APD Air Products and Chemicals Inc

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

SCHEDULE 14A

(Rule 14a-101)

 

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

 

Filed by the Registrant ☐ Filed by a Party other than the Registrant x

 

Check the appropriate box:

 

¨ Preliminary Proxy Statement

¨ Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

¨ Definitive Proxy Statement

x Definitive Additional Materials

¨ Soliciting material Pursuant to §240.14a-12

 

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. 

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

 

MANTLE RIDGE LP

EAGLE FUND A1 LTD

EAGLE ADVISOR LLC

PAUL HILAL

ANDREW EVANS

TRACY MCKIBBEN

DENNIS REILLEY

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

  

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

x No fee required

¨ Fee paid previously with preliminary materials

¨ Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11

 

 

 

On December 13, 2024, Mantle Ridge LP, which, together with its affiliates (collectively, “Mantle Ridge”), beneficially owns approximately $1.3 billion of the outstanding common shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE: APD) (“Air Products” or the “Company”), uploaded the following statement to its website, www.RefreshingAirProducts.com (the “Website”):

 

“Mantle Ridge Issues Statement Regarding False and Misleading Media Report
About Industrial Gas Industry Legend Dennis Reilley

 

New York – December 13, 2024 – Mantle Ridge LP, which, together with its affiliates (collectively, ‘Mantle Ridge’), beneficially owns approximately $1.3 billion of the outstanding common shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE: APD) (‘Air Products’ or the ‘Company’), today issued the following statement in response to a false and misleading media report regarding Mr. Dennis Reilley, one of Mantle Ridge’s four highly qualified director nominees seeking election to Air Products’ Board of Directors (the ‘Board’) at the Company’s 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders:

 

‘True to form, the Air Products Board – controlled by its entrenched and grossly underperforming octogenarian Chairman and CEO Seifi Ghasemi – has again strained to mischaracterize the truth. On top of the ever-mounting pile of demonstrably false and misleading statements, they now seek to besmirch the reputation of our nominee Mr. Dennis Reilley.

 

To be clear, Mr. Reilley in no way acted inappropriately, and has never been accused of or charged with any impropriety or wrongdoing in connection with the matter.

 

Mr. Ghasemi’s amplifying false statements by a third party – a person found criminally liable for lying to the FBI in this matter, and civilly liable for insider trading – does not change this central, well-known and understood fact. The matter, a decade old and widely reported long ago, is closed.

 

Mr. Reilley is an industry legend and author of what is widely seen as the gold-standard model for performance in the industrial gas industry – a model that Mr. Ghasemi has desperately chased, but fallen far short of throughout his career.

 

This sad effort to tarnish Mr. Reilley’s reputation further exposes how fearful Mr. Ghasemi and his Board are of the coming change, and how the ensuing positive inflection in the business will reveal their shortcomings. They are desperate to distract the shareholders from the truth.

 

Air Products shareholders deserve better. We deserve a robust discussion on the relative merits of the Board candidates up for election and the best way to create long-term, sustainable value – including through long overdue succession to leadership that can help Air Products attain its potential.

 

It is time to restore integrity and competence to Air Products’ Board. We urge our fellow shareholders to vote for Mantle Ridge’s four highly qualified, high-integrity, nominees to refresh Air Products and create durable long-term value for shareholders.’”

 

 

From time to time, Mantle Ridge or the other participants in the proxy solicitation may publish the material, or portions thereof, on the Website in connection with the solicitation of the stockholders of the Company.

 

***

 

About Mantle Ridge

 

Founded in 2016 by Paul Hilal, Mantle Ridge LP is an engaged, long-term owner-steward that works closely and constructively with company boards to create durable long-term value for all stakeholders. None of Mantle Ridge LP’s affiliated entities is a hedge fund or other investment vehicle with a structurally short-term incentive, which fundamentally differentiates the firm from other market actors who are known to engage with company boards. Mantle Ridge has raised separate, single-investment, five-year special purpose vehicles to support its previous engagements with companies including CSX Corporation, Aramark and Dollar Tree. For more information, visit https://www.mantleridge.com/.

 

 

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

The information herein contains “forward-looking statements.” Specific forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and include, without limitation, words such as “may,” “will,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “estimates,” “projects,” “potential,” “targets,” “forecasts,” “seeks,” “could,” “should” or the negative of such terms or other variations on such terms or comparable terminology. Similarly, statements that describe our objectives, plans or goals are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties and assumptions. There can be no assurance that any idea or assumption herein is, or will be proven, correct. If one or more of the risks or uncertainties materialize, or if any of the underlying assumptions of Mantle Ridge or any of the other participants in the proxy solicitation described herein prove to be incorrect, the actual results may vary materially from outcomes indicated by these statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Mantle Ridge that the future plans, estimates or expectations contemplated will ever be achieved.

 

Certain statements and information included herein may have been sourced from third parties. Mantle Ridge does not make any representations regarding the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of such third party statements or information. Except as may be expressly set forth herein, permission to cite such statements or information has neither been sought nor obtained from such third parties, nor has Mantle Ridge paid for any such statements or information. Any such statements or information should not be viewed as an indication of support from such third parties for the views expressed herein.

 

Mantle Ridge disclaims any obligation to update the information herein or to disclose the results of any revisions that may be made to any projected results or forward-looking statements herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such information, projected results or statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

 

CERTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PARTICIPANTS

 

Mantle Ridge LP and the other Participants (as defined below) have filed a definitive proxy statement (the “Definitive Proxy Statement”) and accompanying BLUE universal proxy card or voting instruction form with the SEC to be used to solicit proxies for, among other matters, the election of its slate of director nominees at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders of the Company (the “2025 Annual Meeting”). Shortly after filing the Definitive Proxy Statement with the SEC, Mantle Ridge LP furnished the Definitive Proxy Statement and accompanying BLUE universal proxy card or voting instruction form to some or all of the stockholders entitled to vote at the 2025 Annual Meeting.

 

The participants in the proxy solicitation are Mantle Ridge LP, Eagle Fund A1 Ltd, Eagle Advisor LLC, Paul Hilal (all of the foregoing persons, collectively, the “Mantle Ridge Parties”), Andrew Evans, Tracy McKibben and Dennis Reilley (such individuals, collectively with the Mantle Ridge Parties, the “Participants”).

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT

 

MANTLE RIDGE LP STRONGLY ADVISES ALL STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY TO READ ITS DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO SUCH PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER PROXY MATERIALS FILED BY MANTLE RIDGE LP WITH THE SEC AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. SUCH PROXY MATERIALS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC’S WEBSITE AT WWW.SEC.GOV. THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE SEC’S WEBSITE, FREE OF CHARGE, OR BY DIRECTING A REQUEST TO THE PARTICIPANTS’ PROXY SOLICITOR, D.F. KING & CO., INC., 48 WALL STREET, 22ND FLOOR, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10005. STOCKHOLDERS CAN CALL TOLL-FREE: (888) 628-8208.

 

Information about the Participants and a description of their direct or indirect interests by security holdings or otherwise can be found in the Definitive Proxy Statement.

 

 

Investor Contact

D.F. King & Co., Inc.

Edward McCarthy

Tel: (212) 493-6952

 

Media Contacts

Jonathan Gasthalter / Nathaniel Garnick

Gasthalter & Co.

Tel: (212) 257-4170

Email: RefreshingAPD@gasthalter.com

 

 

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