TORONTO, March 8,
2024 /CNW/ - Neighbourly Pharmacy Inc.
("Neighbourly" or the "Company") (TSX: NBLY),
Canada's largest and fastest
growing network of independent pharmacies, announced today that at
the Company's special meeting (the "Meeting") of its
shareholders (the "Shareholders") held earlier today,
an overwhelming majority of Shareholders voted in favour of the
special resolution (the "Arrangement Resolution")
approving the previously announced statutory plan of arrangement
involving the Company and T.I.D. Acquisition Corp.
(the "Purchaser"), a newly-formed entity controlled by
Persistence Capital Partners ("PCP"), pursuant to which the
Purchaser will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common
shares (the "Common Shares") in the capital of
the Company, other than those Common Shares already owned by PCP or
its affiliates, for $18.50 per Common
Share in cash (the "Cash Consideration") plus one contingent
value right ("CVR") per Common Share, which will entitle the
holder thereof to an additional cash payment of $0.61 per CVR if the Company's Pro-Forma Adjusted
EBITDA for the 2026 fiscal year is at or above $128.0 million (the "CVR EBITDA Target"),
the whole subject to the terms and conditions of the arrangement
agreement dated January 15, 2024 (the
"Arrangement Agreement") between the Company and the
Purchaser (the "Arrangement").
Approval of the Arrangement Resolution required the affirmative
vote of at least (i) two-thirds (66 2/3%) of the
votes cast by Shareholders virtually present or represented by
proxy at the Meeting, voting as a single class (each holder of
Common Shares being entitled to one vote per Common Share) and (ii)
the approval of the majority of the Shareholders virtually present
or represented by proxy at the Meeting, excluding the votes of PCP
and its affiliates, and any other Shareholders whose votes were
required to be excluded for the purposes of "minority approval"
under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority
Security Holders in Special Transactions in the context of a
"business combination".
Details on the voting results at the Meeting are below:
Total Common Shares
voted at the Meeting
|
34,990,196
|
Total Common Shares
voted FOR the Arrangement Resolution
|
34,319,586
|
Percent of Common
Shares voted FOR the Arrangement Resolution
|
98.08 %
|
Total Common Shares
voted at the Meeting, other than PCP, its affiliates and any other
excluded person
|
12,534,167
|
Total Common Shares
voted FOR the Arrangement Resolution
|
11,863,557
|
Percent of Common
Shares voted FOR the Arrangement Resolution
|
94.65 %
|
A report on voting results for the Meeting will be filed under
the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at sedarplus.com.
Neighbourly anticipates returning to the Ontario Superior Court
of Justice (Commercial List) (the "Court") on
March 13, 2024 to seek a final order
of the Court approving the Arrangement. Completion of the
Arrangement remains subject to closing conditions as set forth in
the Arrangement Agreement, including approval of the Court.
Assuming that the conditions to closing are satisfied or waived (if
permitted), it is expected that the Arrangement will be completed
on or about March 15, 2024. Following
completion of the Arrangement, the Common Shares will be delisted
from the Toronto Stock Exchange and applications will be made for
Neighbourly to cease to be a reporting issuer under applicable
securities laws.
Pro-Forma Adjusted EBITDA
This news release makes reference to "Pro-Forma Adjusted
EBITDA", which means the Company's consolidated net income
(determined in accordance with the International Financial
Reporting Standards) as adjusted in accordance with the adjustments
provided in Schedule F of the Arrangement Agreement. In order to
determine "Pro-Forma Adjusted EBITDA", the EBITDA of any business
that has been subject of an acquisition during a fiscal year shall
be included in the EBITDA of the Company for such fiscal year on a
pro forma normalized basis for the previous thirteen (13) fiscal
periods ended on the last day of such fiscal year, as if such
acquisition occurred on the first day of the fiscal year for which
the EBITDA of the Company is calculated. Refer to the definition of
"EBITDA" provided in the definitive Arrangement Agreement which
will is available on the SEDAR+ profile of Neighbourly at
www.sedarplus.com.
Forward Looking Information
This news release contains "forward-looking information"
and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking
information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws.
This information includes, but is not limited to, statements
concerning our objectives, our strategies to achieve those
objectives, as well as statements made with respect to management's
beliefs, plans, estimates, projections and intentions, and similar
statements concerning anticipated future events, results,
circumstances, performance or expectations that are not historical
facts. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified
by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects",
"estimates", "outlook", "forecasts", "projection", "prospects",
"intends", "anticipates", "believes", or variations of such words
and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results
"may", "could", "would", "might", "will", "will be taken", "occur"
or "be achieved". In addition, any statements that refer to
expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations
of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking
information. Statements containing forward-looking information
are not historical facts but instead represent management's
expectations, estimates and projections regarding future
events or circumstances. Forward-looking information in this news
release include, among other things, statements relating to the
anticipated timing for completion of the Arrangement, including the
parties' ability to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of
the transaction; the delisting of the Common Shares from the TSX
and the Company ceasing to be a reporting issuer under applicable
securities laws; the timing of the hearing for the final order; the
receipt of the required Court approval and other customary closing
conditions; and the achievement of the CVR EBITDA Target and the
payout of additional amounts to holders of CVRs under the
Arrangement Agreement.
Risks and uncertainties related to the transactions contemplated
by the Arrangement Agreement include, but are not limited to: the
failure to obtain the required Court approval for, or satisfy other
closing conditions to effect, the Arrangement; the risk that the
Arrangement may involve unexpected costs, liabilities or delays;
the failure of PCP to enter into definitive agreements with respect
to the debt commitment or the equity commitment, or PCP's failure
to satisfy the closing conditions thereunder in a timely manner or
at all; the Purchaser's failure to pay the Cash Consideration at
closing of the transaction; the ability of the Purchaser to pay any
expense fee under the Arrangement Agreement, should such fee become
payable, as its obligations are not guaranteed; the absence of a
reverse break fee in favour of the Company; the business of
Neighbourly may experience significant disruptions, including loss
of clients or employees due to transaction related uncertainty,
industry conditions or other factors; risks relating to employee
retention; the risk of regulatory changes that may materially
impact the business or the operations of Neighbourly; the risk that
legal proceedings may be instituted against Neighbourly; risks
related to the diversion of management's attention from
Neighbourly's ongoing business operations while the transaction is
pending; and other risks and uncertainties affecting Neighbourly,
including those described in in the Company's annual information
form for the 52-week period ended March 25,
2023, as well as other filings and reports Neighbourly may
make from time to time with the Canadian securities
authorities.
Although we have attempted to identify important risk factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
contained in forward-looking information, there may be other risk
factors not presently known to us or that we presently believe are
not material that could also cause actual results or future events
to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking
information. There can be no assurance that such information will
prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could
differ materially from those anticipated in such information. No
forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future results.
Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
information, which speaks only as of the date made. The
forward-looking information contained in this news release
represents the Company's expectations as of the date of this news
release (or as the date they are otherwise stated to be made) and
are subject to change after such date. However, the Company
disclaims any intention or obligation or undertaking to update or
revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, except as required under
applicable securities laws in Canada. All of the forward-looking information
contained in this news release is expressly qualified by the
foregoing cautionary statements.
This announcement is for informational purposes only and does
not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer
to sell, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy,
Neighbourly Common Shares.
About Neighbourly Pharmacy
Inc.
Neighbourly is Canada's largest
and fastest growing network of community
pharmacies. United by their patient first focus and their
role as essential and trusted healthcare hubs within their
communities, Neighbourly's pharmacies strive to provide
accessible healthcare with a personal touch. Since 2015,
Neighbourly has expanded its diversified national footprint to
include 293 locations, reinforcing the Company's reputation as the
industry's acquirer of choice.
SOURCE Neighbourly Pharmacy Inc.