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| FPU > SEC Filings for FPU > Form 8-K on 20-Apr-2009 | All Recent SEC Filings |
20-Apr-2009
Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement, Change in Directors or Pr
On April 17, 2009, Florida Public Utilities Company (the "Company") entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") with Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("Chesapeake"), and its wholly owned subsidiary, CPK Pelican, Inc., a Florida corporation ("Merger Sub"). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company (the "Merger"), with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation and operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Chesapeake. The Merger is intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended.
Subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, upon the closing of the Merger, each issued and outstanding share of the Company's common stock, par value $1.50 per share, will be converted into the right to receive 0.405 shares of Chesapeake's common stock, par value $0.4867 per share. On April 16, 2009, the closing price of the Company's common stock as reported by the NYSE Amex was $10.49 and the closing price of Chesapeake's common stock as reported by the New York Stock Exchange was $30.78.
The Merger Agreement also provides that, prior to the effective time of the Merger, the Company will redeem all of its outstanding shares of preferred stock at the redemption price set forth in the terms of the preferred stock, together with all accrued and unpaid dividends.
The Company, Chesapeake and Merger Sub have made customary representations, warranties and covenants in the Merger Agreement. Each of the Company and Chesapeake have agreed, among other things, to conduct their business in the ordinary and usual course during the interim period between the execution of the Merger Agreement and the consummation of the Merger. Other Company activities that are limited or restricted under the Merger Agreement include (i) acquisitions of assets or equity interests of third parties, including acquisitions by merger or consolidations with third parties; (ii) sales, leases, licenses, encumbrances or other dispositions of certain assets; (iii) making loans, advances or capital contributions to third parties; (iv) creating, incurring, assuming or suffering to exist indebtedness, debt securities, guarantees, loans or advances not in existence on the date of the Merger Agreement. The Company has also agreed not (1) to solicit proposals relating to alternative business combination transactions or (2) subject to certain exceptions, to enter into discussions concerning, or providing confidential information in connection with, alternative business combination transactions.
The Company has agreed to cause a stockholders meeting to be held to consider adoption of the Merger Agreement and, subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Merger Agreement, the Company's Board of Directors will recommend adoption by its shareholders of the Merger Agreement. The Company and Chesapeake have agreed to prepare and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a mutually acceptable joint proxy statement/prospectus and Chesapeake has agreed to prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 to register the shares that it will issue to the Company's stockholders in connection with the Merger.
The Merger Agreement provides that at the effective time of the Merger, all of the members of the Company's board of directors will resign and, upon or immediately following the effective time of the Merger, Chesapeake shall appoint to serve on its board of directors two members of the Company's current board of directors, as designated by Chesapeake.
Pursuant to their amended and restated employment agreements, Messrs. Stein and Bachman will continue as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, respectively, of the surviving corporation. They will be paid stay bonuses of $575,000 and $520,000, respectively, at the effective time of the Merger. The amended and restated employment agreements for Messrs. Stein and Bachman provide for annual compensation consistent with their current compensation at the Company, including base salary and bonus program provisions. Each of these agreements provides for a three-year term of employment commencing upon consummation of the Merger, with such term being extended for an additional three years (an "Extended Term") in the event of a change in control of Chesapeake.
Under the amended and restated employment agreements, if Mr. Stein or Mr. Bachman terminates his employment with "good reason" during the employment term, then he will receive a lump sum payment equal to the sum of the base salary and incentive bonus that would otherwise be payable over the balance of the employment term, if any, and receive the same employment benefits for the balance of the employment term, to the extent permitted by applicable law. If Chesapeake terminates Mr. Stein or Mr. Bachman's employment without "good cause" during an Extended Term, he will be entitled to a lump sum payment equal to three times the sum of his annual base salary plus average short and long term bonuses received over the prior three years, and the present value of additional benefits that would have been paid under the Company's retirement plans if he had continued employment through the Extended Term. The total amounts payable under the amended and restated employment agreements are subject to reduction as necessary to avoid triggering an "excess parachute payment" excise tax under the Internal Revenue Code.
The consummation of the Merger is subject to approval by the shareholders of the Company and of Chesapeake, regulatory approvals (including antitrust and utilities approvals), and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary conditions. The Merger Agreement contains certain termination rights for both the Company and Chesapeake, including the right of either party to terminate the Merger Agreement if the Merger is not completed by January 31, 2010 (or, if only antitrust and utilities approvals are outstanding, by March 31, 2010). Upon . . .
Reference is made to Item 1.01, which is incorporated herein by reference.
On April 20, 2009, the Company and Chesapeake issued a joint press release announcing their entry into the Merger Agreement. A copy of such press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed Merger, Chesapeake's registration statement on Form S-4, which will include a joint proxy statement of the Company and Chesapeake and a prospectus, as well as other materials, will be filed with the SEC. INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND THESE OTHER MATERIALS CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, CHESAPEAKE, AND THE PROPOSED MERGER. Investors will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and proxy statement/prospectus (when available) as well as other filed documents containing information about the Company and Chesapeake at http://www.sec.gov, the SEC's Web site. Free copies of the Company's SEC filings are also available on Florida Public Utilities' Web site at www.fpuc.com/about_us/invest.asp and free copies of Chesapeake's SEC filings are also available on Chesapeake's Web site at investor.shareholder.com/CPK/sec.cfm.
Participants in the Solicitation
The Company and Chesapeake and their respective directors, executive officers, other members of management and employees may be deemed, under SEC rules, to be participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the proposed Merger. Information about the directors and executive officers of the Company is set forth in the proxy statement for the Company's 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, as filed with the SEC on a Schedule 14A on April 6, 2009 and Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 20, 2009. Information about the directors and executive officers of
(d) Exhibits. See Exhibit Index.
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