Published:
Terra Industries Sends Letter to Shareholders
SIOUX CITY, Iowa - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Terra Industries Inc. (NYSE: TRA) today announced that it has sent a
letter to shareholders.
The full text of the letter follows:
DON'T LET CF INDUSTRIES TAKE CONTROL OF TERRA
WITHOUT
PAYING FULL AND FAIR VALUE FOR YOUR INVESTMENT
November 5, 2009
Dear Fellow Terra Shareholder:
Since January 2009, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. ("CF" ) has made six
separate proposals to acquire Terra, each of which was unanimously
rejected by your Board of Directors as not in the best interests of
Terra shareholders.
CF's latest proposal is financially inadequate, even by applying
valuation methodologies used by CF, and is only $2.00 per share more
than the nominal value of its prior proposal. In addition, the cash
component of CF's latest proposal includes approximately $750 million
of your own money - the special cash dividend of $7.50 per share
which Terra's Board announced in September and will pay you in December.
We urge you to reject CF's efforts to advance its inadequate and
opportunistic merger proposal. Do not support CF's nominees at
Terra's Annual Meeting, scheduled for November 20, 2009, and do not sign
any CF blue proxy card.
Protect your investment in Terra by voting the WHITE proxy card FOR
Terra's highly-qualified and experienced independent directors - Martha
O. Hesse, Dennis McGlone, and Chairman, Henry R. Slack.
CF'S LATEST PROPOSAL IS INADEQUATE, OPPORTUNISTIC AND
NOT
IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF TERRA AND ITS SHAREHOLDERS
In rejecting CF's November 1, 2009 proposal to acquire Terra for the
equivalent of $24.50 in cash (which equals the net value of CF's
announced proposal of $32.00 that will be reduced by Terra's previously
declared $7.50 per share special cash dividend) and 0.1034 of a share of
CF common stock, your Board considered a number of factors, including
the following:
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CF's proposal significantly undervalues Terra's robust near- and
long-term prospects, as illustrated by the following:
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In its November 2, 2009 presentation, CF justifies its inadequate
proposal using a 2010 EBITDA estimate for Terra of $525 million,
which is significantly less than Terra's projection of
approximately $694 million.
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Using CF's own proposed multiple of 6.7x1, Terra's
projected 2010 EBITDA would indicate an enterprise value of $4.65
billion. Applying CF's own adjustments, this would imply an equity
value of $51.55 per share for Terra.
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Alternatively, using CF's mean Next Twelve Months EBITDA industry
acquisition multiple of 7.6x2 would imply an enterprise
value of approximately $5.27 billion for Terra. Applying CF's own
adjustments, this would imply an equity value of $57.74 per share
for Terra, a price which would still be substantially accretive to
CF.
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Your Board believes that Terra's premier facilities and assets
would cost significantly more to replace than what CF is proposing
to pay for Terra. As long-term capital intensive projects have
become more challenging for industry participants and new entrants
to undertake, the "scarcity value" of Terra's facilities and
assets is an important element of value that deserves appropriate
compensation from CF. This value proposition can be illustrated by
CF's own proposed $2 billion investment in the highly capital
intensive and risky greenfield project in Peru, which is likely to
be cash flow negative for many years.
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CF's proposal includes $750 million of Terra shareholders' own
money. Your Board recently declared a $7.50 per share special cash
dividend that will be paid in December 2009. By including in its cash
consideration the amount of this special dividend, CF is essentially
"offering" you money to which you are already entitled as a Terra
shareholder.
TERRA IS WELL-POSITIONED FOR LONG-TERM GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY
We are confident that the continued execution of our focused and
prudent strategy will produce greater value for Terra's shareholders
than CF's latest proposal. Terra is a preeminent "pure play"
nitrogen company that is poised to take advantage of an upsurge in
demand from our agricultural and industrial customer base as the
economic recovery continues.
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Terra has a robust near-term outlook. With strong U.S.
agricultural nitrogen demand and moderate gas costs expected, we
expect the coming growing season will be an excellent one for Terra.
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Terra's projected operating improvements in 2010, specifically
revenue growth of more than 25% over 2009 and robust operating
margins, would result in EBITDA of approximately $694 million for
the year.
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Terra's focus on higher margin and higher growth nitrogen
products, including UAN, which has been among the fastest growing
nitrogen products in the United States, leaves Terra
well-positioned to benefit from strengthening prices. Analysts
have forecast that UAN prices will appreciate in the near-term to
better reflect its value to the end-user.3 In
anticipation of UAN's continued growth and rebound in pricing,
Terra is currently expanding its Woodward facility to nearly
triple UAN capacity at that facility.
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Analysts have forecast higher nitrogen prices in the Cornbelt in
2010 in response to increasing costs for European competitors and
a return to historical premium pricing of Cornbelt ammonia.4 Terra's
geographic advantages position us to benefit from this premium
pricing as approximately 65% of Terra's total North American
ammonia production volume is located inland or in gas advantaged
regions.
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Your Board and management team are executing on a strategy that has
and will continue to drive shareholder value.
-
Your Board has consistently delivered value to Terra shareholders.
In fact, during the past four years, Terra has returned to Terra
shareholders in the form of share buybacks and dividends more than
$1 billion â representing more than 100% of Terra's net
income for the 15-quarter period ending September 30, 2009. This
includes the $7.50 per share special cash dividend ($1.00 to $1.50
of which is estimated as a tax-free return of capital).
-
Terra has oriented its product mix to serve its core agricultural
customers while also taking advantage of opportunities in
industrial markets, which represent 29% of our business. In
particular, there is significant upside in Terra's leading
Environmental Technologies business. By 2015, one product line of
this business, DEF, is expected to produce $400-500 million in new
annual revenues.
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Terra will continue to make strategic bolt-on acquisitions that
build shareholder value. For example, Terra recently announced an
agreement to purchase a 50% interest in Agrium's Carseland,
Alberta nitrogen manufacturing facility. This acquisition would
add a strong existing asset to Terra's production portfolio at an
attractive price and contribute accretive earnings in the first
year.
DON'T VOTE FOR CF'S ATTEMPT TO PLACE THREE DIRECTORS ON YOUR BOARD
PROTECT THE VALUE OF YOUR INVESTMENT - VOTE YOUR WHITE PROXY CARD
TODAY
We see CF's latest proposal as nothing more than a desperate attempt to
gain your support for its nominees at the upcoming Annual Meeting. We
believe that CF's nominees, if elected, would work to advance CF's
interests and its inadequate proposal at the expense of Terra
shareholders.
Your Board remains vigilant in the oversight of its fiduciary duties to
you, the true owners of Terra, and remains open to considering any bona
fide opportunity that creates meaningful value for all Terra
shareholders.
RE-ELECT TERRA'S DIRECTORS WHO ARE COMMITTED
TO
CONTINUING TO ACT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF ALL TERRA SHAREHOLDERS
Your vote is IMPORTANT no matter how many shares you own. Please
vote TODAY by telephone, Internet or by signing, dating and
returning the enclosed WHITE proxy card. A postage-paid envelope
is provided for your convenience. We urge you to discard any blue proxy
card you may receive from CF.
If you have any questions concerning CF's proposal or need additional
copies of Terra's publicly-filed materials, please contact MacKenzie
Partners, Inc. at (800) 322-2885 (Toll-Free) or at (212) 929-5500
(Collect).
We appreciate your continued support.
Sincerely,
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/s/ Michael L. Bennett
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/s/ Henry R. Slack
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Michael L. Bennett
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Henry R. Slack
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President and Chief Executive Officer
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Chairman of the Board
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Important Information and Where to Find It
On October 13, 2009, Terra filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC" ) a definitive proxy statement in connection with
its 2009 Annual Meeting, and is mailing the definitive proxy statement
to its shareholders. Investors and security holders are urged to read
the definitive proxy statement relating to the 2009 Annual Meeting and
any other relevant documents filed with the SEC (when available),
because they contain important information. Investors and security
holders may obtain a free copy of the definitive proxy statement and
other documents that Terra files with the SEC (when available) at the
SEC's Web site at www.sec.gov
and Terra's Web site at www.terraindustries.com.
In addition, the definitive proxy statement and other documents filed by
Terra with the SEC (when available) may be obtained from Terra free of
charge by directing a request to Terra Industries Inc., Attn: Investor
Relations, Terra Industries Inc., 600 Fourth Street, P.O. Box 6000,
Sioux City, IA 51102-6000.
Certain Information Concerning Participants
Terra, its directors, executive officers and certain employees specified
in Annex A to Terra's definitive proxy statement for the 2009 Annual
Meeting, which was filed with the SEC on October 13, 2009, are
participants in the solicitation of Terra's security holders in
connection with its 2009 Annual Meeting. Security holders may obtain
information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of such
individuals in Terra's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2008, which was filed with the SEC on February 27, 2009 and
amended on April 28, 2009, and its definitive proxy statement for the
2009 Annual Meeting. To the extent holdings of Terra securities have
changed since the amounts printed in the definitive proxy statement for
the 2009 Annual Meeting, such changes have been or will be reflected on
Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. These
documents (when available) may be obtained free of charge from the SEC's
Web site at www.sec.gov
and Terra's Web site at www.terraindustries.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this communication may constitute
"forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are
based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be
accurate. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is
expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. As a
result, these statements speak only as of the date they were made and
Terra undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law. Words
such as "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes,"
"estimates," and similar expressions are used to identify these
forward-looking statements. In particular, statements about Terra's
projected financial performance and Terra's plans or intentions
regarding the completion of the Carseland acquisition and the benefits
to Terra from such acquisition are forward-looking statements and may
not necessarily occur. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of
future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that
are difficult to predict. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions
include, among others:
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the risk that the closing of the Carseland acquisition, which is
conditioned on the completion of Agrium's unsolicited bid for CF, may
not occur,
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risks related to potential acquisition transactions,
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changes in financial and capital markets,
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general economic conditions within the agricultural industry,
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competitive factors and price changes (principally, sales prices of
nitrogen and methanol products and natural gas costs),
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changes in product mix,
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changes in the seasonality of demand patterns,
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changes in weather conditions,
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changes in environmental and other government regulation,
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changes in agricultural regulations and
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changes in the securities trading markets.
Additional information as to these factors can be found in Terra's 2008
Annual Report/10-K and in Terra's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q, in each case in the sections entitled "Business," "Risk Factors,"
"Legal Proceedings," and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and in the Notes to the
consolidated financial statements.
This communication includes projected financial performance information
from Terra's 2010 financial plan. These projections are necessarily
based upon a variety of estimates and assumptions, including published
third-party forecasts for product selling prices and current
basis-adjusted Nymex natural gas futures prices, which, through
currently considered reasonable by Terra, may not be realized and are
inherently subject, in addition to the specific risks identified above,
to business, economic, competitive, industry, regulatory, market and
financial uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond
Terra's control. There can be no assurance that the assumptions made in
preparing the projected financial performance information will prove
accurate. Accordingly, actual results may differ materially from the
results projected.
Note: Terra Industries' news announcements are also available
on its Web site, www.terraindustries.com.
1 See CF Form 425 filed November 2, 2009 (page 5).
2 CF has noted appropriate precedent transaction multiples
for completed transactions of 8.2x (median) and 7.6x (mean). See CF Form
425 filed November 2, 2009 (page 6).
3 BMO Capital Markets Research Comment, Terra Industries,
November 3, 2009.
4 Bank of America Merrill Lynch Industry Overview, M&A
ball in Agrium's court, November 2, 2009.
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
Matthew Sherman/Jamie Moser,
212-355-4449
msherman@joelefrank.com/jmoser@joelefrank.com
or
MacKenzie
Partners, Inc.
Larry Dennedy/Laurie Connell, 800-322-2885
terraproxy@mackenziepartners.com
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