Exhibit 99
TIM HORTONS INC.
Safe Harbor Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) provides a “safe harbor” for forward-looking statements to encourage companies to provide prospective information, so long as those statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those disclosed in the statement. Tim Hortons Inc. (the “Company”) desires to take advantage of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Act.
Certain information provided or stated, including statements regarding future financial performance and the expectations and objectives of management, is forward-looking. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks” or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs, such as “will,” “should,” “could” or “may.” The following factors, in addition to other factors set forth in our Form 10-K filed on February 26, 2008 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the Canadian securities regulators, and in other press releases, communications, or filings made with the SEC or the Canadian securities regulators, and other possible factors we have not identified, could affect our actual results and cause such results to differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements.
Competition. The quick-service-restaurant industry is intensely competitive with respect to price, service, location, personnel, qualified franchisees, real estate sites and type and quality of food. The Company and its franchisees compete with international, regional and local organizations, primarily through the quality, variety, and value perception of food products offered. The number and location of units, quality and speed of service, attractiveness of facilities, effectiveness of advertising/marketing and operational programs, price and new product development by the Company and its competitors are also important factors. Certain of the Company’s competitors, most notably in the U.S., have substantially larger marketing budgets.
Economic, Market and Other Conditions. The quick-service-restaurant industry is affected by changes in international, national, regional, and local economic and political conditions, consumer preferences and perceptions (including food safety, health or dietary preferences and perceptions), spending patterns, consumer confidence, demographic trends, seasonality, weather events and other calamities, traffic patterns, the type, number and location of competing restaurants, enhanced governmental regulation (including nutritional and franchise regulations), changes in capital market conditions that affect valuations of restaurant companies in general or the value of the Company’s stock in particular, litigation relating to food quality, handling or nutritional content, and the effects of war or terrorist activities and any governmental responses thereto. Factors such as inflation, higher energy and/or fuel costs, food costs, the cost and/or availability of a qualified workforce and other labour issues, benefit costs, legal claims, legal and regulatory compliance, new or additional sales tax on the Company’s products, disruptions in its supply chain or changes in the price, availability and shipping costs of supplies, and utility and other operating costs, also affect restaurant operations and expenses and impact same-store sales and growth opportunities. The ability of the Company and its franchisees to finance new restaurant development, improvements and additions to existing restaurants, acquire and sell restaurants, and pursue other strategic initiatives (such as acquisitions and joint ventures), are affected by economic conditions, including interest rates and other government policies impacting land and construction costs and the cost and availability of borrowed funds. In addition, unforeseen catastrophic or widespread events affecting the health and/or welfare of large numbers of people in the markets in which the Company’s restaurants are located and/or which otherwise cause a catastrophic loss or interruption in the Company’s ability to conduct its business, would affect its ability to maintain and/or increase sales and build new restaurants.
The Importance of Canadian Segment Performance and Brand Reputation. The Company’s financial performance is highly dependent upon its Canadian operating segment, which accounted for approximately 92% of its consolidated revenues, and all of its profit, in 2007. Any substantial or sustained decline in the Company’s Canadian business would materially and adversely affect its financial performance. The Company’s success is also dependent on its ability to maintain and enhance the value of its brand, its customers’ connection to its brand, and a positive relationship with its franchisees. Brand value can be severely damaged, even by isolated incidents, including those beyond the Company’s control such as actions taken or not taken by its franchisees relating to health or safety, litigation and claims, security breaches or other fraudulent activities associated with its electronic payment systems, and incidents occurring at or affecting its strategic business partners, affiliates, or corporate social responsibility programs.
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Factors Affecting Growth. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to achieve new restaurant growth objectives or same-store sales growth in Canada or the U.S. The Company’s success depends on various factors, including many of the factors set forth in this cautionary statement, as well as sales levels at existing restaurants and factors affecting construction costs generally. In addition, the U.S. markets in which the Company seeks to expand may have competitive conditions (including higher construction, occupancy, or operating costs), consumer tastes, or discretionary spending patterns that may differ from its existing markets, and its brand is largely unknown in many U.S. markets. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully adapt its brand, development efforts, and restaurants to these differing market conditions. In addition, early in the development of new markets, the opening of new restaurants may have a negative effect on the same-store sales of existing restaurants in the market. In some of the Company’s U.S. markets, the Company has not yet achieved the level of penetration needed in order to drive brand recognition, convenience, increased leverage to marketing dollars, and other benefits the Company believes penetration yields. When the Company franchise locations in certain U.S. markets, this can result in increased franchisee relief and support costs, which lowers its earnings. The Company may also continue to selectively close restaurants in the U.S. that are not achieving acceptable levels of profitability or change its growth strategies over time, where appropriate.
Manufacturing and Distribution Operations. The occurrence of any of the following factors is likely to result in increased operating costs and depressed profitability of the Company’s distribution operations and may also damage its relationship with franchisees: higher transportation costs; shortages or changes in the cost or availability of qualified workforce and other labour issues; equipment failures; disruptions (including shortages or interruptions) in its supply chain; price fluctuations; climate conditions; inflation; decreased consumer discretionary spending and other changes in general economic and political conditions driving down demand; physical, environmental or technological disruptions in the Company or its suppliers’ manufacturing and/or warehouse facilities or equipment; changes in international commodity markets (especially for coffee, which is highly volatile in price and supply, palm oil and wheat); and, the adoption of additional environmental or health and safety laws and regulations. The Company’s manufacturing and distribution operations in the U.S. are also subject to competition from other qualified distributors, which could reduce the price the Company can charge for supplies sold to U.S. franchisees. Additionally, there can be no assurance that the Company and its joint venture partner will continue with the Maidstone Bakeries joint venture. If the joint venture terminates, it may be necessary, under certain circumstances, for the Company to build its own par-baking facility or find alternate products or production methods.
Government Regulation. The Company and its franchisees are subject to various federal, state, provincial, and local (“governmental”) laws and regulations. The development and operation of restaurants depend to a significant extent on the selection, acquisition, and development of suitable sites, which are subject to laws and regulations regarding zoning, land use, environmental matters (including drive thrus), traffic, franchise, design and other matters. Additional governmental laws and regulations affecting the Company and its franchisees include: business licensing; franchise laws and regulations; health, food preparation, sanitation and safety; labour (including applicable minimum wage requirements, overtime, working and safety conditions, family leave and other employment matters, and citizenship requirements); nutritional disclosure and advertising; tax; employee benefits; accounting; and anti-discrimination. Changes in these laws and regulations, or the implementation of additional regulatory requirements, particularly increases in applicable minimum wages, taxes or franchise requirements, may adversely affect the Company’s financial results.
Foreign Exchange Fluctuations. The Company’s Canadian restaurants are vulnerable to increases in the value of the U.S. dollar as certain commodities, such as coffee, are priced in U.S. dollars in international markets. Conversely, the Company’s U.S. restaurants are impacted when the U.S. dollar falls in value relative to the Canadian dollar, as U.S. operations would be less profitable because of the increase in U.S. operating costs resulting from the purchase of supplies from Canadian sources, and U.S. operations will contribute less to the Company’s consolidated results. Increases in these costs could make it harder to expand into the U.S. and increase relief and support costs to U.S. franchisees, affecting the Company’s earnings. In addition, fluctuations in the values of Canadian and U.S. dollars can affect the value of the Company’s common stock and any dividends the Company pays.
Mergers, Acquisitions and Other Strategic Transactions. The Company intends to evaluate potential mergers, acquisitions, joint venture investments, alliances, vertical integration opportunities and divestitures, which are subject to many of the same risks that also affect new store development. In addition, these transactions involve various other risks, including accurately assessing the value, future growth potential, strengths, weaknesses, contingent and other liabilities and potential profitability of acquisition candidates; the potential loss of key personnel of an acquired business; the Company’s ability to achieve projected economic and operating synergies; difficulties successfully integrating, operating, maintaining and managing newly-acquired operations or employees; difficulties maintaining uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies; the possibility the Company could incur impairment charges if an acquired business performs below expectations; unanticipated changes in business and economic conditions affecting an acquired business; ramp-up costs, whether
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anticipated or not; and diversion of management’s attention from the demands of the existing business. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to complete desirable transactions, for reasons including a failure to secure financing, as a result of limitations of the IRS ruling under Section 355 in connection with the Company’s separation from Wendy’s, or restrictive covenants in debt instruments or other agreements with third parties, including the Maidstone Bakeries joint venture arrangements.
Privacy Protection. If the Company fails to comply with new and/or increasingly demanding laws and regulations regarding the protection of customer, employee and/or business data, or if the Company experiences a significant breach of customer, employee or company data, the Company’s reputation could be damaged and result in lost sales, fines, lawsuits and diversion of management attention. The introduction of credit payment systems and the Company’s reloadable cash card makes us more susceptible to a risk of loss in connection with these issues, particularly with respect to an external security breach of customer information that the Company, or third parties under arrangement(s) with it, control.
Other Factors. The following factors could also cause the Company’s actual results to differ from its expectations: an inability to retain executive officers and other key personnel or attract additional qualified management personnel to meet business needs; an inability to adequately protect the Company’s intellectual property and trade secrets from infringement actions or unauthorized use by others (including in certain international markets that have uncertain or inconsistent laws and/or application with respect to intellectual property and contract rights); operational or financial shortcomings of franchised restaurants and franchisees; liabilities and losses associated with owning and leasing significant amounts of real estate; failures of or inadequacies in computer systems at restaurants, the distribution facilities, the Company’s manufacturing facilities, the Maidstone Bakeries facility, or at the Company’s office locations, including those that support, secure, track and/or record electronic payment transactions; the transition to an integrated financial system, which could present risks of maintaining and designing internal controls and SOX 404 compliance; litigation matters, including obesity litigation; health and safety risks or conditions of the Company’s restaurants associated with design, construction, site location and development and/or certain equipment utilized in operations; employee claims for employment or labour matters, including wage and hour claims; falsified claims; implementation of new or changes in interpretation of U.S. GAAP policies or practices; and potential unfavorable variance between estimated and actual liabilities and volatility of actuarially-determined losses and loss estimates.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Except as required by federal or provincial securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to the forward-looking statements contained in this release, or to update them to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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