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| GRB > SEC Filings for GRB > Form 8-K on 9-Jul-2009 | All Recent SEC Filings |
9-Jul-2009
Other Events
vacancies on the Board of Directors. The foregoing shareholder vote would exceed
the minimum vote, summarized in the paragraph above, generally prescribed by the
CBCA to approve such types of amendments.
Gerber's by-laws provide that the number of directors may not be fewer than
three nor more than 11, exclusive of directors, if any, elected by the holders
of one or more series of preferred stock which may be outstanding at any time,
voting separately as a class pursuant to the certificate of incorporation.
Dividend Rights. Dividends may be paid on the common stock on an equal
per-share basis, but only when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out
of assets legally available for the payment of dividends. Holders of common
stock will be entitled to receive any such dividends only after the provisions
with respect to preferential dividends on any outstanding series of preferred
stock have been satisfied and after Gerber has complied with any requirements
with respect to redemption of, or the setting aside of sums as sinking funds or
redemption or purchase accounts with respect to, any outstanding series of
preferred stock.
Liquidation Rights. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or
winding-up of Gerber, whether voluntary or involuntary, the holders of the
common stock, together with the holders of any class or series of stock entitled
to participate with the holders of the common stock, in whole or in part, as to
distribution of assets, will be entitled to receive the remaining assets of
Gerber available for distribution, in cash or in stock, subject to the relative
rights and preferences of any then outstanding shares of preferred stock and any
other class or series that are issued and outstanding, having preference over
the common stock in such an event of liquidation, dissolution or winding-up.
Other Rights. Holders of the common stock have no redemption or conversion
rights and no preemptive right to subscribe for or purchase additional shares of
any class of Gerber's capital stock. The common stock has no sinking fund
provisions.
Listing. The common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol "GRB."
Preferred Stock
The rights and privileges of holders of the common stock described above may
be adversely affected by the rights, privileges and preferences of holders of
shares of any series of preferred stock which the Board of Directors may
authorize and Gerber may issue from time to time. The Board of Directors has
broad discretion with respect to the creation and issuance of preferred stock
without shareholder approval, subject to any applicable rights of holders of any
shares of preferred stock outstanding from time to time. Subject to limitations
prescribed by the CBCA, the Board of Directors is authorized from time to time
and without further shareholder action to provide for the issuance of shares of
preferred stock in one or more series, and to fix the voting powers,
designations, preferences, relative rights and limitations of such series,
including, without limitation, dividend rights, conversion privileges,
redemption rights, liquidation rights and the terms
of any sinking fund or redemption or purchase account. Among other things, by
authorizing the issuance of shares of preferred stock with particular voting,
conversion or other rights, the Board of Directors could adversely affect the
voting power of the holders of the common stock and could impede any attempt to
effect a change in control of Gerber, even if such a transaction would be
beneficial to the interests of Gerber's shareholders.
Antitakeover Legislation
Business Combinations With Interested Shareholders. Gerber is subject to the
provisions of Section 33-844 of the CBCA, which prohibits a Connecticut
corporation from engaging in a "business combination" with an "interested
shareholder" for a period of five years after the date of the transaction on
which the person became an interested shareholder, unless the business
combination or the purchase of stock by which such person became an interested
shareholder is approved by the corporation's board of directors, and by a
majority of its non-employee directors, before the date on which such person
became an interested shareholder. Gerber also is subject to Sections 33-841 and
33-842 of the CBCA. These provisions generally require business combinations of
a Connecticut corporation with an interested shareholder to be approved by the
corporation's board of directors and then by the affirmative vote of at least
(1) the holders of 80% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of the
corporation's voting stock and (2) the holders of two-thirds of the voting power
of the outstanding shares of the corporation's voting stock, excluding the
voting stock held by the interested shareholder, unless the consideration to be
received by the shareholders meets specified price and other requirements set
forth in Section 33-842 of the CBCA. A "business combination" generally
includes, among other transactions involving the corporation or any subsidiary
with (or providing specified financial benefits to) an interested shareholder,
mergers and consolidations, asset sales and other asset dispositions, and some
types of stock issuances. Subject to exceptions, an "interested shareholder" is
a person that beneficially owns 10% or more of the corporation's voting power,
or is an affiliate of the corporation and beneficially owned 10% or more of the
corporation's voting power within a specified period before the date of the
transaction.
Consideration of Stakeholder Interests. Gerber is subject to
Section 33-756(d) of the CBCA, which generally requires directors acting with
respect to mergers, sales of assets and other specified transactions to
consider, in determining what they reasonably believe to be in the best
interests of the corporation, specified interests in addition to the interests
of shareholders, including the interests of the corporation's employees,
customers, creditors and suppliers and any community in which any office or
other facility of the corporation is located.
Sales of Assets, Plans of Merger and Share Exchanges. Under its certificate
of incorporation, Gerber has opted out of "grandfather" provisions of the CBCA
relating to sales of assets, plans of merger and share exchanges that apply to
corporations, such as Gerber, that were incorporated under the laws of
Connecticut before January 1, 1997. Section 33-817 of the CBCA requires that,
unless the corporation's certificate of incorporation expressly provides
otherwise or specified exceptions apply, a plan of merger or share exchange by a
corporation incorporated under the laws of Connecticut
before January 1, 1997 must be approved by the affirmative vote of at least
two-thirds of each class or series of stock entitled to vote on such a
transaction as a separate class or series, and by the affirmative vote of at
least two-thirds of each class of stock outstanding before January 1, 1997, and
not otherwise entitled to vote on the transaction. In addition, Section 33-831
of the CBCA requires that, unless the corporation's certificate of incorporation
expressly provides otherwise or specified exceptions apply, the sale, lease,
exchange or disposition of all, or substantially all, of a corporation's
property by a corporation incorporated under the laws of Connecticut before
January 1, 1997 must be approved by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds
of each class or series of stock entitled to vote on the transaction as a
separate class or series, and by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of
each class of stock outstanding before January 1, 1997, whether or not otherwise
entitled to vote on the transaction.
Gerber has elected not to be governed by the "grandfather" provisions of
Sections 33-817 and 33-831 of the CBCA. Gerber's certificate of incorporation
provides that the approval of any plan of merger, share exchange or disposition
of assets consummated by Gerber that is otherwise covered by Sections 33-817 and
33-831 as described above would require the affirmative vote of a majority of
the votes entitled to be cast on any such transaction, which is the vote
required under provisions of the CBCA applicable to corporations incorporated in
Connecticut on or after January 1, 1997.
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