entitled to the same rights under the indenture that you
had as a holder of the old notes.
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The following summary contains basic information about the
material terms of exchange offer. It does not contain all the
information that may be important to you. For a more complete
description, please see The Exchange Offer.
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Old Notes |
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5.100% Notes due 2015, which we issued on July 15,
2005. |
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New Notes |
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5.100% Notes due 2015, the issuance of which has been
registered under the Securities Act. The form and terms of the
new notes are identical in all material respects to those of the
old notes, except that the transfer restrictions and
registration rights relating to the old notes do not apply to
the new notes. |
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Exchange Offer |
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We are offering up to $150,000,000 aggregate principal amount of
the new notes in exchange for a like principal amount of the old
notes to satisfy our obligations under the registration rights
agreement that we entered into when the old notes were issued in
a transaction exempt from federal registration requirements
under Rule 144A under the Securities Act. |
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Conditions to Exchange Offer |
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The exchange offer is subject to certain customary conditions.
In addition, the exchange offer is subject to the effectiveness
of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a
part. See The Exchange Offer Conditions. |
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Expiration Date |
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The exchange offer will expire at 10:00 a.m., New York City
time, on February 28, 2006, which date we refer to as the
expiration date, unless extended or earlier
terminated by us. We may extend the expiration date in our
discretion. If we decide to extend it, we will announce any
extensions by press release or other permitted means no later
than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the business day
after the scheduled expiration date. |
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Procedures for Tendering Old Notes |
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If the old notes you wish to exchange are registered in your
name, then: |
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you must complete, sign and date the letter of
transmittal and deliver it, together with any other required
documentation, to The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as
exchange agent, at the address specified on the cover page of
the letter of transmittal. |
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If the old notes you wish to exchange are in book-entry form and
registered in the name of a broker, dealer or other nominee,
then: |
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you must contact the broker, dealer, commercial
bank, trust company or other nominee in whose name your old
notes are registered and instruct it to tender your old notes on
your behalf. You must comply with the procedures of The
Depository Trust Company (DTC) for tender and
delivery of book-entry securities in order to validly tender
your old notes for exchange. |
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Questions regarding the exchange of notes or the exchange offer
generally should be directed to our exchange agent. Contact
information for our exchange agent is set forth below under
Exchange Agent. |
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Withdrawal of Tenders |
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You may withdraw your tender of old notes at any time prior to
the expiration date by delivering a written notice of withdrawal
to our |
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exchange agent before the expiration date. If you change your
mind, you may retender your old notes by again following the
exchange offer procedures before the exchange offer expires. |
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Acceptance of Old Notes; Delivery of New Notes |
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If all the conditions to the exchange offer are satisfied or
waived prior to the expiration date, we will accept all properly
tendered old notes and will issue the new notes promptly after
the expiration date. Our written notice of acceptance to the
exchange agent will be considered our acceptance of tendered old
notes. We will issue new notes to you only after our exchange
agent has received a timely book-entry confirmation of transfer
of old notes into its DTC account and a properly completed and
executed letter of transmittal. |
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U.S. Federal Income-Tax Considerations |
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Your acceptance of the exchange offer and the exchange of your
old notes for new notes will not be taxable for
U.S. federal income tax purposes. See Material United
States Federal Income Tax Considerations. |
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Exchange Agent |
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We have appointed The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as
our exchange agent for the exchange offer. You should direct
questions and requests for assistance, and requests for
additional copies of this prospectus and letters of transmittal,
to the exchange agent. The exchange agents contact
information is: |
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Corporate Trust Operation |
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Reorganization Unit |
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101 Barclay Street 7 East |
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New York, NY 10286 |
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Attention: David A. Mauer |
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By Facsimile: (212) 298-1915 |
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Confirm Receipt of Facsimile By Telephone: (212) 815-3687 |
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Resale of New Notes |
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Based on SEC staff interpretations, as detailed in a series of
no-action letters
issued by the SEC to third parties, we believe that you may
offer for resale, resell or otherwise transfer the new notes
without complying with the registration and prospectus-delivery
requirements of the Securities Act if you: |
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are acquiring the new notes in the ordinary course
of your business and do not hold any old notes to be exchanged
in the exchange offer that were acquired other than in the
ordinary course of business; |
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are not a broker-dealer tendering old notes acquired
directly from us; |
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are not participating, do not intend to participate
and have no arrangements or understandings with any person to
participate in the exchange offer for the purpose of
distributing the new notes; and |
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are not our affiliate within the meaning
of Rule 405 under the Securities Act. |
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If any of these conditions is not satisfied and you transfer any
new notes without registration of the transfer or qualifying for
an exemption from registration, you may incur liability under
the Securities Act. |
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Each broker-dealer receiving new notes for its own account in
exchange for old notes acquired from market-making or other
trading activities must acknowledge that it will deliver a
proper prospectus in connection with any resale of new notes. |
Consequences of Not Exchanging the Old Notes
If you do not exchange your old notes in the exchange offer,
your old notes will continue to be subject to significant
restrictions on transfer. In general, you may offer and sell
your old notes only if such offer and sale:
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are registered under the Securities Act and applicable state
securities laws; |
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occur under an exemption from registration under the Securities
Act and applicable state securities laws; or |
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occur in a transaction not subject to the Securities Act and
applicable state securities laws. |
We do not currently intend to register the old notes for resale
under the Securities Act. Under some circumstances, however,
holders of the old notes, including holders who are not
permitted to participate in the exchange offer or who may not
freely resell new notes received in the exchange offer, may
require us to file, and to cause to become effective, a shelf
registration statement covering resales of old notes by these
holders. For more information regarding the consequences of not
tendering your old notes, see The Exchange
Offer Consequences of Exchanging or Failing to
Exchange Old Notes.
The New Notes
The terms of the new notes we are issuing in the exchange offer
are substantially identical in all material respects to the
terms of the old notes that they are replacing, except that the
new notes:
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will have been registered under the Securities Act; |
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will not contain transfer restrictions; and |
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will not have the registration rights that apply to the old
notes or entitle their holders to additional interest in the
event we fail to comply with these registration rights. |
The following summary contains basic information about the new
notes. It does not contain all of the information that is
important to you. For a more complete understanding of the terms
of the new notes, please see Description of New
Notes.
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Issuer |
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The Valspar Corporation. |
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Securities Offered |
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Up to $150,000,000 principal amount of 5.100% notes due 2015. |
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Maturity Date |
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The new notes will mature on August 1, 2015. |
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Interest |
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Interest on the new notes will accrue at the rate of 5.100% per
year, payable semi-annually in arrears on February 1 and August
1 of each year, commencing on February 1, 2006. |
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Ranking |
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The new notes are our unsecured and unsubordinated obligations
and will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and
unsubordinated debt outstanding from time to time. Holders of
the new notes will generally have a position junior to the
claims of the creditors, including trade creditors, of our
subsidiaries. Also, the |
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new notes will be effectively subordinated to any secured
indebtedness to the extent of the value of the assets securing
such indebtedness. As of October 28, 2005, without giving
effect to the issuance of the new notes: |
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we had approximately $463 million of
outstanding unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness; |
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our subsidiaries had an aggregate of approximately
$42 million of outstanding indebtedness; and |
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we had no secured indebtedness. |
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Use of Proceeds |
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We will not receive any proceeds from the exchange offer or the
issuance of the new notes. |
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Optional Redemption |
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We may redeem the new notes at our option, at any time in whole
or from time to time in part, at a redemption price equal to the
greater of: |
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100% of the principal amount of the notes being
redeemed; and |
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the Make-Whole Amount (as defined in
Description of the New Notes Optional
Redemption); |
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plus, in each case, accrued interest to, but not including, the
redemption date. |
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Covenants |
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The indenture relating to the new notes contains certain
covenants for your benefit. These covenants restrict our ability
to: |
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incur debt secured by liens; |
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engage in certain sale-leaseback
transactions; and |
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merge or consolidate or sell all or substantially
all of our assets. |
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These covenants, however, will be subject to significant
exceptions. In addition, neither the indenture nor the new notes
will limit the amount of indebtedness that we may incur or the
amount of assets that we may distribute or invest. See
Description of the Notes Covenants. |
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Events of Default |
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The indenture provides that the following will result in an
event of default with respect to the new notes: |
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a default in the payment of any installment of
interest on the new notes for 30 days after becoming due; |
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a default in the payment of principal on or premium,
if any, on the new notes when it becomes due and payable at
maturity, upon optional redemption, upon declaration or
otherwise; |
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a default (other than as referred to above) in the
performance, or breach, of any of our covenants or agreements in
the indenture with respect to the new notes, that continues for
a period of 30 days after written notice to us by the
trustee (or to us and the trustee) by the holders of at least
25% in principal amount of the new notes; |
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(A) our failure (or a failure of a significant
subsidiary) to pay indebtedness for money borrowed by (or such
significant sub- |
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sidiary, in an aggregate principal amount of at least
$10 million, at the later of final maturity or the
expiration of any applicable grace period, or
(B) acceleration of the maturity of indebtedness for money
borrowed by us or any significant subsidiary, in an aggregate
principal amount of at least $10 million, if certain other
conditions are met; or |
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our submission of certain filings or the entry of
certain court orders with respect to a bankruptcy. |
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See Description of the New Notes Events of
Default. |
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Book-Entry |
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The new notes issued in the exchange offer will be issued in
book-entry form and will be represented by permanent global
certificates deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC and registered
in the name of Cede & Co., DTCs nominee. Beneficial
interests in the new notes will be shown on, and transfers will
be effected only through, records maintained by DTC or its
nominee; and these interests may not be exchanged for
certificated notes except in limited circumstances. See
Description of the Notes Book-Entry; Delivery
and Form; Global Notes. |
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Further Issues |
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The indenture provides that we are entitled to issue, from time
to time, additional notes having identical terms as the old
notes and new notes. |
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No Listing |
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We do not intend to list the new notes on any securities
exchange. |
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Risk Factors |
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Investing in the new notes involves risks. See Risk
Factors for a description of certain risks you should
particularly consider before participating in the exchange offer
and investing in the new notes. |
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RISK FACTORS
You should consider the following risk factors, in addition
to the other information presented or incorporated by reference
into this prospectus, in evaluating us, our business and your
participation in the exchange offer.
Risks Relating to Our Business:
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Fluctuations in the supply and prices of raw materials
could negatively impact our financial results. |
We purchase the raw and intermediate materials needed to
manufacture our products from a number of suppliers. The
majority of our raw materials are petroleum-based derivatives
and minerals and metals. Under normal market conditions, these
materials are generally available on the open market. From time
to time, however, the prices and availability of these raw
materials may fluctuate significantly, which could impair our
ability to procure necessary materials, or increase the cost of
manufacturing our products. During the last several quarters,
raw material costs have increased significantly, reducing our
profit margins. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the related
flooding in the Gulf Coast region may also limit the
availability of certain raw materials, which may result in tight
supplies of such raw materials and further price increases for
these materials over the next several months. If raw material
costs continue to increase, and we are unable to pass along, or
are delayed in passing along, those increases to our customers,
we will experience further reductions to our profit margins.
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Many of our customers are in cyclical industries, which
may affect the demand for our products. |
Many of our customers, especially for our industrial products,
are in businesses and industries that are cyclical in nature and
sensitive to changes in general economic conditions. As a
result, the demand for our products by these customers depends,
in part, upon general economic conditions. Downward economic
cycles affecting the industries of our customers will reduce
sales of our products. If general economic conditions
deteriorate, we may suffer reductions in our sales and
profitability.
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|
The industries in which we operate are highly competitive
and some of our competitors may be larger and may have greater
financial resources than we do. |
The industries in which we operate are fragmented and we do not
face competition from any one company across all of our product
lines. Any increase in competition may cause us to lose market
share or compel us to reduce prices to remain competitive, which
could result in reduced margins for our products. Competitive
pressures may not only impair our margins but may also impact
our revenues and our growth. A number of our competitors are
larger than us and may have greater financial resources than we
do. Increased competition with these companies could curtail
price increases or could require price reductions or increased
spending on marketing and sales, any of which could adversely
affect our results of operations.
Industry sources estimate that the top ten largest coatings
manufacturers represent more than half of the worlds
coatings sales. Our larger competitors may have more resources
to finance acquisitions or internal growth in this competitive
environment. Also, we buy our raw materials from large
suppliers, primarily chemical companies. In many of our product
lines, we then sell our finished goods to large customers, such
as do-it-yourself home centers, large equipment manufacturers
and can makers. Our larger competitors may have more resources
or capabilities to conduct business with these large suppliers
and large customers. Finally, many of our larger competitors
have diversified into businesses other than paints and coatings.
These competitors may be better able to compete during industry
downturns.
8
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|
We have a significant amount of indebtedness, which may
affect our ability to repay the new notes. |
Our long-term debt was $706.4 million at October 28,
2005. Our level of indebtedness may have important consequences.
For example, it:
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|
may require us to dedicate a material portion of our cash flow
from operations to make payments on our indebtedness, thereby
reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund working
capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or other general
corporate purposes; |
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could make us less attractive to prospective or existing
customers or less attractive to potential acquisition
targets; and |
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may limit our flexibility to adjust to changing business and
market conditions and make us more vulnerable to a downturn in
general economic conditions as compared to a competitor that may
have lower indebtedness. |
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Our strategy of growth through mergers and acquisitions
may not be successful. |
Mergers and acquisitions have historically contributed
significantly to the growth of our company. As part of our
growth strategy, we intend to continue pursuing acquisitions of
complementary businesses or products and joint ventures. If we
are successful in completing such acquisitions, we may
experience:
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difficulties in assimilating acquired companies and products
into our existing business; |
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delays in realizing the benefits from the acquired companies or
products; |
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diversion of our managements time and attention from other
business concerns; |
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lack of or limited prior experience in any new markets we may
enter; |
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unforeseen claims and liabilities, including unexpected
environmental exposures or product liability; |
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unforeseen adjustments, charges and write-offs; |
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problems enforcing the indemnification obligations of sellers of
businesses or joint venture partners for claims and liabilities; |
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unexpected losses of customers of, or suppliers to, the acquired
business; |
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difficulty in conforming the acquired business standards,
processes, procedures and controls with our operations; |
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variability in financial information arising from the
implementation of purchase price accounting; |
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difficulties in retaining key employees of the acquired
businesses; and |
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challenges arising from the increased scope, geographic
diversity and complexity of our operations. |
In addition, an acquisition could materially impair our
operating results by causing us to incur debt or requiring us to
amortize acquisition expenses or the cost of acquired assets.
Any of these factors may make it more difficult to repay our
debt, including our obligations under the new notes. We can give
no assurance that we will continue to be able to identify,
acquire and integrate successful strategic acquisitions in the
future or be able to implement successfully our operating and
growth strategies within our existing markets or with respect to
any future product or geographic diversification efforts.
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|
We derive a substantial portion of our revenues from
foreign markets, which subjects us to additional business
risks. |
We conduct a substantial portion of our business outside of the
United States. We and our joint ventures currently have 20
production facilities, research and development facilities, and
administrative and sales offices located outside the United
States, including facilities and offices located in Canada,
Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, The
Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, China, Malaysia,
9
South Africa, Taiwan, Singapore and Brazil. In 2005, revenues
from products sold outside the United States accounted for
approximately 30% of our net sales. We expect sales from
international markets to continue to represent a significant
portion of our net sales and the net sales of our joint
ventures. Accordingly, our business is subject to risks related
to the differing legal, political, social and regulatory
requirements and economic conditions of many jurisdictions.
Risks inherent in international operations include the following:
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agreements may be difficult to enforce and receivables difficult
to collect; |
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foreign customers may have longer payment cycles; |
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foreign countries may impose additional withholding taxes or
otherwise tax our foreign income, or adopt other restrictions on
foreign trade or investment, including currency exchange
controls; |
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foreign operations may experience staffing difficulties and
labor disputes; |
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transportation and other shipping costs may increase; |
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foreign governments may nationalize private enterprises; |
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|
unexpected adverse changes in export duties, quotas and tariffs
and difficulties in obtaining export licenses; |
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|
intellectual property rights may be more difficult to enforce; |
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|
fluctuations in exchange rates may affect product demand and may
adversely affect the profitability in U.S. dollars of
products and services we provide in international markets where
payment for our products and services is made in the local
currency; |
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|
general economic conditions in the countries in which we operate
could have an adverse effect on our earnings from operations in
those countries; |
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|
our business and profitability in a particular country could be
affected by political or economic repercussions on a domestic,
country specific or global level from terrorist activities and
the response to such activities; |
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unexpected adverse changes in foreign laws or regulatory
requirements may occur; and |
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compliance with a variety of foreign laws and regulations may be
burdensome. |
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We have certain key customers. |
Our relationships with certain key customers are important to
us. From 2003 through 2005, sales to our largest customer,
Lowes Companies, Inc., have ranged from
16.6-17.0% of our total
net sales. In 2005, our ten largest customers accounted for
approximately 33% of our total net sales. Although we sell
various types of products through various channels of
distribution, we believe that the loss of a substantial portion
of our sales to Lowes Companies, Inc. could have a
material adverse impact on us.
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Environmental laws and regulations could subject us to
significant future liabilities. |
We are subject to numerous environmental laws and regulations
that impose various environmental controls on us, including
among other things, the discharge of pollutants into the air and
water, the handling, use, treatment, storage and
clean-up of solid and
hazardous wastes, the investigation and remediation of soil and
groundwater affected by hazardous substances, or otherwise
relating to environmental protection and various health and
safety matters. These laws and regulations govern actions that
may have adverse environmental effects and also require
compliance with certain practices when handling and disposing of
hazardous wastes. These laws and regulations also impose strict,
retroactive and joint and several liability for the costs of,
and damages resulting from, cleaning up current sites, past
spills, disposals and other releases of hazardous substances and
violations of these laws and regulations can also result in
fines and penalties. We are currently undertaking remedial
activities at a number of our facilities and properties, and
have received notices under the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or CERCLA, or
10
analogous state laws of liability or potential liability in
connection with the disposal of material from our operations or
former operations.
Risks Related to the Notes and the Exchange Offer:
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If you fail to exchange your old notes, they will continue
to be restricted securities and may become less liquid. |
Because we anticipate that most holders of old notes will elect
to exchange their old notes, we expect that the liquidity of the
market for any old notes remaining after the completion of the
exchange offer may be substantially limited. Any old note
tendered and exchanged in the exchange offer will reduce the
aggregate principal amount of the old notes outstanding.
Following the exchange offer, if you did not tender your old
notes you generally will not have any further registration
rights and your old notes will continue to be subject to
transfer restrictions. Accordingly, the liquidity of the market
for any old notes could be adversely affected.
Old notes which you do not tender or we do not accept will,
following the exchange offer, continue to be restricted
securities. You may not offer or sell untendered old notes
except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not
subject to, the Securities Act and applicable state securities
laws. We will issue new notes in exchange for the old notes
pursuant to the exchange offer only following the satisfaction
of procedures and conditions described elsewhere in this
prospectus. These procedures and conditions include timely
receipt by the exchange agent of the old notes and of a properly
completed and duly executed letter of transmittal.
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|
Because a significant portion of our operations is
conducted through our subsidiaries and joint ventures, our
ability to service our debt is largely dependent on our receipt
of distributions or other payments from our subsidiaries and
joint ventures. |
A significant portion of our operations is conducted through our
subsidiaries and joint ventures. As a result, our ability to
service our debt is largely dependent on the earnings of our
subsidiaries and joint ventures and the payment of those
earnings to us in the form of dividends, loans or advances and
through repayment of loans or advances from us. Payments to us
by our subsidiaries and joint ventures will be contingent upon
our subsidiaries or joint ventures earnings and
other business considerations and may be subject to statutory or
contractual restrictions. In addition, there may be significant
tax and other legal restrictions on the ability of
non-U.S. subsidiaries
or joint ventures to remit money to us. If a subsidiary operates
in a jurisdiction with lower tax rates than the U.S. (which many
of our subsidiaries do), we normally incur a tax based on the
difference between the U.S. and local tax rates to repatriate
that subsidiarys income. Although our joint ventures
represent only a small portion of our operations, each joint
venture has a dividend policy that requires a shareholder or
director vote to amend. The laws in various jurisdictions where
our subsidiaries operate impose minimum capital or debt/equity
requirements that can limit our ability to repatriate earnings.
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|
Because the new notes are structurally subordinated to the
obligations of our subsidiaries, you may not be fully repaid if
we become insolvent. |
The new notes, like the old notes, are not guaranteed by our
subsidiaries, and a significant portion of our operating assets
are held by our subsidiaries. As a result, the new notes are
structurally subordinated to the debts and other obligations of
our subsidiaries. This means that creditors of our subsidiaries,
including trade creditors, have and will have access to the
assets of those subsidiaries that is prior to that of the
holders of notes. As of October 28, 2005, our subsidiaries
had an aggregate of approximately $42 million of
outstanding indebtedness.
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Because the new notes are unsecured, you may not be fully
repaid if we become insolvent. |
The new notes, like the old notes, will not be secured by any of
our assets or our subsidiaries assets and accordingly the
new notes will be effectively subordinated to our secured
indebtedness to the extent of the value of the assets securing
such indebtedness. As of October 28, 2005, we had no
secured indebtedness outstanding. Nevertheless, under the
indenture for the notes, we are permitted to incur secured
indebtedness, subject to certain limitations. If we became
insolvent, the holders of any secured debt would receive
11
payments from the assets securing such debt before you, as a
holder of new notes, receive payments from sales of those assets.
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|
The ratings of the new notes may change over time. |
The old notes have been rated Baa2 by Moodys
Investors Service, and BBB by Standard and
Poors Ratings Services, each of which are investment
grade ratings for debt securities. We expect that the new
notes will have the same ratings. A rating is not a
recommendation to purchase, hold or sell notes, since a rating
does not predict the market price of a particular security or
its suitability for a particular investor. Rating organizations
may lower their respective ratings of the new notes or decide
not to continue to rate the new notes in their sole discretion.
Each rating should be evaluated independently of any other
rating. The reduction, suspension or withdrawal of the ratings
of the new notes will not, in and of itself, constitute an event
of default under the indenture. Nevertheless, any reduction,
suspension or withdrawal of these ratings may adversely affect
the market price or liquidity for the new notes.
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|
You cannot be sure that an active trading market will
develop for the new notes, which could make it more difficult
for holders of the new notes to sell such notes and/or result in
a lower price at which holders would be able to sell their
notes. |
There is currently no established trading market for the new
notes, and there can be no assurance as to the liquidity of any
markets that may develop for the new notes, the ability of the
holders of the new notes to sell such notes or the price at
which such holders would be able to sell their new notes. If
such a market were to exist, the new notes could trade at prices
that may be lower than the initial market values of the notes
depending on many factors, including prevailing interest rates
and our business performance.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some statements in this prospectus and documents incorporated by
reference herein are forward looking in the sense
that they refer to or predict future events, expectations or
conditions, and are not statements of historical or present
fact. In some cases, you can identify these statements by
terminology such as may, will,
could, would, should,
expect(s), plan(s),
anticipate(s), intend(s),
believe(s), estimate(s),
predict(s), seek(s),
potential, or continue(s) or the
negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. These
forward-looking statements are based on managements
expectations and beliefs concerning future events and are
necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors,
many of which are outside of our control, that could cause
actual results to differ materially from such statements. These
uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to,
dependence of internal earnings growth on economic conditions
and growth in the domestic and international coatings industry;
risks related to any future acquisitions, including risks of
adverse changes in the results of acquired businesses and the
assumption of unforeseen liabilities; risks of disruptions in
business resulting from our relationships with customers and
suppliers; unusual weather conditions adversely affecting sales;
changes in raw materials pricing and availability; delays in
passing along cost increases to customers; changes in
governmental regulation, including more stringent environmental,
health, and safety regulations; the nature, cost and outcome of
pending and future litigation and other legal proceedings; the
outbreak of war and other significant national and international
events; and other risks and uncertainties, including those
discussed in this prospectus under the caption Risk
Factors.
We do not, nor does any other person, assume responsibility for
the accuracy and completeness of these statements. We disclaim
any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any of
the forward-looking statements after the date of this prospectus
to conform them to actual results, whether as a result of new
information, future events, or otherwise. All of the
forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus and
documents incorporated by reference herein are qualified in
their entirety by reference to the factors discussed under the
captions Risk Factors in this prospectus and
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations in our most recent
Form 10-Q and our
most recent
12
Form 10-K
(incorporated into this prospectus by reference) and similar
sections in our future filings that may be incorporated by
reference herein.
We caution the reader that the above list of uncertainties and
other risk factors that may affect results addressed in the
forward-looking statements may not be exhaustive. Other sections
of this prospectus and other documents incorporated by reference
may describe additional uncertainties or risk factors that could
adversely impact our business and financial performance. We
operate in a continually changing business environment, and new
risk factors emerge from time to time. Management cannot predict
these new risk factors, nor can it assess the impact, if any, of
these new risk factors on our businesses or the extent to which
any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results
to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking
statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not
be relied upon as a prediction of actual results.
Forward-looking statements contained herein or incorporated
herein by reference are not covered by the safe-harbor
provisions of Sections 27A of the Securities Act or
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 because
such provisions do not apply to tender offers such as the
exchange offer described herein.
USE OF PROCEEDS
We will not receive any proceeds from this exchange offer. In
consideration for issuing the new notes, we will receive old
notes from you in like principal amount. The old notes
surrendered in exchange for the new notes will be retired and
cancelled and cannot be reissued. Accordingly, issuance of the
new notes will not result in any change in our indebtedness.
We issued and sold $150 million aggregate principal amount
of old notes on July 15, 2005. We used the proceeds from
that transaction, as well as cash on hand, to repay outstanding
borrowings under short-term lines of credit, including
borrowings used to finance our acquisition of Samuel Cabot
Incorporated in June 2005, to make investments in our fixed
assets, and to provide working capital for general corporate
purposes.
13
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
The following tables set forth our summary consolidated
financial information. The summary statement of operations data
for fiscal years 2004 and 2003 and the selected balance sheet
data as of October 28, 2005 and October 29, 2004 are
derived from our audited consolidated financial statements
incorporated by reference into this prospectus. The selected
statement of operations data for fiscal years 2002 and 2001 and
the selected balance sheet data as of October 31, 2003,
October 25, 2002 and October 26, 2001 are derived from
our audited consolidated financial statements for the years
indicated and are not included or incorporated by reference into
this prospectus.
The selected consolidated financial information should be read
in conjunction with, and is qualified by reference to, our
consolidated financial statements and the related notes and the
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations sections included in
our annual report on
Form 10-K for the
year ended October 28, 2005, which we have filed with the
SEC and are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
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|
Fiscal Year Ended | |
|
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| |
|
|
October 28, | |
|
October 29, | |
|
October 31, | |
|
October 25, | |
|
October 26, | |
|
|
2005 | |
|
2004 | |
|
2003 | |
|
2002 | |
|
2001(A) | |
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| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
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|
(Dollars in millions, except per share amounts) | |
Statement of Operations Data
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|
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|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Sales
|
|
$ |
2,714.0 |
|
|
$ |
2,440.7 |
|
|
$ |
2,247.9 |
|
|
$ |
2,126.9 |
|
|
$ |
1,921.0 |
|
Cost and Expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of Sales
|
|
|
1,910.1 |
|
|
|
1,676.3 |
|
|
|
1,542.1 |
|
|
|
1,430.2 |
|
|
|
1,346.9 |
|
|
Operating Expense
|
|
|
533.0 |
|
|
|
494.6 |
|
|
|
478.3 |
|
|
|
447.1 |
|
|
|
391.2 |
|
Restructuring Charge
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22.0 |
|
Income from Operations
|
|
|
270.9 |
|
|
|
269.8 |
|
|
|
227.5 |
|
|
|
249.6 |
|
|
|
160.9 |
|
Other (Income) Expense Net
|
|
|
0.6 |
|
|
|
(0.1 |
) |
|
|
0.2 |
|
|
|
2.3 |
|
|
|
(2.8 |
) |
Interest Expense
|
|
|
44.5 |
|
|
|
41.4 |
|
|
|
45.8 |
|
|
|
48.7 |
|
|
|
72.6 |
|
Income Before Income Taxes
|
|
|
225.7 |
|
|
|
228.5 |
|
|
|
181.5 |
|
|
|
198.6 |
|
|
|
91.2 |
|
Net Income
|
|
|
147.6 |
|
|
|
142.8 |
|
|
|
112.5 |
|
|
|
120.1 |
|
|
|
51.5 |
|
Net Income as a Percent of Sales
|
|
|
5.4 |
% |
|
|
5.9 |
% |
|
|
5.0 |
% |
|
|
5.6 |
% |
|
|
2.7 |
% |
Return on Average Equity
|
|
|
14.3 |
% |
|
|
15.3 |
% |
|
|
14.0 |
% |
|
|
17.3 |
% |
|
|
9.4 |
% |
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
|
|
|
5.4 |
x |
|
|
5.7 |
x |
|
|
4.5 |
x |
|
|
4.6 |
x |
|
|
2.2 |
x |
Per Common Share:
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Income
Basic(B)
|
|
$ |
1.45 |
|
|
$ |
1.39 |
|
|
$ |
1.12 |
|
|
$ |
1.20 |
|
|
$ |
0.56 |
|
|
Net Income
Diluted(B)
|
|
|
1.42 |
|
|
|
1.35 |
|
|
|
1.08 |
|
|
|
1.17 |
|
|
|
0.55 |
|
|
Dividends Paid(B)
|
|
|
0.40 |
|
|
|
0.36 |
|
|
|
0.30 |
|
|
|
0.28 |
|
|
|
0.27 |
|
|
Stockholders Equity(B)
|
|
|
10.57 |
|
|
|
9.75 |
|
|
|
8.57 |
|
|
|
7.36 |
|
|
|
6.61 |
|
14
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|
(A) |
|
For 2001, Net Income, Net Income as a Percent of Sales, Return
on Average Equity and Net Income per Common Share include the
effect of pre-tax restructuring and other charges of
$39.0 million. |
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(B) |
|
On August 17, 2005, the Company announced a two-for-one
stock split, effected in the form of a 100% stock dividend. The
shares used in the basic and diluted earnings per share
computation and the basic and diluted earnings per share amounts
have been retroactively restated to reflect a stock split on
September 23, 2005 in accordance with Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) 128. Dividends paid
and stockholders equity per common share have also been
restated to reflect the stock split. Stockholders of record as
of the close of business on September 2, 2005, received one
additional share for every one share owned. |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended | |
|
|
| |
|
|
October 28, | |
|
October 29, | |
|
October 31, | |
|
October 25, | |
|
October 26, | |
|
|
2005 | |
|
2004 | |
|
2003 | |
|
2002 | |
|
2001 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(Dollars in millions) | |
Financial Position
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Assets
|
|
$ |
2,761.2 |
|
|
$ |
2,634.3 |
|
|
$ |
2,496.5 |
|
|
$ |
2,419.6 |
|
|
$ |
2,226.1 |
|
Working Capital at Year-End
|
|
|
239.6 |
|
|
|
84.1 |
|
|
|
207.8 |
|
|
|
203.1 |
|
|
|
216.6 |
|
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net
|
|
|
427.8 |
|
|
|
428.4 |
|
|
|
414.2 |
|
|
|
402.5 |
|
|
|
411.2 |
|
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Current Portion
|
|
|
706.4 |
|
|
|
549.1 |
|
|
|
749.2 |
|
|
|
885.8 |
|
|
|
1,005.7 |
|
Stockholders Equity
|
|
|
1,061.1 |
|
|
|
1,000.4 |
|
|
|
869.3 |
|
|
|
737.3 |
|
|
|
654.6 |
|
Other Statistics
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Property, Plant and Equipment Expenditures
|
|
$ |
62.7 |
|
|
$ |
61.4 |
|
|
$ |
51.0 |
|
|
$ |
44.7 |
|
|
$ |
36.2 |
|
Depreciation and Amortization Expense
|
|
|
68.4 |
|
|
|
60.5 |
|
|
|
55.6 |
|
|
|
51.1 |
|
|
|
73.1 |
|
Research and Development Expense
|
|
|
79.3 |
|
|
|
75.9 |
|
|
|
69.7 |
|
|
|
65.9 |
|
|
|
58.1 |
|
15
CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our consolidated cash and cash
equivalents, short-term obligations and capitalization as of
October 28, 2005. The exchange offer will have no effect on
our outstanding indebtedness. The old notes surrendered in
exchange for the new notes in the exchange offer will be retired
and cancelled and will not be reissued. You should read the
capitalization table below in conjunction with our consolidated
financial statements and the related notes to those consolidated
financial statements that we have incorporated by reference in
this prospectus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
October 28, 2005 | |
|
|
| |
|
|
(Dollars in thousands | |
|
|
except per-share | |
|
|
amounts) | |
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
$ |
52,845 |
|
|
|
|
|
Current portion of long-term debt
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
|
|
Notes payable to banks
|
|
|
29,257 |
|
|
|
|
|
Long-term debt:
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.100% Notes due 2015
|
|
|
150,000 |
|
|
Other long-term debt
|
|
|
556,415 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total long-term debt
|
|
|
706,415 |
|
Stockholders equity:
|
|
|
|
|
Common stock (par value $.50 per share;
authorized 500,000,000 shares; shares issued,
including shares in treasury 120,442,624)(A)
|
|
|
60,220 |
|
Additional paid-in capital
|
|
|
289,158 |
|
Retained earnings(A)
|
|
|
880,006 |
|
Other
|
|
|
11,695 |
|
|
|
|
1,241,079 |
|
Less cost of common stock in treasury (20,010,616 shares)(A)
|
|
|
179,987 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total stockholders equity
|
|
|
1,061,092 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total capitalization
|
|
$ |
1,796,788 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(A) |
|
On September 23, 2005, the Company effected a
two-for-one stock split
in the form of a 100% stock dividend. Stockholders of record as
of the close of business on September 2, 2005, received one
additional share for every one share owned. The capitalization
table has been retroactively restated to reflect the stock split. |
16
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
The following table sets forth the ratio of our earnings to our
fixed charges for the periods indicated:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended | |
|
|
| |
|
|
October 28, | |
|
October 29, | |
|
October 31, | |
|
October 25, | |
|
October 26, | |
|
|
2005 | |
|
2004 | |
|
2003 | |
|
2002 | |
|
2001 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
|
|
|
5.4 |
x |
|
|
5.7 |
x |
|
|
4.5 |
x |
|
|
4.6 |
x |
|
|
2.2 |
x |
For purposes of computing the ratios of earnings to fixed
charges:
|
|
|
|
|
earnings represent income from continuing operations
before taxes and cumulative effect of changes in accounting
principles plus fixed charges; and |
|
|
|
fixed charges for continuing operations consist of
interest on indebtedness and amortization of debt expense and
one-third of rental expense, which is deemed to be the interest
component of such rental expense. |
THE EXCHANGE OFFER
Purpose of the Exchange Offer
The purpose of the exchange offer is to exchange new notes for
old notes. As part of our original offer and sale of the old
notes, we agreed to offer new notes in exchange for the old
notes and to prepare and file a registration statement that
would register the exchange offer and issuance of the new notes.
This prospectus and the registration statement of which this
prospectus is a part are the result of our agreement to offer,
in a registered exchange offering, new notes in exchange for the
old notes. The terms of the new notes are substantially
identical to the terms of the old notes.
Securities Subject to the Exchange Offer
We are offering, upon the terms and subject to the conditions
set forth in this prospectus and the accompanying letter of
transmittal, to issue new notes, denominated 5.100% Notes
due 2015, in exchange for all of our outstanding old notes,
denominated 5.100% Notes due 2015, that are validly
tendered and accepted for exchange. This exchange offer is
subject to the conditions described in this prospectus and the
accompanying letter of transmittal.
Deciding Whether to Participate in the Exchange Offer; No
Proxies and No Appraisal Rights
Neither our board of directors nor officers make any
recommendation to the holders of old notes as to whether or not
to tender all or any portion of your old notes. In addition, we
have not authorized anyone to make any such recommendation. You
should make your own decision whether to tender your old notes
and, if so, the amount of old notes to tender.
No vote of our security holders is required under applicable law
to effect the exchange offer and no such vote (or proxy
therefor) is being sought by us.
Holders of the old notes do not have any appraisal rights in
connection with the exchange offer under the Delaware General
Corporation Law, the governing law of the state of incorporation
of Valspar.
Conditions
Despite any other term of the exchange offer, we will not be
required to accept for exchange or exchange new notes for any
old notes, and we may terminate the exchange offer as provided
in this prospectus before the expiration of the exchange
offer, if:
|
|
|
|
|
the exchange offer violates any applicable law or applicable
interpretations of the staff of the SEC; or |
17
|
|
|
|
|
an action or proceeding has been instituted or threatened with
respect to the exchange offer which, in our judgment, would
reasonably be expected to impair our ability to proceed with the
exchange offer. |
The conditions listed above are for our sole benefit and we may
assert them regardless of the circumstances giving rise to any
of these conditions. We may waive these conditions in our sole
discretion in whole or in part at any time prior to the
expiration of the exchange offer. A failure on our part to
exercise any of the above rights will not constitute a waiver of
that right, and that right will be considered an ongoing right
that we may assert at any time and from time to time.
If we determine in our reasonable discretion, based upon the
advice of counsel, that any of the events listed above has
occurred, we may, subject to applicable law:
|
|
|
|
|
refuse to accept any old notes and return all tendered old notes
to the tendering holders; |
|
|
|
extend the exchange offer and retain all old notes tendered
before the expiration of the exchange offer, subject, however,
to the rights of holders to withdraw these old notes; or |
|
|
|
waive unsatisfied conditions relating to the exchange offer and
accept all properly tendered old notes which have not been
withdrawn. |
Any determination by us concerning the above events will be
final and binding.
In addition, we reserve the right in our sole discretion to:
|
|
|
|
|
purchase or make offers for any old notes that remain
outstanding subsequent to the expiration date; and |
|
|
|
to the extent permitted by applicable law, purchase old notes in
the open market, in privately negotiated transactions or
otherwise. |
The terms of any such purchases or offers may differ from the
terms of the exchange offer.
Expiration Date; Extensions; Amendments
For purposes of the exchange offer, the term expiration
date shall mean 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on
February 28, 2006, subject to our right to extend such date
and time for the exchange offer in our sole discretion, in which
case, the expiration date shall mean the latest date and time to
which the exchange offer is extended.
We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to (1) extend
the exchange offer, (2) terminate the exchange offer upon
failure to satisfy any of the conditions listed above or
(3) amend the exchange offer, in each case by giving prompt
notice (confirmed in writing, if such notice is delivered
orally) of such extension, termination or amendment to the
exchange agent. Any such extension, termination or amendment
will be followed promptly by a public announcement thereof
which, in the case of an extension, will be made no later than
9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the next business day
after the previously scheduled expiration date. We will have no
other obligation to publish, advertise or otherwise communicate
any such public announcement other than by making a timely
release to any appropriate news agency.
If we consider an amendment to the exchange offer to be
material, or if we waive a material condition of the exchange
offer, we will promptly disclose the amendment or waiver in a
prospectus supplement, and if required by law, we will extend
the exchange offer for a period of no less than five business
days, although the period may be longer as we determine in our
sole discretion. Any change in the new notes offered to holders
of old notes in the exchange offer shall be made as to all
holders whose old notes have previously been tendered pursuant
to the exchange offer.
Notwithstanding any extension of the exchange offer, if for any
reason the exchange offer is not consummated before
February 28, 2006, we will, at our own expense, (i) as
promptly as practicable, file a shelf registration statement
covering resales of the old notes, (ii) use our best
efforts to cause the shelf registration statement to be declared
effective under the Securities Act, and (iii) keep the
shelf registration statement effective until the earlier of
July 15, 2007 and such time as all of the old notes have
been sold or
18
otherwise can be sold pursuant to Rule 144 without any
limitations under clauses (c), (e), (f), and (h) of
Rule 144 under the Securities Act. We will, in the event a
shelf registration statement is filed, provide to each holder
for whom such shelf registration statement was filed copies of
the prospectus which is a part of such shelf registration
statement, notify each such holder when such shelf registration
statement has become effective and take certain other actions as
are required to permit unrestricted resales of the old notes. A
holder selling old notes pursuant to the shelf registration
statement generally would be required to be named as a selling
security holder in the related prospectus and to deliver a
prospectus to purchasers, will be subject to certain of the
civil liability provisions under the Securities Act in
connection with such sales, and will be bound by the provisions
of the registration rights agreement which are applicable to
such a holder (including certain indemnification obligations).
In addition, each holder of the notes will be required to
deliver information to be used in connection with the shelf
registration statement in order to have its notes included in
the shelf registration statement.
Effect of Tender
Any valid tender by a holder of old notes that is not validly
withdrawn prior to the expiration date of the exchange offer
will constitute a binding agreement between that holder and us
upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the exchange
offer set forth in this prospectus and the accompanying letter
of transmittal. A holders act of tendering old notes will,
by such act alone, constitute that holders agreement to
deliver good and marketable title to the tendered old notes,
free and clear of all liens, charges, claims, encumbrances,
interests and restrictions of any kind.
Our Acceptance of Old Notes for Exchange
The new notes will be delivered in book-entry form on the
settlement date which we anticipate will be promptly following
the expiration date of the exchange offer, after giving effect
to any extensions.
We will be deemed to have accepted validly tendered old notes
when, and if, we have given notice thereof (promptly confirmed
in writing, if delivered orally) to the exchange agent. Subject
to the terms and conditions of the exchange offer, the issuance
of new notes will be recorded in book-entry form by the exchange
agent on the exchange date upon receipt of such notice. The
exchange agent will act as agent for tendering holders of the
old notes for the purpose of receiving book-entry transfers of
old notes in the exchange agents account at DTC. If any
validly tendered old notes are not accepted for any reason set
forth in the terms and conditions of the exchange offer,
including if old notes are validly withdrawn, such withdrawn old
notes will be returned without expense to the tendering holder
or such old notes will be credited to an account maintained at
DTC designated by the DTC participant who so delivered such
notes, in either case, promptly after the expiration or
termination of the exchange offer.
In all cases, the issuance of new notes for old notes that are
accepted for exchange pursuant to the exchange offer will be
made only after timely receipt by the exchange agent of a timely
book-entry confirmation of such old notes into the exchange
agents account, a properly completed and duly executed
letter of transmittal, and all other required documents. If any
tendered old notes are not accepted for any reason set forth in
the terms and conditions of the exchange offer or if old notes
are submitted for a greater principal amount than the holder
desires to exchange, such unaccepted or non-exchanged old notes
will be returned without expense to the tendering holder thereof
(or, in the case of old notes tendered by book-entry transfer
procedures described below, such non-exchanged old notes will be
credited to an account maintained with a book-entry transfer
facility) promptly after the expiration or termination of the
exchange offer.
Procedures for Tendering
To tender in the exchange offer, a holder must complete, sign,
and date the letter of transmittal (or a facsimile of the letter
of transmittal), have the signatures on the letter of
transmittal guaranteed if required by the letter of transmittal,
and mail or otherwise deliver the letter of transmittal or such
facsimile, together with
19
any other required documents, to the exchange agent prior to
5:00 p.m. New York City time, on the expiration date. In
addition, either:
|
|
|
|
|
certificates for tendered old notes must be received by the
exchange agent along with the letter of transmittal prior to the
expiration date; |
|
|
|
a timely confirmation of a book-entry transfer of tendered old
notes into the exchange agents account at DTC pursuant to
the procedure for book-entry transfer described below, must be
received by the exchange agent prior to the expiration
date; or |
|
|
|
the holder must comply with the guaranteed delivery procedures
described below. |
Only a holder of old notes may tender such old notes in the
exchange offer. The term holder with respect to the
exchange offer means any person in whose name old notes are
registered on the books of The Valspar Corporation or any other
person who has obtained a properly completed bond or stock power
from the registered holder. Any beneficial owner whose old notes
are registered in the name of a broker, dealer, commercial bank,
trust company or other nominee and who wishes to tender should
contact such registered holder promptly and instruct such
registered holder to tender on his behalf.
Letter of Transmittal
Subject to and effective upon the acceptance for exchange and
exchange of new notes for old notes, by executing and delivering
a letter of transmittal a tendering holder of old notes:
|
|
|
|
|
irrevocably sells, assigns and transfers to or upon the order of
The Valspar Corporation all right, title and interest in and to,
and all claims in respect of, or arising or having arisen as a
result of the holders status as a holder of, the old notes
tendered thereby; |
|
|
|
waives any and all rights with respect to the old notes; |
|
|
|
releases and discharges us from any and all claims such holder
may have, now or in the future, arising out of or related to the
old notes; |
|
|
|
represents and warrants that the old notes tendered were owned
as of the date of tender, free and clear of all liens, charges,
claims, encumbrances, interests and restrictions of any kind,
other than restrictions imposed by applicable
securities laws; |
|
|
|
designates an account number of a DTC participant to which the
new notes are to be credited; and |
|
|
|
irrevocably appoints the exchange agent the true and lawful
agent and
attorney-in-fact of the
holder with respect to any tendered old notes, with full powers
of substitution and revocation (such power of attorney being
deemed to be an irrevocable power coupled with an interest) to
cause the old notes tendered to be assigned, transferred and
exchanged in the exchange offer. |
Proper Execution and Delivery of Letter of Transmittal
If you wish to participate in the exchange offer, the
delivery of your old notes, signature guarantees and other
required documents is your responsibility. Delivery is not
complete until the required items are actually received by the
exchange agent. If you mail these items, we recommend that you
use registered mail with the return receipt requested, properly
insured, and mail the required items sufficiently in advance of
the expiration date with respect to the exchange offer to allow
sufficient time to ensure timely delivery.
Signatures on a letter of transmittal or a notice of withdrawal
must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange or of the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc., a commercial bank or trust company having an
office or correspondent in the United States or another
eligible
20
guarantor institution within the meaning of
Rule 17Ad-15 under the Exchange Act, unless the old notes
tendered pursuant thereto are tendered:
|
|
|
|
|
by a registered holder who has not completed the box entitled
Special Issuance Instructions or Special
Delivery Instructions on the letter of transmittal; or |
|
|
|
for the account of an eligible guarantor institution. |
If the letter of transmittal is signed by a person other than
the registered holder of any old notes listed therein, such old
notes must be endorsed or accompanied by bond powers and a proxy
which authorizes such person to tender the old notes on behalf
of the registered holder, in each case as the name of the
registered holder or holders appears on the old notes.
If the letter of transmittal or any old notes or bond powers are
signed by trustees, executors, administrators, guardians,
attorneys-in-fact,
officers of corporations or others acting in a fiduciary or
representative capacity, such person should so indicate when
signing and, unless waived us, submit evidence satisfactory to
us of their authority to so act with the letter of transmittal.
Book-Entry Transfers
The exchange agent will make a request to establish an account
with respect to the old notes at DTC for purposes of the
exchange offer within two business days after the date of this
prospectus. Any financial institution that is a DTC participant
may make book-entry delivery of old notes by causing DTC to
transfer such old notes into the exchange agents account
at DTC in accordance with DTCs procedures for transfer.
Nevertheless, although delivery of old notes may be effected
through book-entry transfer, the letter of transmittal or
facsimile with any required signature guarantees and any other
required documents must, in any case, be transmitted to and
received by the exchange agent at the address set forth below
under Exchange Agent on or prior to the
expiration date.
Withdrawal of Tenders
Tenders of old notes in connection with the exchange offer may
be withdrawn at any time prior to the expiration date of the
exchange offer, as such date may be extended.
Beneficial owners desiring to withdraw old notes previously
tendered should contact the DTC participant through which such
beneficial owners hold their old notes. In order to withdraw old
notes previously tendered, a DTC participant may, prior to the
expiration date of the exchange offer, withdraw its instruction
previously transmitted through DTCs book-entry transfer
procedures by (1) withdrawing its acceptance through
DTCs book-entry transfer procedures or (2) delivering
to the exchange agent by mail, hand delivery or facsimile
transmission, notice of withdrawal of such instruction. The
notice of withdrawal must contain the name and number of the DTC
participant. The method of notification is at the risk and
election of the beneficial owner and must be timely received by
the exchange agent. Withdrawal of a prior instruction will be
effective upon receipt of the notice of withdrawal by the
exchange agent. A withdrawal of an instruction must be executed
by a DTC participant in the same manner as such DTC
participants name appears on its transmission through
DTCs book-entry transfer procedures to which such
withdrawal relates. A DTC participant may withdraw a tender only
if such withdrawal complies with the provisions described in
this paragraph.
A written or facsimile transmission notice of withdrawal may
also be received by the exchange agent at its address set forth
on the back cover of this document. In this case, a withdrawal
notice must:
|
|
|
|
|
specify the name of the person who tendered the old notes to be
withdrawn; |
|
|
|
contain a description of the old notes to be withdrawn and the
certificate numbers shown on the particular certificates
evidencing such old notes, if any; and |
|
|
|
be signed by the holder of such old notes in the same manner as
the original signature on the letter of transmittal (including
any required signature guarantees) or be accompanied by evidence
satisfactory |
21
|
|
|
|
|
to us that the person withdrawing the tender has succeeded to
the beneficial ownership of the old notes. |
Withdrawals of tenders of old notes may not be rescinded and any
old notes withdrawn will thereafter be deemed not validly
tendered for purposes of the exchange offer. Properly withdrawn
old notes, however, may be retendered by following the
procedures described above at any time prior to the expiration
date of the exchange offer.
Transfer Taxes
We will pay all transfer taxes, if any, applicable to the
transfer and exchange of old notes to us in the exchange offer.
If transfer taxes are imposed for any other reason, the amount
of those transfer taxes, whether imposed on the registered
holder or any other persons, will be payable by the tendering
holder. Other reasons transfer taxes could be imposed include:
(i) if new notes in book-entry form are to be registered in
the name of any person other than the person signing the letter
of transmittal; or (ii) if tendered old notes are
registered in the name of any person other than the person
signing the letter of transmittal. If satisfactory evidence of
payment of or exemption from those transfer taxes is not
submitted with the letter of transmittal, the amount of those
transfer taxes will be billed directly to the tendering holder.
Exchange Agent
The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. is acting as our
exchange agent in connection with the exchange offer. We have
paid the exchange agent $7,500 for its services and will
reimburse it for certain
out-of-pocket expenses,
including the fees and expenses of its legal counsel incurred in
connection with the exchange offer, but are not compensating the
exchange agent based on the number of old notes tendered in this
exchange offer. We have agreed to indemnify the exchange agent
against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the
federal securities laws, or to contribute to payments that the
exchange agent may be required to make in respect thereof.
Questions regarding the terms of the exchange offer may be
directed to the exchange agent at the address set forth on the
back cover page of this prospectus.
The exchange agents contact information is as follows:
|
|
|
Corporate Trust Operation |
|
Reorganization Unit |
|
101 Barclay Street 7 East |
|
New York, NY 10286 |
|
Attention: David A. Mauer |
|
By Facsimile: (212) 298-1915 |
|
Confirm Receipt of Facsimile By Telephone: (212) 815-3687 |
From time to time, the exchange agent and its affiliates have
provided investment banking, commercial banking and financial
advisory services to us for customary compensation. At any given
time, the exchange agent may hold old notes and trade securities
of ours or our affiliates for its own accounts or for the
accounts of its customers, and accordingly may hold a long or a
short position in the old notes or such securities. The exchange
agent will be permitted to participate in the exchange offer on
the same terms as are offered to other holders of old notes by
this exchange offer.
Other Fees and Expenses
Tendering holders of old notes will not be required to pay any
expenses of soliciting tenders in the exchange offer.
Nevertheless, if a tendering holder handles the transaction
through its broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or
other institution, such holder may be required to pay brokerage
fees or commissions.
The principal solicitation is being made by mail, but additional
solicitations may be made by telegraph, facsimile transmission,
telephone or in person by our officers and other employees.
22
The expenses of soliciting tenders of old notes will be borne by
us. The total expense expected to be incurred by us in
connection with the exchange offer is estimated to be
approximately $50,000.
Miscellaneous
All questions as to the validity, form, eligibility (including
time of receipt) and acceptance for exchange of any tender of
old notes in connection with the exchange offer will be
determined by us, in our sole discretion, and our determination
will be final and binding. We reserve the absolute right to
reject any and all tenders not in proper form or the acceptance
for exchange of which may, in the opinion of our counsel, be
unlawful. We also reserve the absolute right to waive any defect
or irregularity in the tender of any old notes in the exchange
offer, and the interpretation by us of the terms and conditions
of the exchange offer (including the instructions in the letter
of transmittal) will be final and binding on all parties,
provided that we will not waive any condition to the offer with
respect to an individual holder of old notes unless we waive
that condition for all such holders. Neither Valspar, the
exchange agent nor any other person will be under any duty to
give notification of any defects or irregularities in tenders or
incur any liability for failure to give any such notification.
Tenders of old notes involving any irregularities will not be
deemed to have been made until such irregularities have been
cured or waived. Old notes received by the exchange agent in
connection with the exchange offer that are not validly tendered
and as to which the irregularities have not been cured or waived
will be returned by the exchange agent to the DTC participant
who delivered such old notes by crediting an account maintained
at DTC designated by such DTC participant promptly after the
expiration date of the exchange offer or the withdrawal or
termination of the exchange offer.
Consequences of Failure to Exchange Old Notes
Old notes that are not tendered or are tendered but not accepted
will, following the consummation of the exchange offer, remain
outstanding and continue to be subject to the provisions in the
indenture regarding the transfer and exchange of the old notes
and the existing restrictions on transfer set forth in the
legends on the old notes. In general, the old notes, unless
registered under the Securities Act, may not be offered or sold
except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not
subject to, the Securities Act and applicable state securities
laws. Following the consummation of the exchange offer, except
in limited circumstances with respect to specific types of
holders of old notes, the issuer will have no further obligation
to provide for the registration under the Securities Act of the
old notes. We do not currently anticipate that we will take any
action following the consummation of the exchange offer to
register the old notes under the Securities Act or under any
state securities laws.
Consummation of the exchange offer may have adverse consequences
to non-tendering old note holders, including that the reduced
amount of old notes that remain outstanding as a result of the
exchange offer may adversely affect the trading market,
liquidity and market price of the old notes.
The new notes and any old notes that remain outstanding after
consummation of the exchange offer will vote together for all
purposes as a single class under the indenture.
DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW NOTES
The terms of the 5.100% Notes due 2015 are substantially
identical in all material respects to the 5.100% Notes due
2015 that they are intended to replace. The new notes will be
issued under an indenture, dated as of July 15, 2005,
between us and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as
trustee. The following summary of provisions of the indenture
and the new notes is not complete and is subject to, and
qualified in its entirety by reference to, all of the provisions
of the indenture, including definitions therein of certain
terms. This summary may not contain all information that you may
find useful. You should read the indenture and the new notes,
copies of which are exhibits to the registration statement of
which this prospectus is a part. Capitalized terms used and not
defined in this summary have the meanings specified in
23
the indenture. References to us and the
Company in this section of the prospectus are only
to The Valspar Corporation and not to any of our subsidiaries.
General
The new notes will have the following basic terms:
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the new notes will be limited to $150 million aggregate
principal amount (subject to the rights of the Company to issue
additional notes as described under Further
Issues); |
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the new notes will accrue interest at a rate of 5.100% per
year; |
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interest will accrue on the new notes from the most recent
interest payment date to or for which interest has been paid or
duly provided (or if no interest has been paid or duly provided,
from the expected issue date of the notes), payable
semi-annually in arrears on February 1 and August 1 of each
year, beginning on February 1, 2006; |
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the new notes will mature on August 1, 2015, unless
redeemed prior to that date; |
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we may redeem the new notes in whole or in part at any time and
from time to time at our option as described under
Optional Redemption; and |
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the new notes will be our unsecured and unsubordinated
obligations and will rank equally with all of our other existing
and future unsecured and unsubordinated debt. |
Interest will be paid to the person in whose name a new note is
registered at the close of business on January 15 or
July 15, as the case may be, immediately preceding the
relevant interest payment date. Interest on the new notes will
be computed on the basis of a
360-day year comprised
of twelve 30-day months.
If any interest or other payment date of a new note falls on a
day that is not a business day, the required payment of
principal, premium, if any, and interest will be made on the
next succeeding business day as if made on the date that the
payment was due, and no interest will accrue on that payment for
the period from and after that interest or other payment date,
as the case may be, to the date of that payment on the next
succeeding business day. The term business day
means, with respect to any new note, any day other than a
Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions or
trust companies in New York City are authorized or required by
law, regulation or executive order to close.
The new notes will be issued only in registered form without
coupons in minimum denominations of $5,000 and integral
multiples of $1,000 in excess of that amount. The new notes will
be represented by one or more global notes registered in the
name of a nominee of DTC.
The new notes will not be subject to any sinking fund.
We may, subject to compliance with applicable law, at any time
purchase new notes in the open market or otherwise.
Payment and Transfer or Exchange
Principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the new notes
will be payable, and the notes may be exchanged or transferred,
at the office or agency maintained by the Company for such
purpose (which currently is the corporate trust office of the
trustee located at Corporate Trust Division, 101 Barclay
St., 8W, New York, New York 10286). Payment of principal and
premium, if any, and interest on a global note registered in the
name of or held by DTC or its nominee will be made in
immediately available funds to DTC or its nominee, as the case
may be, as the registered holder of such global note. If any of
the new notes are no longer represented by a global note,
payment of interest on certificated notes in definitive form
may, at our option, be made by check mailed directly to holders
at their registered addresses; provided, however, that payments
of interest will be made by wire transfer if a holder of at
least $1.0 million in principal amount of notes has given
wire transfer instructions to the trustee at least five business
days prior to the applicable interest payment date. See
Book-Entry; Delivery and Form; Global
Notes.
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A holder may transfer or exchange any certificated new notes in
definitive form at the same location given in the preceding
paragraph. No service charge will be made for any registration
of transfer or exchange of notes, but we may require payment of
a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or other similar
governmental charge payable in connection therewith. The Company
is not required to transfer or exchange any note selected for
redemption for a period of 15 days before mailing of a
notice of redemption of notes to be redeemed.
The registered holder of a new note will be treated as the owner
of it for all purposes. The registered holder of the global
notes currently is Cede & Co., DTCs nominee.
All amounts of principal of and premium, if any, or interest on
the new notes paid by the Company that remain unclaimed two
years after such payment was due and payable will be repaid to
the Company, and the holders of such notes will thereafter look
solely to the Company for payment.
Ranking
The new notes will be our unsecured and unsubordinated
obligations and will rank equally with all of our other current
and future unsecured and unsubordinated debt.
Because our operations are partially conducted through our
subsidiaries, the cash flow and the consequent ability to
service our indebtedness, including the new notes, will be
partially dependent upon the earnings of our subsidiaries and
the distribution of those earnings or upon the payments of funds
by those subsidiaries to us. Our subsidiaries are separate and
distinct legal entities and have no obligation, contingent or
otherwise, to pay any amounts due pursuant to the notes or to
make funds available to us, whether by dividends, loans or other
payments. In addition, the payment of dividends and the making
of loans and advances to us by our subsidiaries may be subject
to contractual or statutory restrictions, depend upon the
earnings of those subsidiaries, and are subject to various
business considerations.
Any right that we may have to receive assets of any of our
subsidiaries upon their liquidation or reorganization (and the
consequent right of the holders of the notes to participate in
those assets) will be effectively subordinated to the claims of
such subsidiarys creditors, including trade creditors by
virtue of our legal structure. In addition, the new notes will
effectively rank junior in right of payment to any secured
indebtedness which we may incur in the future to the extent of
the value of the assets securing such indebtedness.
As of October 28, 2005, without giving effect to the
issuance of the new notes:
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the Company had approximately $463 million of outstanding
unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness; |
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our subsidiaries had an aggregate of approximately
$42 million of outstanding indebtedness; and |
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we had no secured indebtedness. |
Optional Redemption
We may redeem the new notes at any time in whole or from time to
time in part, at our option, at a redemption price equal to the
greater of (i) 100% of the principal amount of the new
notes being redeemed and (ii) the sum of the present values
of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest
thereon (exclusive of interest accrued to the date of
redemption) discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual
basis (assuming a
360-day year of twelve
30-day months) at the
Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points (the
Make-Whole
Amount), plus, in either, case, accrued interest thereon
to, but not including, the redemption date.
Comparable Treasury Issue means the
U.S. Treasury security or securities selected by an
Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable to
the remaining term of the new notes to be redeemed that would be
utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with
customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate
debt securities of a comparable maturity to the remaining term
of such notes.
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Comparable Treasury Price means, with respect to any
redemption date for new notes, (i) the average of the
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date,
after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury
Dealer Quotations or (ii) if the Company obtains fewer than
four such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of
all such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations.
Independent Investment Banker means one of the
Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Company.
Reference Treasury Dealer means each of Banc of
America Securities LLC and Barclays Capital Inc. or their
respective affiliates which are primary U.S. government
securities dealers, and their respective successors, and two
other firms which are primary U.S. government securities
dealers that the Company selects; provided, however, that
if any of the foregoing shall cease to be a primary
U.S. government securities dealer in New York City, the
Company will substitute therefor another such primary
U.S. government securities dealer.
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation means, with
respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption
date, the average, as determined by the Company, of the bid and
ask prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each
case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing
to the Company by such Reference Treasury Dealer as of
3:30 p.m., New York City time, on the third business
day preceding such redemption date.
Treasury Rate means, with respect to any redemption
date for the notes, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual
equivalent yield to maturity or interpolated (on a day-count
basis) of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for
the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its
principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for
such redemption date.
We will mail notice of any redemption at least 30 days, but
not more than 60 days, before the redemption date to each
holder of new notes to be redeemed. If less than all the new
notes are to be redeemed at any time, the trustee will select
new notes to be redeemed on a pro rata basis or by another
method that the trustee deems fair and appropriate.
Unless we default in payment of the redemption price, on and
after the redemption date interest will cease to accrue on the
new notes or portion thereof called for redemption.
Covenants
The indenture will not, among other things:
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limit the amount of indebtedness or lease obligations that may
be incurred by us and our subsidiaries; |
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restrict us from paying dividends or making distributions on our
capital stock or purchasing or redeeming our capital
stock; or |
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contain provisions that would give holders of the notes the
right to require us to repurchase their notes in the event of a
decline in the credit rating of our debt securities resulting
from a change in control, recapitalization or similar
restructuring or from any other event. |
The indenture provides that the Company will not, and does not
permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or
otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any Lien
of any kind on a Principal Property securing a Debt unless one
or more of the following exceptions apply:
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(1) The Lien equally and ratably secures the new notes and
the Debt. The Lien may equally and ratably secure the new notes
and any other obligation of the Company or a Subsidiary. The
Lien may not secure an obligation of the Company that is
subordinated to the new notes; |
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(2) The Lien secures Debt incurred to finance all or some
of the purchase price or the cost of construction or improvement
of property of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary. The Lien
may not |
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extend to any other Principal Property owned by the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary at the time the Lien is incurred. However,
in the case of any construction or improvement, the Lien may
extend to unimproved real property used for the construction or
improvement. The Debt secured by the Lien may not be incurred
more than 18 months after the later of the
(a) acquisition, (b) completion of construction or
improvement or (c) commencement of full operation, of the
property subject to the Lien; |
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(3) The Lien is on property of an entity at the time that
the entity merges into or consolidates with the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary; |
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(4) The Lien is on property at the time the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary acquires the property; |
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(5) The Lien is on property of a corporation at the time
such corporation becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; |
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(6) The Lien secures Debt of a Restricted Subsidiary owing
to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary; |
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(7) The Lien is in favor of a government or governmental
entity and secures (a) payments pursuant to a contract or
statute or (b) Debt incurred to finance all or some of the
purchase price or cost of construction or improvement of the
property subject to the Lien; |
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(8) The Lien extends, renews or replaces in whole or in
part a Lien (existing Lien) permitted by any of
clauses (1) through (7). The Lien may not extend
beyond (a) the property subject to the existing Lien and
(b) improvements and construction on such property.
However, the Lien may extend to property that at the time is not
a Principal Property. The amount of the Debt secured by the Lien
may not exceed the amount of the Debt secured at the time by the
existing Lien unless the existing Lien or a predecessor Lien was
incurred under clause (1) or (6); or |
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(9) The Debt plus all other Debt secured by Liens on
Principal Property at the time does not exceed 10% of
Consolidated Total Assets. However, the following Debt shall be
excluded from all other Debt in the determination: (a) Debt
secured by a Lien permitted by any of clauses (1) through
(8); and (b) Debt secured by a Lien incurred prior to the
date of the indenture that would have been permitted by any of
those clauses if the indenture had been in effect at the time
the Lien was incurred. Attributable Debt for any lease permitted
by clause (4) of the Limitation on Sale and Leaseback
Transactions covenant in the indenture described below
must be included in the determination and treated as Debt
secured by a Lien on Principal Property not otherwise permitted
by any of clauses (1) through (8). |
In general, clause (9) above, sometimes called a
basket clause, permits Liens to be incurred that are
not permitted by any of the exceptions enumerated in
clauses (1) through (8) above if the Debt secured by
all such additional Liens does not exceed 10% of Consolidated
Total Assets at the time. At October 28, 2005, Consolidated
Total Assets were approximately $2.8 billion.
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Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions |
The indenture provides that the Company will not, and does not
permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into a Sale-Leaseback
Transaction for a Principal Property unless one or more of the
following exceptions apply:
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(1) The lease has a term of three years or less; |
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(2) The lease is between the Company and a Restricted
Subsidiary or between Restricted Subsidiaries; |
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(3) The Company or a Restricted Subsidiary could, under
clauses (2) through (8) of the Limitation on
Liens covenant, create a Lien on the property to secure
Debt at least equal in amount to the Attributable Debt for the
lease; |
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(4) The Company or a Restricted Subsidiary under
clause (9) of the Limitation on Liens covenant
could create a Lien on the property to secure Debt at least
equal in amount to the Attributable Debt for the lease; or |
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(5) The Company or a Restricted Subsidiary within
180 days of the effective date of the lease retires
Long-Term Debt of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary at
least equal in amount to the Attributable Debt for the lease. A
Debt is retired when it is paid or cancelled. However, the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary may not receive credit for
retirement of Debt of the Company that is subordinated to the
notes; or Debt, if paid in cash, that is owned by the Company or
a Restricted Subsidiary. |
In clauses (3) and (4) above, Sale-Leaseback
Transactions and Liens are treated as equivalents. Thus, if the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary could create a Lien on a
property, it may enter into a Sale-Leaseback Transaction to the
same extent.
Attributable Debt for a lease means, as of the date
of determination, the present value of net rent for the
remaining term of the lease. Rent shall be discounted to present
value at a discount rate that is compounded semi-annually. The
discount rate shall be 10% per annum or, if the Company
elects, the discount rate shall be equal to the weighted average
Yield to Maturity of the notes. Such average shall be weighted
by the principal amount of the notes then outstanding. Rent is
the lesser of (a) rent for the remaining term of the lease
assuming it is not terminated, or (b) rent from the date of
determination until the first possible termination date plus the
termination payment then due, if any. The remaining term of a
lease includes any period for which the lease has been extended.
Rent does not include (1) amounts due for maintenance,
repairs, utilities, insurance, taxes, assessments and similar
charges, or (2) contingent rent, such as that based on
sales. Rent may be reduced by the discounted present value of
the rent that any sublessee must pay from the date of
determination for all or part of the same property. If the net
rent on a lease is not definitely determinable, the Company may
estimate it in any reasonable manner.
Capital Stock means, with respect to any Person, any
and all shares, interests, rights to purchase, warrants,
options, participations or other equivalents of or interests in
(however designated) equity of such Person, including any
preferred stock, partnership interests and limited liability
company membership interests, but excluding any debt securities
convertible into such equity.
Consolidated Total Assets means total consolidated
assets as reflected in the Companys most recent
consolidated balance sheet preceding the date of a determination
under clause (9) of the Limitation on Liens
covenant of the indenture.
Debt means any debt for borrowed money or any
guarantee of such a debt.
GAAP means generally accepted accounting principles
in the United States as in effect as of July 15, 2005.
Lien means any mortgage, pledge, security interest
or lien to secure or assure payment of Debt.
Long-Term Debt means Debt that by its terms matures
on a date more than 12 months after the date it was created
or Debt that the obligor may extend or renew without the
obligees consent to a date more than 12 months after
the date the Debt was created.
Person means any individual, corporation,
partnership, limited liability company, joint venture,
association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated
organization or government or any agency or political
subdivision thereof or any other entity.
Principal Property means (i) any manufacturing
facility that is now or hereafter owned by the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary and which is located in the United States
(excluding territories and possessions other than Puerto Rico),
except any such facility that in the opinion of the board of
directors of the Company or any authorized committee of the
board is not of material importance to the total business
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conducted by the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries, and
(ii) any shares of stock of a Restricted Subsidiary. As of
October 28, 2005 our Principal Properties consisted of
30 manufacturing facilities at various locations around the
United States.
Restricted Subsidiary means a Wholly-Owned
Subsidiary that has substantially all of its assets located in
the United States (excluding territories or possessions other
than Puerto Rico) and owns a Principal Property.
Sale-Leaseback Transaction means an arrangement
pursuant to which the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary now
owns or hereafter acquires a Principal Property, transfers it to
a person, and leases it back from the person.
Subsidiary means any corporation or other Person of
which at least a majority of all outstanding stock or equivalent
interests having ordinary voting power in the election of
directors or members of any equivalent management body of such
corporation or other Person is at the time, directly or
indirectly, owned by the Company or by one or more Subsidiaries
of the Company or by the Company and one or more Subsidiaries.
Voting Stock means Capital Stock of a Person of the
class or classes having general voting power under ordinary
circumstances to elect at least a majority of the board of
directors, managers or trustees of such Person, provided that,
for purposes hereof, Capital Stock which carries only the right
to vote conditionally on the happening of an event shall not be
considered Voting Stock whether or not such event shall have
happened.
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of any specified Person
means a Person all of whose Voting Stock is owned by the Company
or a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary, the accounts of which are
consolidated with those of the Company in its consolidated
financial statements.
Yield to Maturity means the yield to maturity on a
security at the time of its issuance or at the most recent
determination of interest on the security.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
The Company may consolidate or merge with or into any other
Person, and may sell or transfer all or substantially all of its
assets to another Person provided that the following conditions
are satisfied:
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the Company is the continuing entity, or the resulting,
surviving or transferee Person (the Successor), is a
Person organized and existing under the laws of the United
States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia and the
Successor (if not the Company) shall expressly assume, by
supplemental indenture all the obligations of the Company under
the notes and the indenture; |
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immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default
or Event of Default under the indenture shall have occurred and
be continuing; and |
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the trustee receives from the Company, if requested, an
officers certificate and an opinion of counsel that the
merger, consolidation or transfer and such supplemental
indenture, as the case may be, complies with the applicable
provisions of the indenture. |
If the Company consolidates or merges with or into any other
entity or sells all or substantially all of its assets in
accordance with the indenture, the Successor will be substituted
for the Company in the indenture, with the same effect as if it
had been an original party to the indenture. As a result, the
Successor may exercise the Companys rights and powers
under the indenture, and the Company will be released from all
its liabilities and obligations under the indenture and under
the notes.
Any substitution of the Successor for the Company might be
deemed for U.S. federal income-tax purposes to be an
exchange of the notes for new notes resulting in
recognition of gain or loss for such purposes and possibly
certain other adverse tax consequences to beneficial owners of
the notes. You should consult your own tax advisor regarding the
tax consequences of any such substitution.
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This provision of the indenture includes a phrase relating to
the sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the
Companys assets. Although there is a developing body of
case law interpreting the phrase substantially all,
there is no precise established definition of the phrase under
applicable law. Accordingly, the application of this covenant to
a sale or transfer of less than all of our assets may be
uncertain.
Events of Default
Each of the following events are defined in the indenture as an
Event of Default (whatever the reason for such Event
of Default and whether or not it shall be voluntary or
involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to
any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or
regulation of any administrative or governmental body) with
respect to the new notes:
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(1) default in the payment of any installment of interest
on the new notes for 30 days after becoming due; |
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(2) default in the payment of principal on or premium, if
any, on the new notes when it becomes due and payable at
maturity, upon optional redemption, upon declaration or
otherwise; |
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(3) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant
or agreement of the Company in the indenture with respect to the
new notes (other than as referred to in clause (1) or
(2) above), that continues for a period of 30 days
after written notice to the Company by the trustee or to the
Company and the trustee by the holders of at least 25% in
principal amount of the outstanding notes (for all purposes of
voting under the indenture, the term outstanding
notes includes old notes, new notes and any additional
notes that may be issued under the indenture, all voting
together as a single class); |
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(4) (A) failure by the Company or any Significant
Subsidiary to pay indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company
or such Significant Subsidiary, as the case may be, in an
aggregate principal amount of at least $10 million, at the
later of final maturity or the expiration of any applicable
grace period, or (B) acceleration of the maturity of
indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any
Significant Subsidiary, as the case may be, in an aggregate
principal amount of at least $10 million, if that
acceleration results from a default under the instrument giving
rise to or securing such indebtedness for money borrowed unless,
in each case, such Debt or acceleration is discharged or
annulled within 30 days after written notice to the Company
by the trustee or to the Company and the trustee by the holders
of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding notes; |
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(5) the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries
pursuant to or within the meaning of the Bankruptcy Law: |
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commences as debtor a voluntary case or proceeding; |
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consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an
involuntary case or proceeding; |
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consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or
substantially all of its property; |
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makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; |
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files a petition in bankruptcy as debtor or an answer or consent
seeking reorganization or relief, or consents to the filing of
such petition or the appointment of or taking possession by a
Custodian; or |
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takes any comparable action under any foreign laws relating to
insolvency; and |
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(6) a court of competent jurisdiction enters under any
Bankruptcy Law an order or decree that remains unstayed and in
effect for 60 days and that: |
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is for relief against the Company or any of its Significant
Subsidiaries as debtor in an involuntary case, or adjudicates
the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries insolvent or
bankrupt; |
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appoints a Custodian of the Company or any of its Significant
Subsidiaries or for all or substantially all of the property of
the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries; or |
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orders the winding-up
or liquidation of the Company or any of its Significant
Subsidiaries (or any similar relief is granted under any foreign
laws). |
Bankruptcy Law means Title 11 of the United
States Code, or any similar federal or state or foreign law for
the relief of debtors.
Custodian means any custodian, receiver, trustee,
assignee, liquidator or other similar official under any
Bankruptcy Law.
Significant Subsidiary means any Subsidiary of the
Company that, as of the date of determination, is a
significant subsidiary as defined in
Regulation S-X
promulgated by the SEC.
If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default relating
to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency, or reorganization
of us) occurs and is continuing, the trustee by notice to us, or
the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the
outstanding notes by notice to us and the trustee, may, and the
trustee at the request of these holders shall, declare the
principal of, and premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid
interest if any, on all the notes to be due and payable. Upon
such a declaration, such principal, premium and accrued and
unpaid interest will be due and payable immediately. If an Event
of Default relating to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency
or reorganization of us occurs and is continuing, the principal
of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest on all the
new notes will become and be immediately due and payable without
any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any
holders.
The holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the outstanding notes may rescind a declaration of
acceleration and its consequences, if all events of default with
respect to the notes, other than the nonpayment of the principal
and other amounts that have become due solely by such
acceleration, have been cured or waived, as provided in the
indenture.
The indenture provides that the trustee will, within
30 days after knowledge of the occurrence of default with
respect to the notes, give the holders of the notes notice of
such default known to it; provided that, except in the case of
default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, or
interest if any, on any of the new notes, the trustee will be
protected in withholding such notice if it in good faith
determines the withholding of such notice is in the interest of
the holders of the notes.
We are required to furnish the trustee annually a statement by
certain of our officers on our behalf to the effect that, to the
best of our knowledge, we are not in default in the fulfillment
of any of our obligations under the indenture or, if there has
been a default in the fulfillment of any such obligation,
specifying each such default. We are also required to deliver to
the trustee, within 30 days after knowledge of the
occurrence thereof, written notice of any Event of Default or
any event which after notice or lapse of time or both would
constitute an Event of Default.
No holder of any new note will have any right to institute any
judicial or other proceeding with respect to the indenture, or
for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other
remedy unless:
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(1) an Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing and such holder shall have given the trustee prior
written notice of such continuing Event of Default; |
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(2) the holders of not less than 25% of the outstanding
principal amount of notes shall have requested the trustee to
institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default; |
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(3) the trustee shall have been offered indemnity
satisfactory to it against its costs, expenses and liabilities
in complying with such request; |
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(4) the trustee shall have failed to institute proceedings
60 days after the receipt of such notice, request and offer
of indemnity; and |
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(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request
shall have been given for 60 days by the holders of a
majority in principal amount of the outstanding notes. |
The holders of a majority in principal amount of notes
outstanding will have the right, subject to certain limitations,
to direct the time, method and place of conducting any
proceeding for any remedy available to the
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trustee with respect to the notes or exercising any trust or
power conferred to the trustee, and to waive certain defaults.
The indenture provides that in case an Event of Default shall
occur and be continuing, the trustee will exercise such of its
rights and powers under the indenture, and use the same degree
of care and skill in its exercise, as a prudent person would
exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such
persons own affairs. Subject to such provisions, the
trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its
rights or powers under the indenture at the request of any of
the holders of the notes unless they shall have offered to the
trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the trustee
against the costs expenses and liabilities which might be
incurred by it in compliance with such request.
Modification and Waivers
Modification and amendments of the indenture and the new notes
may be made by us and the trustee with the consent of the
holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the outstanding notes affected thereby; provided,
however, that no such modification or amendment may, without the
consent of the holder of each outstanding note affected thereby:
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change the stated maturity of the principal of or installment of
interest on any new note; |
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reduce the principal amount of or the rate of interest on any
new notes; |
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reduce any premium payable on the redemption of any new note or
change the date on which any note must be redeemed; |
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change the coin or currency in which the principal of or
premium, if any, or interest on any new note is payable; |
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impair the right of any holder to institute suit for the
enforcement of any payment on or after the stated maturity of
any new note; |
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reduce the percentage in principal amount of the outstanding new
notes, the consent of whose holders is required in order to take
certain actions; |
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modify any of the provisions in the indenture regarding the
waiver of past defaults and the waiver of certain covenants by
the holders of new notes except to increase any percentage vote
required or to provide that certain other provisions of the
indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of
the holder of each note affected thereby; |
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modify the ranking of the new notes; or |
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modify any of the above provisions. |
We and the trustee may, without the consent of any holders,
modify or amend the terms of the indenture and the new notes
with respect to the following:
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to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency; |
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to comply with the covenants described under
Covenants Consolidation, Merger and Sale of
Assets; |
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to add any additional events of default; |
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to add to our covenants for the benefit of holders of the new
notes or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us; |
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to add one or more guarantees for the benefit of holders of the
new notes; |
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to secure the new notes pursuant to the covenants of the
indenture; |
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to add or appoint a successor or separate trustee or other agent; |
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to provide for the issuance of any additional notes; |
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to comply with any requirement in connection with the
qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of
1939, as amended; |
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to comply with the rules of any applicable securities
depositary; and |
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to change any other provision if the change does not adversely
affect the interests of any holder of new notes in any material
respect. |
The holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount
of the outstanding notes may, on behalf of the holders of all
such notes, waive compliance by the Company with certain
restrictive provisions of the indenture. The holders of not less
than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding
notes may, on behalf of the holders of all such notes, waive any
past default and its consequences under the indenture with
respect to the notes, except an uncured default (1) in the
payment of principal or premium, if any, or interest on notes or
(2) in respect of a covenant or provision of the indenture
that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the
holder of each note. Upon any such waiver, such default shall
cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall
be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of the
indenture, but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or
other default or Event of Default or impair any rights
consequent thereon.
Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
We may discharge certain obligations to holders of the new notes
that have not already been delivered to the trustee for
cancellation and that either have become due and payable or will
become due and payable within one year (or scheduled for
redemption within one year) by depositing with the trustee, in
trust, funds in U.S. dollars in an amount sufficient to pay
the entire indebtedness including the principal and premium, if
any, and interest to the date of such deposit (if the notes have
become due and payable) or to the maturity thereof or the date
of redemption of the new notes, as the case may be.
The indenture provides that we may elect either (1) to
defease and be discharged from any and all obligations with
respect to the new notes except for, among other things, certain
obligations to register the transfer or exchange of the notes,
to replace temporary or mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen
notes, to maintain an office or agency with respect to the notes
and to hold moneys for payment in trust (legal
defeasance) or (2) to be released from our
obligations to comply with the restrictive covenants under the
indenture, and any omission to comply with such obligations will
not constitute a default or an Event of Default with respect to
the notes and clauses (3) and (4) under
Events of Default will no longer be
applied (covenant defeasance). Legal defeasance or
covenant defeasance, as the case may be, will be conditioned
upon, among other things, the irrevocable deposit by us with the
trustee, in trust, of an amount in U.S. dollars, or
U.S. Government obligations, or both, applicable to the new
notes which through the scheduled payment of principal and
interest in accordance with their terms will provide money in an
amount sufficient to pay the principal or premium, if any, and
interest on the new notes on the scheduled due dates therefor.
If we effect covenant defeasance with respect to the new notes,
the amount in U.S. dollars, or U.S. government
obligations, or both, on deposit with the trustee will be
sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of
independent accountants, to pay amounts due on the new notes at
the time of the stated maturity but may not be sufficient to pay
amounts due on the new notes at the time of the acceleration
resulting from such an Event of Default. Nevertheless, we would
remain liable to make payment of such amounts due at the time of
acceleration.
We will be required to deliver to the trustee an opinion of
counsel that the deposit and related defeasance will not cause
the holders and beneficial owners of the new notes to recognize
income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes
as a result of such defeasance and will be subject to
U.S. federal income tax in the same amount and in the same
manner and at the same times, as would have been the case if
such defeasance had not occurred. If we elect legal defeasance,
that opinion of counsel must be based upon a ruling from the
U.S. Internal Revenue Service or a change in law to that
effect.
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We may exercise our legal defeasance option notwithstanding our
prior exercise of our covenant defeasance option.
Further Issues
We may from time to time, without notice to or the consent of
the holders of the notes, create and issue additional notes
having the same terms as, and ranking equally and ratably with,
the notes in all respects (or in all respects except for the
payment of interest accruing prior to the issue date of such
additional notes, or except for the first payment of interest
following the issue date of such additional notes). Such
additional notes may be consolidated and form a single series
with, and will have the same terms as to ranking, redemption,
waivers, amendments or otherwise as, the notes and will vote
together as one class on all matters with respect to the notes.
Governing Law
The indenture and the notes will be governed by, and construed
in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
Regarding the Trustee
The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. is the trustee under
the indenture and has also been appointed by the Company to act
as registrar, transfer agent and paying agent for the new notes.
Book-Entry; Delivery and Form; Global Notes
The new notes will be represented by one or more global notes in
definitive, fully registered form without interest coupons. Each
global note will be deposited with the trustee as custodian for
DTC and registered in the name of a nominee of DTC in New York
City for the account of participants in DTC.
Investors may hold their interests in a global note directly
through DTC if they are DTC participants, or indirectly through
organizations that are DTC participants. Except in the limited
circumstances described below, holders of notes represented by
interests in a global note will not be entitled to receive their
notes in fully registered certificated form.
DTC has advised us as follows: DTC is a limited-purpose trust
company organized under New York Banking Law, a banking
organization within the meaning of the New York Banking
Law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a clearing
corporation within the meaning of the New York Uniform
Commercial Code and a clearing agency registered
pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange
Act. DTC was created to hold securities of institutions that
have accounts with DTC (participants) and to
facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities
transactions among its participants through electronic
book-entry changes in accounts of the participants, thereby
eliminating the need for physical movement of securities
certificates. DTCs participants include securities brokers
and dealers (which may include the initial purchasers), banks,
trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other
organizations. Access to DTCs book-entry system is also
available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust
companies that clear through or maintain a custodial
relationship with a participant, whether directly or indirectly.
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Same-Day Settlement and Payment |
The new notes will trade in the same-day funds settlement system
of DTC until maturity or until we issue such notes in
certificated form. DTC will therefore require secondary market
trading activity in the new notes to settle in immediately
available funds. We can give no assurance as to the effect, if
any, of settlement in immediately available funds on trading
activity in the new notes.
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Ownership of Beneficial Interests |
Upon the issuance of each global note, DTC will credit, on its
book-entry registration and transfer system, the respective
principal amount of the individual beneficial interests
represented by the global note to the
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accounts of participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in
each global note will be limited to participants or persons that
may hold interests through participants. Ownership of beneficial
interests in each global note will be shown on, and the transfer
of those ownership interests will be effected only through,
records maintained by DTC (with respect to participants
interests) and such participants (with respect to the owners of
beneficial interests in the global note other than DTC
participants).
So long as DTC or its nominee is the registered holder and owner
of a global note, DTC or such nominee, as the case may be, will
be considered the sole legal owner of the new notes represented
by the global note for all purposes under the indenture, the new
notes and applicable law. Except as set forth below, owners of
beneficial interests in a global note will not be entitled to
receive certificated notes and will not be considered to be the
owners or holders of any new notes under the global note. We
understand that under existing industry practice, in the event
an owner of a beneficial interest in a global note desires to
take any actions that DTC as the holder of the global note is
entitled to take, DTC would authorize the participants to take
such action, and that participants would authorize beneficial
owners owning through such participants to take such action or
would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners
owning through them. No beneficial owner of an interest in a
global note will be able to transfer the interest except in
accordance with DTCs applicable procedures, in addition to
those provided for under the indenture. Because DTC can only act
on behalf of participants, who in turn act on behalf of others,
the ability of a person having a beneficial interest in a global
note to pledge that interest to persons that do not participate
in the DTC system, or otherwise to take actions in respect of
that interest, may be impaired by the lack of a physical
certificate of that interest.
All payments on the new notes represented by a global note
registered in the name of and held by DTC or its nominee will be
made to DTC or its nominee, as the case may be, as the
registered owner and holder of the global note.
We expect that DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any payment
of principal, premium, if any, or interest in respect of a
global note, will credit participants accounts with
payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial
interests in the principal amount of the global note as shown on
the records of DTC or its nominee. We also expect that payments
by participants to owners of beneficial interests in the global
note held through such participants will be governed by standing
instructions and customary practices as is now the case with
securities held for accounts for customers registered in the
names of nominees for such customers. These payments, however,
will be the responsibility of such participants and indirect
participants, and neither we, the trustee nor any other paying
agent will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect
of the records relating to, or payments made on account of,
beneficial ownership interests in any global note or for
maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to
such beneficial ownership interests or for any other aspect of
the relationship between DTC and its participants or the
relationship between such participants and the owners of
beneficial interests in the global note.
Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for
certificated notes, each global note may not be transferred
except as a whole by DTC to a nominee of DTC or by a nominee of
DTC to DTC or another nominee of DTC. Transfers between
participants in DTC will be effected in the ordinary way in
accordance with DTC rules and will be settled in same-day funds.
We expect that DTC will take any action permitted to be taken by
a holder of new notes (including the presentation of new notes
for exchange as described below) only at the direction of one or
more participants to whose account the DTC interests in a global
note are credited and only in respect of such portion of the
aggregate principal amount of the notes as to which such
participant or participants has or have given such direction.
Although we expect that DTC will agree to the foregoing
procedures in order to facilitate transfers of interests in each
global note among participants of DTC, DTC is under no
obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures,
and such procedures may be discontinued at anytime. Neither we
nor the trustee will have any responsibility for the performance
or nonperformance by DTC or their participants or indirect
participants of their respective obligations under the rules and
procedures governing their operations.
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The indenture provides that, if (1) DTC notifies us that it
is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or if DTC
ceases to be eligible under the indenture and we do not appoint
a successor depositary within 90 days, (2) we
determine that the notes shall no longer be represented by
global notes and execute and deliver to the trustee an order to
such effect or (3) an Event of Default with respect to the
notes shall have occurred and be continuing and the registrar
receives a request from DTC, the global notes will be exchanged
for notes in certificated form of like tenor and of an equal
principal amount, in authorized denominations. These
certificated notes will be registered in such name or names as
DTC shall instruct the trustee. It is expected that such
instructions may be based upon directions received by DTC from
participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests
in global securities. The certificated notes may be subject to
certain restrictions on registration of transfers described
under Transfer Restrictions, and may bear the legend
set forth therein.
The information in this section concerning DTC and DTCs
book-entry system has been obtained from sources that we believe
to be reliable, but we do not take responsibility for its
accuracy.
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Euroclear and Clearstream |
If the depository for a global security is DTC, you may hold
interests in the global security through Clearstream Banking,
société anonyme, which we refer to as
Clearstream, or Euroclear Bank S.A./NV, as operator
of the Euroclear System, which we refer to as
Euroclear, in each case, as a participant in DTC.
Euroclear and Clearstream will hold interests in each case, on
behalf of their participants through customers securities
accounts in the names of Euroclear and Clearstream on the books
of their respective depositaries, which in turn will hold such
interests in customers securities in the
depositaries names on DTCs books.
Payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other
matters relating to the new notes made through Euroclear or
Clearstream must comply with the rules and procedures of those
systems. Those systems could change their rules and procedures
at any time. We have no control over those systems or their
participants, and we take no responsibility for their
activities. Transactions between participants in Euroclear or
Clearstream, on one hand, and other participants in DTC, on the
other hand, would also be subject to DTCs rules and
procedures.
Investors will be able to make and receive through Euroclear and
Clearstream payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices
and other transactions involving any securities held through
those systems only on days when those systems are open for
business. Those systems may not be open for business on days
when banks, brokers and other institutions are open for business
in the United States.
In addition, because of time-zone differences
U.S. investors who hold their interests in the new notes
through these systems and wish, on a particular day, to transfer
their interests or to receive or make a payment or delivery or
exercise any other right with respect to their interests may
find that the transaction will not be effected until the next
business day in Brussels or Luxembourg, as applicable. Thus,
investors who wish to exercise rights that expire on a
particular day may need to act before the expiration date. In
addition, investors who hold their interests through both DTC
and Euroclear or Clearstream may need to make special
arrangements to finance any purchase or sales of their interests
between the U.S. and European clearing systems, and those
transactions may settle later than transactions within one
clearing system.
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion describes the material
U.S. federal income tax consequences of the exchange of
notes contemplated by this document, as well as the ownership
and disposition of the new notes, but does not provide a
complete analysis of all potential tax considerations.
This summary is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, which we refer to as the Code,
administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final,
temporary and proposed Treasury regulations. Changes to any of
those authorities after the date of this prospectus may affect
the tax consequences described herein, possibly with retroactive
effect.
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To ensure compliance with Internal Revenue Service
Circular 230, persons considering the purchase of notes are
hereby notified that the limited tax advice set forth in this
prospectus is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be
used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding penalties that
may be imposed on the taxpayer. Such tax advice is written to
comply with applicable SEC regulations, and is intended only as
a general guide to the intended tax consequences of an
investment in the new notes through participation in the
exchange offer. Investors considering exchanging their old notes
for new notes are urged to consult their own independent tax
advisors for advice concerning the application of
U.S. federal tax laws to their particular situations, as
well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any
state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction.
The discussion does not address all of the tax consequences that
may be relevant to a particular holder or to holders subject to
special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws.
This discussion does not describe all of the tax consequences
that may be relevant to a holder in light of its particular
circumstances or to holders subject to special rules,
such as:
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certain financial institutions; |
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insurance companies; |
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regulated investment companies; |
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real estate investment trusts; |
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tax-exempt organizations; |
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dealers and certain traders in securities; |
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persons holding the new notes as part of a straddle,
hedge, conversion, constructive
sale, or similar transaction; |
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U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional currency
is not the U.S. dollar; |
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certain former citizens or residents of the United States; |
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partnerships or other entities classified as partnerships for
U.S. federal income tax purposes; and |
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persons subject to the alternative minimum tax. |
If a partnership holds new notes, the tax treatment of a partner
will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the
activities of the partnership. Persons who are partners of a
partnership holding new notes should consult their tax advisors.
This discussion is limited to holders that hold their notes as
capital assets. No IRS ruling or opinion of counsel has been or
will be sought regarding any matter discussed herein. No
assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a
court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax
aspects set forth below.
For purposes of this discussion, a U.S. person means any
one of the following:
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a citizen or resident of the United States, |
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a corporation, partnership, or other entity created or organized
in the United States or under the laws of the United States or
of any political subdivision of the United States, |
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an estate, the income of which is includible in gross income for
U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its
source, or |
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a trust that (i) is subject to the primary supervision of
the U.S. courts and one or more U.S. persons have the
authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or
(ii) has properly elected to continue to be treated as a
U.S. person under applicable Treasury Regulations. |
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If a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership
or other pass-through entity for U.S. federal income tax
purposes) is a holder of the notes, the U.S. federal income
tax treatment of a partner in such a partnership will generally
depend on the status of the partnership and the activities of
the partnership. Partners and partnerships are particularly
urged to consult their own tax advisers as to the particular
federal income tax consequences applicable to them.
As used herein, the term U.S. holder means a
holder that is a U.S. person, and the term
non-U.S. holder
means a holder that is not a U.S. person.
Effect of Exchange of Old Notes for New Notes
The exchange of the old notes for new notes pursuant to the
exchange offer will not be a taxable event for U.S. federal
income tax purposes. Consequently, holders of the notes will not
recognize any taxable gain or loss for U.S. federal income
tax purposes as a result of such exchange. The holding period
for the new notes received in the exchange will include the
holding period for the old notes surrendered in exchange
therefor, and the tax basis of the new notes will equal the tax
basis of the old notes immediately before the exchange. There
will be no U.S. federal income tax consequences of the
exchange offer to a holder that does not tender old notes
pursuant to the exchange offer.
U.S. Holders
Payments of interest on new notes generally will be taxable to a
U.S. holder as ordinary interest income at the time such
payments are accrued or received (in accordance with the
U.S. holders method of accounting for
U.S. federal income tax purposes).
Upon the sale, redemption, or other disposition of a new note, a
U.S. holder will generally recognize capital gain or loss
equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale,
redemption, or other disposition and the U.S. holders
adjusted tax basis in the new note. For these purposes, the
amount realized on the sale, redemption, or other disposition of
a new note does not include any amount received that is
attributable to accrued but unpaid interest, which will be
taxable as ordinary income unless previously taken into account.
Capital gain or loss on the sale, redemption, or other
disposition of a new note will be long-term capital gain or loss
if the new note and the old note were held for a total of more
than one year.
Non-U.S. Holders
Subject to the discussion below concerning information reporting
and backup withholding, payments of interest on a note to any
non-U.S. holder
will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income tax or
withholding tax, provided that all of the following are true:
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the
non-U.S. holder
does not actually or constructively own 10% or more of the total
combined voting power of all classes of our stock entitled to
vote; |
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the
non-U.S. holder is
not a controlled foreign corporation to which we are a related
person for U.S. federal income tax purposes; |
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the
non-U.S. holder is
not a bank with respect to which the receipt of interest on the
notes is described in Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code; |
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the interest is not effectively connected with the
non-U.S. holders
conduct of a U.S. trade or business; and |
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the
non-U.S. holder
certifies, on
Form W-8BEN (or
other applicable form) under penalties of perjury, that it is
the beneficial owner of the new notes and is not a
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address and (i) files such form with the paying agent or
(ii) in the case of a note held through a foreign
partnership or intermediary, the beneficial owner and the
foreign partnership or intermediary satisfy certain
certification requirements of applicable U.S. Treasury
Regulations. |
Interest paid to a
non-U.S. holder
that does not qualify for the above exemption from withholding
tax generally will be subject to withholding of
U.S. federal income tax at the applicable rate, unless the
non-U.S. holder of
the new note provides our paying agent with a properly executed:
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(1) IRS
Form W-8BEN (or
other applicable form) claiming an exemption from (or reduction
in) withholding under the benefit of an applicable income tax
treaty; or |
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(2) IRS
Form W-8ECI (or
other applicable form) stating that the interest paid on the new
note is not subject to withholding tax because it is effectively
connected with the
non-U.S. holders
conduct of a trade or business in the United States. If,
however, the interest is effectively connected with the conduct
of a trade or business in the United States by the
non-U.S. holder,
the interest will be subject to U.S. federal income tax
imposed on net income on the same basis as applies to
U.S. persons generally. In addition, for corporate holders
and under certain circumstances, the branch profits tax may also
apply. |
Non-U.S. holders
should consult any applicable income tax treaties, which may
provide for exemption from (or reduction in)
U.S. withholding tax and for other rules different from
those described above.
Subject to the discussion below concerning information reporting
and backup withholding, any gain realized by a
non-U.S. holder on
the sale, redemption, or other disposition of a new note
generally will not be subject to a U.S. federal income tax,
unless (i) such gain is effectively connected with the
conduct by such
non-U.S. holder of
a trade or business within the United States, (ii) the
non-U.S. holder is
an individual who is present in the United States for
183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and
certain other conditions are satisfied, (iii) such gain
represents accrued but unpaid interest not previously included
in income, in which case the rules regarding interest would
apply, or (iv) the
non-U.S. holder is
subject to tax pursuant to the provisions of U.S. tax law
applicable to certain U.S. expatriates.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
In general, payments of interest and the proceeds of the sale,
exchange, redemption, retirement or other disposition of the new
notes payable by a U.S. paying agent or other
U.S. intermediary will be subject to information reporting.
In addition, backup withholding at the applicable rate will
generally apply to these payments if (i) in the case of a
U.S. holder, the holder fails to provide an accurate
taxpayer identification number, fails to certify that such
holder is not subject to backup withholding, or fails to report
all interest and dividends required to be shown on its
U.S. federal income tax returns or (ii) in the case of
a non-U.S. holder,
the holder fails to provide the certification on IRS
Form W-8BEN
described above or otherwise does not provide evidence of exempt
status. Certain U.S. holders (including, among others,
corporations) and
non-U.S. holders
that comply with certain certification requirements are not
subject to backup withholding. Any amount paid as backup
withholding will be creditable against the holders federal
income tax liability provided that the required information is
timely furnished to the IRS. Holders of new notes should consult
their tax advisers as to their qualification for exemption from
backup withholding and the procedure for obtaining such an
exemption.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION AND SELLING RESTRICTIONS
The exchange offer is not being made to, nor will we accept
surrenders of old notes for exchange from, holders of old notes
in any jurisdiction in which the exchange offer or the
acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the
securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdiction.
The distribution of this prospectus and the offer and sale of
the new notes may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions.
Persons who come into possession of this prospectus or any of
the new notes must
39
inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. You
must comply with all applicable laws and regulations in force in
any jurisdiction in which you purchase, offer, or sell the new
notes or possess or distribute this prospectus and, in
connection with any purchase, offer, or sale by you of the new
notes, must obtain any consent, approval, or permission required
under the laws and regulations in force in any jurisdiction to
which you are subject or in which you make such purchase, offer,
or sale.
Based on interpretive letters issued by the SEC staff to third
parties in transactions similar to the exchange offer, we
believe that a holder of new notes, other than a broker-dealer,
may offer new notes for resale, resell, or otherwise transfer
the new notes without complying with the registration and
prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act, if the
holder:
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is not an affiliate, as defined under the Securities
Act, of The Valspar Corporation; |
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acquired the new notes in the ordinary course of business; |
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is not engaged in, does not intend to engage in, and has no
arrangement or understanding with any person to participate in a
distribution, as defined under the Securities Act,
of the new notes; and |
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is not acting on behalf of any person who could not truthfully
make the foregoing representations. |
If any of the above conditions is not satisfied or you acquired
your old notes to be exchanged for new notes in the exchange
offer directly from us or any of our affiliates, you must
acknowledge and agree that you:
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may not, under SEC policy as in effect on July 1, 2003,
rely on the position of the SEC enunciated in Morgan Stanley and
Co., Inc. (available June 5, 1991) and Exxon Capital
Holdings Corporation (available May 13, 1988), as
interpreted in the SECs letter to Shearman &
Sterling dated July 2, 1993, and similar no-action
letters; and |
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must comply with the registration and prospectus-delivery
requirements of the Securities Act in connection with a
secondary resale transaction and that such a secondary resale
transaction must be covered by an effective registration
statement containing the selling security holder information
required by Item 507 or 508, as applicable, of
Regulation S-K.
|
Each broker-dealer that receives new notes for its own account
pursuant to the exchange offer must acknowledge that it will
deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such new
notes. This prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented
from time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer in connection
with resales of new notes received in exchange for old notes
where such securities were acquired as a result of market-making
activities or other trading activities. We have agreed that,
starting on the expiration date and ending on the close of
business one year after the expiration date, we will make this
prospectus, as amended or supplemented, available to any
broker-dealer for use in connection with any such resale. In
addition, until February 28, 2007, all dealers effecting
transactions in the new notes may be required to deliver a
prospectus.
We will not receive any proceeds from any sale of new notes by
brokers-dealers. New notes received by broker-dealers for their
own account pursuant to the exchange offer may be sold from time
to time in one or more transactions in the
over-the-counter
market, in negotiated transactions, through the writing of
options on the new notes or a combination of such methods of
resale, at market prices prevailing at the time of resale, at
prices related to such prevailing market prices or negotiated
prices. Any such resale may be made directly to purchasers or to
or through brokers or dealers who may receive compensation in
the form of commissions or concessions from any such
broker-dealer and/or the purchasers of any such new notes. Any
broker-dealer that resells new notes that were received by it
for its own account pursuant to the exchange offer and any
broker or dealer that participates in a distribution of such new
notes may be deemed to be an underwriter within the
meaning of the Securities Act and any profit of any such resale
of new notes and any commissions or concessions received by any
such persons may be deemed to be underwriting compensation under
the Securities Act. The letter of transmittal states that by
acknowledging that it will deliver and by delivering a
prospectus, a broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it
is an underwriter within the meaning of the
Securities Act.
40
For a period of one year after the expiration date, we will send
additional copies of this prospectus and any amendment or
supplement to this prospectus to any broker-dealer that requests
such documents in the letter of transmittal. We have agreed to
pay all expenses incident to the exchange offer (including the
expenses of one counsel for the holders of the old notes) other
than commissions or concessions of any brokers or dealers and
will indemnify the holders of the securities (including any
broker-dealers) against certain liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act.
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the securities offered by this prospectus and
their status as a binding obligation of the Company will be
passed upon by Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP,
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of The Valspar Corporation
incorporated by reference in The Valspar Corporations
Annual Report
(Form 10-K) for
the year ended October 28, 2005 (including schedules
appearing therein) and The Valspar Corporation managements
assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over
financial reporting as of October 28, 2005 incorporated by
reference therein, have been audited by Ernst & Young
LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth
in their reports thereon, incorporated by reference therein, and
incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial
statements and managements assessment are incorporated
herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given on the
authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
41
THE VALSPAR CORPORATION
PROSPECTUS FOR THE
Offer to Exchange
All of our outstanding 5.100% Notes due 2015
for
new 5.100% Notes due 2015
The exchange agent for the exchange offer is:
The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A.
Corporate Trust Operation
Reorganization Unit
101 Barclay Street 7 East
New York, NY 10286
Attention: David A. Mauer
By Facsimile: (212) 298-1915
Confirm Receipt of Facsimile By Telephone: (212) 815-3687
Questions, requests for assistance and requests for additional
copies of this prospectus and the related letter of transmittal
may be directed to the exchange agent at the address set forth
above.
January 26, 2006
Each broker-dealer that receives new notes for its own
account pursuant to the exchange offer must acknowledge that it
will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such
new notes. The letter of transmittal states that by so
acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, a broker-dealer
will not be deemed to admit that it is an
underwriter within the meaning of the Securities
Act. This prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented from
time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer in connection with
resales of new notes received in exchange for securities where
such securities were acquired by such broker-dealer as a result
of market-making activities or other trading activities. The
Company has agreed that, starting on the expiration date of the
exchange offer and ending on the close of business one year
after the expiration date, it will make this prospectus
available to any broker-dealer for use in connection with any
such resale. See Plan of Distribution.
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 20. Indemnification
of Directors and Officers
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law
provides for, under certain circumstances, the indemnification
of our officers, directors, employees and agents against
liabilities which they may incur in such capacities. A summary
of the circumstances in which such indemnification provided for
is contained herein, but that description is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the relevant Section of the Delaware
General Corporation Law.
In general, the statute provides that any director, officer,
employee or agent of a corporation may be indemnified against
expenses (including attorneys fees), judgments, fines and
amounts paid in settlement, actually and reasonably incurred in
a proceeding (including any civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative proceeding) to which the individual was a party by
reason of such status. Such indemnity may be provided if the
indemnified persons actions resulting in the liabilities:
(i) were taken in good faith; (ii) were reasonably
believed to have been in or not opposed to our best interest;
and (iii) with respect to any criminal action, such person
had no reasonable cause to believe the actions were unlawful.
Unless ordered by a court, indemnification generally may be
awarded only after a determination of independent members of the
Board of Directors or a committee thereof, by independent legal
counsel or by vote of the stockholders that the applicable
standard of conduct was met by the individual to be indemnified.
The statutory provisions further provide that to the extent a
director, officer, employee or agent is wholly successful on the
merits or otherwise in defense of any proceeding to which he was
a party, he is entitled to receive indemnification against
expenses, including attorneys fees, actually and
reasonably incurred in connection with the proceeding.
Indemnification in connection with a proceeding by or in the
right of The Valspar Corporation in which the director, officer,
employee or agent is successful is permitted only with respect
to expenses, including attorneys fees actually and
reasonably incurred in connection with the defense. In such
actions, the person to be indemnified must have acted in good
faith, in a manner believed to have been in our best interest
and must not have been adjudged liable to us unless and only to
the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such
action or suit was brought shall determine upon application
that, despite the adjudication of liability, in view of all the
circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably
entitled to indemnity for such expense which the Court of
Chancery or such other court shall deem proper. Indemnification
is otherwise prohibited in connection with a proceeding brought
on behalf of The Valspar Corporation in which a director is
adjudged liable to us, or in connection with any proceeding
charging improper personal benefit to the director in which the
director is adjudged liable for receipt of an improper personal
benefit.
Delaware law authorizes us to reimburse or pay reasonable
expenses incurred by a director, officer, employee or agent in
connection with a proceeding in advance of a final disposition
of the matter. Such advances of expenses are permitted if the
person furnishes to us a written agreement to repay such
advances if it is determined that he is not entitled to be
indemnified by us.
The statutory section cited above further specifies that any
provisions for indemnification of or advances for expenses does
not exclude other rights under our certificate of incorporation,
corporate bylaws, resolutions of its stockholders or
disinterested directors, or otherwise. These indemnification
provisions continue for a person who has ceased to be a
director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation and
inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators
of such persons.
The statutory provision cited above also grants the power to The
Valspar Corporation to purchase and maintain insurance policies
which protect any director, officer, employee or agent against
any liability asserted against or incurred by him in such
capacity arising out of his status as such. Such policies may
provide for indemnification whether or not the corporation would
otherwise have the power to provide for it. No such policies
providing protection against liabilities imposed under the
securities laws have been obtained by us.
II-1
Article IX of our corporate bylaws provides that we shall
indemnify our directors, officers, employees and agents to the
fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or
persons controlling The Valspar Corporation pursuant to the
foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion
of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification
is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is
therefore unenforceable.
The following exhibits are filed as part of this registration
statement:
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No. |
|
Description |
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3 |
(a) |
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Certificate of Incorporation as amended to and
including June 30, 1970, with further amendments to
Article Four dated February 29, 1984,
February 25, 1986, February 26, 1992,
February 26, 1997 and May 22, 2003 and to
Article Eleven dated February 25, 1987 (as filed with
Form 10-K for the period ended October 31, 1997,
amendment filed with Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
April 25, 2003) |
|
3 |
(b) |
|
By-Laws as amended to and including October 15,
1997 (as filed with Form 10-K for the period ended
October 31, 1997, amendment filed with Form 10-Q for
the quarter ended April 25, 2003) |
|
4 |
(a) |
|
Rights Agreement dated as of May 1, 2000, between the
registrant and Chasemellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C., as
rights agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to
Form 8-A filed on May 3, 2000) |
|
4 |
(b) |
|
Indenture dated April 24, 2002, between the registrant and
Bank One Trust Company, N.A., as trustee, relating to
registrants 6% notes due 2007 (JP Morgan Trust
Company is the successor in interest to Bank One) (as filed with
Form 10-K for the period ended October 25, 2002,
amendment filed with Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
April 30, 2004) |
|
4 |
(c) |
|
First Supplemental Indenture dated April 30, 2002 to
Indenture dated April 24, 2002, between the registrant and
Bank One Trust Company, N.A., as trustee, relating to
registrants 6% notes due 2007 (JP Morgan Trust
Company is the successor in interest to Bank One) (as filed with
Form 10-K for the period ended October 25, 2002,
amendment filed with Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
April 30, 2004) |
|
4 |
(d) |
|
Form of registrants 6% notes due 2007 (as filed with
Form 10-K for the period ended October 25, 2002,
amendment filed with Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
April 30, 2004) |
|
4 |
(e) |
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Indenture dated November 10, 1997 between Lilly Industries,
Inc. and Harris Trust and Savings Bank relating to the issuance
by Lilly Industries, Inc. of $100 million of
7.75% senior notes due 2007 (BNY Midwest Trust Company is
the successor to Harris Trust and Savings Bank) (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Lilly Industries, Inc.s
Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on
December 5, 1997) |
|
4 |
(f) |
|
Indenture dated July 15, 2005 between the registrant and
The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to current
report on Form 8-K filed on July 18, 2005) |
|
4 |
(g) |
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Registration Rights Agreement dated July 15, 2005, among
the registrant and Banc of America Securities LLC and Barclay
Capital Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to
current report on Form 8-K filed on July 18, 2005.) |
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5 |
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Legal Opinion and consent of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand,
LLP** |
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23 |
.1 |
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Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm Ernst & Young LLP* |
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23 |
.2 |
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Consent of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP (included in
Exhibit 5) |
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24 |
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Powers of Attorney** |
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25 |
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Statement of Eligibility and Qualification under the Trust
Indenture Act of 1939 of The Bank of New York Trust Company,
N.A., as Trustee, on Form T-1, relating to the new
5.100% Notes due 2015** |
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99 |
.1 |
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Form of Letter of Transmittal** |
II-2
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No. |
|
Description |
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99 |
.2 |
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Form of Letter to Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Banks, Trust
Companies and other Nominees** |
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99 |
.3 |
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Form of Letter to Clients** |
(a) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising
under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers
and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the
foregoing provisions or otherwise, the registrant has been
advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event
that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other
than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid
by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is
asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant
will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been
settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in
the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.
(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for
purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act
of 1933, each filing of the registrants annual report
pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plans annual report pursuant to
Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that
is incorporated by reference into the registration statement
shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to
the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.
(c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
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(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of
prospectus filed as part of this Registration Statement in
reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of
prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to
Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities
Act shall be deemed to be a part of this registration statement
as of the time it was declared effective. |
|
|
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that
contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall
be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
(d) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to respond
to requests for information that is incorporated by reference
into the prospectus pursuant to Items 4, 10(b), 11, or 13
of this Form, within one business day of receipt of such
request, and to send the incorporated documents by first class
mail or other equally prompt means. This includes information
contained in documents filed subsequent to the effective date of
the registration statement through the date of responding to the
request.
(e) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to supply
by means of a post-effective amendment all information
concerning a transaction, and the company being acquired
involved therein, that was not the subject of and included in
the registration statement when it became effective.
II-3
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the
registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Minneapolis, State of Minnesota, on
January 26, 2006.
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The Valspar Corporation
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(Registrant) |
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/s/ Paul C. Reyelts |
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Executive Vice President and |
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Chief Financial Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed below by the following
persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.
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Name |
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Title |
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Date |
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/s/ William L. Mansfield
William L. Mansfield |
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President and Chief Executive Officer, Director |
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January 26, 2006 |
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/s/ Paul C. Reyelts
Paul C. Reyelts |
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Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (principal
financial officer) |
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January 26, 2006 |
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/s/ Lori A. Walker
Lori A. Walker |
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Vice President, Treasurer and Controller (principal accounting
officer) |
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January 26, 2006 |
|
*
Thomas R. McBurney |
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Director |
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January 26, 2006 |
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*
Richard L. White |
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Director |
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January 26, 2006 |
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*
Susan S. Boren |
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Director |
|
January 26, 2006 |
|
*
Jeffrey H. Curler |
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Director |
|
January 26, 2006 |
|
*
John S. Bode |
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Director |
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January 26, 2006 |
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*By: |
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/s/ Paul C. Reyelts
Paul C. Reyelts
Attorney-In-Fact |
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II-4
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
|
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|
|
No. |
|
Description |
|
|
|
|
3 |
(a) |
|
Certificate of Incorporation as amended to and
including June 30, 1970, with further amendments to
Article Four dated February 29, 1984,
February 25, 1986, February 26, 1992,
February 26, 1997 and May 22, 2003 and to
Article Eleven dated February 25, 1987 (as filed with
Form 10-K for the period ended October 31, 1997,
amendment filed with Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
April 25, 2003) |
|
3 |
(b) |
|
By-Laws as amended to and including October 15,
1997 (as filed with Form 10-K for the period ended
October 31, 1997, amendment filed with Form 10-Q for
the quarter ended April 25, 2003) |
|
4 |
(a) |
|
Rights Agreement dated as of May 1, 2000, between the
registrant and Chasemellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C., as
rights agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to
Form 8-A filed on May 3, 2000) |
|
4 |
(b) |
|
Indenture dated April 24, 2002, between the registrant and
Bank One Trust Company, N.A., as trustee, relating to
registrants 6% notes due 2007 (JP Morgan Trust
Company is the successor in interest to Bank One) (as filed with
Form 10-K for the period ended October 25, 2002,
amendment filed with Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
April 30, 2004) |
|
4 |
(c) |
|
First Supplemental Indenture dated April 30, 2002 to
Indenture dated April 24, 2002, between the registrant and
Bank One Trust Company, N.A., as trustee, relating to
registrants 6% notes due 2007 (JP Morgan Trust
Company is the successor in interest to Bank One) (as filed with
Form 10-K for the period ended October 25, 2002,
amendment filed with Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
April 30, 2004) |
|
4 |
(d) |
|
Form of registrants 6% notes due 2007 (as filed with
Form 10-K for the period ended October 25, 2002,
amendment filed with Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
April 30, 2004) |
|
4 |
(e) |
|
Indenture dated November 10, 1997 between Lilly Industries,
Inc. and Harris Trust and Savings Bank relating to the issuance
by Lilly Industries, Inc. of $100 million of
7.75% senior notes due 2007 (BNY Midwest Trust Company is
the successor to Harris Trust and Savings Bank) (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Lilly Industries, Inc.s
Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on
December 5, 1997) |
|
4 |
(f) |
|
Indenture dated July 15, 2005 between the registrant and
The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to current
report on Form 8-K filed on July 18, 2005) |
|
4 |
(g) |
|
Registration Rights Agreement dated July 15, 2005, among
the registrant and Banc of America Securities LLC and Barclay
Capital Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to
current report on Form 8-K filed on July 18, 2005.) |
|
5 |
|
|
Legal Opinion and consent of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand,
LLP** |
|
23 |
.1 |
|
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm Ernst & Young LLP* |
|
23 |
.2 |
|
Consent of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP (included in
Exhibit 5) |
|
24 |
|
|
Powers of Attorney** |
|
25 |
|
|
Statement of Eligibility and Qualification under the Trust
Indenture Act of 1939 of The Bank of New York Trust Company,
N.A., as Trustee, on Form T-1, relating to the new
5.100% Notes due 2015** |
|
99 |
.1 |
|
Form of Letter of Transmittal** |
|
99 |
.2 |
|
Form of Letter to Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Banks, Trust
Companies and other Nominees** |
|
99 |
.3 |
|
Form of Letter to Clients** |
II-5