Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. ("CDTI") (Nasdaq:CDTI), a cleantech
emissions reduction company providing sustainable solutions to
reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency and lower the carbon
intensity of on- and off-road engine applications and Catalytic
Solutions, Inc. ("CSI") (AIM:CTS) (AIM:CTSU), a global manufacturer
and distributor of emissions control systems and products, focused
in the heavy duty diesel and light duty vehicle markets, announced
today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement.
The proposed merger will combine the businesses of CDTI and CSI
whereby CSI will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of CDTI. In
exchange for their shares of CSI common stock, current security
holders of CSI will receive shares of CDTI common stock and
warrants to purchase CDTI common stock.
Under the terms of the merger agreement announced today:
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CSI will merge with a newly-formed subsidiary of CDTI, a
wholly-owned California merger subsidiary created solely for this
transaction, with CSI remaining as the surviving corporation and
becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of CDTI, subject to potential
dilution through the exercise of currently out-of-the-money options
and warrants.
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Immediately after the Merger, existing CDTI stockholders and
participants in the CDTI Regulation S offering described below are
expected to own approximately 40% of the outstanding shares of CDTI
common stock (with approximately 3% of the total outstanding
expected to be held by participants in the CDTI Regulation S
offering). The existing CSI shareholders and participants in the
CSI private placement described below and CSI's financial advisor
are expected to own approximately 60% of the outstanding shares of
CDTI common stock (with approximately 40% of the total outstanding
expected to be held by participants in the CSI private placement
and approximately 16% of the total outstanding expected to be held
by CSI's existing shareholders). Final ownership percentages are
subject to adjustment based on the relevant cash position of each
of CSI and CDTI as of the earlier of June 30, 2010 and the closing
of the Merger, but the percentage of outstanding shares of CDTI
common stock to be owned by CSI's current shareholders and the
participants in CSI's private placement and CSI's financial
advisor, as a group, can not be less than 48% or more than
90%. The foregoing percentages do not include shares
underlying warrants.
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The board of directors of the combined company is expected to
comprise seven directors, four from CSI (Charles F. Call, Alexander
"Hap" Ellis, III, Charles R. Engles Ph.D. and Bernard H. Cherry)
and three from CDTI (Mungo Park, Michael L. Asmussen and Derek R.
Gray).
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The management team of the combined company is expected to be
composed of the following members of the current management team of
CSI: Charles F. Call, Nikhil A. Mehta and Stephen J. Golden Ph.D.,
and Michael L. Asmussen, a member of the current management team of
CDTI.
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CDTI's certificate of incorporation will be amended to increase
its authorized capital stock to 35,100,000 shares.
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CDTI will effect a reverse stock split to accommodate the
listing on NASDAQ of the shares to be issued to CSI shareholders in
the merger.
In parallel with this transaction, each company will undertake a
capital raise prior to the merger in order to meet the target cash
thresholds set out in the Merger Agreement that would ensure CSI
shareholders, including those participating in the capital raise,
would receive 60% of the shares of the combined company and CDTI
shareholders, including those participating in the capital raise,
would own 40% of the shares of the combined company, and, in the
case of CSI, to raise cash for operations prior to the
Merger. CDTI has obtained commitments to raise $1.0 million at
the time of the Merger through the sale of common stock and
warrants pursuant to a Regulation S offering and CSI is
contemplating raising $4.0 million, half prior to the Merger and
half at the time of the Merger, through a private placement of
convertible subordinated notes to a group of accredited investors,
which will convert into equity at the time of the Merger.
CDTI expects to file a Registration Statement on Form S-4 with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission prior to the close of
business on Friday, May 14, 2010. Said Registration Statement
will contain additional details regarding the terms of the
transaction.
Michael L. Asmussen, CDTI's Chief Executive Officer and
President, issued the following statement:
"On behalf of the CDTI board of directors, I am extremely
pleased to announce this agreement. It is the culmination of
many months of preparation and extensive strategic analysis made
possible by the patience and support of our stockholders. The
board decided unanimously that this agreement is in the best
interests of CDTI and its stockholders and represents a compelling
strategic opportunity to expand its product offerings, customer
base, and operational scale, thereby strengthening its position in
the emissions control industry. The complementary
nature of the companies creates the potential for financial
stability and significant operational synergies to help mitigate
risk and improve operating flexibility. The merger addresses
several CDTI objectives by immediately broadening the technology
portfolio and improving global OEM channel access for CDTI
intellectual property. Moreover, the resulting company's large
number of verified products and greater scale is expected to
provide additional sales revenue and the market credibility
critical to future success."
Charles F. Call, CSI's Chief Executive Officer, issued the
following statement:
"The CSI board of directors is very pleased to announce this
agreement with CDTI. We believe this is a very important
strategic and practical step for both companies that will provide a
solid foundation for future success. The board of
directors has determined through an extensive review process that
the transactions are in the best interests of CSI and its
shareholders. The merger allows CSI shareholders to
gain access to the NASDAQ market, participate in the future
performance of both CSI and CDTI and positions the 'new' company to
pursue a more aggressive growth strategy in the diesel emissions
reduction business.
The merger will allow CSI access to a better capitalized
business, with a greater ability to pursue new business
opportunities and to help create financial stability so that we can
better serve our customers. Since the second half of 2008, we have
made significant progress in improving CSI's liquidity, reducing
debt and reducing operating costs. We believe that the merger
transaction, along with the proposed financing transaction, will
create a new entity well positioned to grow revenues and achieve
profitability and will benefit from a stronger recapitalized
balance sheet. In addition, the new combined company is
expected to continue to be listed on the NASDAQ capital market in
the United States, thereby providing liquidity to our
shareholders."
With combined 2009 revenues in excess of $50 million, the merged
company will offer a broad portfolio of verified products and a
technologically advanced intellectual property portfolio—both of
which will enable it to appeal to a broad and diversified customer
base and provide a platform for additional complementary
acquisitions.
The merged company is expected to operate under the name of
Clean Diesel Technologies for the foreseeable future and will have
its corporate offices in Ventura, California, with manufacturing
centers in Oxnard, California; Toronto, Canada; and Malmo, Sweden.
An integrated global sales team and sales offices in key locations
will support a broad, multi-channel product portfolio.
CDTI plans to schedule an informational conference call intended
to provide stockholders and investors an opportunity to learn more
about the proposed transaction. Further details will be
announced in the coming days.
Information about Clean Diesel and CSI
Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc.
Clean Diesel Technologies (Nasdaq:CDTI) is a cleantech company
providing sustainable solutions to reduce emissions, increase
energy efficiency and lower the carbon intensity of on- and
off-road engine applications. Clean Diesel's patented technologies
and products allow manufacturers and operators to comply with
increasingly strict regulatory emissions and air quality standards,
while also improving fuel economy and power.
CDTI's solutions significantly reduce emissions formed by the
combustion of fossil fuels and biofuels (without increasing
secondary emissions such as nitrogen dioxide, NO2), including
particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide
(CO) and hydrocarbons (HC). As a result, they are effective for:
OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and retrofit providers; businesses entering
the emissions control market seeking solutions and expertise;
operators requiring compliant emissions solutions; fuel, biofuels
and additive suppliers seeking low emissions and energy efficient
products; and regulators creating public policy. Clean Diesel's
solutions, therefore, are ideal for such markets as: on-road
vehicles, construction, mining, agriculture, port/freight handling,
locomotive, marine, and power generation.
Clean Diesel develops and manages intellectual property from
original concept to full-scale commercial deployment. Building on
its more than 200 granted and pending patents, its offerings
include ARIS® selective catalytic reduction (SCR); the patented
combination of SCR and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR); hydrocarbon
injection for emissions control applications; Platinum Plus®
Fuel-Borne Catalyst (FBC); the Purifierâ„¢ family of particulate
filter systems; and its wire mesh filter particulate filter
technologies. CDTI was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in
Bridgeport, Connecticut. A wholly-owned subsidiary, Clean Diesel
International, LLC is based in London, England. For more
information, please visit www.cdti.com.
The Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=5742
Catalytic Solutions, Inc.
Catalytic Solutions, Inc. is a global manufacturer and
distributor of emissions control systems and products, focused in
the heavy duty diesel (HDD) and light duty vehicle (LDV) markets.
Since being founded in 1996, CSI has grown from a provider of
unique catalysts to the automotive industry (gasoline and diesel
engines) to a provider of both catalysts and systems in growing
clean technology markets, including heavy duty diesel systems and
catalysts for energy systems. Catalytic Solutions' emissions
control systems and products are designed to deliver high value to
its customers while benefiting the global environment through air
quality improvement, sustainability and energy
efficiency. Catalytic Solutions' businesses include:
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HDD Systems (Engine Control Systems), a full range of products
for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), occupational health
driven and verified retrofit markets in order to reduce exhaust
emissions created by on-road, off-road and stationary diesel and
alternative fuel engines including propane and natural gas.
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LDV/HDD Catalysts, the business behind Catalytic Solutions'
proprietary Mixed Phase Catalyst (MPC®) technology, enabling CSI to
produce catalyst formulations for gasoline, diesel and natural gas
induced emissions that offer superior performance, proven
durability and cost effectiveness for multiple markets and a wide
range of applications.
For more information, please visit
www.catalyticsolutions.com.
Safe Harbor
This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" as
defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Such forward looking statements include statements regarding
revenues of the combined company, and assume that the Merger will
be completed. Readers are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements and any such
forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by
reference to the following cautionary statements. All
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news
release and are based on current expectations and involve a number
of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual
results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements.
Such factors include, among others, unanticipated issues associated
with obtaining necessary approvals to complete the transaction, the
ability to complete the interim capital raises to meet the target
cash conditions, obtaining NASDAQ approval for the listing of the
CDTI shares to be issued in the merger and continued listing of the
combined company, or other unexpected issues that could impact the
closing of the merger. Both CDTI and CSI disclaim any obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking statements.
Important Legal Information
Any offering of securities in connection with the merger will be
made only by means of a prospectus. An S-4 registration statement
relating to these securities shall be filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. These securities may not be sold nor may
offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration
statement becomes effective. This press release shall not
constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy
any securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of
these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or
sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under
the securities laws of any such state.
In connection with the proposed merger, CDTI will file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), and will furnish to
its stockholders, a proxy statement. Stockholders are advised to
read the proxy statement when it is finalized and distributed,
because it will contain important information about the proposed
merger. Stockholders will be able to obtain, free of charge, a copy
of the proxy statement (when available) and other relevant
documents filed with the SEC from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
Stockholders will also be able to obtain a free copy of the proxy
statement and other relevant documents (when available) by
directing a request to Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc., 10 Middle
Street, Suite 1100, Bridgeport, CT 06604-4244, Attention: Chief
Financial Officer, or in Europe to the Registry, 34 Beckenham Road,
Beckenham, Kent, BR3 4TU, Attention: Capital IRG, Foreign
Department.
CONTACT: Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc.
John Wynne, Vice President, Treasurer and Interim Chief
Financial Officer
(203) 416-5290
jwynne@cdti.com
10 Middle Street, Suite 1100
Bridgeport, CT 06604-4244
Catalytic Solutions, Inc.
Nikhil A. Mehta, Chief Financial Officer
(805) 639-9458
irinfo@catsolns.com
4567 Telephone Road, Suite 206
Ventura, CA 93003
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