Advisors
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is serving as exclusive financial advisor to The Aaron’s Company, and Jones Day is serving as legal counsel. Stephens Inc. is serving as exclusive financial advisor to IQVentures, and King & Spalding LLP is serving as legal counsel.
About The Aaron’s Company, Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, The Aaron’s Company, Inc. is a leading, technology-enabled, omnichannel provider of lease-to-own and retail purchase solutions of appliances, electronics, furniture, and other home goods across its brands: Aaron’s, BrandsMart U.S.A, BrandsMart Leasing, and Woodhaven. Aaron’s offers a direct-to-consumer lease-to-own solution through its approximately 1,220 company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada, as well as its e-commerce platform. BrandsMart U.S.A. is one of the leading appliance retailers in the country with 11 retail stores in Florida and Georgia, as well as its e-commerce platform. BrandsMart Leasing offers lease-to-own solutions to customers of BrandsMart U.S.A. Woodhaven is the Company’s furniture manufacturing division. For more information, visit investor.aarons.com, aarons.com, and brandsmartusa.com.
About IQVentures
Headquartered in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area, IQVentures invests in and builds the next generation of technology and companies that help shape the future. IQVentures has substantial experience and expertise in all aspects of consumer and business financing and leverages proprietary technology and shared services to help drive value for the companies it acquires. For more information, please visit www.iqventures.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “believe,” “expect,” “expectation,” “anticipate,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “intend,” “seek,” “estimate,” “plan,” “target,” “project,” “likely,” “will,” “forecast,” “future,” “outlook,” or other similar words, phrases, or expressions. These risks and uncertainties include factors such as (i) the ability to obtain regulatory approval and meet other closing conditions to the proposed transaction, including shareholder approval; (ii) the ability of IQVentures to obtain financing for the proposed transaction; (iii) potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement, pendency or inability to complete the proposed transaction on the expected timeframe or at all; (iv) litigation relating to the proposed transaction; (v) the inability to retain key personnel, or potential diminished productivity due to the impact of the proposed transaction on the Company’s current and prospective employees, key management, customers, suppliers, franchisees and business partners; and (vi) the other risks and uncertainties discussed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other documents that the Company files from time to time with the SEC. Statements in this news release that are “forward-looking” include without limitation statements about IQVentures’ proposed transaction to acquire the Company (including the anticipated benefits, results, effects and timing of the proposed transaction). You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date of this news release.
Additional Information and Where To Find It
This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the transaction between the Company and IQVentures. The Company expects to announce a special meeting of shareholders as soon as practicable to obtain shareholder approval of the transaction. In connection with the transaction, the Company intends to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a proxy statement in preliminary and definitive form. INVESTORS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THE TRANSACTION. Investors may obtain a free copy of these materials (when they are available) and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, at the Company’s website at www.aarons.com or by sending a written request to the Company in care of the Corporate Secretary, at The Aaron’s Company, Inc., 400 Galleria Parkway, S.E., Suite 300, Atlanta, Georgia 30339.
