Engine Capital Calls on Dye & Durham’s Board of Directors to Stop Entrenchment Tactics and Not Take Steps to Delay the August 20th Special Meeting
July 08 2024 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
Engine Capital LP (together with its affiliates, “Engine” or
“we”), which owns approximately 7.1% of Dye & Durham Limited’s
(TSX: DND) (“Dye & Durham” or the “Company”) outstanding
shares, today issued the following letter to the Company’s Board of
Directors (the “Board”):
***
July 8, 2024
Members of the Board:
We are growing increasingly concerned that the Board is
compounding Dye & Durham’s poor governance and entrenchment as
shareholder dissent continues to escalate. Notwithstanding the
recent appointment of Colleen Moorehead as Chair, the Board’s
rejection of a proposal from one of its largest shareholders
OneMove Capital Ltd. (“OneMove”) on July 2nd made clear that
nothing has changed in the Company’s boardroom.
The Board’s decision to reject OneMove’s shareholder proposal is
not credible, has no legal basis and is entirely tactical to
further entrench the current directors and frustrate shareholders’
overwhelming desire for change. Additionally, the Company’s
announcement suggests that the Board is seeking to constrain how
OneMove may vote its shares on the basis of its investor rights
agreement (the “IRA”).1 This appears to be at odds with the plain
wording of the IRA and is yet another unfounded and ill-advised
attempt to disenfranchise one of the Company’s largest
shareholders. Fundamentally, we are concerned that the Board’s
latest attempt to silence its shareholders – all with the knowledge
that a challenge to the Board’s decisions would require costly and
time-consuming litigation – would provide the Board with an excuse
to delay the August 20th Special Meeting of Shareholders (“Special
Meeting”) called by Engine.
In prior communications, we have warned the Board not to use
scorched-earth or frivolous legal tactics to disenfranchise its
investors. At this point, we believe the Board is aware that a
large portion of its shareholders believe that change is essential
but is nonetheless focused on protecting the status quo by all
means necessary. The Board must stop wasting valuable time and
corporate assets, allow OneMove’s entirely valid proposal onto the
agenda for the Special Meeting and affirm OneMove’s fundamental
right to vote its shares as it sees fit. As we have recently
seen at Gildan Activewear, boards of directors that frustrate the
will of their shareholders do so at their own peril.
In another press release issued on July 5th, the Company
announced the resignation of director Leslie O’Donoghue with
immediate effect, supposedly to facilitate a resolution with the
nominating shareholders. We believe this to be misleading since
there was no reason for Ms. O’Donoghue to resign in advance of a
hypothetical agreement. The timing of this resignation is telling
just a few days after the Board decided to reject a valid proposal
from a key shareholder. We suspect that Ms. O’Donoghue is simply
not comfortable with the decisions made by this Board, prefers to
protect her reputation and resign now instead of continuing to have
her name associated with Dye & Durham’s governance
decisions.
We believe it is critical for the Special Meeting to proceed as
scheduled on August 20, 2024 for the following reasons:
- Engine’s requisition was sent on March 10, 2024 and the Board
scheduled the meeting more than five months later. Any further
delay would be unwarranted and entirely self-interested.
- Given the abysmal performance of the Company under this Board,
shareholders should not have to wait any longer to have an
opportunity to vote for much-needed change.
- Giving more time to this Board is dangerous. We are concerned
that any delay will provide additional time for the Board to engage
in actions that further destroy shareholder value, including
potential dilutive share issuances or ill-conceived
acquisitions.
Finally, we would be remiss not to mention the continued value
destruction under your leadership. Since the Company’s refinancing
on April 5th, the stock is down around 25%. Independent directors
should be reminded that they work on behalf of shareholders to
create long-term value, not to protect a failed strategy or their
own positions.
Engine continues to believe a peaceful resolution to this
increasingly chaotic situation is the best path forward for the
Company but is prepared to invest the time and resources all the
way to the August 20th Special Meeting to allow shareholders to
have their say. That said, all of this can still be avoided if the
Board puts an immediate end to its self-preservation tactics and
respects the will of its shareholders.
Sincerely,
Arnaud Ajdler Managing Partner
***
No Solicitation
This press release does not constitute a solicitation of a proxy
within the meaning of applicable laws, and accordingly, DND
shareholders are not being asked to give, withhold or revoke a
proxy.
About Engine Capital
Engine Capital LP is a value-oriented special situations fund
that invests both actively and passively in companies undergoing
change.
1 The IRA is dated July 17, 2020 between the Company, Plantro
Ltd. and OneMove.
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For Investors:
Engine Capital LP 212-321-0048 info@enginecap.com
For Media:
Longacre Square Partners Charlotte Kiaie / Aaron Rabinovich,
646-386-0091 ckiaie@longacresquare.com /
arabinovich@longacresquare.com
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