A Mineral Royalty Company and an Industrial Plant Technology, Equipment and Service Company -NEW
YORK, Jan 06, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Based on a study
undertaken to determine ways to best enhance long term shareholder
value, the Board of Directors of KHD Humboldt Wedag International Ltd.
("KHD" or the "Company") (NYSE: KHD) today announces that it intends to
restructure the KHD into two distinct legal entities: (1) a mineral
royalty company and (2) an industrial plant technology, equipment and
service company (the "Arrangement"). Subject to receipt of all necessary
approvals, the transactions will take place by way of a distribution to
KHD's shareholders, on a pro rata basis, of all of KHD's common shares
of its subsidiary, KHD Humboldt Wedag (Deutschland) AG ("KID"), which
will own all of KHD's industrial plant technology, equipment and service
assets.
Under the proposed structure, the new mineral royalty
company, which would change its name from KHD to Terra Nova Royalty
Corporation ("Terra Nova"), would continue to receive
royalty payments from the Wabush Iron Ore Mine (the "Wabush") in the
province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada under a master lease that
terminates in the year 2055. Wabush has been a producing mine since
1956, and currently has proven reserves of 75 million tons representing
approximately 15-year production based on historical production.
Management intends to institute a dividend policy for Terra Nova
shareholders. Terra Nova intends to focus on:
- acquiring additional existing mineral royalties;
- providing capital for the exploration,
development and construction of iron ore and other metals mines in
exchange for royalties;
- monetizing metal by-product streams from either operating mines or projects under development; and
- providing acquisition financing to established operating companies in return for a royalty on acquired properties.
Subject to obtaining all necessary approvals, Terra Nova
intends to maintain its listing on the New York Stock Exchange (the
"NYSE") and will continue to trade the "regular way".
Concurrently all of KHD's industrial plant technology,
equipment and service operations, KID, will be listed on the regulated
market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (the "FSE"). Management will
focus on enhancing the traditional cement business through an expansion
of current activities in the rapidly growing Indian market. This company
will further strengthen its operational and management base in New
Delhi, India, as well as add additional resources in other fast-growing
emerging markets such as Russia. The company's main engineering centre
of excellence in Cologne, Germany will have a primary focus on
developing further the company's leading process know-how and product
engineering capabilities.
KID will also forge strategic alliances with
complementary international partners to offer innovative solutions,
including engineering procurement construction solutions, and develop
new, environmentally friendly technologies for our customer base.
A subsequent European public offering of KID shares is
planned to be completed for an additional ten percent of its capital in
order to create greater liquidity in the European market, and the KID
shares will begin trading on the FSE on a "when-issued" basis. The FSE
listing of KID is expected to be completed in March, 2010.
The two companies resulting from the Arrangement will
have the following attributes that will contribute to maximizing market
value and creating additional long-term value for KHD shareholders. All
dollar figures are in U.S. dollars on a pro form basis:
(1) Terra Nova(Mineral Royalty Business)
- Base for growth through acquisitions of other royalty streams.
- Experienced management.
- Debt free.
- Cash of US$113 million.
- Existing royalty stream now enhanced
with a single owner, stated capital expenditures, expanded workforce,
increased production and a new and enhanced reserve calculation.
- Updated reserves of 75 million tons of iron ore with an estimated mine life of at least 15 years based on historical production.
- Dividend policy.
(2) KID (Industrial Plant Technology, Equipment and Service Business)
- Experienced management team which has completed an internal restructuring after the recent financial crisis.
- Enhanced customer care by adding new customer service centers and resources in the growing emerging markets.
- Primary focus on the fast developing Indian market.
- Additional management and operational resources in New Delhi, India.
- The centre of excellence for process
and product engineering in Cologne, Germany will be strengthened in
order to add growth in quality engineering.
- Expanded business model for service
and spare parts to capitalize on KHD's installed base of over 490 cement
plants worldwide and to complement existing operations.
- Strategic alliances with international partners to develop and market new technologies with a strong environmental focus.
- Strategic alliances with international partners to offer EPC solutions to our customers.
- Technology driven, primarily in the environmental, pyro-processing and grinding areas.
- Adequate bonding lines.
The Company commented, "We have studied various ways to
increase value for KHD's shareholders and we believe that through this
transaction, the sum of the parts has greater value than the whole. What
precipitated us to take this action now were the significant changes at
Wabush. Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. recently announced that it would
acquire a 100 percent stake in the mine from its two partners, and also
updated existing reserves to 75 million tons of iron ore which implies
an estimated mine life of at least 15 years based on historical
production. This changed the way we looked at the new now more clearly
defined segments of KHD." Canadian and United States shareholders of KHD
are urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to federal, local
and foreign tax consequences.
KHD intends to hold investor information meetings during the third week of February 2010.
The proposed Arrangement requires court approval under the provisions of the British Columbia Business Corporations Act,
as well as approval by the shareholders of KHD and other statutory
requirements customary for transactions of this type. KHD will apply to
the Supreme Court of British Columbia to obtain an interim order
providing, amongst other things, for the calling and holding of a
special meeting of shareholders of KHD to seek approval for the
Arrangement. KHD expects to hold this special meeting on March 22, 2010.
Further information concerning the Arrangement will be available in the
KHD management information circular to be filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and with Canadian securities
regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
About KHD Humboldt Wedag International Ltd.
KHD Humboldt Wedag International Ltd. owns companies that
operate internationally in the industrial plant technology, equipment
and service industry, and specializes in the cement industry. To obtain
further information about KHD, please visit our website at http://www.khdhumboldt.com
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information
Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regardingKHD's planned restructuring. Forward-looking
statements consist of statements that are not purely historical,
including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or
intentions regarding the future. No assurance can be given that any of
the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or,
if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. These
forward-looking statements reflect management's current views and are
based on certain assumptions. These assumptions, which include
management's current expectations, estimates and assumptions about the
potential benefits of the Arrangement, the areas that the resulting
legal entities will focus on, the common shares of KID to be distributed
to the shareholders of KHD, and that the restructuring will increase
value for KHD shareholders, may prove to be incorrect. A number
of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements, including: (1) the failure to obtain any necessary approvals for the restructuring, (2) the timing and extent of the restructuring, (3)
potential negative financial impact from regulatory investigations,
claims, lawsuits and other legal proceedings and challenges related to the restructuring, (4) a decrease in Wabush's estimated reserves or mine life or in the Wabush royalty, (5) the uncertainty of government regulation and politics in India and other markets, (6) the inability to successfully expand in the Indian market, (7) continuing
decreased demand for our products, including the renegotiation, delay
and/or cancellation of projects by our customers and the reduction in
the number of project opportunities, (8) a decrease in the demand for cement, minerals and related products, (9) the number of competitors with competitively priced products and services, (10) product development or other initiatives by our competitors, (11) shifts in industry capacity, (12) fluctuations in foreign exchange and interest rates, (13) fluctuations in availability and cost of raw materials or energy, (14) delays in the start of projects, (15) delays in the implementation of projects and disputes regarding the performance of our services, and (16)
other factors beyond our control. Additional information about these
and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties are set out in the "Risk
Factors" section in our Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and the "Risks and Uncertainties" section in our MD&A
filed with Canadian securities regulators.
- UNAUDITED PRO FORMA FINANCIAL TABLE FOLLOWS -
KHD HUMBOLDT WEDAG INTERNATIONAL LTD.
PRO FORMA CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
As of September 30, 2009
(U.S. Dollars in Thousands)
(Unaudited)
Royalty Group Industrial Group
------------- ----------------
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents $112,540 $294,883
Other receivables 7,799 292,698
----- -------
Total current assets 120,339 587,581
Non-current Assets 221,842 7,426
------- -----
Total Assets $342,181 $595,007
======== ========
LIABILITIES & SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities $5,320 $390,270
Long-term liabilities 50,176 83,444
------ ------
Total liabilities 55,496 473,714
Shareholders' Equity 286,685 121,293
------- -------
$342,181 $595,007
======== ========
OTHER FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Working capital $115,019 $197,311
Book value per share $9.43 $3.99
Note: This pro forma balance sheet is prepared giving
effect to the restructuring of the Company into a mineral royalty
company (royalty group) and an industrial plant technology, equipment
and service company (industrial group). The pro forma balance sheet for
the mineral royalty company reflects an upward revaluation of the
royalty assets and the mineral royalty company expects to recognize the
revaluation adjustment in its financial statements when the mineral
royalty company adopts International Financial Reporting Standards on or
before January 1, 2011, though it is not recognized in the Canadian
accounting. The royalty assets were revalued because the operator
recently updated existing reserves to 75 million tons of iron ore which
implies an estimated mine life of at least 15 years based on historical
production. As at September 30, 2009, the Company's royalty assets were
presented on its historical balance sheet at $27 million. This is
reconciled to the pro forma value of $200 million by valuing the royalty
interest using a discount cash flow model with forecast revenues to
2023 at a discount rate of 8% p.a., resulting in an upward revaluation
of $173 million.
Contact Information: Allen & Caron Inc. Rene
Randall Joseph Allen(investors) KHD Humboldt Wedag International Ltd. 1
(212) 691-8087 1 (604) 683-8286 ex 224 joe@allencaron.com
randall.r@khd.de or Brian Kennedy (media) 1 (212) 691-8087
brian@allencaron.com
SOURCE KHD Humboldt Wedag International Ltd.
Communicate with management