Ag Growth International Inc. (TSX: AFN) (“AGI”, the “Company”, “we”
or “our”) announced today a financing and operational update.
Offering of Convertible Unsecured
Subordinated DebenturesAGI announced that it has reached
an agreement with a syndicate of underwriters led by CIBC Capital
Markets (the “Underwriters”), pursuant to which AGI will issue on a
“bought deal” basis, subject to regulatory approval, $100,000,000
aggregate principal amount of convertible unsecured subordinated
debentures (the “Debentures”) at a price of $1,000 per Debenture
(the “Offering”). AGI has granted to the Underwriters an
over-allotment option, exercisable in whole or in part for a period
expiring 30 days following closing, to purchase up to an additional
$15,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Debentures at the same
price. If the over-allotment option is fully exercised, the total
gross proceeds from the Offering to AGI will be $115,000,000.
The net proceeds of the Offering will be used to
redeem Ag Growth’s outstanding 4.50% Convertible Unsecured
Subordinated Debentures due December 31, 2022 (the “December 2022
Debentures”) and for general corporate purposes.
“This offering addresses our near-term debt
maturity while we continue to focus on execution and organic growth
opportunities,” commented Tim Close, President & CEO of AGI.
“We continue to see strong demand as customers across all segments
continue to invest in critical equipment and technologies to
support their operations. Backlogs and sales pipelines remain at
record levels providing good visibility for 2022. We do expect that
a combination of project timing and typical seasonality will shift
the growth towards the last nine months of the year, particularly
in the second and third quarters.”
Additional operational update:
- Full year 2022 Adjusted EBITDA (see
“Non-IFRS measures”) outlook of at least $200 million, representing
continued growth and expansion over a record 2021 result, with
growth over 2021 to be realized in the last nine months of the
year, particularly in the second and third quarters.
- The outlook is supported by our
backlog, up 24% year-over-year as of March 27, 2022, and sitting at
record-levels on a dollar basis, as well as elevated sales
pipelines globally.
A preliminary short form prospectus qualifying
the distribution of the Debentures will be filed with the
securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces of
Canada (other than Quebec). Closing of the Offering is expected to
occur on or about April 19, 2022. The Offering is subject to normal
regulatory approvals, including approval of the Toronto Stock
Exchange.
The Debentures will bear interest from the date
of issue at 5.20% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on
June 30 and December 31 each year commencing June 30, 2022. The
Debentures will have a maturity date of December 31, 2027 (the
“Maturity Date”).
The Debentures will be convertible at the
holder’s option at any time prior to the close of business on the
earlier of the business day immediately preceding the Maturity Date
and the date specified by AGI for redemption of the Debentures into
fully paid and non-assessable common shares (“Common Shares”) of
the Company at a conversion price of $70.50 per Common Share (the
“Conversion Price”), being a conversion rate of approximately
14.1844 Common Shares for each $1,000 principal amount of
Debentures.
The Debentures will not be redeemable by the
Company before December 31, 2025. On and after December 31, 2025
and prior to December 31, 2026, the Debentures may be redeemed in
whole or in part from time to time at AGI’s option at a price equal
to their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest,
provided that the volume weighted average trading price of the
Common Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the 20 consecutive
trading days ending on the fifth trading day preceding the date on
which the notice of the redemption is given is not less than 125%
of the Conversion Price. On and after December 31, 2026, the
Debentures may be redeemed in whole or in part from time to time at
AGI’s option at a price equal to their principal amount plus
accrued and unpaid interest regardless of the trading price of the
Common Shares.
Redemption of December 2022
DebenturesConcurrent with the Offering, AGI also announced
today that it has given notice of its intention to redeem its
December 2022 Debentures in accordance with the terms of the
supplemental trust indenture dated January 3, 2018, governing the
December 2022 Debentures. The redemption of the December 2022
Debentures will be effective on May 2, 2022 (the "Redemption
Date"). Upon redemption, AGI will pay to the holders of December
2022 Debentures the redemption price (the "Redemption Price") equal
to the outstanding principal amount of the December 2022 Debentures
to be redeemed, together with all accrued and unpaid interest
thereon up to but excluding the Redemption Date, less any taxes
required to be deducted or withheld.
This press release is not an offer of Debentures
for sale in the United States. The Debentures may not be offered or
sold in the United States absent registration under the U.S.
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption from such
registration. The Company has not registered and will not register
the Debentures under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
The Company does not intend to engage in a public offering of
Debentures in the United States. This press release shall not
constitute an offer to sell, nor shall there be any sale of, the
Debentures in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or
sale would be unlawful.
AGI Company ProfileAGI is a
provider of the physical equipment and digital technology solutions
required to support global food infrastructure including grain,
fertilizer, seed, feed, and food processing systems. AGI has
manufacturing facilities in Canada, the United States, the United
Kingdom, Brazil, India, France, and Italy and distributes its
product globally.
For More Information
Contact:Andrew JacklinDirector, Investor
Relations+1-437-335-1630investor-relations@aggrowth.com
CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS
Non-IFRS MeasuresIn analyzing
our results, we supplement our use of financial measures that are
calculated and presented in accordance with International Financial
Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) with a number of non-IFRS financial
measures, including “adjusted EBITDA”. A non-IFRS financial measure
is a numerical measure of a company's historical performance,
financial position or cash flow that excludes [includes] amounts,
or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding
[including] amounts, that are included [excluded] in the most
directly comparable measures calculated and presented in accordance
with IFRS. Non-IFRS financial measures are not standardized;
therefore, it may not be possible to compare these financial
measures with other companies' non-IFRS financial measures having
the same or similar businesses. We strongly encourage investors to
review our consolidated financial statements and publicly filed
reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial
measure.
We use these non-IFRS financial measures in
addition to, and in conjunction with, results presented in
accordance with IFRS. These non-IFRS financial measures reflect an
additional way of viewing aspects of our operations that, when
viewed with our IFRS results and the accompanying reconciliations
to corresponding IFRS financial measures, may provide a more
complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our
business.
In our annual MD&A, we discuss the non-IFRS
financial measures, including the reasons that we believe that
these measures provide useful information regarding our financial
condition, results of operations, cash flows and financial
position, as applicable, and, to the extent material, the
additional purposes, if any, for which these measures are used.
Reconciliations of non-IFRS financial measures to the most directly
comparable IFRS financial measures are contained in our annual
MD&A.
Management believes that the Company's financial
results may provide a more complete understanding of factors and
trends affecting our business and be more meaningful to management,
investors, analysts, and other interested parties when certain
aspects of our financial results are adjusted for the gain (loss)
on foreign exchange and other operating expenses and income. These
measurements are non-IFRS measurements. Management uses the
non-IFRS adjusted financial results and non-IFRS financial measures
to measure and evaluate the performance of the business and when
discussing results with the Board of Directors, analysts,
investors, banks, and other interested parties.
“Adjusted EBITDA” is defined as profit (loss)
before income taxes before finance costs, depreciation and
amortization, share of associate’s net loss, gain on remeasurement
of equity investment, gain or loss on foreign exchange, non-cash
share based compensation expenses, gain or loss on financial
instruments, M&A expenses, change in estimate on variable
considerations, other transaction and transitional costs, net loss
on the sale of property, plant & equipment, gain or loss on
settlement of right-of-use assets, gain on disposal of foreign
operation, equipment rework and remediation and impairment.
Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS financial measure and its most
directly comparable financial measure that is disclosed in our
consolidated financial statements is profit (loss) before income
taxes. Our adjusted EBITDA for the year ended 2021 was $176.3
million. See "Profit (loss) before income taxes and Adjusted
EBITDA" in our annual MD&A available under the Company's
profile on SEDAR [www.sedar.com]. Management believes that, in
addition to profit or loss, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are useful
supplemental measures in evaluating the Company’s performance.
Management cautions investors that EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA
should not replace profit or loss as indicators of performance, or
cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities as a
measure of the Company’s liquidity and cash flows.
Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains forward-looking statements and
information [collectively, "forward-looking information"] within
the meaning of applicable securities laws that reflect our
expectations regarding the future growth, results of operations,
performance, business prospects, and opportunities of the Company.
All information and statements contained herein that are not
clearly historical in nature constitute forward-looking
information, and the words “anticipate”, “estimate”, “believe”,
“continue”, “could”, “expects”, “intend”, “plans”, “will”, “may” or
similar expressions suggesting future conditions or events or the
negative of these terms are generally intended to identify
forward-looking information. Forward-looking information involves
known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause actual results or events to differ materially from those
anticipated in such forward-looking information. In addition, this
press release may contain forward-looking information attributed to
third party industry sources. Undue reliance should not be placed
on forward-looking information, as there can be no assurance that
the plans, intentions or expectations upon which it is based will
occur. In particular, the forward-looking information in this press
release includes: the proposed timing of completion of the Offering
and redemption of the December 2022 Debentures; the anticipated use
of the net proceeds of the Offering; the reaffirmation of our
previously disclosed outlook for near-term financial results,
including our expectations for 2022 full-year results. Such
forward-looking information reflects our current beliefs and is
based on information currently available to us, including certain
key expectations and assumptions concerning: the anticipated
impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business, operations and
financial results; future debt levels; anticipated grain production
in our market areas; financial performance; the financial and
operating attributes of recently acquired businesses and the
anticipated future performance thereof and contributions therefrom;
business prospects; strategies; product and input pricing;
regulatory developments; tax laws; the sufficiency of budgeted
capital expenditures in carrying out planned activities; political
events; currency exchange and interest rates; the cost of
materials, labour and services; the value of businesses and assets
and liabilities assumed pursuant to recent acquisitions; the impact
of competition; the general stability of the economic and
regulatory environment in which the Company operates; the timely
receipt of any required regulatory and third party approvals; the
ability of the Company to obtain and retain qualified staff and
services in a timely and cost efficient manner; the timing and
payment of dividends; the ability of the Company to obtain
financing on acceptable terms; the regulatory framework in the
jurisdictions in which the Company operates; and the ability of the
Company to successfully market its products and services.
Forward-looking information involves significant risks and
uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to
differ materially from results discussed in the forward-looking
information, including:; the failure or delay in satisfying any of
the conditions to the completion of the Offering; the effects of
global outbreaks of pandemics or contagious diseases or the fear of
such outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, including the
effects on the Company's operations, personnel, and supply chain,
the demand for its products and services, its ability to expand and
produce in new geographic markets or the timing of such expansion
efforts, and on overall economic conditions and customer confidence
and spending levels; changes in international, national and local
macroeconomic and business conditions, as well as sociopolitical
conditions in certain local or regional markets; weather patterns;
crop planting, crop yields, crop conditions, the timing of harvest
and conditions during harvest; the ability of management to execute
the Company’s business plan; seasonality; industry cyclicality;
volatility of production costs; agricultural commodity prices; the
cost and availability of capital; currency exchange and interest
rates; the availability of credit for customers; competition; AGI’s
failure to achieve the expected benefits of recent acquisitions
including to realize anticipated synergies and margin improvements;
changes in trade relations between the countries in which the
Company does business including between Canada and the United
States; cyber security risks; the risk that the assumptions and
estimates underlying the provision for remediation in our financial
statements and related insurance coverage for the bin collapse
disclosed in our public filings will prove to be incorrect as
further information becomes available to the Company; and the risk
that the Company incurs material liabilities as a result of
litigation and claims arising from such bin collapse. These risks
and uncertainties are described under “Risks and Uncertainties” our
annual MD&A and in our most recently filed Annual Information
Form, all of which are available under the Company's profile on
SEDAR [www.sedar.com]. These factors should be considered
carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the
Company’s forward-looking information. We cannot assure readers
that actual results will be consistent with this forward-looking
information. Readers are further cautioned that the preparation of
financial statements in accordance with IFRS requires management to
make certain judgments and estimates that affect the reported
amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the
disclosure of contingent liabilities. These estimates may change,
having either a negative or positive effect on profit, as further
information becomes available and as the economic environment
changes. Without limitation of the foregoing, the provision for
remediation related to the remediation work in respect of the bin
collapse required significant estimates and judgments about the
scope, nature, timing and cost of work that will be required. It is
based on management’s assumptions and estimates at the current date
and is subject to revision in the future as further information
becomes available to the Company. The forward-looking information
contained herein is expressly qualified in its entirety by this
cautionary statement. The forward-looking information included in
this press release is made as of the date of this press release and
AGI undertakes no obligation to publicly update such
forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent
events or otherwise unless so required by applicable securities
law.
Also included in this press release are
estimates of full year 2022 adjusted EBITDA, which are based on,
among other things, the various assumptions disclosed in this news
release. To the extent such estimates constitute financial
outlooks, they were approved by management on March 29, 2022 and
are included to provide readers with an understanding of AGI's
anticipated adjusted EBITDA for the relevant periods based on the
assumptions described herein and readers are cautioned that the
information may not be appropriate for other purposes.
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