Published: October 17, 2011
AmeriGas Partners to Acquire the Propane Operations of Energy Transfer Partners
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - AmeriGas Propane, Inc., general partner of AmeriGas Partners, L.P.
(NYSE: APU) ("AmeriGas Partners" ), announced that AmeriGas Partners had
reached a definitive agreement to acquire the propane operations of
Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. ("Energy Transfer" ) for total
consideration of approximately $2.9 billion, including $1.5 billion in
cash, approximately $1.3 billion in AmeriGas common units, and the
assumption of $71 million in debt. Energy Transfer conducts its propane
operations in 41 states through subsidiaries including Heritage
Operating, L.P. and Titan Energy Partners, L.P. (collectively, "Heritage
Propane" ). The acquisition of Heritage Propane will add over one million
retail propane customers and over 500 million gallons to AmeriGas's
nationwide propane distribution operations.
Eugene V.N. Bissell, president and chief executive officer, said, "This
transaction provides AmeriGas with an outstanding opportunity to grow
its core business. We look forward to working with Heritage Propane as
we merge two high-quality propane operations into one cohesive
organization. The combination of these two customer-focused teams will
provide us with the unique opportunity to utilize a broader platform to
enhance productivity, develop new growth opportunities and deploy new
technologies. As we integrate the businesses, we will adopt best
practices from each of the organizations in order to optimize service to
our customers and ensure strong financial performance for our investors."
Lon R. Greenberg, chairman of AmeriGas, and chairman and chief executive
officer of UGI Corporation (NYSE: UGI) said, "We are pleased to be
combining our AmeriGas propane operations with those of Heritage
Propane. The transaction responds effectively to the challenges faced by
the propane distribution industry over the past few years, and we
believe it will be value-creating in the future for our unitholders. We
structured the transaction so that AmeriGas would maintain a strong
balance sheet and preserve its credit ratings, and after discussions
with rating agencies, we believe that this goal has been achieved. We
are confident that the combination will contribute to achievement of
AmeriGas's long standing financial goals of growing EBITDA 3% annually
and increasing distributions by 5% per year. Additionally, AmeriGas
expects to declare a one-time distribution increase of 3% following the
closing of the transaction to tangibly demonstrate the benefits of the
transaction to AmeriGas's unitholders."
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions including
approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and is expected to close late
in 2011 or early in 2012. Neither AmeriGas Partners nor Energy Transfer
unitholder approval is required in connection with this transaction.
AmeriGas engaged J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as an advisor for the
purpose of providing a fairness opinion to its Board of Directors in
connection with the transaction. Shearman & Sterling LLP served as legal
advisor to AmeriGas in connection with the transaction.
AmeriGas and UGI Corporation will hold a live Internet Audio Webcast of
the conference call to discuss the transaction at 3:30 PM ET on Monday,
October 17, 2011. Interested parties who wish to listen to the audio
webcast, which will also include a supporting slide presentation, may do
so live or in replay on the Internet at http://investor.shareholder.com/ugi/apu/events.cfm
or at the company website http://www.amerigas.com
under the caption "Investor Relations" . A telephonic replay will be
available from 7:00 PM ET on October 17 through midnight, October 19,
2011. The replay may be accessed at 1-855-859-2056, passcode 19772283,
International 1-404-537-3406, passcode 19772283.
AmeriGas Partners is the nation's largest retail propane marketer,
serving approximately 1.3 million customers in all 50 states from nearly
1,200 locations. UGI Corporation, through subsidiaries, owns 44% of the
Partnership and the public owns the remaining 56%.
Comprehensive information about AmeriGas is available on the Internet at http://www.amerigas.com.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements which
management believes to be reasonable as of today's date only. Actual
results may differ significantly because of risks and uncertainties that
are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond management's
control. Among those is the risk that the conditions to closing
the transaction are not met or that the anticipated benefits from the
proposed transaction cannot be fully realized. You should read the
Partnership's Annual Report on Form 10-K for a more extensive list of
factors that could affect results. Among them are adverse weather
conditions, cost volatility and availability of propane, increased
customer conservation measures, the capacity to transport propane to our
market areas, the impact of pending and future legal proceedings,
political, economic and regulatory conditions in the U.S. and abroad,
capital market conditions, including reduced access to capital markets
and interest rate fluctuations, and the timing and success of our
acquisitions and investments to grow our business. The
Partnership undertakes no obligation to release revisions to its
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring
after today.

AmeriGas Partners, L.P.
Hugh J. Gallagher, 610-337-7000 ext. 1029
Brenda
A. Blake, 610-337-7000 ext. 3202
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