ACCESS TO MONEY, INC.
At the special meeting, you will be asked to approve and adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of August 15, 2011 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among the Company, Cardtronics USA, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Buyer”), CATM Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer (“Merger Sub”), LC Capital Master Fund, Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company and principal stockholder of the Company (“LC Capital”), and Cardtronics, Inc., a Delaware corporation and parent company of the Buyer (“Cardtronics”), as guarantor, pursuant to which Merger Sub will be merged with and into the Company, and the Company will continue as the surviving corporation and become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer (the “Merger”). Upon completion of the Merger, you will be entitled to receive $0.285 in cash, without interest and less applicable withholding taxes, for each share of common stock of the Company that you own immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger.
You will also be asked to (i) vote on the approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of compensation that may be received by our named executive officers in connection with the Merger, (ii) vote on the approval of the adjournment of the special meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes to adopt the Merger Agreement at the time of the special meeting, and (iii) consider and act upon such other business as may properly come before the special meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.
Following the completion of the Merger, Buyer will own all of the Company’s issued and outstanding capital stock, and the Company will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer. As a result, our common stock will no longer be traded on the OTC Bulletin Board and we will no longer be required to file periodic and other reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. After the Merger, you will no longer have an equity interest in the Company and will not participate in any potential future earnings of the Company.
If your shares are held in “street name” by your broker, bank or other nominee, your broker, bank or other nominee will be unable to vote your shares without receiving instructions from you. You should instruct your broker, bank or other nominee to vote your shares, and you should do so by following the procedures provided by your broker, bank or other nominee. Failure to instruct your broker, bank or other nominee to vote your shares will have the same effect as voting against approval and adoption of the Merger Agreement.
If you do not hold your shares in “street name” and you complete, sign and return your proxy card without indicating how you wish to vote, your proxy will be voted in favor of approval and adoption of the Merger Agreement. If you fail to return your proxy card and fail to vote at the special meeting, the effect will be the same as a vote against approval and adoption of the Merger Agreement. Returning the proxy card does not deprive you of your right to attend the special meeting and vote your shares in person.
Your proxy may be revoked at any time before it is voted by submitting a later-dated proxy to us in writing or by telephone or over the Internet, by submitting a written revocation to the secretary of the Company prior to the vote at the special meeting, or by attending and voting in person at the special meeting. For shares held in “street name,” you may revoke or change your vote by submitting instructions to your bank, broker or other nominee.
Your vote is very important. The Merger cannot be completed unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock approve and adopt the Merger Agreement. Whether or not you plan to attend the special meeting, please complete, sign and return the enclosed proxy card or submit your proxy by telephone or over the Internet following the instructions on the proxy card.
Your prompt submission of a proxy card will be greatly appreciated.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved the Merger, passed upon the merits or fairness of the Merger Agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby, including the proposed Merger, or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of the information contained in this document. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
ACCESS TO MONEY, INC.
As described in the accompanying proxy statement, we will not consummate the Merger unless Proposal 1 is approved.
Your vote is very important. The Merger cannot be completed unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock vote for the approval of the Merger Agreement. Whether or not you plan to attend the special meeting, please complete, sign and return the enclosed proxy card or submit your proxy by telephone or over the Internet following the instructions on the proxy card.
Our Board of Directors, acting on the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of disinterested directors, has unanimously approved and authorized the Merger Agreement, and unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” the approval of the Merger Agreement; “FOR” the approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of compensation that may be paid or become payable to our named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger; and “FOR” the approval of the adjournment of the special meeting, if necessary to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes to adopt the Merger Agreement at the time of the special meeting.
Please do not send your common stock certificates to us at this time. If the Merger is completed, you will be sent instructions regarding the surrender of your certificates.
SUMMARY
This following summary highlights selected information contained in this proxy statement and may not contain all of the information that may be important to you. You are urged to carefully read this entire proxy statement, including the appendices and the documents referred to or incorporated by reference in this proxy statement. You may obtain the information incorporated by reference into this proxy statement without charge by following the instructions in “Where Stockholders Can Find More Information” beginning on page 73.
Information About Access to Money, Inc.
In this proxy statement, the terms the “Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Access to Money, Inc. and our subsidiaries. We are an independent automated teller machine deployer, acting as the source for business to purchase, operate, and service automated teller machines, which we refer to herein as “ATMs”. We are one of the largest independent providers of ATMs in the United States and offer a comprehensive suite of related services for both large and small customers. We entered the ATM business in 1999 and expanded our operations through internal growth and acquisitions. We manage, own or operate approximately 10,400 ATMs in the United States. We typically locate our ATMs in high traffic retail environments through national, regional, and locally-owned supermarkets, convenience stores and other retail locations. We participate in as many electronic funds transfer networks, or EFTNs, as practical, including, but not limited to, NYCE, Visa, MasterCard, Plus, American Express, Discover/Novus, STAR, Allpoint, and Moneypass.
Our principal executive offices are located at 1101 Kings Highway North, Suite G100, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 and our telephone number is (856) 414-9100. Our website is www.accesstomoney.com. Our common stock is eligible for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board (“OTCBB”) under the symbol “AEMI.” Additional information about our Company is included in our Annual Report on SEC Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and our Quarterly Report on SEC Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2011, copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibit D and Exhibit E, respectively. See the section entitled “Where Stockholders Can Find More Information” beginning on page 73.
Information About Cardtronics, Inc. and Cardtronics USA, Inc.
Cardtronics Inc., parent company of the Buyer, which we refer to herein as “Cardtronics” or “Parent”, is the world's largest retail ATM owner. As of June 30, 2011, it operated approximately 37,400 ATMs in the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and the Caribbean, primarily with well-known retailers such as 7-Eleven®, Chevron®, Costco®, CVS®/pharmacy, ExxonMobil®, Hess®, Rite Aid®, Safeway®, Target®, and Walgreens®. It also assists in the operation of an additional approximately 4,500 ATMs under managed services contracts with customers such as Kroger®, Travelex®, and Circle K®. In addition to its retail ATM operations, Cardtronics provides services to large and small banks, credit unions, and prepaid card issuers, allowing them to place their brands on over 14,900 Cardtronics' ATMs and providing surcharge-free access through Cardtronics' Allpoint Network.
Cardtronics USA, Inc., which we refer to herein as the Buyer, is the principal United States operating subsidiary of Cardtronics. Cardtronics has agreed to guarantee the obligations of Buyer under the Merger Agreement. Buyer and Cardtronics are headquartered in Houston, Texas, and their website is www.cardtronics.com. Cardtronics’ common stock is listed on The NASDAQ Global Market exchange and trades under the symbol “CATM.”
Information About Merger Subsidiary
CATM Merger Sub, Inc., which we refer to herein as “Merger Sub”, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer, is a Delaware corporation formed for the purpose of effecting the Merger of the Merger Sub with and into the Company. At the effective time of the Merger, we will be the surviving corporation and become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer.
The Merger (page 52)
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, and in accordance with Delaware law, at the effective time (as defined on 52) the Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company in accordance with Delaware law, whereupon the separate existence of the Merger Sub will cease, with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer. Each share of common stock of the Company will be converted into the right to receive $0.285, without interest and less applicable withholding taxes.
We encourage you to read the Merger Agreement, a copy of which is attached as Appendix A to this proxy statement, which sets forth the key terms and conditions of the Merger.
Payment of Merger Consideration and Surrender of Stock Certificates (page 52)
At the effective time, each share of common stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to the effective time will be converted into the right to receive $0.285 in cash, without interest and less applicable withholding taxes, which we refer to as the “Merger Consideration”.
Effect of the Merger on our Equity Awards (page 55)
Upon completion of the Merger, each outstanding option to purchase Company common stock will be canceled in exchange for the right to receive $0.285 in cash, without interest, less the exercise price of the option, multiplied by the number of shares subject to the option immediately prior to the completion of the Merger. If the per share exercise price of an outstanding option equals or exceeds the Merger Consideration of $0.285 per share, then such outstanding option will be cancelled and terminated at the effective time without payment or other consideration.
Each share of restricted stock that is outstanding and unvested immediately prior to the Merger will become fully vested and the holder will be entitled to receive an amount of cash equal to $0.285 without interest and less applicable withholding taxes for each such restricted share.
Effect of the Merger on our Outstanding Warrants (page 55)
Upon completion of the Merger, each outstanding warrant to purchase Company common stock will be canceled in exchange for the right to receive an amount of cash equal to $0.285 without interest, less the exercise price of the warrant, multiplied by the number of shares subject to the warrant immediately prior to the completion of the Merger. If the per share exercise price of an outstanding warrant equals or exceeds the Merger Consideration of $0.285 per share, then such outstanding warrant will be cancelled and terminated at the effective time without payment or other consideration.
Recommendation of Our Special Committee and Our Board of Directors (page 30)
The Board of Directors of the Company, which we refer to as the “Board” or the “Board of Directors”, acting on the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of disinterested directors, which we refer to as the “Special Committee”, has unanimously determined that the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the Merger, are advisable and in the best interests of our Company and our stockholders and has unanimously approved the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the Merger. The Board has resolved to recommend that our stockholders vote “FOR” the adoption of the Merger Agreement.
Our Reasons for the Merger (page 33)
In evaluating the Merger, the Board of Directors consulted with the Special Committee, our management, as well as our legal and financial advisors and, in reaching its decision to approve the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby and to recommend that our stockholders adopt the Merger Agreement, our Board of Directors considered a number of factors, including those listed in “The Merger (Proposal 1) — Recommendation of our Special Committee and our Board of Directors” beginning on page 30.
Opinion of Our Financial Advisor (page 33)
The Board of Directors retained GuideCap Partners, LLC, which we refer to herein as “GuideCap”, as its financial advisor in connection with the Merger. On August 5, 2011 at a meeting of the Board of Directors and Special Committee, GuideCap delivered its opinion that, based upon and subject to the factors, considerations, qualifications, limitations and assumptions set forth in the opinion, as of that date, the per share Merger Consideration to be received by the holders of shares of our common stock (other than shares owned by the Company, Cardtronics or their subsidiaries, or as to which dissenters’ rights are perfected) in connection with the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement was fair to the holders of shares of our common stock, from a financial point of view.
The full text of GuideCap’s written opinion, dated August 5, 2011 is attached to this proxy statement as Appendix B and sets forth assumptions made, procedures followed, matters considered and limitations on the review undertaken in connection with the opinion. Stockholders should read the opinion in its entirety, as well as the section of this proxy statement entitled “The Merger — Opinion of Our Financial Advisor” beginning on page 33. GuideCap addressed its opinion to the Board of Directors and Special Committee, and its opinion does not constitute a recommendation to any stockholder as to how such stockholder should vote at the special meeting with respect to the Merger or as to any other action that a stockholder should take with respect to the Merger. See “The Merger — Opinion of Our Financial Advisor” beginning on page 33.
Record Date and Voting Information (page 19)
The record date for the special meeting of the Company’s stockholders is [ ], 2011. This means that you must be a stockholder of record of our common stock at the close of business on [ ], 2011 in order to vote at the special meeting. You are entitled to one vote for each share of our common stock you own as of the record date. As of the record date, there were 33,294,348 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the special meeting. A majority of the shares of Company common stock outstanding at the close of business on the record date and entitled to vote, present in person or represented by proxy, at the special meeting constitutes a quorum for purposes of the special meeting.
Approval of the proposal to adopt the Merger Agreement requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of Company common stock entitled to vote thereon at the special meeting. Approval of the vote, on a non-binding advisory basis, of compensation that may be received by our named executive officers in connection with the Merger requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to vote thereon at the special meeting. Approval of the proposal to adjourn or postpone the special meeting requires the affirmative vote of the majority of shares present, in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote at the special meeting, whether or not a quorum is present.
LC Capital Proxy
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, LC Capital Master Fund, Ltd., which we refer to herein as “LC Capital”, the record and beneficial owner of 10,997,903 shares of the Company’s common stock, representing 33.8% of our outstanding shares and has agreed to (i) vote its shares in favor of the Merger Agreement, (ii) irrevocably appoint the Buyer as proxy to vote the shares that it owns in favor of the Merger, and (iii) not dispose of the shares that it owns prior to the termination of the Merger Agreement, or closing of the Merger.
Stock Ownership of Directors, Executive Officers and their Affiliates (page 71)
At the close of business on the record date, the directors, executive officers of the Company and their affiliates beneficially owned and were entitled to vote 5,335,556 shares of common stock, collectively representing approximately 15.9% of the shares of common stock outstanding on that date.
Interests of Our Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger (page 40)
In considering the recommendation of the Special Committee and the Board of Directors, you should be aware that our directors and executive officers may have financial interests in the Merger that are in addition to or different from their interests as stockholders and the interests of the Company’s stockholders generally, and these additional or differing interests may present actual or potential conflicts of interest. The Special Committee and the Board were aware of these additional or differing interests and considered them, among other matters, in unanimously approving the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby. You should consider these additional or differing interests of our directors and executive officers that are described in this proxy statement. Such interests of our directors and executive officers include:
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| • | the accelerated vesting of restricted shares held by our executive officers; |
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| • | the cash payment for in-the-money stock options held by our executive officers; |
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| • | the payment of severance benefits pursuant to employment agreements with two of our executive officers, Richard Stern and Michael Dolan, in connection with certain qualifying terminations of employment that may occur following the Merger; |
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| • | the executive employment agreement to be entered into by Douglas B. Falcone with the Buyer effective upon completion of the Merger; |
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| • | the right to continued indemnification and insurance coverage by the surviving corporation for acts or omissions occurring prior to the Merger. |
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| • | the receipt upon completion of the Merger by LC Capital of approximately $3,500,000 in full payment of all outstanding principal and interest under a secured promissory owed by the Company, dated September 3, 2011 and in the original principal amount of $3,150,000. Michael Venezia is employed by Lampe Conway & Co., LLC, the investment manager of LC Capital. |
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| • | The Note Purchase Agreement executed simultaneously with the Merger Agreement by Douglas B. Falcone and the Buyer, pursuant to which Mr. Falcone agreed to sell to Buyer, at the closing of the Merger, that certain subordinated promissory note under which we currently owe Mr. Falcone $14.3 million of principal and interest in consideration of the payment of $3,000,000 of cash from the Buyer at closing and certain contingent deferred payments from the Buyer in a maximum aggregate amount of up to an additional $5,250,000 payable over the first full four calendar years after the closing of the Merger. |
De-listing and Deregistration of Our Common Stock (page 40)
The Shares of our common stock are currently traded on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol “AEMI.” If the Merger is completed, our common stock will no longer be eligible for trading on the OTCBB and will be deregistered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the “Exchange Act,” and we will no longer file periodic reports with the SEC. See “The Merger (Proposal 1) – Certain Effects of the Merger.”
Stockholders’ Rights of Appraisal (page 47)
Stockholders of the Company have the right under Delaware law to dissent from the approval and adoption of the Merger Agreement, to exercise appraisal rights and to receive payment in cash of the judicially determined fair value for their shares, plus interest, if any, on the amount determined to be the fair value, in accordance with Delaware law. The fair value of shares of our common stock, as determined in accordance with Delaware law, may be more or less than, or equal to, the Merger Consideration to be paid to non-dissenting stockholders in the Merger. To preserve their rights, stockholders who wish to exercise appraisal rights must not vote in favor of the proposal to adopt the Merger Agreement and must follow the specific procedures provided under Delaware law for perfecting appraisal rights. Dissenting stockholders must precisely follow these specific procedures to exercise appraisal rights or their appraisal rights will be lost. These procedures are described in this proxy statement, and a copy of Section 262 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which we refer to as “Section 262”, which grants appraisal rights and governs such procedures, is attached as Appendix C to this proxy statement. See “The Merger — Our Stockholders’ Rights of Appraisal” beginning on page 47.
Non-solicitation Provisions (page 60)
We are subject to a “no shop” restriction on our ability to solicit third party proposals or provide information and engage in discussions with third parties relating to alternative business combination transactions. The “no shop” provision is subject to a “fiduciary-out” provision that allows us, prior to obtaining stockholder approval of the Merger, to (i) participate in negotiations or discussions (including making any counterproposal or counter offer) with any third party that has made after the date of the Merger Agreement a “superior proposal” (as defined on page 61) or a bona fide unsolicited written acquisition proposal that the Board of Directors believes in good faith (after consultation with its financial advisor and outside legal counsel) would reasonably be executed to lead to a “superior proposal”; (ii) furnish to any third party that has made after the date of the Merger Agreement a “superior proposal” nonpublic information pursuant to an acceptable confidentiality agreement; (iii) make a “company adverse recommendation change,” (as defined on page 60); and (iv) enter into a “company acquisition agreement” (as defined on page 60), but in each case only if the Board determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that failure to take such action would reasonably be expected to result in a breach of its fiduciary duties under applicable law. See “The Merger Agreement — Covenants of the Company” beginning on page 58.
Conditions to Completion of the Merger (page 64)
The obligations of the Company, Buyer and Merger Sub to complete the Merger are subject to the satisfaction (or, to the extent permissible, waiver) on or prior to the closing date of the Merger of certain conditions, including:
| • | a majority of our outstanding shares have voted in favor of the Merger; |
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| • | no governmental entity has enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any laws or orders, whether temporary, preliminary or permanent, that make illegal, enjoin or otherwise prohibit consummation of the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; and |
| • | all consents, approvals and other authorizations of any governmental entity required to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (other than the filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of Delaware) shall have been obtained, free of any condition that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company or a material adverse effect on Buyer’s and Merger Sub’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. |
In addition, the obligations of Buyer and Merger Sub to complete the Merger are subject to the satisfaction (or, to the extent permissible, waiver) on or prior to the closing date of the Merger of certain conditions, including:
| • | the representations and warranties of the Company shall be true and correct in all material respects; |
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| • | the Company shall have performed in all material respects all obligations and covenants required to be performed or complied with by the Company under the Merger Agreement; |
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| • | the Company shall not have suffered a Material Adverse Effect (as defined on page 57) subsequent to August 15, 2011; |
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| • | the shares of common stock dissenting from adoption of the Merger Agreement and exercising appraisal rights shall not exceed 10% of our issued and outstanding shares as of August 15, 2011; and |
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| • | the Note Purchase Agreement, between Buyer and Douglas B. Falcone, shall be in full force and effect and Mr. Falcone shall be willing and able to perform all of his obligations under the Note Purchase Agreement. |
In addition, our obligations to complete the Merger are subject to the satisfaction (or, to the extent permissible, waiver) on or prior to the closing date of the Merger of certain conditions, including:
| • | the representations and warranties of Buyer and Merger Sub shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the closing; |
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| • | the Buyer and Merger Sub have performed in all material respects all obligations and covenants required to be performed or complied with by them under the Merger Agreement |
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| • | the Buyer shall have made payment in full satisfaction of our outstanding obligations to Sovereign Bank, N.A., LC Capital, and Cadence Special Holdings II, LLC (“Cadence”); and |
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| • | the Note Purchase Agreement, between Buyer and Douglas B. Falcone, shall be in full force and effect and Buyer shall be willing and able to perform all of its obligations under the Note Purchase Agreement. |
Termination of the Merger Agreement (page 65)
The Merger Agreement may be terminated at any time before the effective time, whether or not our stockholders have adopted the Merger Agreement:
| • | by mutual written agreement of Buyer and us; |
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| • | by either Buyer or us if: |
| • | the Merger has not been consummated on or before December 31, 2011, which we refer to as the “end date”, unless the breach of the Merger Agreement by the party seeking to terminate resulted in the failure to consummate the Merger by the end date; |
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| • | any applicable law, judgment or decree makes consummation of the Merger illegal or otherwise prohibited or permanently enjoins the consummation of the Merger and such enjoinment has become final and non-appealable, provided the party seeking to terminate the Merger Agreement shall have used all reasonable best efforts to prevent, oppose and remove such applicable law; or |
| • | the adoption of the Merger Agreement by our stockholders was not obtained at the special meeting (or any adjournment or postponement of the meeting). |
| • | a breach by us of a representation, warranty, covenant or agreement has occurred, which breach would give rise to a failure of certain conditions to closing and such breach is not capable of being cured by December 31, 2011, subject to certain limitations; |
| • | our Board of Directors has effected a Company Adverse Recommendation Change; |
| • | our Board of Directors shall have entered into or recommended a Company Acquisition Agreement; |
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| • | we shall have breached or failed to perform in any material respect any of the covenants and agreements relating to the “no solicitation” provision of the Merger Agreement; |
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| • | our Board of Directors fails to publicly reaffirm its recommendation of the Merger within 10 business days of a request by Buyer that it do so; |
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| • | a tender offer or exchange offer relating to our common stock shall have been commenced by a person unaffiliated with Buyer and we shall not have sent or given to our stockholders pursuant to Rule 14e-2 under the Exchange Act, within 10 Business Days after such tender offer or exchange offer is first published, a statement reaffirming the Board recommendation in favor of the Merger Agreement and recommending that stockholders reject such tender or exchange offer; or |
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| • | the Board (or any committee thereof) shall publicly announce its intentions to do any of the foregoing. |
| • | our Board of Directors authorizes us, subject to complying with the terms of the Merger Agreement, to enter into a written definitive agreement concerning a “superior proposal” provided that we have paid a termination fee to Buyer; |
| • | a breach of a representation, warranty, covenant or agreement by Buyer or Merger Sub has occurred, which breach would give rise to a failure of certain conditions to closing and such breach is not capable of being cured by December 31, 2011, subject to certain limitations; or |
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| • | all conditions to the obligations of Buyer and Merger Sub to complete the Merger have been satisfied or waived and Buyer and Merger Sub have breached their obligation to complete the Merger. |
Termination Fees and Expenses (page 67)
If the Merger Agreement is terminated in certain circumstances described under “The Merger Agreement — Effect of Termination” beginning on page 67, we may be obligated to pay to Buyer a termination fee of $1,000,000 plus out-of-pocket expenses not to exceed $100,000.
If the Merger Agreement is terminated in certain circumstances described under “The Merger Agreement — Effect of Termination of the Merger Agreement” beginning on page 67, Buyer must pay us $1,000,000, plus out-of-pocket expenses not to exceed $100,000.
In general, the Buyer and the Company will each bear its own expenses in connection with the Merger Agreement and the related transactions.
Material United States Federal Income Tax Consequences (page 49)
The exchange of shares for cash pursuant to the Merger Agreement generally will be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes. You should read “Material United States Federal Income Tax Consequences” beginning on page 49 for a more complete discussion of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the transaction. Tax matters can be complicated, and the tax consequences of the transaction to our stockholders will depend on their particular tax situations. Our stockholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the tax consequences of the transaction to them.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MERGER, THE MERGER AGREEMENT AND THE SPECIAL MEETING
The following questions and answers are intended to briefly address some commonly asked questions about the Merger, the Merger Agreement and the special meeting and are qualified in their entirety by the more detailed information contained elsewhere in this proxy statement. These questions and answers may not address all questions that may be important to you. You should still carefully read this entire proxy statement, including the attached appendices.
Q: | Why am I receiving these materials? |
A: | The Board of Directors is providing these proxy materials to give you information to determine how to vote in connection with the special meeting of the Company’s stockholders. The enclosed proxy is being solicited by the Board of Directors for use at the special meeting. The Board of Directors, acting on the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of disinterested directors, has unanimously approved and authorized the Merger Agreement, and unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” adoption of the Merger Agreement; “FOR” the approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of compensation that may be paid or become payable to our named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger; and “FOR” the approval of the adjournment of the special meeting, if necessary to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes to adopt the Merger Agreement at the time of the special meeting. . |
Q: | When and where is the special meeting? |
A: | The special meeting will be held at on [ ], 2011, at [ ] local time at the [ ], located at [ ]. |
Q: | Upon what am I being asked to vote? |
A: | You are being asked to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve and adopt the Merger Agreement pursuant to which Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company and the Company will continue as the surviving corporation and become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer. You are also voting on the approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of compensation that may be received by the Company’s named executive officers in connection with the Merger. You are also being asked to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve the adjournment or postponement of the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes at the time of the special meeting to adopt the Merger Agreement. |
Q: | Why is the Merger being proposed? |
A: | The purpose in proposing the Merger is to enable stockholders to receive, upon completion of the Merger, $0.285 in cash per share, without interest and less applicable withholding taxes. After careful consideration, our Board of Directors, acting on the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of disinterested directors, has unanimously approved and authorized the Merger Agreement, determined that the Merger Agreement and the terms and conditions of the Merger are advisable and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, and unanimously recommends that our stockholders vote “FOR” adoption of the Merger Agreement. For a more detailed discussion of the conclusions, determinations and reasons of the Board of Directors for recommending that we undertake the Merger on the terms of the Merger Agreement, see “The Merger (Proposal 1) — Recommendation of the Special Committee and the Company’s Board of Directors,” beginning on page 30. |
Q: | What will happen in the Merger? |
A: | In the Merger, Merger Sub will be merged with and into the Company and the Company will continue as the surviving corporation and become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer. |
Q: | What will I receive in the Merger? |
A: | If the Merger is completed, you will be entitled to receive $0.285 in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes, for each share of our common stock that you own immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger. |
Q: | What is the recommendation of the Company’s Board of Directors? |
A: | Based on the factors described in “The Merger (Proposal 1)— Recommendation of the Special Committee and the Company’s Board of Directors,” our Board of Directors, acting on the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of disinterested directors, has approved and authorized the Merger Agreement by unanimous vote and unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” the Merger Agreement. In the unanimous opinion of the Board of Directors and the Special Committee, the Merger Agreement and the terms and conditions of the Merger are advisable, fair to, and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. See “The Merger (Proposal 1) — Recommendation of the Special Committee and the Company’s Board of Directors” beginning on page 30. |
Q: | Who are the members of the Special Committee? |
A: | Thomas McNamara and Kenneth Paull. Mr. McNamara was appointed to the Board of Directors in April 2008. Mr. McNamara is an attorney and founding partner in the law firm of Indik & McNamara, P.C. From October 2007 to present, Mr. McNamara has also served as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Innovative Clinical Solutions, Ltd., a company engaged in implementing plans of liquidation. Mr. Paull was appointed to the Board of Directors in April 2008. Mr. Paull has been a Director of Market Platform Dynamics, a management consulting firm with a focus in the electronic payments industry, since February 2011. Prior to this, Mr. Paull served as Chief Executive Officer of Moneta Corporation, an alternative payment brand for e-commerce businesses, and as President of PAX Technology, Inc., a point of sale payment terminals manufacturing and distribution company. Neither Mr. McNamara nor Mr. Paull has any interest in the Merger or the Merger Agreement, nor does either have any consulting or other relationship with us and each satisfies the independence standards for directors set forth under NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 5600. |
Q: | Who will own the Company after the Merger? |
A: | After the Merger, we will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Buyer. |
Q: | What are the consequences of the Merger to present members of management and the Company’s Board of Directors? |
A: | Shares of common stock owned by members of management and the Board of Directors will be treated the same as shares held by other stockholders. Options, and restricted stock owned by members of management and the Board of Directors will be treated the same as options and restricted stock held by other employees. See “Treatment of Outstanding Options and Restricted Stock” in the Summary section above. Certain executive officers are entitled to receive severance payments under their existing employment agreements if their employment is terminated other than “for cause” within 12 months after the Merger. One of our executive officers, Douglas B. Falcone, will enter into an executive employment agreement with the Buyer effective upon completion of the Merger and must sell to the Buyer the subordinated promissory note under which we currently owe him $14.3 million in principal and interest for a maximum aggregate amount of $8.25 million, subject to certain subsequent financial conditions related to the post -aquisition performance of the Buyer's and the Company’s “merchant own-and-load” ATM businesses. For more information, see “The Merger (Proposal 1) — Interests of Our Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger” beginning on 40. |
Q: | Is the Merger subject to the satisfaction of any conditions? |
A: | Yes. Before completion of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, a number of closing conditions must either be satisfied or waived. These conditions are described in “The Merger Agreement — Conditions to the Completion of the Merger” beginning on page 64. These conditions include, among others, the adoption of the Merger by our stockholders, the absence of legal prohibitions to the Merger, the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the parties (subject to certain qualifications), and the absence of a Company Material Adverse Effect. |
Q: | Who can vote on the Merger Agreement? |
A: | Holders of the Company’s common stock at the close of business on [ ], 2011, the record date for the special meeting, may vote in person or by proxy on the Merger Agreement at the special meeting. |
Q: | What vote is required to approve the Merger Agreement? |
A: | The Merger Agreement must be approved and adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of Company common stock outstanding on the record date. |
A: | A quorum of the holders of the outstanding shares of Company common stock must be present for the special meeting to be held. A quorum is present if the holders of record of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote at the meeting are present at the meeting, either in person or represented by proxy. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present for the purpose of determining whether a quorum is present. |
Q: | How many votes do I have? |
A: | You have one vote for each share of Company common stock that you own as of the record date. |
A: | Votes will be counted by the inspector of elections appointed for the special meeting, who will separately count “FOR” and “AGAINST” votes, abstentions and broker non-votes. A “broker non-vote” occurs when a nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner does not receive instructions from the beneficial owner with respect to the Merger proposal, the adjournment proposal, or the advisory vote regarding compensation that may become payable to our named executive officers as a result of the Merger. Because under Delaware law adoption of the Merger Agreement requires the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock, the failure to vote, broker non-votes, and abstentions will have the same effect as voting “AGAINST” the Merger proposal. See “Adjournment of the Special Meeting (Proposal 3),” beginning on page 69. Because approval of the “golden parachute” compensation proposal requires the affirmative vote of stockholders holding a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, abstentions will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” the “golden parachute” compensation proposal, and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the “golden parachute” compensation proposal. Because approval of the adjournment proposal requires the affirmative vote of stockholders holding a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, abstentions will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” the adjournment proposal, and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the adjournment proposal. |
Q: | How do I vote my common stock? |
A: | Before you vote, you should read this proxy statement in its entirety, including the appendices, and carefully consider how the Merger affects you. Then, mail your completed, dated and signed proxy card in the enclosed return envelope or submit your proxy by telephone or over the Internet as soon as possible so that your shares can be voted at the special meeting. For more information on how to vote your shares, see “The Special Meeting—Record Date and Voting Information” beginning on page 19. |
Q: | What happens if I do not vote? |
A: | The vote to adopt the Merger Agreement is based on the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding on the record date, and not just the number of shares that are voted. If you do not vote, it will have the exact same effect as a vote “AGAINST” the Merger proposal. If the Merger is completed, whether or not you vote for the Merger proposal, you will be paid the Merger Consideration for your shares of Company common stock upon completion of the Merger, unless you properly exercise your appraisal rights. See “The Special Meeting” and “The Merger (Proposal 1) — Our Stockholders’ Appraisal Rights” beginning on page 47, respectively, and Appendix C to this proxy statement. |
Q: | If the Merger is completed, how will I receive cash for my shares? |
A: | If the Merger Agreement is adopted and the Merger is consummated, and if you are the record holder of your shares of the Company’s common stock immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger (i.e., you have a stock certificate), you will be sent a letter of transmittal to complete and return to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, referred to herein as the “paying agent.” In order to receive the $0.285 in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes, per share, you must send the paying agent, according to the instructions provided, your validly completed letter of transmittal together with your Company stock certificates and other required documents as instructed in the separate mailing. Once you have properly submitted a completed letter of transmittal, you will receive cash for your shares. If your shares of common stock are held in “street name” by your broker, bank or other nominee, you will receive instructions after the effective time of the Merger from your broker, bank or other nominee as to how to effect the surrender of your “street name” shares and receive cash for those shares. |
Q: | When should I send in my stock certificates? |
A: | You should send your stock certificates together with the letter of transmittal sent to you following the consummation of the Merger. You should not send your stock certificates now. |
Q: | How are stock options treated in the merger? |
A: | We have agreed to take all action necessary so that each option outstanding immediately prior to the effective time will be converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and subject to the applicable tax withholding, equal to (a) the amount, if any, by which the Merger Consideration of $0.285 per share exceeds the per share exercise price of such outstanding option, multiplied by (b) the number of shares of common stock subject to such outstanding option immediately prior to the effective time. If the per share exercise price of an outstanding option equals or exceeds the Merger Consideration of $0.285 per share, then such outstanding option will be cancelled and terminated at the effective time without payment or other consideration. |
Q: | How are warrants treated in the merger? |
A: | We have agreed to use our reasonable efforts so that each warrant outstanding immediately prior to the effective time will be converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and subject to the applicable tax withholding, equal to (a) the amount, if any, by which the Merger Consideration exceeds the per share exercise price of such outstanding warrant, multiplied by (b) the number of shares of common stock subject to such outstanding warrant immediately prior to the effective time. If the per share exercise price of an outstanding warrant equals or exceeds the Merger Consideration, then such outstanding warrant will be cancelled and terminated at the effective time without payment or other consideration therefor and the holder will have no rights with respect to such outstanding warrants. |
Q: | If I do not know where my stock certificate is, how will I get my cash? |
A: | The materials you are sent after the completion of the Merger will include the procedures that you must follow if you cannot locate your stock certificate. This will include an affidavit that you will need to sign attesting to the loss of your stock certificate. The Buyer may also require that you provide a bond to the Buyer in order to cover any potential loss. |
Q: | Why am I being asked to consider and approve on a non-binding, advisory basis compensation that may be paid or become payable to the Company’s named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger? |
A: | The SEC recently adopted new rules that require us to seek a non-binding, advisory vote with respect to certain compensation that may be paid or become payable to our named executive officers and is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger (also known as “golden parachute” compensation). |
Q: | What will happen if stockholders do not approve the compensation that may be paid or become payable to our named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger? |
A: | Approval of the compensation that may be paid or become payable to our named executive officers in connection with the Merger is not a condition to completion of the Merger. The vote with respect to the compensation that may be received by our named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger is an advisory vote and will not be binding on the Company. Therefore, if the Merger is approved by the stockholders and completed, this “golden parachute” compensation will still be payable, if payable in accordance with our existing contractual obligations to the named executive officers, whether or not this vote on compensation is approved by the stockholders. |
Q: | What happens if I sell my shares of Company common stock before the special meeting? |
A: | The record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the special meeting is earlier than the consummation of the Merger. If you transfer your shares of common stock after the record date but before the special meeting you will, unless special arrangements are made, retain your right to vote at the special meeting but will transfer the right to receive the Merger Consideration to the person to whom you transfer your shares. |
Q: | If my shares are held in “street name” by my broker, bank or other nominee, will my broker, bank or other nominee vote my shares for me? |
A: | Your broker, bank or other nominee will vote your shares only if you provide instructions to your broker, bank or other nominee on how to vote. You should instruct your broker, bank or other nominee to vote your shares by following the directions provided to you by your broker, bank or other nominee. |
Q: | Will my shares held in “street name” or another form of record ownership be combined for voting purposes with shares I hold of record? |
A: | No. Because any shares you may hold in “street name” will be deemed to be held by a different stockholder than any shares you hold of record, any shares so held will not be combined for voting purposes with shares you hold of record. Similarly, if you own shares in various registered forms, such as jointly with your spouse, as trustee of a trust or as custodian for a minor, you will receive, and will need to sign and return, a separate proxy card for those shares because they are held in a different form of record ownership. Shares held by a corporation or business entity must be voted by an authorized officer of the entity. Shares held in an Individual Retirement Account must be voted under the rules governing the account. |
Q: | What does it mean if I receive more than one set of materials? |
A: | This means you own shares of the Company’s common stock that are registered under different names. For example, you may own some shares directly as a stockholder of record and other shares through a broker or you may own shares through more than one broker. In these situations, you will receive multiple sets of proxy materials. You must vote, sign and return all of the proxy cards or follow the instructions for any alternative voting procedure on each of the proxy cards that you receive in order to vote all of the shares you own. Each proxy card you receive comes with its own prepaid return envelope. If you submit your proxy by mail, make sure you return each proxy card in the return envelope that accompanies that proxy card. |
Q: | What if I fail to instruct my broker? |
A: | Without instructions, your broker will not vote any of your shares held in “street name.” Broker non-votes will be counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum. Broker non-votes will have exactly the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” the Merger proposal, but will have no effect on the outcomes of the vote on the adjournment proposal or advisory vote with respect to certain compensation that may be paid to our named executive officers. |
Q: | When do you expect the Merger to be completed? |
A: | The parties to the Merger Agreement are working to complete the Merger as quickly as possible. In order to complete the Merger, we must obtain the stockholder approval described in this proxy statement, and the other closing conditions under the Merger Agreement must be satisfied or waived. The parties to the Merger Agreement currently expect to complete the Merger prior to December 31, 2011, although we cannot assure completion by any particular date, if at all. Because the Merger is subject to a number of conditions, the exact timing of the Merger cannot be determined. |
Q: | What are the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Merger ? |
A: | The Merger will be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Each U.S. holder (as defined herein) will recognize a taxable gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the consideration received in the Merger (prior to reduction for any applicable withholding taxes) and the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares of the Company’s common stock surrendered. See “The Merger (Proposal 1)—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” beginning on page 49 for a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Merger to U.S. holders and non-U.S. holders. |
The tax consequences of the Merger to you will depend on the facts of your own situation. You should consult your tax advisor for a full understanding of the tax consequences of the Merger to you.
Q: | What happens if I do not return a proxy card? |
A: | Unless you attend the meeting and cast your vote in person, your failure to return your proxy card will have the same effect as voting against adoption of the Merger Agreement. |
A: | Yes. You may attend the special meeting and vote your shares in person whether or not you sign and return your proxy card. If your shares are held of record by a broker, bank or other nominee and you wish to vote at the special meeting, you must obtain a proxy from such record holder. |
Q: | May I change my vote after I have mailed my signed proxy card? |
A: | Yes. You may revoke and change your vote at any time before your proxy card is voted at the special meeting. You can do this in one of three ways: |
| • | | First, you can send a written notice to the Company’s Corporate Secretary stating that you would like to revoke your proxy; |
| • | | Second, you can complete and submit a new proxy in writing, by telephone or over the Internet; or |
| • | | Third, you can attend the meeting and vote in person. Your attendance alone will not revoke your proxy. |
If you have instructed a broker, bank or other nominee to vote your shares, you must follow directions received from your broker, bank or other nominee to change those instructions.
Q: | What rights do I have to seek a valuation of my shares? |
A: | Under Delaware Law, stockholders may exercise appraisal rights, but only if they do not vote in favor of the Merger proposal and they otherwise comply with the procedures of Section 262 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which is Delaware’s appraisal statute. A copy of Section 262 is included as Appendix C to this proxy statement. |
Q: | What conflicts of interest did the Board of Directors have in making its recommendation? |
A: | Certain members of our Board of Directors have interests in the Merger which are different than their interests as stockholders and the interests of the Company’s stockholders generally, which may present actual or potential conflicts of interest. For example, Michael E. Venezia is an employee of the investment manager of LC Capital and serves on our Board as a designee of LC Capital. In connection with the Merger, LC Capital will be receiving approximately $3,500,000 in full payment of all principal and interest due from us under a secured promissory note. Richard B. Stern’s employment agreement with us provides for material severance payments in the event that Mr. Stern’s employment is terminated, other than for cause, within 12 months after completion of the Merger. Finally, Douglas B. Falcone will receive, upon completion of the Merger, $3,000,000 plus up to an additional $5,250,000 of contingent deferred payments, depending on the performance of the Buyer’s and the Company’s “merchant own-and-load”ATM businesses after the Merger, in full payment of the $14.3 million of principal and interest currently due from us to him under a subordinated promissory note and will also enter into an executive employment agreement with the Buyer upon completion of the Merger. |
Q: | Who can help answer my questions? |
A: | If you have questions about the Merger Agreement or the Merger, including the procedures for voting your shares, you should contact [ ] via telephone at [ ] or via email at [ ]. |
This proxy statement and the accompanying form of proxy are being furnished to the Company’s stockholders in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Company’s Board of Directors for use at the special meeting to be held at on [ ], 2011, at [ ] local time at the [ ], located at [ ].
The Company is asking its stockholders to vote on the adoption of the Merger Agreement, dated as of August 15, 2011, by and among the Company, Buyer, Merger Sub, LC Capital and the Parent. If the Merger is completed, we will continue as the surviving corporation and become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer, and our stockholders (other than those who perfect their appraisal rights under Delaware law) will have the right to receive $0.285 in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes, for each share of common stock of the Company that they own immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger.
We are an independent automated teller machine deployer, acting as the source for businesses to purchase, operate and service automated teller machines which we refer to herein as “ATMs”. We entered the ATM business in 1999 and expanded our operations through internal growth and acquisitions. We manage, own or operate approximately 10,400 ATMs in the United States. We typically locate our ATMs in high traffic retail environments through national, regional and locally-owned supermarkets, convenience stores and other retail locations. We participate in as many electronic funds transfer networks, or EFTNs, as practical, including NYCE, Visa, MasterCard, Plus, American Express, Discover/Novus, STAR, Allpoint, and Moneypass. Our principal executive offices are located at 1101 Kings Highway North, Suite G100, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 and our telephone number is (856) 414-9100. Our website is www.accesstomoney.com.
Our principal executive offices are located at 1101 Kings Highway North, Suite G100, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 and our telephone number is (856) 414-9100. Our website is www.accesstomoney.com. Our common stock is eligible for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board (“OTCBB”) under the symbol “AEMI.” Additional information about our Company is included in our Annual Report on SEC Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and our Quarterly Report on SEC Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2011, copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibit D and Exhibit E, respectively. See the section entitled “Where Stockholders Can Find More Information” beginning on page 73.
Cardtronics, Inc. and Cardtronics USA, Inc.
Cardtronics, Inc., along with its wholly- and majority-owned subsidiaries, is the world's largest retail ATM owner. As of June 30, 2011, it operated approximately 37,400 ATMs in the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and the Caribbean, primarily with well-known retailers such as 7-Eleven®, Chevron®, Costco®, CVS®/pharmacy, ExxonMobil®, Hess®, Rite Aid®, Safeway®, Target®, and Walgreens®. It also assists in the operation of an additional approximately 4,500 ATMs under managed services contracts with customers such as Kroger®, Travelex®, and Circle K®. In addition to its retail ATM operations, Cardtronics provides services to large and small banks, credit unions, and prepaid card issuers, allowing them to place their brands on over 14,900 Cardtronics' ATMs and providing surcharge-free access through Cardtronics' Allpoint Network. Cardtronics' principal executive offices are located at 3250 Briarpark Drive, Suite 400, Houston, Texas and its telephone number is (832) 308-4000. Its website is www.cardtronics.com.
The Buyer is the principal operating subsidiary of Cardtronics, Inc., and its principal executive offices are in the same location as Cardtronics’ principal executive offices.
CATM Merger Sub, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer, is a Delaware corporation formed on August 12, 2011 for the purpose of effecting the Merger. At the effective time of the Merger, CATM Merger Sub, Inc. will be merged with and into the Company and the name of the resulting company will be Access to Money, Inc. CATM Merger Sub, Inc. has not conducted any activities other than those incidental to its formation and the matters contemplated by the Merger Agreement.
LC Capital Master Fund, Ltd.
LC Capital Master Fund, Ltd. is the beneficial owner of 10,997,903 shares of Common Stock of the Company and holder of a secured promissory note payable by the Company in the principal amount of $3,150,000. In connection with the Merger, LC Capital has agreed to vote all shares of common stock beneficially owned by it as of the effective time in favor of the Merger and has irrevocably appointed Buyer as its proxy to vote such shares until the earlier of the effective time or the expiration or termination of the Merger Agreement.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This proxy statement includes and incorporates by reference "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). All statements other than statements of historical facts included or incorporated by reference in this proxy statement, including without limitation, statements regarding our future financial position, business strategy, budgets, projected revenues, projected costs and plans and objective of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "estimates," "anticipates," or "believes" or the negative thereof or any variation there on or similar terminology or expressions.
We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include, but are not limited to: a decline in ATM transaction volume or fees, changes in technology standards, a failure by third parties to service our ATMs, regulatory changes, changes to interchange fees charged by electronic funds transfer networks, intense competition which could reduce net revenue per ATM or result in us deploying fewer ATMs, increases in interest rates, the inability to obtain cash for our ATMs, disruption of cash replenishment by armored car carriers to our ATMs, and statements of assumption underlying any of the foregoing, as well as other factors set forth in "Item 1A. Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and in other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us, or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing. Except as required by law, we assume no duty to update or revise our forward-looking statements.
All information contained in this proxy statement concerning Buyer, Merger Sub and Cardtronics has been supplied by Buyer, Merger Sub and Cardtronics and has not been independently verified by us.
The enclosed proxy is solicited on behalf of our Board of Directors for use at a special meeting of our stockholders to be held on [ ], 2011, at [ ] local time, or at any adjournments or postponements thereof, for the purposes set forth in this proxy statement and in the accompanying notice of special meeting. The special meeting will be held at [ ] located at [ ].
At the special meeting, our stockholders are being asked to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve and adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of August 15, 2011, by and among us, Buyer, Merger Sub, LC Capital, and Cardtronics. The Company’s stockholders are also being asked to and (i) consider and vote upon a proposal to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that may be paid of become payable to our named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger; (ii) approve the adjournment of the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes at the time of the special meeting to adopt and approve the Merger Agreement; and (iii) consider and act upon such other business as may properly come before the special meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.
We do not expect a vote to be taken on any other matters at the special meeting. If any other matters are properly presented at the special meeting for consideration, however, the holders of the proxies will have discretion to vote on these matters in accordance with their best judgment.
Record Date and Voting Information
Only holders of record of our common stock at the close of business on [ ], 2011 are entitled to notice of and to vote at the special meeting. At the close of business on [ ], 2011, 33,294,348 shares of common stock of the Company were outstanding and entitled to vote. A list of the Company’s stockholders as of the record date will be available for review at our executive offices during regular business hours ten days prior to the date of the special meeting. Each holder of record of our common stock on the record date will be entitled to one vote for each share held by such holder. The presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote at the special meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the special meeting.
All votes will be tabulated by the inspector of elections appointed for the special meeting, who will separately tabulate affirmative and negative votes, abstentions and broker non-votes, if any.
If a stockholder’s shares are held of record by a broker, bank or other nominee and the stockholder wishes to vote at the special meeting, the stockholder must obtain from the record holder a proxy issued in the stockholder’s name. Brokers who hold shares in “street name” for clients typically have the authority to vote on “routine” proposals when they have not received instructions from beneficial owners. Absent specific instructions from the beneficial owner of the shares, however, brokers are not allowed to exercise their voting discretion with respect to the approval of non-routine matters, such as the Merger Agreement and the compensation that may be received by the Company’s named executive officers in connection with the Merger. Proxies submitted without a vote by brokers on these matters are referred to as “broker non-votes.” Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists at the special meeting. Proxies received at any time before the special meeting and not revoked or superseded before being voted will be voted at the special meeting. If the proxy indicates a specification, it will be voted in accordance with the specification. If no specification is indicated, the proxy will be voted “FOR” adoption of the Merger Agreement, “FOR” the approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of compensation that may be paid or become payable to our named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger, and “FOR” the approval of the proposal to adjourn the special meeting if there are not sufficient votes to adopt the Merger Agreement and either "FOR" or "AGAINST", in the discretion of the persons named in the proxy, with respect to any other business that may properly come before the special meeting or any postponement or adjournment of the special meeting.
Stockholders may also vote in person by ballot at the special meeting.
The affirmative vote of holders of a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock is required to approve and adopt the Merger Agreement. Because adoption of the Merger Agreement requires the approval of stockholders representing a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock, failure to vote your shares (including failure to provide voting instructions if you hold through a broker, bank or other nominee) will have exactly the same effect as a vote against the Merger Agreement.
The approval of the proposal regarding “golden parachute” compensation and approval of the proposal to adjourn the special meeting if there are not sufficient votes to approve and adopt the Merger Agreement requires the affirmative vote of stockholders holding a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy at the special meeting and entitled to vote thereat and thereon. The persons named as proxies may propose and vote for one or more adjournments of the special meeting, including adjournments to permit further solicitations of proxies.
Please do not send in stock certificates at this time. If the Merger is completed, you will be sent a letter of transmittal regarding the procedures for exchanging existing stock certificates of the Company for the $0.285 in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes, per share payment.
Each share of common stock of the Company outstanding on [ ], 2011, the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the special meeting, is entitled to one vote at the special meeting. The affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock is required to approve the Merger Agreement.
You may vote your shares in any of the following ways:
| • | Submitting a Proxy by Mail. If you choose to have your shares voted at the special meeting by submitting a proxy by mail, simply mark your proxy, date and sign it, and return it in the postage-paid envelope provided. |
| • | Submitting a Proxy by Telephone. You can have your shares voted at the special meeting by submitting a proxy by telephone by calling the toll-free number on the proxy card up until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on [ ], 2011. You will then be prompted to enter the control number printed on your proxy card and to follow the subsequent instructions. Submitting a proxy by telephone is available 24 hours a day. If you submit a proxy by telephone with respect to a proxy card, do not return that proxy card. |
| • | Submitting a Proxy by Internet. You can also have your shares voted at the special meeting by submitting a proxy via the Internet up until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on [ ], 2011. The website for submitting a proxy via the Internet is www.[ ], and is available 24 hours per day. Instructions on how to submit a proxy via the Internet are located on the proxy card enclosed with this proxy statement. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web site and follow the instructions to obtain your records and create an electronic voting form. If you submit a proxy via the Internet with respect to a proxy card, you should not return that proxy card |
| • | Voting in Person. You can also vote by appearing and voting in person at the special meeting. |
If you choose to have your shares of common stock voted at the special meeting by submitting a proxy, your shares will be voted at the special meeting as you indicate on your proxy card, or Internet or telephone proxy. If no instructions are indicated on your signed proxy card, all of your shares of common stock will be voted “FOR” adoption of the Merger Agreement; “FOR” the approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of compensation that may be paid or become payable to our named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger; and “FOR” the approval of the adjournment of the special meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes to adopt the Merger Agreement at the time of the special meeting. You should return a proxy by mail, by telephone, or via the Internet even if you plan to attend the special meeting in person.
Any person giving a proxy pursuant to this solicitation has the power to revoke and change it any time before it is voted. It may be revoked and/or changed at any time before it is voted at the special meeting by:
| • | giving written notice of revocation to the Secretary of the Company; |
| • | submitting another proper proxy via the Internet, by telephone or a later-dated written proxy; or |
| • | attending the special meeting and voting by paper ballot in person. Your attendance at the special meeting alone will not revoke your proxy. |
If your shares are held in the name of a bank, broker, trustee or other holder of record, including the trustee or other fiduciary of an employee benefit plan, you must obtain a proxy, executed in your favor from the holder of record, to be able to vote at the special meeting.
Expenses of Proxy Solicitation We will bear the entire cost of solicitation, including the preparation, assembly, printing and mailing of this proxy statement, the proxy and any additional solicitation materials furnished to the stockholders. Copies of any solicitation materials will be furnished to brokerage houses, fiduciaries and custodians holding shares in their names that are beneficially owned by others so that they may forward this solicitation material to such beneficial owners. In addition, we may reimburse such persons for their costs in forwarding the solicitation materials to such beneficial owners. The original solicitation of proxies by mail may be supplemented by a solicitation in person, by telephone, or by facsimile by our directors, officers or employees. No additional compensation will be paid to these individuals for any such services. Except as described above, we do not presently intend to solicit proxies other than by mail.
Adjournments
Although it is not expected, in the absence of a quorum at the special meeting, holders of a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote at the special meeting or, if no shares are present in person or by proxy at the special meeting, any officer entitled to preside at, or act as secretary of, the special meeting may adjourn the meeting. When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need not be provided of the adjourned meeting if the time, place and means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at the adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. If, however, the date of the adjourned meeting is more than 30 days after the date for which the special meeting was originally called, or if, after the adjournment, a new record date is fixed, certain other information, including notice of place, date and time shall be provided to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting. Such notice will be delivered to you personally, or mailed to you at the post office addressed furnished by you to the Secretary of the Company for such purpose or, if you have not furnished your address to the Secretary for such purpose, then at your post office address last known to the Secretary. This notice will be provided not less than ten days nor more than 60 days before the date of the adjourned meeting and will set forth the purpose of the meeting.
Our Board of Directors is not aware of any business to be brought before the special meeting other than that described in this proxy statement.
We entered the ATM business in 1999 and expanded our ATM operations through internal growth and acquisitions. During this time we made two transformative acquisitions; the first occurring in November 2004 when we acquired 15,000 ATMs from eFunds Corporation (“eFunds”), and the second in April 2008 when we acquired approximately 4,200 ATMs from LJR Consulting Corp. (“LJR”). Between 2005 and 2007 we encountered financial difficulties and had to sell assets in order to reduce debt. Specifically, in June 2006, we sold our United Kingdom photocopy business, in January of 2007 we sold our United Kingdom, Canadian and German ATM businesses and our United States photocopy business and in June of 2007, we sold our Canadian photocopy business. The remaining business after the completion of the foregoing transactions consisted of our domestic ATM operation, which is now our primary business.
In connection with our acquisition of LJR in 2008, we issued an unsecured promissory note in the principal amount of $9.75 million to Douglas B. Falcone, the former owner of LJR, in partial payment of the purchase price. The note accrued interest at the rate of 13.0% per annum payable quarterly with the principal balance due April 18, 2015. Concurrent with the LJR acquisition, we obtained $11.0 million in financing through the issuance of Senior Secured Notes payable to LC Capital and Cadence (the “2008 Notes”). The 2008 Notes accrued interest at the rate of 13.0% per annum, were secured by substantially all of our assets, and were due and payable in full on April 18, 2011.
As part of managing our business, our Board of Directors and senior management regularly evaluate our current operations and growth as an independent company, as well as long-term strategic alternatives, including prospects for mergers and acquisitions or the sale of individual business segments, each with a view towards maximizing stockholder value. These efforts have included a meeting with potential strategic and financial partners, reviewing and analyzing solicited and unsolicited indications of interest, conducting targeted processes to obtain financing, and exploring strategic alternatives with potential buyers. In evaluating such potential acquisitions and strategic alternatives, our Board and senior management considered all aspects of our business, financial performance and financial condition, including relations with principal customers, prospects for new business with both existing and new customers, and our working capital requirements for organic growth.
Faced with the need for additional capital to grow our business and the impending maturity of our 2008 Notes in early 2011, we began during December 2009 to seek additional capital through the issuance of equity securities, the reduction of our debt service obligations through refinancing our existing debt, or alternatively, engaging in a strategic transaction. At the start of this process, our Board of Directors developed a three pronged approach to assess market alternatives and select the appropriate course of action. The three primary alternatives were:
| • | debt financing to reduce our required debt service payments; |
| • | new equity investment to provide additional capital and improve our financial condition; and/or |
| • | a sale of the Company or other business combination to maximize shareholder value. |
Debt Financing
Beginning in December 2009 and culminating in September 2011, we held discussions with 21 senior debt providers. These conversations were conducted primarily by Richard Stern, our Chief Executive Officer and Mike Dolan, our Chief Financial Officer. In each instance, Messrs. Dolan and Stern provided the detailed analysis of the Company’s performance as well as projections regarding our future prospects. The initial conversations focused on refinancing our senior $11 million debt facility. Of the 21 senior lenders canvassed, none were willing to provide us with a debt facility of that size.
After concluding that lenders were unwilling to provide the full $11 million we were seeking, in July 2010 we altered our strategy by seeking a lesser amount of financing. We then re-approached lenders proposing a facility of $5.5 million. Only Sovereign Bank was prepared to move forward with such proposal, and on September 3, 2010, we closed our senior debt facility with Sovereign Bank on the terms described below.
Pursuant to a Loan and Security Agreement dated as of September 3, 2010 (the “Senior Loan and Security Agreement”) by and among us, our subsidiaries, and Sovereign Bank, we obtained $5.5 million of senior secured financing (the “Senior Loan”). The Senior Loan is due September 3, 2015, accrues interest at the rate of 6.81% per annum, requires monthly payments of principal and interest amortizing over a five year period, and is secured by substantially all of our assets. The Senior Loan and Security Agreement contains financial covenants which, as amended, require that we maintain a minimum liquidity of $1.0 million on deposit with Sovereign Bank increasing to $1.5 million on December 31, 2011; maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio of not less than .65 to 1 as of the quarter ended June 30, 2011, increasing to 1.25 to 1 for quarters ending on or after December 31, 2011; and maintain a funded debt to EBITDA ratio of not more than 2.35 to 1 for the quarter ended June 30, 2011, decreasing to 2 to 1 for quarters ending on or after September 30, 2011.
The proceeds of the Senior Loan and Security Agreement were used to repay in part and amend and restate the 2008 Notes (as amended and restated, the “2010 Secured Notes”). The 2010 Secured Notes have a principal amount of $3.5 million, are due October 3, 2015, are subordinated to the Senior Loan, accrue interest at the rate of 7.0% per annum if paid currently, or 10.0% per annum if accrued, with each interest rate increasing .25% on the first anniversary of the closing, 1.0% on the second anniversary of the closing, 2.5% on the third anniversary of the closing, and 5.0% on the fourth anniversary of the closing, may be prepaid in whole or in part at anytime at our option, and are secured by substantially all of our assets, subject to the lien in favor of Sovereign Bank.
In connection with these transactions, we also restructured our existing note payable to Douglas S. Falcone, our Chief Operating Officer, in the principal amount of $9.75 million to (i) extend the maturity date until October 3, 2015 and (ii) reduce the interest rate and amend the payment terms in a manner that resulted in the interest rate and payment terms on the note payable to Mr. Falcone being substantially similar to the 2010 Secured Notes.
Equity Financing
Between the fourth quarter of 2009 and fourth quarter of 2010, we held discussions with 14 private equity or investment banking firms to discuss direct investments into the Company for the purpose of executing our business plan or developing alternative strategies to improve our financial performance. Each private equity firm was given a package that included public information regarding our financial performance, updated to the latest quarter prior to the date of the meeting. At each meeting Mr. Stern provided an overview of our operations and the challenges facing the business and the industry moving forward. These challenges included margin compression due to reductions in interchange fees, increased competition due to, among other things, low barriers to entry, the loss of certain key vendors, and increased customer turnover. The presentation also included a discussion of our desire to either (i) raise capital to make acquisitions in the ATM space, (ii) identify adjacent businesses to combine with us to help grow the business, (iii) offer our public company status to another business that was interested in accessing the public markets for capital purposes, or (iv) positioning the Company for a potential sale (the “Investor Presentation”). After each meeting, we followed up with each potential funding source to determine whether they would be willing to participate in any of the proposed funding solutions or if they had other solutions or opportunities to help us execute on our proposed business plan.
Except as specifically noted below, in none of the cases did any of these firms express any interest in providing any further insight or engage in any further discussions with us. Almost universally, these institutions highlighted our capital structure and excessive debt as the principal reason for declining any further participation. The details of these efforts are set forth below.
On November 18, 2009, Mr. Stern met in New York with Investor 1, a private equity firm. Mr. Stern presented the Investor Presentation and engaged in detailed question and answer follow up with them at the meeting. Subsequently, Mr. Stern and Investor 1 had a series of telephone conversations to develop a strategy. Investor 1 ultimately declined to provide an equity investment or offer any alternative strategies citing our excessive level of debt.
On December 8, 2009, Mr. Stern attended a lunch meeting in Philadelphia with two principals from Investor 2, an investment banking firm. At the meeting, Mr. Stern presented the Investor Presentation and engaged in a series of follow up telephone conversations with Investor 2. In early 2010, Investor 2 notified Mr. Stern that it was not interested in pursuing a transaction at that time.
On February 16, 2010, Mr. Stern met in Florida with Investor 3, an investment banking firm. After going through the Investor Presentation, Investor 4 indicated that due to the Company’s level of indebtedness it was not inclined to participate in an investment and could not offer any recommendations regarding any alternative strategies.
On February 24, 2010, Mr. Stern traveled to Atlanta to meet with Investor 4, an investment banking firm. Mr. Stern provided Investor 5 with the Investor Presentation. Investor 5 declined to continue the discussion.
On February 24, 2010, Mr. Stern attended a lunch meeting with Investor 6, an investment banking firm, who was also provided with the Investor Presentation. Investor 5 declined to pursue an investment in the Company.
On February 23, 2010 and again on February 24, 2010, Mr. Stern met with Investor 6, a private equity firm who was given the Investor Presentation. After further discussions, Investor 6 declined to pursue an investment in the Company.
On October 14, 2010, Mr. Stern met with the President of Investor 7, an investment bank. Mr. Stern presented the material contained in the Investor Presentation. Investor 7 declined to pursue an investment in the Company.
On October 14, 2010, Mr. Stern met with Investor 8, an investment bank. Mr. Stern presented the material contained in the Investor Presentation. Investor 9 declined to pursue an investment in the Company.
On October 19, 2010, Mr. Stern met with the EVP Director of Investment Banking for Investor 10, an investment bank. The Investor Presentation was provided and discussed. Investor 10 declined to continue the discussions further.
On November 10, 2010, Mr. Stern had a meeting in New York with the Co-President of Capital Markets of Investor 10, an investment manager. At that meeting, Mr. Stern presented the Investor Presentation, but Investor 10 declined to pursue further discussions.
Mr. Stern met with the Vice President of Corporate Finance for Investor 11, an investment bank, during which the Investor Presentation was discussed. Although Mr. Stern engaged in a series of follow up conversations with Investor 11, ultimately Investor 11 declined to provide an investment into the Company again citing our excessive debt level.
Mr. Stern also met with the Managing Partner of Investor 12, a private equity firm, on October 19, 2010. After discussing the Company’s financial situation and reviewing the Investor Presentation, Investor 12 offered to introduce us to certain potential strategic partners. However, Investor 12 was not prepared to make a direct investment in the Company. Investor 12 did introduce us to two potential strategic buyers. See “Alternative Strategic Transactions” below.
On November 10, 2010, Mr. Stern met with the Managing Director of Investor 13, an investment bank. Mr. Stern presented the Investor Presentation and had a detailed follow up discussion. Investor 13 declined to pursue an investment in the Company.
On November 10, 2010, Mr. Stern also met with the Senior Managing Director of Investor 14, an investment bank. After a detailed discussion, Investor 14 proposed an investment in the amount of up to $1,000,000 pursuant to an equity line of credit. Mr. Stern presented this proposal to the Board of Directors. After fully evaluating the financial aspects of the proposal, the Board declined to pursue the proposed financing based on the excessive dilution that would have resulted from the financing, particularly in light of the Company’s stock price which at the time was trading between $.20 and $.24 per share.
Alternative Strategic Transactions
From 2009 until we commenced negotiating the terms of the Merger with Cardtronics in June 2011, we canvassed the market for potential acquirers and strategic partners. This process was executed by our executive officers, Richard B. Stern, Michael Dolan and Douglas B. Falcone. Each of these officers has intimate knowledge of our business, the ATM industry, the specific markets we serve, as well as extensive and deep relationships with ATM operating companies and financing sources. Specifically, Mr. Falcone has been engaged in the ATM industry as an owner, operator and executive officer since 1998. He has extensive knowledge of the industry and relationships with the principals of substantially all participants in the ATM industry. Mr. Stern has served as our Chief Executive Officer since 2007 during which time he has actively participated in industry events and developed relationships with owners and executive officers of our primary competitors and other ATM service providers. Mr. Stern has also been actively involved in attending industry tradeshows and engaging with investment banking firms, private equity firms, and hedge funds focusing on small and middle market public companies. As our Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Dolan is intimately familiar with the financial condition and operations of the Company. In this process, our officers regularly consulted with certain of our directors, including Michael Venezia and Ethan Buyon, each of whom has substantial investment banking experience and contacts with middle market hedge funds, investment banks, and other funding sources.
This team canvassed the market for two years focusing on both financial and strategic sources of funding or potential merger partners. Their efforts in seeking financial buyers and investors are described in detail above under the caption “Equity Financing”. With regard to potential strategic acquirers, we held discussions with nine parties regarding a strategic transaction. The conversations varied from discussing sales of the Company for cash and/or stock as well as stock mergers. We approached almost every substantial participant in the ATM industry of whom we were aware. Our efforts in this regard are described in more detail below.
Beginning in March of 2009, we engaged in repeated discussions with Company 1, a privately held ATM Company. Mr. Stern and Douglas B. Falcone, our Chief Operating Officer, met with Company 1’s President at industry trade shows in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In addition, Mr. Stern had continuous telephone conversations with Company 1’s President, and exchanged information with Company 1 for the purposes of evaluating a potential transaction. Mr. Stern and the President of Company 1 discussed the potential of the Company merging with Company 1. Company 1’s President required that a significant amount of cash be available post closing to complete a transaction. Since we did not have access to the amount of capital required to satisfy this cash requirement, discussions regarding this potential transaction were terminated in the third quarter of 2010.
Beginning in April 2009, we engaged in discussions with Company 2, a public company operating in the ATM industry, to complete a potential transaction. Messrs. Falcone and Stern traveled to Company 2’s principal offices to propose the terms of a potential merger. At that time, Company 2 elected not to pursue a transaction. While discussions continued sporadically over the course of the next 12 months, no material developments ensued until April of 2010 when Messrs. Stern and Dolan again met with Company 2’s management. Meetings were held in our offices in September 2010 among Company 2’s senior management and Messrs. Stern, Dolan and Falcone. A merger was discussed pursuant to which shareholders of each company would participate in the combined enterprise. After the meeting concluded, the conversations ceased until April 2011 when Messrs. Stern and Dolan again met with management of Company 2. At that meeting, Company 2 inquired about the possibility of acquiring the Company outright. Company 2 contacted our subordinated debt holders directly to discuss the terms and amount of the expected debt load of the combined companies. Despite our requests, Company 2 never made a definitive offer for the Company.
In July 2010, Mr. Stern began telephone conversations with Company 3, a large publicly traded company. During these conversations, Mr. Stern outlined the ATM business and offered ways in which the Company could be a complementary business for Company 3’s existing operations. In August 2010, Mr. Stern met with representatives of Company 3 to further the discussions. The conversations centered on having Company 3 making an outright purchase of the Company. After a number of follow up calls, in September 2010, Company 3 indicated that it was not inclined to move forward with a transaction.
In June 2010, Messrs. Stern and Falcone met in New York with the CEO and CFO of Company 4, a large ATM company in New York. The discussion centered on Company 4 purchasing all of the stock of the Company. In furtherance of these discussions, Company 4 entered into a non-disclosure agreement with us and we exchanged certain information. After some initial expressions of interest, Company 4 never made an offer despite repeated attempts by Mr. Stern to further this initiative.
As this process continued, we began to experience operational issues which we expected could have an adverse effect on our cash flow and results of operations. Specifically, in May 2010, one of our largest customers notified us that it would not be renewing its contract with us. In November 2010, our largest customer notified us that it would be issuing a request for proposal and running a competitive bidding process in connection with the renewal of our ATM sales and services contract. Even though we were successful in renewing this contract, the profitability of the contract was greatly reduced. In light of these circumstances, we accelerated our efforts in locating a strategic financial partner or potential acquiror.
On November 1, 2010 Mr. Stern was introduced to Company 5 by Investor 12. Company 5 provides business consulting services to small retail locations. It was contemplated that Company 5 could purchase the Company and provide its ATM expertise as another service for Company 5’s existing customer base. Mr. Stern met again with representatives of Company 5 in New York a few weeks later. After these meetings, Company 5 decided that there was no real opportunity and declined to make an offer for the Company.
On January 17, 2011, Mr. Stern had a telephone conversation with the CEO of Company 6 who was also introduced by Investor 12. Company 6 is a privately held enterprise that operates a kiosk business, but also provides some ATM services. The suggestion was that Company 6 and the Company would merge and provide a broader service offering to their similar customer bases. After some preliminary conversations, the CEO of Company 6 declined to further the discussion and did not pursue a transaction.
Between January 13, 2011 and January 18, 2011, Messrs. Stern and Falcone had a series of telephone conversations with a regional investment banking firm, as a representative of Company 7, a significant ATM operator. The investment bank was offering to reach out to Company 7 and inquire as to their interest in acquiring or merging with the Company. Through these discussions, Company 7 was not inclined to pursue a transaction.
On January 11, 2011, Mr. Stern met with the CEO of Company 8, who was also a principal and controlling shareholder of Company 9. Each of Company 8 and 9 are significant ATM companies competing with the Company. At the meeting, it was discussed whether a combination of one or both of Company 8 or 9 with the Company was possible. The CEO discussed this idea with investors in Company 8 and the other shareholders of Company 9. In the interim, the CEO was replaced as the CEO of Company 8 and Mr. Stern renewed these discussions with the new CEO in May of 2011. On May 10, 2011, the new CEO wrote Mr. Stern indicating that Company 8 was not interested in pursuing a transaction. Company 9 never responded to further inquiries by Mr. Stern and no offer was forthcoming.
The Cardtronics Transaction
By the middle of the fourth quarter of 2010, we began to experience a decrease in cash flow and earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation and amortization, which we refer to herein as “EBITDA”. As a result, as of January 25, 2011 we were not in compliance with the minimum liquidity requirement included in the Senior Loan and Security Agreement. In addition, as of the quarter ended March 31, 2011, we were not in compliance with the fixed charge coverage ratio or funded debt to EBITDA ratio under both the Senior Loan and Security Agreement and the 2010 Secured Notes. The forgoing defaults were waived and the covenants amended as described above. Our inability to comply with these covenants, and the potential material adverse impact that continued failure to meet these covenants could have on our financial condition and results of operations, further accelerated our search for potential financial partners or a strategic acquisition.
On January 2, 2011, the Company and Cardtronics executed a mutual non-disclosure agreement in anticipation of exchanging confidential information. After exchanging some preliminary information, Mr. Falcone contacted Cardtronics expressing the Company’s interest in pursuing a transaction. On February 15, 2011, Messrs. Stern, Falcone and Dolan met with Cardtronics’ senior management to outline the benefits of a transaction. At the meeting, the Company presented information regarding its current financial condition, certain potential future opportunities, and the possible synergies associated with a transaction.
On February 23, 2011, Messrs. Falcone and Stern met with Rick Updyke, President of Cardtronics’ U.S. Group, to further the discussion and outline potential synergies, growth opportunities for the combined enterprise, and how their respective businesses might be able to complement each other.
On March 16, 2011, Messrs. Stern and Updyke had a follow up telephone call.
On March 22, 2011, the Board of Directors met to review the merger and acquisition activities outlined above and to determine if any realistic opportunities were presenting themselves. The Board determined that the potential transaction with Cardtronics appeared to have the most traction and that we should continue discussions with them.
At the request of Cardtronics, on March 24, 2011 we prepared a financial submission indicating how we believed an acquisition of the Company by Cardtronics would be accretive to Cardtronics. On April 22, 2011, after weeks of follow up, Mr. Stern had a conversation with Mr. Updyke to discuss Cardtronics review of our submission and we agreed to continue discussions.
On May 3 and May 4, 2011, representatives of Cardtronics, including Messrs. Updyke and Tres Thompson, Executive Vice President of Domestic ATM Services, met with Messrs. Stern, Dolan and Falcone in our offices. During this meeting, additional operational information was exchanged and potential operational synergies were discussed.
On May 24, 2011, Mr. Thompson submitted an offer to Mr. Stern to acquire the Company for a purchase price of $0.15 per share, plus satisfaction of the full amount of our approximate $9.5 million of outstanding debt due to Sovereign Bank, LC Capital and Cadence, and partial satisfaction of our approximate $14.3 million of outstanding debt due to Mr. Falcone.
On May 24, 2011 and again on May 27, 2011, the Board met to consider the offer. The Board analyzed the structure of the offer, including the repayment of all outstanding indebtedness owed to Sovereign Bank, LC Capital and Cadence, the purchase of the subordinated note due to Mr. Falcone, the proposed price, and whether Cardtronics had the financial resources to complete the proposed transaction. Recognizing the interests of Mr. Venezia, due to his status as an employee of Lampe Conway, the insurance manager of LC Capital, of Mr. Falcone, as the holder of a subordinated note and the expectation that he would serve as an officer of Cardtronics post closing, and of Mr. Stern, as a result of potential change of control payments that could become payable to him under his employment agreement as a result of the transaction, the Board formed a Special Committee of disinterested directors consisting of Kenneth Paul and Tom McNamara. Messrs. Paul and McNamara had previously served on a special committee to evaluate the refinancing transaction among the Company, LC Capital and Cadence described above.
The Special Committee led the discussions. Based on his relationship with the business people at Cardtronics and knowledge of the Company’s operations, the Special Committee appointed Mr. Stern to continue to serve as the lead negotiator on behalf of the Company. After concluding that Cardtronics had the resources to complete the proposed transaction, the Board discussed the Company’s current performance and current initiatives including its quick service restaurant opportunity, outsource financial institution program, its contract with The Pantry, and its expertise in the retail ATM placement business. The Board and Special Committee concluded that the proposed purchase price did not recognize the Company’s value and was, therefore, inadequate. The Board instructed Mr. Stern to reject the offer and seek a new proposal.
On June 2, 2011, Mr. Thompson sent Mr. Stern a revised bid where Cardtronics offered the Company $.20 per share for the common stock and a proposal to satisfy all of the Company’s approximate $9.5 million debt payable to Sovereign Bank, LC Capital and Cadence, and to purchase the $9.5 million principal amount note plus accrued interest of approximately $4.7 million due to Mr. Falcone at a substantial discount.
On June 3, 2011, the Board engaged GuideCap Partners, LLC as its financial advisor to render a fairness opinion to the Board of Directors regarding the fairness of the proposed transaction from a financial point of view and provide assistance with negotiating the remaining financial terms of the proposed transaction. Between June 3 and June 6, 2011, members of the Special Committee and Richard Stern discussed the financial aspects of the transaction and revised bid with GuideCap.
On June 2 and 3, 2011, the Board and Special Committee met to consider the revised offer. Although Mr. Falcone attended the meeting, he did not participate in discussions other than to report on the status of his discussions with Cardtronics. The Board and Special Committee fully analyzed the proposal concluding that the revised offer again failed to fairly value the Company, was inadequate, but that an offer in the range of $0.25 to $0.30 per share would be considered. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Board and Special Committee directed Mr. Stern to reject the offer and continue to negotiate for a higher price.
On June 7, 2011, Cardtronics increased the offer to $0.23 per share. At the same time, Cardtronics continued discussions with Mr. Falcone regarding the possible purchase of Mr. Falcone’s $9.7 million principal amount subordinated note plus accrued interest of approximately $4.7 million at a significant discount.
On June 8, 2011, the Company called and convened its annual meeting of stockholders. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Board and Special Committee met to consider the revised offer. Again, Mr. Falcone did not participate other than to report that he was still in negotiations regarding the sale of his note and that he was agreeable to taking a substantial discount, particularly if it would increase the amount available to holders of our common stock. The revised offer also contained a draft term sheet which included a binding letter of intent with a substantial exclusivity period in which the Company would be excluded from engaging in discussions with other interested parties. The Board rejected any binding proposal or agreement in principle on price, but recommended that the Company continue to pursue negotiations with Cardtronics with a view to increasing the purchase price to between $0.25 and $0.30 per share.
On June 8, 2011, Cardtronics and the Company entered into a revised non-disclosure and standstill agreement and the Company provided Cardtronics access to its data room for the purpose of conducting full due diligence.
On June 21, 2011, during the due diligence period, Cardtronics announced its acquisition of EDC ATM Subsidiary, Inc. (“EDC”), a privately held ATM company.
On June 28, the Board and Special Committee met with GuideCap to discuss the impact the announcement of the EDC acquisition could have on the value of the Company. During this meeting, the Board and Special Committee discussed the publicly available information about EDC and the proposed transaction and resolved to continue to investigate the basis for the purchase price in that transaction. The Board and Special Committee determined that the $0.23 was inadequate and that Mr. Stern should continue to negotiate to increase the purchase price.
On June 29, 2011, in accordance with the directive of the Board and Special Committee, Mr. Stern approached Mr. Thompson to inform him that the June 8th offer would no longer be considered, but that the Board would consider a transaction with an increased purchase price.
On June 30, 2011, the Board and Special Committee again met with GuideCap to further evaluate the EDC transaction and current offer. Based on further investigation and analysis consisting of discussions with ATM industry participants and representatives of Cardtronics, it was determined that EDC predominantly as a “full placement” ATM provider with long standing relationships with many premier retailers, was well capitalized, likely had significantly higher margins and profits than the Company, and appeared to present a better strategic fit for Cardtronics than did the Company. Mr. Stern reported that although he believed Cardtronics would increase its offer, it would not approach the value paid for EDC.
On July 7, 2011, the Board and Special Committee again met with GuideCap to discuss the status of due diligence and a revised offer. Mr. Stern reported that due diligence was proceeding and that Cardtronics expected to be in a position to make an increased proposal upon completion of it its due diligence.
On July 13, 2011, the Board and Special Committee met to discuss the status of the revised offer. Mr. Stern reported that nothing had changed and that he was still expecting an increased offer any day.
As our negotiations with Cardtronics continued throughout June and we approached the end of our second fiscal quarter, it became apparent that we would again fail to satisfy certain of the financial covenants set forth in the Senior Loan and Security Agreement and 2010 Notes. After closing our books at quarter end, we determined that we did not meet the fixed charge coverage ratio or the funded debt to EBITDA ratio under both the Senior Loan and Security Agreement and 2010 Notes for the quarter ended June 30, 2011. We approached Sovereign Bank and advised that we would again be seeking a waiver and that we were in advanced discussions with Cardtronics regarding a potential transaction that would result in full satisfaction of our outstanding obligations to Sovereign Bank. Sovereign advised that it would consider a wavier or forbearance agreement, depending on the status of the transaction with Cardtronics.
On July 15, 2011, Cardtronics increased its bid to $0.285 per share plus the satisfaction of the Company’s debt to Sovereign Bank and LC Capital and purchase of Mr. Falcone’s Note at a substantial discount. Cardtronics also delivered an initial draft of the merger agreement.
On July 18, 2011, the Board and Special Committee again met with GuideCap to discuss the revised offer. It was the consensus that this represented the maximum price that Cardtronics would be willing to pay. The Board and Special Committee resolved to consider accepting the offer conditioned on the issuance of a fairness opinion from GuideCap, a definitive closing with no financing contingency, and acceptable definitive transaction documents. Mr. Stern was directed to negotiate with assistance of counsel the definitive agreement and to keep the Special Committee and Board apprised of any material issues.
Between July 18, 2011 and August 15, 2011, Cardtronics and the Company negotiated the documents necessary to effectuate the transaction.
During negotiations, Cardtronics requested a proxy from LC Capital to vote in favor of the merger.
On August 5, 2011, Guide Cap Partners presented to the Board of Directors and Special Committee its conclusions on the fairness of Cardtronics’ offer. Guide Cap concluded that the Cardtronics’ offer was fair to the common shareholders of the Company from a financial point of view. During this meeting, the Special Committee recommended and the Board preliminarily approve the Merger Agreement subject to satisfaction of certain conditions designed to (i) eliminate as many conditions to Buyer’s obligation as possible in order to provide more certainty to closing; and (ii) limit the termination fee only in the event that the Company terminates the agreement to pursue a superior acquisition proposal or fails to call and convene the special meeting.
On August 15, 2011, Cardtronics and the Company execute the Merger Agreement. Also on August 15, 2011, Sovereign Bank and LC Capital waived the June 30, 2011 covenant breaches.
Recommendation of Our Special Committee and Our Board of Directors
The Special Committee unanimously recommended the Merger Agreement to the Board of Directors, determining the Merger to be advisable and in the best interests of our stockholders. In reaching this conclusion, the Special Committee and the Board considered a number of factors, including, among other things, the GuideCap opinion which states that, as of the date and subject to the assumptions and limitations stated in the opinion, the consideration to be received by our stockholders pursuant to the Merger Agreement is fair from a financial point of view. The full text of the GuideCap opinion, which sets forth the opinion expressed, procedures followed, matters considered and limitations on review undertaken in connection with the opinion, is attached as Appendix B to this proxy statement. The Special Committee and the Board considered the short-term and long-term interests and prospects of the Company and our stockholders, and considered a number of factors, including among others, the following:
| • | | the Company’s historical and current financial performance and results of operations, the Company’s prospects and long-term strategy, the Company’s competitive position in its industries and general economic and stock market conditions; |
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| • | | the Special Committee’s knowledge of the Company’s businesses, assets, financial condition, results of operations and prospects (as well as the risks involved in achieving those prospects), the Company’s competitive position, the nature of the Company’s businesses and the industries in which the Company competes and the market for the Company’s common stock; |
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| • | | the possible alternatives to the sale of the Company, including continuing to operate the Company on a stand-alone basis and the risks associated with those alternatives; |
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| • | | the fact that the Company has failed to satisfy all financial covenants in its Senior Loan and Security Agreement and 2010 Notes for each of the past two completed fiscal quarters; |
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| • | | the Company’s need for additional capital and inability to raise such funds; |
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| • | | the Company’s financial and strategic plan and the initiatives and the potential execution risks associated with such plan, and the effects of the economic downturn on the Company specifically, and on the Company’s industries generally, and in connection with these considerations, the attendant risk that, if the Company did not enter into the Merger Agreement, the price that might be received by the Company’s stockholders selling stock of the Company in the open market, both from a short-term and long-term perspective, could be less than the Merger Consideration, especially in light of recent economic trends in the stock market; |
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| • | | the fact that one of the Company’s largest customer did not renew its contract in 2010, which has adversely affected the Company’s financial performance; |
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| • | | the fact that the Company’s new contract with its largest customer had become less profitable; |
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| • | | the current condition of the financial markets, including the availability of necessary financing for the Merger, and the risk, in the future, of deterioration in such conditions; |
| • | | the historical market prices of the Company’s common stock and recent trading activity, including the fact that the Merger Consideration represents a premium of 159.1% based on the Company’s closing market price of $0.11 on August 12, 2011 (the last trading day before the announcement of the Merger Agreement), a premium of 124.4% based on the Company’s average price per share for the six months ended August 12, 2011, and a premium of 54.1% based on the Company’s average price per share for the 12 months ended August 12, 2011; |
| | | |
| • | | the Board of Directors’ belief, based on the factors described above, that the $0.285 in cash per share Merger Consideration would result in greater value to the Company’s stockholders than the alternative of remaining a stand-alone, independent company and not entering into a transaction at this time; |
| | | |
| • | | the fact that the consideration to be paid pursuant to the Merger Agreement would be all cash, which would provide certainty and immediate value to the Company’s stockholders; |
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| • | | the financial analyses and the oral opinion of GuideCap delivered to the Board of Directors on August 5, 2011, subsequently confirmed in writing, that, as of that date, and based upon and subject to the factors and assumptions set forth in the opinion, the $0.285 per share in cash to be received by the holders of shares of our common stock (other than Buyer, Merger Sub and their affiliates) pursuant to the Merger Agreement was fair, from a financial point of view, to such holders. The full text of the written opinion of GuideCap, dated August 5, 2011, which sets forth assumptions made, procedures followed, matters considered, and limitations on the review undertaken in connection with such opinion, is attached as Appendix B to this proxy statement. See “The Merger (Proposal 1)—Opinion of Our Financial Advisor” beginning on page 33; |
| | | |
| • | | the fact that the consideration and negotiation of the Merger Agreement was conducted through arms-length negotiations under the oversight of our Board of Directors and Special Committee; |
| | | |
| • | | the fact that the Merger Agreement contains provisions that give our Board of Directors the right to terminate the Merger Agreement and accept a “superior proposal” prior to stockholder approval of the Merger Agreement, subject to payment of a break-up fee to the Buyer of $1,000,000 plus no more than $100,000 of Buyer’s expenses; |
| | | |
| • | | the absence of any financing condition and the likelihood that Buyer would be able to finance the Merger given Buyer’s financial condition, existing resources, and reputation; |
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| • | | the likelihood that the Merger will be completed, including the fact that conditions to closing the Merger are limited to stockholder approval, receipt of regulatory approvals, the Company not having suffered a material adverse effect, and other customary closing conditions; |
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| • | | the likelihood that stockholder approvals necessary to complete the Merger will be obtained; |
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| • | | the fact that the Company’s stockholders have the right to demand appraisal of their shares in accordance with the procedures established by Delaware law; |
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| • | | the fact that the transaction is subject to the approval of the Company’s stockholders; and |
| | | |
| • | | the fact that the outside date for consummating the Merger is December 31, 2011, providing over four months to complete the Merger. |
The Special Committee and the Board also considered the following adverse factors associated with the Merger, among others:
| • | | the fact that the Company’s stockholders will have no ongoing equity participation in the surviving corporation following the Merger, meaning that our stockholders will cease to participate in the Company’s future earnings or growth, or to benefit from any increases in the value of our stock; |
| • | | the restrictions on the conduct of the Company’s business prior to the completion of the Merger, which could delay or prevent us from undertaking business opportunities that may arise or any other action we would otherwise take with respect to the operations pending completion of the Merger; |
| • | | that gains from the sale of shares in the proposed Merger will be a taxable transaction for the Company’s stockholders since such shares are to be converted into cash in the Merger; |
| • | | that if the Merger is not completed, under certain circumstances, we will incur fees and expenses associated with the transaction that will not be reimbursed to us by the Buyer; |
| | | |
| • | | the fact that, under certain circumstances, we may be required to pay to Buyer a termination fee of $1,000,000 plus up to $100,000 for expenses actually incurred by Buyer; |
| • | | the fact that while the Merger is expected to be completed, there is no assurance that all conditions to the parties’ obligations to complete the Merger will be satisfied or waived, and, as a result, it is possible that the Merger might not be completed even if it is approved by the our stockholders; |
| | | |
| • | | the risks, costs and disruptions to our operations if the Merger is not completed, including the diversion of management and employee attention, potential employee attrition, the potential effect on our business and our relationships, and the likely negative effect on the trading price of our common stock; and |
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| • | | that certain of our directors and executive officers have interests in the Merger that are different from, or in addition to, the Company’s stockholders. See section entitled “The Merger (Proposal 1)—Interests of Our Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger ” beginning on page 40. |
In reaching its decision to approve the Merger Agreement, the Board of Directors relied on the Special Committee's recommendation and the factors relied on by the Special Committee as described above. In view of the wide variety of factors considered in connection with its evaluation of the proposed Merger, the Board and Special Committee did not find it practicable to, and did not, quantify or otherwise attempt to assign relative weights to the foregoing factors or determine that any factor was of particular importance. Rather, the Board and Special Committee viewed its position as being based on the totality of the information presented and considered by it. In connection with its consideration of the determination by the Special Committee, as part of its determination with respect to the fairness of the consideration to be received by holders of common stock pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the Board adopted the conclusion, and the analyses underlying such conclusion, of the Special Committee, based upon its view as to the reasonableness of such analyses and adopted the financial analyses underlying the GuideCap opinion based upon their review as to the reasonableness of such analyses. In reaching the determination described above, the Company’s Board of Directors, unanimously approved resolutions:
| • | | authorizing, approving and adopting the Merger and the Merger Agreement; |
| • | | determining that the consideration to be paid to the Company’s stockholders in the Merger is in the best interests of, the Company and its stockholders; and |
| • | | recommending that the Company’s stockholders vote in favor of adopting the Merger Agreement and the Merger. |
The foregoing discussion of the information and factors considered by our Special Committee and our Board of Directors is not intended to be exhaustive but, we believe includes all material factors considered by the Special Committee and Board of Directors.
Our Board of Directors, acting on the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of disinterested directors, has unanimously approved and authorized the Merger Agreement, and unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” adoption of the Merger Agreement.
Purpose and Reasons for the Merger
The Company’s purpose for engaging in the Merger is to enable our stockholders to receive $0.285 in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes, per share, which represents a premium of 159.1% to the market price of our common stock on August 12, 2011, the last trading day before the announcement of the Merger Agreement. We determined to undertake the Merger at this time based on the conclusions, determinations and reasons of the Company’s Board of Directors described in detail above under “The Merger (Proposal 1)—Background of the Merger ” beginning on page 22 and “The Merger (Proposal 1)—Recommendation of Our Special Committee and Our Board of Directors” beginning on page 30.
Opinion of Our Financial Advisor
Our Board of Directors retained GuideCap Partners, LLC as its financial advisor in connection with the Merger and to render an opinion as to the fairness, from a financial point of view, to the holders of the Company’s common stock (other than Buyer, Merger Sub and their affiliates) of the $0.285 per share merger consideration to be received by the holders of the Company’s common stock (other than Buyer, Merger Sub and their affiliates).
GuideCap rendered its opinion to the Board, which was subsequently confirmed in writing, that, as of August 5, 2011, based upon and subject to the assumptions made, matters considered, procedures followed and limitations on GuideCap’s review as set forth in the opinion, the $0.285 per Common Stock cash share merger consideration to be received by the common stockholders, in the Merger is fair, from a financial point of view, to such stockholders.
The summary of GuideCap’s opinion set forth below is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the opinion attached as Appendix B to this proxy statement. You are urged to read the opinion carefully in its entirety.
The full text of GuideCap’s written opinion dated as of August 5, 2011, which sets forth the assumptions made, matters considered, procedures followed, and limitations on the review undertaken by GuideCap in rendering its opinion, is attached as Annex A to this proxy statement and is incorporated herein by reference. GuideCap’s opinion is not intended to be, and does not constitute, a recommendation to you as to how you should vote or act with respect to the Merger or any other matter relating thereto. The summary of the GuideCap opinion set forth in this proxy statement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the opinion. We urge you to read the opinion carefully and in its entirety.
In connection with the opinion, GuideCap, among other things,
| (1) | reviewed drafts of the Merger Agreement, |
| (2) | reviewed drafts of the Note Purchase Agreement between Douglas B. Falcone and the Buyer; |
| (3) | reviewed certain publicly available business and financial information relating to the Company and Cardtronics; |
| (4) | reviewed certain internal financial and operating information with respect to the business, operations and prospects of the Company furnished to or discussed with GuideCap by the Company’s management, including certain financial forecasts relating to the Company prepared by, or prepared at the direction of and approved by, the Company’s management (such forecasts, the “Company Forecasts”); |
| (5) | discussed the past and current business, operations, financial condition and the business prospects and financial outlook of the Company with members of senior management of the Company; |
| (6) | reviewed the trading history for the Company Common Stock and a comparison of that trading history with the trading histories of other companies it deemed relevant; |
| (7) | compared certain financial terms of the Merger to financial terms, to the extent publicly available, of other transactions it deemed relevant; and |
| (8) | performed such other analyses and studies and considered such other information and factors as GuideCap deemed appropriate. |
In arriving at its opinion, GuideCap relied upon and assumed, without independent verification, the accuracy and completeness of all financial, cash flow and other information that was made available, supplied or otherwise communicated to GuideCap by or on behalf of the Company, or that was otherwise provided to, discussed with or reviewed by GuideCap, and did not assume any obligation to independently verify, and did not independently verify, any of such information. With respect to the Company Forecasts, GuideCap was advised by the Company, and assumed, that the Company Forecasts were reasonably prepared on bases reflecting the best currently available estimates and good faith judgments of the Company management as to the future operating and financial performance of the Company and that they provided a reasonable basis upon which GuideCap could form an opinion. Such Company Forecasts were not prepared with the expectation of public disclosure. All of the Company Forecasts were based on numerous variables and assumptions that are inherently uncertain, including, without limitation, factors related to general economic, market and competitive conditions. Accordingly, actual results could vary significantly from those set forth in the Company Forecasts. GuideCap relied on the Company Forecasts without independent verification or analysis and did not in any respect assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness thereof. GuideCap further relied upon the assurances of the Company’s management that they were not aware of any facts or circumstances that would make such information or data inaccurate or misleading in any material respect. GuideCap assumed the accuracy of all representations and warranties in the Merger Agreement and all agreements related thereto.
GuideCap expressed no view or opinion as to any terms or other aspects of the Merger (other than the consideration to the extent expressly specified herein), including, without limitation, the form or structure of the Merger. GuideCap was not requested to, and did not, solicit indications of interest or proposals from third parties regarding a possible acquisition of all or any part of the Company or any alternative transaction. GuideCap’s opinion is limited to the fairness, from a financial point of view, of the consideration to be received by the holders of the Company’s common stock and no opinion or view was expressed with respect to any consideration received in connection with the Merger by the holders of any other class of securities, creditors or other constituencies of any party. In addition, no opinion or view was expressed with respect to the fairness (financial or otherwise) of the amount, nature or any other aspect of any compensation to any of the officers, directors or employees of any party to the Merger, or class of such persons, relative to the Consideration. Furthermore, no opinion or view was expressed as to the relative merits of the Merger in comparison to other strategies or transactions that might be available to the Company or in which the Company might engage or as to the underlying business decision of the Company to proceed with or effect the Merger; nor did the opinion address any legal, regulatory, tax or accounting matters. In addition, GuideCap expressed no opinion or recommendation as to how any stockholder should vote or act in connection with the Merger or any related matter.
GuideCap’s analysis and opinion are necessarily based upon market, economic and other conditions, as they existed on, and could be evaluated as of, August 5, 2011. Accordingly, although subsequent developments may affect its opinion, GuideCap assumed no obligation to update, review or reaffirm its opinion to the Board, the Company or any other person.
The following represents certain key analyses presented by GuideCap to the Board and Special Committee in connection with its opinion. The summary does not constitute a complete description of the procedures performed by GuideCap. Considering the data set forth below without considering the full narrative description of the financial analyses, including the methodologies and assumptions underlying the analyses, could create a misleading or incomplete view of the financial analyses performed by GuideCap.
Selected Publicly-Traded Companies Analysis
GuideCap reviewed publicly available financial and stock market information for the following six publicly-traded companies based on varying degrees of similarity of product and service offerings.
Cardtronics Inc. CATM (NasdaqGM)
Coinstar, Inc. STR (NasdaqGS)
DirectCash Payments Inc. DCI (TSX)
Euronet Worldwide Inc. EEFT (NasdaqGS)
Global Axcess Corp. GAXC (OTCBB)
Global Cash Access Holdings, Inc. GCA (NYSE)
GuideCap reviewed, among other things, capitalization, market multiples, historical performance, ratios and projected growth. GuideCap reviewed the enterprise values of the selected companies as a multiple of latest twelve months (“LTM”) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”). GuideCap observed a range of multiples of between 5.3x and 9.8x LTM EBITDA from the selected publicly-traded companies. GuideCap compared the publicly-traded companies with the Company and made certain adjustments based on differences. GuideCap applied an adjusted LTM EBITDA multiple of 5.2x to the corresponding data of the Company. This analysis indicated an enterprise value of $11.2 million, and after subtracting $23.1 million in projected long-term debt and accrued interest as of the estimated transaction closing date, resulting in an equity value of $0 and a value of $0 per common share.
Implied per Share Equity Value for the Company | | Per Share Consideration |
$0.000 | | $0.285 |
No company used in this analysis is identical or directly comparable to the Company. Accordingly, an evaluation of the results of this analysis is not entirely mathematical. Rather, this analysis involves complex considerations and judgments concerning differences in financial and operating characteristics and other factors that could affect the public trading or other values of the companies to which the Company was compared.
Selected Industry Transactions Analysis
GuideCap reviewed 59 industry transactions between June 2001 and June 2011 in which the acquired company provided automated teller machine services or kiosk services. Of those transactions, 19 disclosed valuation multiples and where comparable based upon their line of business. The selected transactions where further reduced based upon the dates of the transactions reviewed. Due to changes in industry dynamics and macro-economic conditions, transactions occurring before 2008 where excluded from consideration. Of those transactions occurring after 2008 only two transactions possessed the financial detail necessary to evaluate the transaction on an EBITDA multiple basis. Upon further evaluation, both transactions were deemed unreliable for use in determining an implied value for the Company. In particular, due to growth rates, EBITDA margins, other business specific factors, and the small sample size, GuideCap concluded that the selected industry transactions method did not provide a meaningful or reliable measure of Company value.
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis
GuideCap performed a discounted cash flow analysis of the Company to calculate the estimated present value of the estimated unlevered, after-tax free cash flows that the Company could generate during the Company’s remaining fiscal year 2011 and fiscal years 2012 through 2015 based on the Company forecasts. GuideCap calculated a terminal value for the Company by applying a terminal LTM EBITDA multiple of 5.8x to the Company’s fiscal year 2015 estimated EBITDA.
The cash flows and terminal values were then discounted to present value using a discount rate of 28%. The discount rate of 28% was estimated utilizing the weighted average cost of capital of debt and equity. The current weighted average cost of debt was utilized for the cost of debt. The capital asset pricing model (“CAPM”) was utilized to determine the cost of equity. The CAPM takes into consideration the risk-free rate, market equity risk premium, a size premium and a company specific premium. The company-specific risk premium considered the ability to finance projected growth, the competitive position of the Company, and the Company’s ability to execute on the business plan. This analysis indicated an enterprise value of the Company of $22.8 million and after subtracting $23.1 million in projected long-term debt and accrued interest as of the estimated transaction closing date, a resulting equity value of $0 was obtained resulting in a value of $0.000 per common share. A sensitivity analysis was performed with discount rates ranging from 24% to 32% which resulted in $0.066 to $0.000 per common share, all of which were lower than the consideration offered per common share of $0.285.
Implied per Share Equity Value for the Company | | Per Share Consideration |
$0.000 | | $0.285 |
General
As noted above, the discussion set forth above is a summary of certain analyses presented by GuideCap to the board of directors in connection with its opinion and is not a comprehensive description of all analyses undertaken by GuideCap in connection with its opinion. The preparation of a financial opinion is a complex analytical process involving various determinations as to the most appropriate and relevant methods of financial analysis and the application of those methods to the particular circumstances and, therefore, a financial opinion is not readily susceptible to partial analysis or summary description. GuideCap believes that its analyses summarized above must be considered as a whole. The fact that any specific analysis has been referred to in the summary above is not meant to indicate that such analysis was given greater weight than any other analysis referred to in the summary. In performing its analyses, GuideCap considered industry performance, general business and economic conditions and other matters, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The estimates of the future performance of the Company in or underlying GuideCap’s analyses are not necessarily indicative of actual values or actual future results, which may be significantly more or less favorable than those estimates or those suggested by GuideCap’s analyses.
These analyses were prepared solely as part of GuideCap’s analysis of the fairness, from a financial point of view, of the consideration to be received by the common shareholders and were provided to the board of directors in connection with the delivery of GuideCap’s opinion. The analyses do not purport to be appraisals or to reflect the prices at which a company might actually be sold or the prices at which any securities have traded or may trade at any time in the future. Accordingly, the estimates used in, and the ranges of valuations resulting from, any particular analysis described above are inherently subject to substantial uncertainty and should not be taken to be GuideCap’s view of the actual values of the Company.
The type and amount of consideration payable in the Merger was determined through negotiations between the Company and Cardtronics, rather than by any financial advisor, and were recommended by the Special Committee and approved by the Board. The decision to enter into the Merger Agreement was solely that of the Board. As described above, GuideCap’s opinion and analyses were only one of many factors considered by the Special Committee Board in its evaluation of the Merger and should not be viewed as determinative of the views of the Special Committee Board or management with respect to the Merger or the consideration.
As part of its investment banking business GuideCap regularly is engaged in the evaluation of businesses and their securities in connection with mergers, acquisitions, corporate restructurings, private placements and for other purposes. GuideCap has received a non-contingent fee for rendering the fairness opinion. Also, the Company has agreed to indemnify GuideCap and related persons and entities for certain liabilities that may relate to, or arise out of, its engagement. Further, GuideCap has not previously provided, nor are there any pending agreements to provide, any other services to either the Company, Cardtronics or the Merger Sub.
GuideCap’s fee for providing the Opinion is not contingent upon the conclusions contained therein. GuideCap has determined to the best of its knowledge and in good faith that neither it nor any of its agents have any financial interest in the Company, Cardtronics or Merger Sub.
Projected Financial Information
We do not, as a matter of course, publicly disclose projections as to its future financial performance or earnings for periods other than the current fiscal year due to the unpredictability of the underlying assumptions and estimates. However, senior management did provide certain internal financial projections of the Company’s operating performance to Buyer and its advisors and debt and equity financing sources, as well as to the Special Committee and our Board of Directors, in connection with their consideration of a possible Merger with Buyer. See “The Merger (Proposal 1)—Background of the Merger” beginning on page 22. The projections were also provided to our financial advisor, GuideCap, and were utilized by GuideCap, at our direction, for purposes of the financial analyses it rendered to the Board of Directors during the process leading to the Merger Agreement and its analyses in connection with its opinion. See “The Merger (Proposal 1)—Opinion of Our Financial Advisor” beginning on page 33 and “The Merger (Proposal 1)—Background of the Merger” beginning on page 22.
We have included in this proxy statement the projections that were deemed material by us for purposes of considering and evaluating the Merger. The inclusion of these projections or any other projections provided in connection with the transaction should not be regarded as a representation by us, the Board of Directors, Special Committee, Buyer, Merger Sub, GuideCap or any other person that it considered, or now considers, the projections to be necessarily representative of actual future results.
We believe that the assumptions of our senior management used as a basis for the projections were reasonable at the time the projections were prepared, given information our senior management had at the time. However, except to the extent required by applicable federal securities laws, we do not intend, and expressly disclaim any responsibility, to update or otherwise revise the projections to reflect circumstances existing after the date when prepared or to reflect the occurrence of future events even in the event that any of the assumptions underlying the projections are shown to be in error. The assumptions upon which these projections were based are subjective in many respects and are subject to various interpretations.
Although the projections are presented with numerical specificity, the projections reflect numerous assumptions with respect to industry performance, general business, economic, market, regulatory and financial conditions and other matters, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. The projections are also subject to significant uncertainties in connection with changes to our business and financial condition and results of operations, and include numerous estimates and assumptions related to our business that are inherently subject to significant economic and competitive uncertainties, including those factors described under “Cautionary Statements Concerning Forward-Looking Information” on page 18 and “Risk Factors” incorporated herein by reference from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, as well as information contained in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2011, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. As a result, although the projections set forth below were prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time the projections were prepared, there can be no assurance that the projected results will be realized or that actual results will not be significantly higher or lower than projected. Since the projections below cover multiple years, such information by its nature becomes less reliable with each successive year. For the foregoing reasons, the inclusion of projections in this proxy statement should not be regarded as an indication that such projections will be necessarily predictive of actual future events, and they should not be relied on as such.
The following projections were not prepared with a view to public disclosure and are included in this proxy statement only because such information was made available, in whole or in part, to Buyer and its advisors connection with their due diligence review of our Company, as well as to our Board of Directors and Special Committee in connection with its consideration of a possible merger transaction. The projections were not prepared with a view to compliance with published guidelines of the SEC regarding projections, the guidelines established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for preparation and presentation of prospective financial information, or United States generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Furthermore, our independent auditor has not examined, compiled or otherwise applied procedures to the projections and, accordingly, assumes no responsibility for, and expresses no opinion on, them.
A summary of the projections prepared by senior management that were deemed material by us and used by GuideCap in its financial analyses of the Company follows. Note that these projections were prepared in June 2011 based on actual results through May 2011:
|
Access to Money, Inc. | | | | | | |
Income Statement | | | | | | |
(US$ in 000's) | | | | | | |
| | Projected | | | | |
| | FY Ending 12/31 | | | | |
| | 2011 Est. | | | 2012 Est. | | | 2013 Est. | | | 2014 Est. (1) | | | 2015 Est.(2) | |
Full Placement | | | 2,308 | | | | 2,980 | | | | 3,510 | | | | | | | |
Merchant | | | 8,461 | | | | 8,071 | | | | 8,550 | | | | | | | |
Total Units | | | 10,769 | | | | 11,051 | | | | 12,060 | | | | | | | |
Growth | | | 3.5 | % | | | 2.6 | % | | | 9.1 | % | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total revenues | | | 81,676 | | | | 88,863 | | | | 92,089 | | | | 95,000 | | | | 98,000 | |
Growth | | | -3.0 | % | | | 8.8 | % | | | 3.6 | % | | | 3.2 | % | | | 3.2 | % |
Total cost of sales | | | 71,298 | | | | 74,923 | | | | 76,521 | | | | | | | | | |
Gross profit | | | 10,378 | | | | 13,941 | | | | 15,568 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Sales, general and administrative | | | 8,028 | | | | 8,924 | | | | 9,710 | | | | | | | | | |
EBITDA | | | 2,350 | | | | 5,017 | | | | 5,858 | | | | 6,400 | | | | 6,800 | |
(1) The Company did not prepare detailed projections of full placement and merchant units, gross profit, or sales, general & administrative expenses, because they were not necessary for Guide Cap’s analysis.
Readers of this proxy statement are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the summary of the financial projections set forth above. No one has made or makes any representation to you regarding the information included in these projections or the future financial results of the Company.
Certain Effects of the Merger
If the Merger is completed, all of the equity interests in the Company will be owned by Buyer. No current stockholder will have any ownership interest in, or be a stockholder of, the Company. As a result, the Company’s stockholders will no longer benefit from any increases in the Company’s value, nor will they bear the risk of any decreases in the Company’s value. Following the Merger, Buyer will benefit from any increases in the value of the Company and also will bear the risk of any decreases in the value of the Company.
As a part of the Merger, each stockholder will be entitled to receive $0.285 in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes, per share for each share of the Company’s common stock held immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger. Immediately before the effective time of the Merger, all outstanding unvested options and restricted stock awarded under the Company’s equity compensation plans will become fully vested. As described in further detail below, the holders of options will receive, in exchange for their options, an amount in cash per share equal to the excess of $0.285 over the exercise price per share of the options (less any required withholding taxes). Each share of restricted stock shall be exchanged for $.285 in cash, without interest and less applicable withholding taxes.
If the Merger is completed, our common stock will no longer be eligible for trading on the OTCBB (and no longer publicly-traded) and deregistered under the Exchange Act and we will no longer file periodic reports with the SEC on account of the common stock.
Interests of Our Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger
In considering the recommendation of the Company’s Board of Directors, you should be aware that some executive officers and directors of the Company have interests in the Merger, including those described below, that are different from or in addition to your interests as a stockholder and that may present actual or potential conflicts of interest. The members of the Company’s Board of Directors were aware of such interests when deciding to approve the Merger.
Indemnification of Directors and Officers; Directors’ and Officers’ Insurance
Buyer has agreed to cause the surviving corporation and its subsidiaries to maintain in effect for a period of six years from the effective time the current policies of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance maintained by the Company or purchase as of the effective time tail policies to the current directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, which tail policies shall not have an annual premium in excess of 200% of the annual premium being paid by us prior to the effective time. These policies will be effective for a period of six years from the effective time with respect to claims arising from facts or events that existed or occurred prior to or at the effective time and will provide coverage amounts and terms that are at least as protective to the insured parties as those contained in the policies of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance maintained by us and in effect immediately prior to the effective time; provided that if equivalent coverage cannot be obtained or can be obtained only by paying an annual premium in excess of 200% of the annual premium currently being paid by us, the surviving corporation and its subsidiaries will only be required to obtain as much similar insurance as possible for an annual premium equal to 200% of the annual premium being paid by the Company. In addition, after the effective time, Buyer and the surviving corporation have agreed to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each present and former director or officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries against all costs or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses), judgments, fines, losses, claims, damages, liabilities, and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation, including liabilities arising out of or pertaining to all acts and omissions arising out of or relating to their services as directors or officers of the Company or its subsidiaries occurring prior to the effective time, whether commenced, asserted or claimed before or after the effective time. See “The Merger Agreement — Covenants of Buyer and/or Merger Sub —Indemnification and Insurance.”
Options
The Merger Agreement requires that we take all requisite action so that, at the effective time, each option to acquire shares of common stock of the Company that are outstanding immediately prior to the effective time will be cancelled and converted into the right to receive from the Buyer the excess, if any, of the Merger Consideration of $0.285 per share over the per share exercise price of such option. If the per share exercise price of an outstanding option equals or exceeds the Merger Consideration of $0.285 per share, then such outstanding option will be cancelled and terminated at the effective time without payment or other consideration.
Restricted Stock
The Merger Agreement provides that all of our restricted shares (the majority of which are held by our officers and directors) will vest and will entitle the holder to receive $0.285 in cash (without interest and less applicable withholding taxes) for each such share upon the completion of the Merger.
Merger Proceeds
The following table sets forth, as of [ ], 2011, for each of our directors and executive officers, the approximate cash proceeds that each of them will receive at the completion of the Merger (without accounting for any applicable withholding taxes) in exchange for shares of common stock of the Company, options; and restricted stock that they held at such date and are expected to hold immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger.
Name | | Principal Position | | Proceeds from Shares of Common Stock Held | | | Proceeds From In-The-Money Stock Options | | | Proceeds from Restricted Stock | | | Total Payments | |
Ethan S. Buyon | | Director | | $ | 27,360 | | | $ | 7,000 | | | $ | - | | | $ | 34,360 | |
Thomas S. McNamara | | Director | | | 29,925 | | | | 7,000 | | | | - | | | | 36,925 | |
Kenneth Paull | | Director | | | 170,835 | | | | 7,000 | | | | - | | | | 177,835 | |
Michael E. Venezia(1) | | Director | | | | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | |
Richard B. Stern | | President and CEO | | | 256,785 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 256,785 | |
Douglas B. Falcone | | Vice President and COO | | | 884,141 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 884,141 | |
Michael J. Dolan | | CFO | | | 52,787 | | | | - | | | | 11,875 | | | | 64,662 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
TOTAL: | | | $ | 1,454,708 | |
(1) | Does not include proceeds to LC Master Fund. Lampe Conway is the investment manager of LC Capital and employs Mr. Venezia. |
For additional information regarding the nature of each director’s and executive officer’s beneficial ownership of the Company’s common stock, please see “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” beginning on page 71.
Employment Contracts of Named Executive Officers
On May 21, 2007, Mr. Stern entered into an employment agreement to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer that replaced his previous agreement entered into in October 2006 to serve as Executive Vice President of Corporate Operations. Mr. Stern’s agreement was amended effective December 1, 2008, to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. The agreement provides for an annual base salary of $375,000, subject to annual adjustment by the Compensation Committee. Mr. Stern is also eligible to receive an annual bonus based upon reasonably specific criteria to be developed by the Compensation Committee. The target annual bonus amount is 50% of Mr. Stern’s base salary, although on the first two anniversaries of the date Mr. Stern initially commenced his employment with the Company, he was entitled to an annual bonus of not less than $100,000. Mr. Stern’s employment term ends upon termination of his employment agreement due to his death, disability, termination for cause, or termination without cause. For a discussion of the termination provisions of Mr. Stern’s agreement, see “Interests of Our Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger — Other Post-Employment Compensation and Change in Control Payments” beginning on page 42.
On August 1, 2007, Mr. Dolan entered into an employment agreement to serve as our Chief Financial Officer for a term of one year with automatic one year renewal periods unless either party gives notice of non-renewal. Mr. Dolan’s agreement was amended effective December 1, 2008 to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. The agreement provides for an annual base salary of $200,000, subject to annual adjustment by the Compensation Committee. Mr. Dolan is also eligible to receive an annual bonus, targeted at 35% of his base salary, although upon completion of his first year of employment, he was entitled to a guaranteed bonus of $70,000 so long as he was actively employed by us at that time. For a discussion of the termination provisions of Mr. Dolan’s agreement, see “Interests of Our Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger — Other Post-Employment Compensation and Change in Control Payments” beginning on page 42.
On April 18, 2008, Mr. Falcone entered into an employment agreement to serve as our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for a term of two years from the effective date, with automatic one year renewal periods unless either party gives notice of termination at least thirty (30) days prior to the end of any term. Mr. Falcone’s agreement was amended effective December 1, 2008, to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. The agreement provides for an annual base salary of $300,000, subject to annual adjustment by the Compensation Committee. Mr. Falcone was also eligible to receive a bonus of $150,000 on the first two anniversaries of the date he initially commenced his employment with the Company, and for each year thereafter the bonus shall be awarded in the discretion of the Compensation Committee based upon such reasonably specific criteria, including performance criteria, as are determined by the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr. Falcone is also entitled to termination payments under specified circumstances. Mr. Falcone’s employment term ends upon termination of his employment agreement due to his death, disability, termination for cause or termination without cause. For a discussion of the termination provisions of Mr. Falcone’s agreement, see “Interests of Our Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger — Other Post-Employment Compensation and Change in Control Payments” beginning on page 42.
Other Post-Employment Compensation and Change in Control Payments
Mr. Stern’s employment agreement provides that if the Company terminates him without cause, or at any time within three months before or 12 months after the occurrence of a change of control, except for cause, (i) all of his stock options and restricted stock will vest upon the date of his termination, (ii) we will pay him all amounts of accrued but unpaid base salary to the date of termination and a pro-rata amount of the targeted annual bonus for that year, (iii) we will pay him an amount equal to two years of base salary plus two years targeted annual bonus and (iv) we will provide health and dental insurance to him until the earlier of (a) two years from the date of his termination or (b) the commencement of his employment with another employer. If Mr. Stern terminates his employment other than by reason of a constructive dismissal, we must pay Mr. Stern all accrued but unpaid base salary to the date of termination and provide certain fringe benefits as well as any annual bonus that has been awarded but not yet paid. Additionally, Mr. Stern may terminate his employment if there is a constructive dismissal, and receive the same termination benefits as for a termination without cause. The Company may terminate Mr. Stern for cause with not less than ten days written notice. The Company will have no other compensation obligations other than (i) amounts of base compensation accrued through the date of termination and (ii) reimbursement of appropriately documented expenses incurred before the termination. In such event, Mr. Stern would be entitled to elect to continue participation in any health, dental, life, accident and disability insurance plans at Mr. Stern’s expense if the plans allow for continuation at no cost to us. The following terms used in this paragraph are defined in Mr. Stern’s employment agreement as follows:
| · | “Cause” is defined in the employment agreement as (i) a breach or neglect of the material duties that he is required to perform or acting in a manner that is materially contrary to our best interests and such breach, neglect or actions are not cured within 30 days after receipt of notice, (ii) the reasonable belief of a majority of the Board of Directors that he has committed a crime of moral turpitude, (iii) use of alcohol in an inappropriate manner or any unlawful controlled substance while performing duties and such use materially interferes with the performance of his duties, (iv) commission of any act of criminal fraud, material dishonesty or misappropriation relating to or involving the Company, (v) material violation of a rule, regulation, policy, plan or express direction of the Board of Directors, or (vi) unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. |
| · | “Change of Control” is defined in the employment agreement to have occurred upon the earliest to occur of the following events: (i) the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of Merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of our properties or assets and those of our subsidiaries taken as a whole, to any person or entity, (ii) the adoption of a plan relating to our liquidation or dissolution, (iii) the consummation of any transaction in which a person or entity becomes the beneficial owner of more than 35% of our voting stock, or (iv) we consolidate or merge with or into another entity or vice versa after which beneficial owners of voting stock representing in the aggregate a majority of the total voting power of our voting stock immediately prior to the transaction are not beneficial owners of voting stock representing a majority of the total voting power of the Company or surviving entity immediately following the transaction. The Merger Agreement will constitute a Change of Control under Mr. Stern’s employment agreement. |
| · | “Constructive Dismissal” is defined in the employment agreement as (i) any requirement that Mr. Stern’s principal office be relocated to a location that is in excess of 50 miles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, without his prior written consent, (ii) any material reduction in his title or reporting relationship, responsibilities or authority, (iii) any material reduction in his base compensation, unless any such reduction is applied in connection with, and matches in duration and percentage, a reduction in total cash compensation of all of the executive officers, provided that in such event such reduction does not exceed 10% of his base compensation and target annual bonus for the immediately preceding year, (iv) following a change of control, any reduction in base compensation, without his prior written consent; or (v) any breach by the Company of its material obligations to Mr. Stern that are not cured within 30 days after written notice. |
Mr. Dolan’s employment agreement provides that if we terminate Mr. Dolan any time within three months before or 12 months after the occurrence of a change of control, except for cause, (i) all of his stock options will vest upon the date of his termination, (ii) if his employment is terminated within the first year of employment, we must pay him an amount equal to one year of base salary plus the guaranteed bonus, (iii) if his employment is terminated after the first year of employment, we must pay him an amount equal to two years of base salary, provided that in each case, Mr. Dolan executes and does not revoke a separation agreement and general release, and (iv) we will provide medical and dental insurance to him for a period of two years following separation of service. If we terminate Mr. Dolan without cause or if his employment is terminated within the first year of employment, we must pay him an amount equal to one year of base salary, and, if he is terminated thereafter, we must pay him an amount equal to two years of base salary and his stock options will vest upon such termination, provided that Mr. Dolan executes and does not revoke a separation agreement and general release. If Mr. Dolan terminates his employment under the employment agreement, we will pay Mr. Dolan all accrued but unpaid base salary, vested stock options, and reimbursement of appropriately documented expenses incurred before the termination of his employment. The following terms used in this paragraph are defined in Mr. Dolan’s employment agreement as follows:
| · | A “change of control” is defined in the employment agreement as (i) the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, (ii) the adoption of a plan relating to our liquidation or dissolution, (iii) the consummation of any transactions in which a person or entity becomes the beneficial owner of more than 35% of our voting stock, (iv) the Company consolidates or merges with or into another entity or vice versa after which beneficial owners of voting stock representing in the aggregate a majority of the total voting power of the Company’s voting stock immediately prior to the transaction are not beneficial owners of voting stock representing a majority of the total voting power of the voting stock of the Company or surviving entity immediately following the transaction, or (v) the first day on which a majority of the members of our Board of Directors are not continuing directors. The Merger Agreement will constitute a Change of Control under Mr. Dolan’s employment agreement. |
| · | “Cause” is defined in the employment agreement the same way as it is defined in Mr. Stern’s employment agreement. |
Mr. Falcone’s employment agreement, as amended, may be terminated (i) by Mr. Falcone for any reason upon 30 days’ written notice to us, including notice of his intent not to renew the Agreement, (ii) by Mr. Falcone for “good reason,” (iii) by us for any reason at any time with 30 days’ written notice to Mr. Falcone, including notice of our intent not to renew the employment agreement, or (iv) upon Mr. Falcone’s death or disability. If Mr. Falcone is terminated by us without cause or by him for good reason, we must pay Mr. Falcone an amount equal to two years base salary plus a bonus and health insurance for twelve months after the termination date at the same coverage level as in effect immediately prior to the termination date, provided that in each case, Mr. Falcone executes and does not revoke a separation agreement and general release. At the closing of the Merger, Buyer will enter into an employment agreement with Douglas B. Falcone, which will supersede his existing employment agreement with the Company. Accordingly, Mr. Falcone will not be entitled to any compensation in connection with the termination of his existing employment agreement. For a discussion of the terms of Mr. Falcone’s new employment agreement with the Buyer, see “Employment Agreement with Mr. Falcone” beginning on page 45. The following terms used in this paragraph are defined in Mr. Falcone’s existing employment agreement as follows:
| · | “Good Reason” is defined in the existing employment agreement as (i) an involuntary reduction in base salary; or (ii) a requirement that employee work outside of the geographic scope in the agreement (i.e., within 60 miles of the Philadelphia office). |
| · | “Cause” is defined in the existing employment agreement as (i) any misappropriation of funds or property of the Company by the employee; (ii) the conviction of or plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the employee to a felony or to any crime involving moral turpitude; (iii) the employee engagement in illegal, immoral or similar conduct ending to place the employee or the Company, by association with the employee, in disrepute; (iv) abuse of alcohol or drugs to an extent that renders the employee unable or unfit to perform the employee's duties hereunder; (v) gross dereliction of duty; (vi) failure or refusal to follow lawful policies of the Company or directives of the Company’s Board of Directors, President or Chief Executive Officer within two business days following notice to the employee of such failure or refusal; or (vii) the employee's malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in connection with the performance of the employee's duties. |
Options and Restricted Stock Awards
On April 18, 2008, we granted to Mr. Dolan a restricted stock award consisting of 150,000 shares of our common stock. The award vests in three equal annual installments beginning on April 18, 2009 and was fully vested on April 18, 2011. On November 19, 2008, we granted to Mr. Dolan a restricted stock award consisting of 125,000 shares of common stock. The award vests in three equal annual installments beginning on November 19, 2009 and ending on November 19, 2011. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the remaining installment on Mr. Dolan’s restricted stock award will become fully vested.
Note Purchase Agreement with Mr. Falcone
Simultaneously with the execution of the Merger Agreement, Buyer entered into a Note Purchase Agreement with Douglas B. Falcone, pursuant to which the Buyer agreed to purchase, and Mr. Falcone agreed to sell, the Company’s subordinated note payable to Mr. Falcone dated September 3, 2010 in the original principal amount of $9,754,465 plus current accrued interest of approximately $4.7 million (the “Falcone Note”). The purchase price for the Falcone Note will consist of (i) an initial payment of $3,000,000 to be paid by the Buyer to Mr. Falcone at the closing of the Merger and (ii) certain deferred contingent payments to be made annually by the Buyer based upon the achievement of certain targeted annual revenue amounts for the Buyer’s and the Company’s “merchant own-and-load” ATM businesses during the first four full calendar years following the closing of the Merger. The maximum annual installment payment to Mr. Falcone for each of those four years under the note purchase agreement is $1,312,500, resulting in an aggregate maximum contingent deferred consideration of $5,250,000.
LC Capital Master Fund Secured Note
As a condition to the closing of the Merger, LC Capital will be receiving approximately $3,500,000 in full payment of all principal and interest due under a secured promissory note
Employment Agreement with Mr. Falcone
At the closing of the Merger, Buyer will enter into an employment agreement with Douglas B. Falcone. Pursuant to the terms of such employment agreement, Mr. Falcone will serve, following the closing of the Merger, as Executive Vice-President of Merchant Sales of Buyer at an annual base salary of $250,000. Simultaneously with the execution of the employment agreement with Mr. Falcone, Cardtronics will enter into a restricted stock agreement (which is more fully described below), pursuant to which Cardtronics will issue to Mr. Falcone, in lieu of any and all bonuses during the initial four year term of the employment agreement, shares of common stock valued at $1.4 million on and subject to substantial risks of forfeiture and the other terms of the restricted stock agreement. Mr. Falcone’s employment agreement will also provide that if Mr. Falcone’s employment is terminated by Cardtronics without cause, he will be entitled to receive (i) his annual base salary for a period of twelve months following the date of his termination(subject to reduction for any amounts received by Mr. Falcone from other full-time employment during those 12 months), (ii) any unpaid annual bonus amount for the calendar year ending prior to the date of his termination, and (iii) continued health coverage provided by Cardtronics for a period of twelve months following the date of his termination.
Pursuant to the restricted stock agreement to be entered into with Mr. Falcone at the closing of the Merger, Cardtronics will issue to Mr. Falcone shares of common stock of Cardtronics, Inc. equal to the lesser of (i) 70,000 shares or (ii) that number of shares having a market value of $1.4 million as of the date of the execution of the restricted stock agreement. The shares issued to Mr. Falcone under the restricted stock agreement will be subject to forfeiture in the event that (i) certain revenue projections for the Buyer’s own-and-load ATM business are not met during the first four full calendar years after the closing of the Merger or (ii) Mr. Falcone’s employment is terminated prior to December 31, 2015. During the first four full calendar years following the closing of the Merger, Mr. Falcone is prohibited from selling, assigning, pledging, exchanging or otherwise transferring or disposing the shares, will not be permitted to vote the shares and will not be entitled to any dividends paid on the shares.
Golden Parachute Compensation
The following table sets forth the information required by Item 402(t) of Regulation S-K regarding certain compensation which the following individuals may receive that is based on or that otherwise relates to the Merger. This compensation is referred to as “golden parachute” compensation. The “golden parachute” compensation payable by the Company to these individuals is subject to a non-binding advisory vote of the Company’s stockholders, as described under “Golden Parachute Compensation (Proposal 2)” on page 69.
Assuming for the purpose of this paragraph that the Merger had been completed and the named executive officers had been terminated on August 15, 2011 and had become entitled to full benefits available under their respective employment agreements, the named executive officers would have received approximately the amounts set forth in the table below, based on the $0.285 per share cash consideration. Please note that the amounts indicated below are estimates based on certain assumptions that may or may not actually occur, including assumptions described in this proxy statement. As a result, the actual amounts, if any, to be received by a named executive officer may differ in material respects from the amounts set forth below.
The amounts set forth below are payable in connection with the consummation of the Merger or upon a termination of employment, as detailed in the footnotes below.
| | | | | | | | Pension and Non- | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Qualified Deferred | | | Perquisites and | | | Tax | | | | |
| | Cash | | | Equity | | | Compensation | | | Benefits | | | Reimbursement | | | Total | |
Name and Title | | ($)(1) | | | ($) | | | ($) | | | ($)(6) | | | ($) | | | ($) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Richard B. Stern, | | | 1,125,000 | (2)(3) | | | | | | - | | | | 39,968 | | | | — | | | | 1,164,968 | |
President and Chief Executive Officer | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Douglas B. Falcone | | | 750,000 | (7) | | | | | | | | | | 3,727 | (7) | | | | | | | 753,727 | (7) |
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Michael J. Dolan | | | 400,000 | (4) | | | 11,875 | (5) | | | — | | | | 39,968 | | | | — | | | | 451,843 | |
Chief Financial Officer | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(1) | The amounts reported in this column reflect the sum of (i) all accrued and unpaid base salary to the date of termination and a pro-rata amount of targeted annual bonus for 2011, and (ii) two years of base salary plus two years of targeted annual bonus as described in footnotes 2-5 below. |
(2) | Consists of pro-rated annual bonuses to Mr. Stern for the year in which the Merger is consummated and pro-rated based on the number of days in the Company’s fiscal year prior to the date of termination. The amounts of the annual pro-rated bonus payable to Mr. Stern is $375,000. |
(3) | Consists of two (2) years of annual base salary and two (2) years of targeted annual bonus. It is anticipated that Mr. Stern’s employment agreement will be terminated without cause by the Buyer at or soon after the closing of the Merger. |
(4) | Consists of two (2) years of annual base salary. It is anticipated that Mr. Dolan’s employment agreement will be terminated without cause by the Buyer at the closing of the Merger. |
(5) | The amounts reported in this column reflect the value of the restricted stock award which will vest upon termination based upon the closing price of the Company’s common stock on August 15, 2011. |
(6) | The amounts reported in this column reflect the rates in effect as of December 31, 2010 for insurance benefits. |
(7) | At the closing of the Merger, Buyer will enter into an employment agreement with Douglas B. Falcone, which will supersede his existing employment agreement with the Company. Accordingly, Mr. Falcone will not be entitled to any compensation in connection with the termination of his existing employment agreement. For a discussion of the terms of Mr. Falcone’s new employment agreement with the Buyer, see “Employment Agreement with Mr. Falcone” beginning on page 45. |
Other Employee-Related Interests
New Management Arrangements
As of the date of this proxy statement, neither the Company nor Buyer have entered into any employment agreements with our management in connection with the Merger, nor has the Company amended or modified any existing employment agreements. It is currently expected that immediately following the closing of the Merger, Buyer will enter into an employment agreement with Douglas B. Falcone. See “Employment Agreement with Mr. Falcone” on page 45 of this proxy statement.
Our Stockholders’ Rights of Appraisal Under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), you have the right to dissent from the Merger and to receive payment in cash for the fair value of your shares as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery, together with a fair rate of interest, if any, as determined by the court, in lieu of the consideration you would otherwise be entitled to pursuant to the Merger Agreement. These rights are known as appraisal rights. The Company’s stockholders electing to exercise appraisal rights must comply with the provisions of Section 262 of the DGCL in order to perfect their rights. The Company will require strict compliance with the statutory procedures.
The following is intended as a brief summary of the material provisions of the Delaware statutory procedures required to be followed by a stockholder in order to dissent from the Merger and perfect appraisal rights.
This summary, however, is not a complete statement of all applicable requirements and is qualified by reference to Section 262 of the DGCL, the full text of which appears in Appendix C to this proxy statement. Failure to precisely follow any of the statutory procedures set forth in Section 262 of the DGCL may result in a termination or waiver of your appraisal rights.
Section 262 requires that stockholders be notified that appraisal rights will be available not less than twenty (20) days before the stockholders’ meeting to vote on the Merger. A copy of Section 262 must be included with such notice. This proxy statement constitutes the Company’s notice to its stockholders of the availability of appraisal rights in connection with the Merger in compliance with the requirements of Section 262. If you wish to consider exercising your appraisal rights, you should carefully review the text of Section 262 contained in Appendix C since failure to timely and properly comply with the requirements of Section 262 will result in the loss of your appraisal rights under the DGCL.
If you elect to demand appraisal of your shares, you must satisfy each of the following conditions:
| • | You must deliver to the Company a written demand for appraisal of your shares before the vote with respect to the Merger is taken. This written demand for appraisal must be in addition to and separate from any proxy or vote abstaining from or voting against the adoption of the Merger Agreement. Voting against or failing to vote for the adoption of the Merger Agreement by itself does not constitute a demand for appraisal within the meaning of Section 262. |
| • | You must not vote in favor of or consent to the adoption of the Merger Agreement. A vote in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement, by proxy or in person, will constitute a waiver of your appraisal rights and will nullify any previously filed written demands for appraisal. |
All demands for appraisal should be addressed to Access to Money, Inc., 1101 Kings Highway North, Suite G100, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-1912, Attention: Michael J. Dolan, must be delivered before the vote on the Merger Agreement is taken at the special meeting and must be executed by, or on behalf of, the record holder of the shares. The demand must reasonably inform the Company of the identity of the stockholder and the intention of the stockholder to demand appraisal of his, her or its shares.
To be effective, a demand for appraisal by a stockholder must be made by, or in the name of, such registered stockholder, fully and correctly, as the stockholder’s name appears on his or her stock certificate(s). Beneficial owners who do not also hold the shares of record may not directly make appraisal demands to the Company. The beneficial holder must, in such cases, have the registered owner, such as a broker or other nominee, submit the required demand in respect of those shares. If shares are owned of record in a fiduciary capacity, such as by a trustee, guardian or custodian, execution of a demand for appraisal should be made by or for the fiduciary; and if the shares are owned of record by more than one person, as in a joint tenancy or tenancy in common, the demand should be executed by or for all joint owners. An authorized agent, including an authorized agent for two or more joint owners, may execute the demand for appraisal for a stockholder of record; however, the agent must identify the record owner or owners and expressly disclose the fact that, in executing the demand, he or she is acting as agent for the record owner. A record owner, such as a broker, who holds shares as a nominee for others, may exercise his or her rights of appraisal with respect to the shares held for one or more beneficial owners, while not exercising this right for other beneficial owners. In that case, the written demand should state the number of shares as to which appraisal is sought. Where no number of shares is expressly mentioned, the demand will be presumed to cover all shares held in the name of the record owner.
If you hold your shares in a brokerage account or in other nominee form and you wish to exercise appraisal rights, you should consult with your broker or the other nominee to determine the appropriate procedures for the making of a demand for appraisal by the nominee.
Within ten (10) days after the effective time of the Merger, the Surviving Corporation must give written notice that the Merger has become effective to each Company stockholder who has properly filed a written demand for appraisal and who did not vote in favor of or consent to the Merger Agreement. At any time within sixty (60) days after the effective time of the Merger, any stockholder who has demanded an appraisal but has not commenced an appraisal proceeding or joined an appraisal proceeding as a named party has the right to withdraw the demand and to accept the cash payment specified by the Merger Agreement for his or her shares. Within one hundred twenty (120) days after the effective date of the Merger, any stockholder who has complied with Section 262 shall, upon written request to the Surviving Corporation, be entitled to receive a written statement setting forth the aggregate number of shares not voted in favor of the Merger Agreement and with respect to which demands for appraisal rights have been received and the aggregate number of holders of such shares. Such written statement will be mailed to the requesting stockholder within ten (10) days after such written request is received by the Surviving Corporation or within ten (10) days after expiration of the period for delivery of demands for appraisal, whichever is later. Within one hundred twenty (120) days after the effective time of the Merger, either the Surviving Corporation or any stockholder who has complied with the requirements of Section 262 may file a petition in the Delaware Court of Chancery demanding a determination of the fair value of the shares held by all stockholders entitled to appraisal. Upon the filing of the petition by a stockholder, service of a copy of such petition shall be made upon the Surviving Corporation. The Surviving Corporation has no obligation to file such a petition in the event there are dissenting stockholders. Accordingly, the failure of a stockholder to file such a petition within the period specified could nullify the stockholder’s previously written demand for appraisal.
If a petition for appraisal is duly filed by a stockholder and a copy of the petition is delivered to the Surviving Corporation, the Surviving Corporation will then be obligated, within twenty (20) days after receiving service of a copy of the petition, to provide the Chancery Court with a duly verified list containing the names and addresses of all stockholders who have demanded an appraisal of their shares and with whom agreements as to the value of their shares have not been reached by the Surviving Corporation. After notice, if so ordered by the Chancery Court, to dissenting stockholders who demanded appraisal of their shares, the Chancery Court is empowered to conduct a hearing upon the petition, and to determine those stockholders who have complied with Section 262 and who have become entitled to the appraisal rights provided thereby. The Chancery Court may require the stockholders who have demanded payment for their shares to submit their stock certificates to the Register in Chancery for notation thereon of the pendency of the appraisal proceedings; and if any stockholder fails to comply with that direction, the Chancery Court may dismiss the proceedings as to that stockholder.
After determination of the stockholders entitled to appraisal of their shares, the Chancery Court will appraise the shares, determining their fair value exclusive of any element of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the Merger, together with interest, if any, from the effective date of the Merger through the date of payment of the judgment, which shall be compounded quarterly and shall accrue at a default rate 5% over the Federal Reserve discount rate (including any surcharge) as established from time to time during the period between the effective date of the Merger and the date of payment of the judgment. When the value is determined, the Chancery Court will direct the payment of such value, with interest, if any, to the stockholders entitled to receive the same, upon surrender by such holders of the certificates representing those shares.
In determining fair value, the Chancery Court is required to take into account all relevant factors. You should be aware that the fair value of your shares as determined under Section 262 could be more than, the same as, or less than the value that you are entitled to receive under the terms of the Merger Agreement.
Costs of the appraisal proceeding may be imposed upon the Surviving Corporation and the stockholders participating in the appraisal proceeding by the Chancery Court as the Chancery Court deems equitable in the circumstances. Upon the application of a stockholder, the Chancery Court may order all or a portion of the expenses incurred by any stockholder in connection with the appraisal proceeding, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and the fees and expenses of experts, to be charged pro rata against the value of all shares entitled to appraisal. Any stockholder who had demanded appraisal rights will not, after the effective time of the Merger, be entitled to vote shares subject to that demand for any purpose or to receive payments of dividends or any other distribution with respect to those shares, other than with respect to payment as of a record date prior to the effective time of the Merger; however, if no petition for appraisal is filed within one hundred twenty (120) days after the effective time of the Merger, or if the stockholder delivers a written withdrawal of his or her demand for appraisal and an acceptance of the terms of the Merger within sixty (60) days after the effective time of the Merger, then the right of that stockholder to appraisal will cease and that stockholder will be entitled to receive the cash payment for his, her or its shares pursuant to the Merger Agreement. Any withdrawal of a demand for appraisal made more than sixty (60) days after the effective time of the Merger may only be made with the written approval of the Surviving Corporation. In addition, no appraisal proceeding may be dismissed as to any stockholder without the approval of the Chancery Court, and such approval may be conditioned upon such terms as the Chancery Court deems just.
In view of the complexity of Section 262, the Company’s stockholders who may wish to dissent from the Merger and pursue appraisal rights should consult their legal advisors.
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Merger to the Company’s stockholders. This summary is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, referred to as the “Code” in this proxy statement, regulations promulgated under the Code, administrative rulings by the Internal Revenue Service and court decisions now in effect. All of these authorities are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect, so as to result in tax consequences different from those described below. For purposes of this summary, a “U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of Company common stock that is (i) a citizen or an individual resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation (or an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized, or treated as created or organized, in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust (a) if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more United States persons have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (b) that has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person. A “non-U.S. holder” is a person (other than a partnership) that is not a U.S. holder.
This summary does not address all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be applicable to a particular holder of our common stock. In addition, this summary does not address the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Merger to the Company’s stockholders who are subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax law, including, for example, banks and other financial institutions, insurance companies, tax-exempt investors, S corporations, holders that are properly classified as “partnerships” under the Code, dealers in securities, holders who hold their shares of our common stock as part of a hedge, straddle or conversion transaction, holders who acquired our common stock through the exercise of employee stock options or other compensatory arrangements, holders who are subject to the alternative minimum tax provisions of the Code, holders whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, and holders who do not hold their shares of our common stock as “capital assets” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code or who are otherwise subject to special tax treatment under the Code. Furthermore, this summary does not address the tax consequences of the Merger under state, local or foreign tax laws.
This summary is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for individual tax advice. Each holder of our common stock should consult the holder’s individual tax advisors as to the particular tax consequences of the Merger to such holder, including the application and effect of any state, local, foreign or other tax laws and the possible effect of changes to such laws.
U.S. Holders
Exchange of Our Common Stock for Cash. A U.S. holder of our common stock receiving cash in the Merger generally will recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes in an amount equal to the difference between the amount of cash received (prior to reduction for any applicable withholding taxes) and the holder’s adjusted tax basis in our common stock surrendered. Any such gain or loss generally will be capital gain or loss if our common stock is held as a capital asset immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger. Any capital gain or loss will be taxed as long-term capital gain or loss if the holder has held our common stock for more than one year prior to the effective time of the Merger. If the U.S. holder has held our common stock for one year or less prior to the effective time of the Merger, any capital gain or loss will be taxed as short-term capital gain or loss. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations. If a U.S. holder acquired different blocks of our common stock at different times or different prices, such U.S. holder must determine its tax basis and holding period separately with respect to each block of our common stock and the cash that such U.S. holder receives will be allocated pro rata to each such block of our common stock. If a U.S. holder recognizes a loss that exceeds certain thresholds, such U.S. holder may be required to file a disclosure statement with the Internal Revenue Service.
Backup Withholding. Under the U.S. federal backup withholding tax rules, unless an exemption applies, the paying agent will be required to withhold, and will withhold, 28% of all cash payments to which a holder of our common stock is entitled pursuant to the Merger Agreement unless the holder provides a tax identification number (social security number or individual tax identification number in the case of an individual or employer identification number in the case of other holders), certifies that such number is correct, and certifies that no backup withholding is otherwise required, and otherwise complies with such backup withholding rules. Each U.S. holder of our common stock should complete and sign the Substitute Form W-9 included as part of the letter of transmittal to be returned to the paying agent in order to provide the information and certification necessary to avoid backup withholding, unless an exemption applies and is satisfied in a manner satisfactory to the paying agent. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be refunded or credited against the holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.
Non-U.S. Holders
Exchange of Our Common Stock for Cash. Any gain realized on the receipt of cash in the Merger by a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax unless:
| • | | the gain is effectively connected with a trade or business of the non-U.S. holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment of the non-U.S. holder); |
| • | | the non-U.S. holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of that disposition, and certain other conditions are met; or |
| • | | the Company is or has been a “United States real property holding corporation” for United States federal income tax purposes and the non-U.S. holder owned more than five percent of our common stock at any time during the five-years preceding the Merger. |
An individual non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet point immediately above will be subject to tax on the net gain derived from the Merger under regular graduated United States federal income tax rates. An individual non-U.S. holder described in the second bullet point immediately above will be subject to a flat 30% tax on the gain derived from the Merger, which may be offset by U.S. source capital losses, even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States. If a non-U.S. holder that is a foreign corporation falls under the first bullet point immediately above, it will be subject to tax on its net gain in the same manner as if it were a United States person as defined under the Code and, in addition, may be subject to the branch profits tax equal to 30% of its effectively connected earnings and profits or at such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. The Company believes it is not and has not been a “United States real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Backup Withholding. Under the U.S. federal backup withholding tax rules, unless an exemption applies, the paying agent will be required to withhold, and will withhold, 28% of all cash payments to which a non-U.S. holder of our common stock is entitled pursuant to the Merger Agreement unless the non-U.S. holder certifies under penalty of perjury that it is a non-U.S. holder (and the payor does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that the beneficial owner is a United States person as defined under the Code) or such owner otherwise establishes an exemption. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be refunded or credited against a non-U.S. holder’s United States federal income tax liability, if any, provided that such non-U.S. holder furnishes the required information to the Internal Revenue Service in a timely manner.
Litigation Relating to the Merger
On August 19, 2011, we, our directors, Buyer and Merger Sub were named as defendants in a putative class action complaint in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Camden County, captioned, Masi v. Access to Money, Inc., et al. That action, purportedly brought on behalf of a class of stockholders, alleges that our directors breached their fiduciary duties of care, loyalty and independence and that they have acted to put their personal interests ahead of the interests of the stockholders. The complaint further alleges that our directors, through their acts, transactions and courses of conduct, are attempting to unfairly deprive the Company’s stockholders of the true value inherent and arising from the Company. The complaint further alleges that our directors violated their fiduciary duties by entering into the Merger Agreement without regard to the effect of the proposed transaction on the Company’s stockholders and that they are engaging in self-dealing and that the Company, the Buyer and Merger Sub aided and abetted the directors’ purported breaches. The plaintiff seeks injunctive and other equitable relief, including a request that the court enjoin us from consummating the Merger and damages, in addition to fees and costs.
On August 19, 2011, we, our directors, Buyer and Merger Sub were named as defendants in a putative class action complaint in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Camden County, captioned, Parshall v. Access to Money, Inc., et al. That action, purportedly brought on behalf of a class of stockholders, alleges that our directors breached their fiduciary duties of care, loyalty and independence and that they have acted to put their personal interests ahead of the interests of the stockholders. The complaint further alleges that our directors, through their acts, transactions and courses of conduct, are attempting to unfairly deprive the Company’s stockholders of the true value inherent and arising from the Company. The complaint further alleges that our directors violated their fiduciary duties by entering into the Merger Agreement without regard to the effect of the proposed transaction on the Company’s stockholders and that they are engaging in self-dealing and that the Company, the Buyer and Merger Sub aided and abetted the directors’ purported breaches. The plaintiff seeks injunctive and other equitable relief, including a request that the court enjoin us from consummating the Merger and damages, in addition to fees and costs.
On August 29, 2011, we, our directors, Buyer and Merger Sub were named as defendants in a putative class action complaint in the Chancery Court of Delaware, captioned, Scuron v. Access to Money, Inc., et al. That action, purportedly brought on behalf of a class of stockholders, alleges that our directors breached their fiduciary duties of care, loyalty and independence and that they have acted to put their personal interests ahead of the interests of the stockholders. The allegations are substantially similar to the allegations raised in the complaints described in the immediately preceding paragraphs. The plaintiff seeks injunctive and other equitable relief, including to enjoin us from consummating the Merger and damages, in addition to fees and costs.
None of the forgoing complaints have been served on us. We believe the complaints are without merit and intend to vigorously defend the actions.
The following subsections of this proxy statement describe certain material aspects of the proposed Merger. Although the Company believes that the description covers the material terms of the Merger, this summary may not contain all of the information that is important to you. This summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the Merger Agreement, which is attached as Appendix A to this proxy statement and incorporated into this proxy statement by reference. You should carefully read this entire proxy statement and the other documents the Company refers you to for a more complete understanding of the Merger.
Effective Time of Merger
The Merger will be completed and become effective at the time, which we refer to throughout this proxy statement as the “effective time of the Merger”, the Certificate of Merger is filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or any later time as the Company, Buyer and Merger Sub agree upon and specify in the certificate of Merger. The parties intend to complete the Merger as soon as practicable following the adoption of the Merger Agreement by the Company’s stockholders and satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to closing of the Merger set forth in the Merger Agreement. The parties to the Merger Agreement expect to complete the Merger prior to December 31, 2011. Because the Merger is subject to a number of conditions, the exact timing of the Merger cannot be determined, if it is completed at all.
Payment of Merger Consideration and Surrender of Stock Certificates
At the effective time of the Merger, the Company will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer, and each stockholder of record immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger will be entitled to receive $0.285 in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes, for each share of Company common stock such stockholder holds immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger unless such stockholder has elected to exercise such stockholder’s appraisal rights. Buyer has designated the paying agent to make the cash payments contemplated by the Merger Agreement. As soon as practicable following the effective time of the Merger (but in any event within one business day following the effective time of the Merger), Buyer will deposit with the paying agent, for the benefit of the holders of the Company’s common stock, funds in an aggregate amount equal to the Merger consideration for all stockholders entitled to receive a cash payment in respect of their shares of the Company’s common stock. The paying agent will deliver to you your Merger consideration according to the procedure summarized below.
At the effective time of the Merger, the Company will close its stock ledger. After that time, if you present the Company’s common stock certificates to the paying agent, they will be exchanged for cash as described in this section.
Promptly after the completion of the Merger, the surviving corporation will send you, or cause to be sent to you, a letter of transmittal and instructions advising you how to surrender your certificates in exchange for the Merger consideration.
The paying agent will promptly pay you your merger consideration after you have (i) surrendered your certificates to the paying agent together with a properly completed letter of transmittal and any other documents required by the paying agent and (ii) provided to the paying agent any other items as may reasonably be requested by the paying agent. In the case of book-entry shares, you will be paid after receipt of an “agent’s message” by the paying agent, or such other evidence of transfer as the paying agent may reasonably request
Interest will not be paid or accrue in respect of any cash payments of merger consideration. The surviving corporation will reduce the amount of any merger consideration paid to you by any applicable withholding taxes.
If the paying agent is to pay some or all of your merger consideration to a person other than you, you must have your certificates properly endorsed or otherwise in proper form for transfer, and you must pay any transfer or other taxes payable by reason of the transfer or establish to the surviving corporation’s satisfaction that the taxes have been paid or are not required to be paid.
You should not forward your stock certificates to the paying agent without a letter of transmittal, and you should not return your stock certificates with the enclosed proxy.
The transmittal instructions will tell you what to do if you have lost your certificate, or if it has been stolen or destroyed. You will have to provide an affidavit to that fact and, if required by the surviving corporation, post a bond in an amount that the surviving corporation reasonably directs as indemnity against any claim that may be made against it in respect of the certificate.
After the completion of the Merger, you will cease to have any rights as a stockholder of the Company.
Upon demand, the paying agent will return to the Buyer all funds in its possession six months after the Merger occurs, and the paying agent’s duties will terminate. After that time, if you have not received payment of the Merger consideration, you may look only to the Buyer, but only as a general creditor thereof, for payment of the Merger consideration, without interest, subject to applicable abandoned property, escheat and similar laws. If any certificate representing the Company’s common stock has not been surrendered prior to two years after the completion of the Merger (or such earlier date as shall be immediately prior to the date that such unclaimed funds would otherwise become subject to any abandoned property, escheat or similar law), the payment with respect to such certificate will, to the extent permitted by applicable law, become the property of the surviving corporation, free and clear of all claims or interest of any person previously entitled to any claims or interest.
Except as otherwise described in “The Merger Agreement—Effect of Termination; Fees and Expenses,” beginning on page 67, all fees, expenses and costs incurred in connection with the Merger Agreement, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated thereby, including legal, accounting, investment banking and other fees, expenses and costs, will be paid by the party incurring such fees, expenses and costs, whether or not the Merger is consummated. The expenses incurred in connection with the filing, printing and mailing of this proxy statement and the solicitation of the approval of the Company’s stockholders, and all filing and other fees paid to the SEC will be borne by the Company.
This section of the proxy statement summarizes the material provisions of the Merger Agreement, but is not intended to be an exhaustive discussion of the Merger Agreement. The following summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the Merger Agreement, which is attached as Appendix A to this proxy statement and incorporated into this proxy statement by reference. The rights and obligations of the parties are governed by the express terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement and not the summary set forth in this section or any other information contained in this proxy statement. The Company urges you to read the Merger Agreement carefully and in its entirety.
The summary of the Merger Agreement in this proxy statement has been included to provide you with information regarding some of its material provisions. The Merger Agreement contains representations and warranties made by and to the parties thereto as of specific dates. The statements embodied in those representations and warranties were made for purposes of that contract between the parties and are subject to qualifications and limitations agreed by the parties in connection with negotiating the terms of that contract. Moreover, certain of those representations and warranties have been qualified by certain disclosures that we made to Buyer and Merger Sub in connection with the negotiation of the Merger Agreement, which disclosures are not reflected in the Merger Agreement. Furthermore, some of those representations and warranties may not be accurate or complete as of any particular date because they are subject to a contractual standard of materiality or material adverse effect different from that generally applicable to public disclosures to stockholders. The representations and warranties were used for the purpose of allocating risk between the parties to the Merger Agreement rather than establishing matters of fact. The Merger Agreement is described in, and included as an appendix to, this proxy statement only to provide you with information regarding its terms and conditions and not to provide any factual information regarding us, Buyer or our respective businesses. The representations and warranties in the Merger Agreement and the description of them in this document should not be read alone but instead should be read in conjunction with the other information contained in the reports, statements and filings we publicly file with the SEC.
The Merger Agreement provides for the Merger of Merger Sub with and into the Company upon the terms, and subject to the conditions, set forth in the Merger Agreement. After the completion of the Merger, the Company will continue as the surviving corporation and become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Buyer. If the Merger is completed, our common stock will no longer be eligible to be traded on the OTC Bulletin Board, be deregistered under the Exchange Act, and we will no longer be required to file periodic reports with the SEC on account of our common stock. Our Company will be a privately held corporation and our current stockholders will cease to have any ownership interest in the Company or rights as stockholders of the Company. Therefore, our current stockholders will not participate in any of the Company’s future earnings or growth and will not benefit from appreciation, if any, in the Company’s value.
Certificate of Incorporation; Directors and Officers
At the effective time of the Merger, our certificate of incorporation will be amended to read in its entirety as set forth in Exhibit A to the Merger Agreement and, as so amended, will from and after the effective time of the Merger, be the certificate of incorporation of the surviving corporation of the Merger until thereafter amended. The by-laws of Merger Sub in effect immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger shall from and after the effective time of the Merger be the by-laws of the surviving corporation until thereafter amended.
From and after the effective time of the Merger, the directors and officers of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Merger will become the directors and officers, respectively, of the surviving corporation, and until their successors are duly elected or appointed and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the surviving corporation.
Except for shares of our common stock owned immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger by the Company or Buyer or their respective subsidiaries, which will be cancelled without the payment of any consideration, and shares held by stockholders properly demanding and perfecting appraisal rights pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL (referred to in this section of the proxy statement as “dissenting shares”), at the effective time of the Merger, each share of common stock of the Company that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger shall, without any action on the part of the holder thereof, be converted into the right to receive, $0.285 in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes. At the effective time of the Merger, each share of common stock of the Company that is issued and outstanding will be cancelled automatically and cease to exist.
After the Merger is effective, each holder of a certificate representing any shares of our common stock will no longer have any rights with respect to such shares, except for the right to receive $0.285 in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes, per share, and except that holders of dissenting shares will have rights under Section 262 of the DGCL.
On and after the effective time of the Merger, Buyer shall deposit with paying agent cash in United States dollars sufficient to pay the Merger consideration for each holder of shares of our common stock entitled to payment thereof. As soon as reasonably practicable after the effective time of the Merger, the paying agent will mail a letter of transmittal and instructions to each holder of record of our common stock. The letter of transmittal and instructions will instruct each holder how to surrender the Company common stock certificates in exchange for the Merger consideration.
You should not return your stock certificates with the enclosed proxy card, and you should not forward your stock certificates to the paying agent without a letter of transmittal.
You will not be entitled to receive the Merger consideration until you: (i) surrender your stock certificate or certificates to the paying agent; or (ii) upon receipt of an “agent’s message” by the paying agent (or such other evidence, if any, of transfer as the paying agent may reasonably request) in the case of book-entry shares, together with a duly completed and executed letter of transmittal and any other documents as may be required by the letter of transmittal. The Merger consideration may be paid to a person other than the person in whose name the corresponding certificate is registered if the surrendered certificate is accompanied by all documents required to evidence and effect that transfer. The person requesting such payment will pay any applicable transfer or other taxes required by reason of payment to a person other than the registered holder or establish to the satisfaction of Buyer and the paying agent that such tax has been paid or is not applicable.
No interest will be paid or will accrue on the cash payable upon surrender of the certificates. Buyer, Merger Sub, the surviving corporation and the paying agent will be entitled to deduct and withhold from the Merger consideration payable to a holder of our common stock such amounts as it is required to deduct and withhold with respect to the payment of such consideration under applicable tax laws and the surviving corporation shall pay such withholding amounts to the appropriate taxing authorities. To the extent such withheld amounts are withheld, such withheld amounts will be treated for all purposes under the Merger Agreement as having been paid to the holder of our common stock.
Any portion of the Merger consideration which remains unclaimed by stockholders six months after the effective time of the Merger shall be delivered by the paying agent to Buyer upon demand, and any former stockholders who have not surrendered their shares in exchange for Merger consideration shall thereafter look only to the Buyer for payment of the Merger consideration, without any interest and less any applicable withholding taxes. Any portion of the Merger consideration which remains unclaimed by stockholders two years after the effective time of the Merger (or such earlier date, immediately prior to such time when the amounts would otherwise escheat to or become property of any governmental entity) shall become, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the property of the Buyer. None of Buyer, the surviving corporation or the paying agent shall be liable to any former holder of our common stock for any cash properly paid to a public official under any applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar law.
Treatment of Options, Warrants and Restricted Stock
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, all options that are outstanding immediately before the effective time of the Merger, whether or not then vested or exercisable, shall be cancelled and converted into the right to receive from Buyer and the surviving corporation, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes, an amount in cash equal to the product of (i) the excess, if any, of $0.285 over the exercise price per share, multiplied by (ii) the number of shares of stock subject to the option.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, all warrants that are outstanding immediately before the effective time of the Merger, whether or not then vested or exercisable, shall be cancelled and converted into the right to receive from Buyer and the surviving corporation, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes, an amount in cash equal to the product of (i) the excess, if any, of $0.285 over the exercise price per share, multiplied by (ii) the number of shares of stock subject to the warrant.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, all of the restricted shares of the Company will vest and will entitle the holder to receive $0.285 for each such share upon the completion of the Merger, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes.
Representations and Warranties
The representations, warranties and covenants of the Company contained in the Merger Agreement are the product of negotiations among the parties thereto and are solely for the benefit of Buyer and Merger Sub. Any inaccuracies in such representations and warranties are subject to waiver by the parties to the Merger Agreement and are qualified by a confidential disclosure letter containing non-public information and made for the purposes of allocating contractual risk between the parties instead of establishing these matters as facts. Consequently, the representations and warranties of the Company in the Merger Agreement may not be relied upon by persons other than the parties thereto as characterizations of actual facts or circumstances as of the date of the Merger Agreement or as of any other date, nor may you rely upon them in making the decision to approve and authorize the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. The Merger Agreement may only be enforced against us by Buyer and Merger Sub. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the representations and warranties of the Company may change after the date of the Merger Agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be reflected fully in our public disclosures.
The representations and warranties of the Company in the Merger Agreement relate to, among other things:
| • | | corporate organization, good standing and corporate power and authority; |
| • | | enforceability of the Merger Agreement against the Company; |
| • | | organizational documents and minute books; |
| • | | authority to enter into and consummate the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; |
| • | | consents and approvals that need to be obtained in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; |
| • | | the accuracy of the Company’s previously filed SEC reports and financial statements; |
| • | | disclosure controls and procedures; |
| • | | the absence of undisclosed liabilities; |
| • | | the absence of a Company Material Adverse Effect and the absence of certain other changes since March 31, 2011; |
| • | | permits and compliance with applicable laws; |
| • | | any pending or threatened litigation; |
| • | | customers and suppliers; |
| • | | labor relations and ERISA compliance; |
| • | | owned and leased real property; |
| • | | assets and personal property, including ATMs; |
| • | | executive and director loans; |
| • | | the vote of the Company’s stockholders required to adopt the Merger Agreement; |
| • | | the opinion of the Company’s financial advisor; and |
| • | | brokers and brokers’ fees. |
Many of the Company’s representations and warranties are qualified by the absence of a “Company Material Adverse Effect” which means, for purposes of the Merger Agreement, any event, occurrence, fact, condition or change that would, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on (i) the business, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise), or assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (ii) the ability of the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby on a timely basis. However, a “Company Material Adverse Effect” does not include events, occurrences, facts, conditions or changes arising out of, relating to or resulting from:
| • | | changes generally affecting the economy, financial or securities markets, to the extent such changes do not adversely affect the Company and its subsidiaries in a material disproportionate manner relative to substantially all other participants in the industry in which the Company operates; |
| • | | the announcement of the transactions contemplated by the Merger; and |
| • | | general conditions in the industry in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate, to the extent such changes do not adversely affect the Company and its subsidiaries in a material disproportionate manner relative to substantially all other participants in such industry. |
The Merger Agreement also contains various representations and warranties made by Buyer and Merger Sub to that are subject, in some cases, to specified exceptions and qualifications. The representations and warranties relate to, among other things:
| • | | the corporate organization, good standing and corporate power and authority of Buyer and Merger Sub; |
| • | | the enforceability of the Merger Agreement against Buyer and Merger Sub; |
| • | | the authority of Buyer and Merger Sub to enter into and consummate the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; |
| • | | the receipt of the consents and approvals that need to be obtained in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; |
| • | | the accuracy of information supplied by Buyer and Merger Sub for inclusion in this proxy statement; and |
| • | | the financial capability of Buyer and Merger Sub to pay the Merger consideration. |
Covenants of the Company
We have various obligations and responsibilities under the Merger Agreement from the date thereof until the effective time of the Merger, including, but not limited to, the following:
Conduct of Business Pending the Merger
During the period between the date of the Merger Agreement and the effective time of the Merger, we have agreed to, and have agreed to cause each of our subsidiaries to, conduct operations only in the ordinary course consistent with past practice and with no less diligence and effort than would be applied in the absence of the Merger Agreement, and to use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain and preserve intact its business organization, to retain the services of our current officers and key employees, and to preserve the goodwill of our customers, suppliers and other persons with whom we have business relationships.
Subject to certain exceptions, the Merger Agreement also restricts us from taking (and permitting any of our subsidiaries from taking) any of the following actions during the period between the date of signing the Merger Agreement until the earlier of the effective time of the Merger or the termination of the Merger Agreement, without the prior written consent of Buyer:
| • | | amend our certificate of incorporation or by-laws or comparable organizational documents; |
| • | | (i) split, combine or reclassify any of our securities; (ii) repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, or offer to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, any of our securities; (iii) declare, set aside or pay any dividend or distribution (whether in cash, stock, property or otherwise) in respect of, or enter into any contract with respect to the voting of, any shares of its capital stock (other than dividends from its direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary); |
| • | | issue, sell, pledge, dispose of or encumber any of our securities, other than in certain limited circumstances; |
| • | | except as required by applicable law or by any of our employee plans or contracts (i) increase the compensation payable or that could become payable by us or any of our subsidiaries to directors, officers or employees, other than increases in compensation made in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (ii) enter into any new or amend in any material respect, any existing employment, severance, retention or change in control agreement with any of its past or present officers or employees, (iii) promote any officers or employees, except in connection with the Company’s annual or quarterly compensation review cycle or as the result of the termination or resignation of any officer or employee, or (iv) establish, adopt, enter into, amend, terminate, exercise any discretion under, or take any action to accelerate rights under any of our employee plans or any plan, or make any contribution to any of our employee plans, other than contributions required by law, the terms of such employee plans; |
| • | | acquire, by merger, consolidation, acquisition of stock or assets, or otherwise, any business or person or division thereof or make any loans, advances or capital contributions to or investments in any person in excess of $25,000 in the aggregate; |
| • | | transfer, license, sell, lease or otherwise dispose of any assets or adopt or effect a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization; |
| • | | repurchase, prepay or incur any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee any such indebtedness of another person, issue or sell any debt securities or options, warrants, calls or other rights to acquire any debt securities of the Company, guarantee any debt securities of another person, enter into any “keep well” or other contract to maintain any financial statement condition of any other person or enter into any arrangement having the economic effect of any of the foregoing, other than in connection with the financing of ordinary course trade payables consistent with past practice; |
| • | | enter into or amend or modify in any material respect, or consent to the termination of (other than at its stated expiry date), any material contract or any lease; |
| • | | institute, settle or compromise any legal actions pending or threatened before any arbitrator, court or other governmental entity involving the payment of monetary damages by the Company of any amount exceeding $25,000 in the aggregate subject to certain limited exceptions; |
| • | | make any material change in any method of financial accounting principles or practices, in each case except for any such change required by a change in GAAP or applicable Law; |
| • | | (i) settle or compromise any material tax claim, audit or assessment, (ii) make or change any material tax election, change any annual tax accounting period, adopt or change any method of tax accounting, (iii) amend any material tax returns or file claims for material tax refunds, or (iv) enter into any material closing agreement, surrender in writing any right to claim a material tax refund, offset or other reduction in tax liability or consent to any extension or waiver of the limitation period applicable to any material tax claim or assessment relating to the Company; |
| • | | enter into any material agreement, agreement in principle, letter of intent, memorandum of understanding or similar contract with respect to any joint venture, strategic partnership or alliance; |
| • | | except in connection with actions permitted by the Merger Agreement, take any action to exempt any person from, or make any acquisition of securities of the Company by any person not subject to, any state takeover statute or similar statute or regulation that applies to Company with respect to a takeover proposal or otherwise, including the restrictions on “business combinations” set forth in Section 203 of the DGCL, except for Buyer, Merger Sub or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates, or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; |
| • | | except in connection with actions permitted by the Merger Agreement, take any action to exempt any person from, or make any acquisition of securities of the Company by any person not subject to, any state takeover statute or similar statute or regulation that applies to Company with respect to a takeover proposal or otherwise, including the restrictions on “business combinations” set forth in Section 203 of the DGCL, except for Buyer, Merger Sub or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates, or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; |
| • | | abandon, encumber, convey title (in whole or in part), exclusively license or grant any right or other licenses to our intellectual property, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice; or |
| • | | agree or commit to do any of the foregoing. |
No Solicitation of Takeover Proposals; Fiduciary Out
We shall not, and shall not permit any of our subsidiaries to, and must instruct and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause its representatives not to, directly or indirectly:
| • | | solicit, initiate or knowingly take any action to facilitate or encourage the submission of any takeover proposal or the making of any proposal that could reasonably be expected to lead to any “Takeover Proposal” (as defined below); |
| • | | conduct or engage in discussions or negotiations with, or furnish any non-public information relating to the Company or any of our subsidiaries to, any person that has made or has indicated an intention to make a takeover proposal; |
| • | | amend or grant any waiver or release under any standstill or similar agreement with respect to any class of equity securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or approve any transaction under, or any third party becoming an “interested stockholder” under, Section 203 of the DGCL; |
| • | | enter into any agreement in principle, letter of intent, term sheet, acquisition agreement, merger agreement, option agreement, joint venture agreement, partnership agreement or other contract relating to any takeover proposal, (each of the foregoing, a “Company Acquisition Agreement”); or |
| • | | subject to the right to engage with unsolicited takeover proposals described below, neither the Board of Directors nor any committee of the Board shall: |
| • | | fail to recommend that our shareholders approve the Merger Agreement; |
| • | | withdraw, amend, modify or materially qualify, in a manner adverse to the Buyer or Merger Sub, the recommendation that our shareholders approve the Merger Agreement; |
| • | | recommend any Takeover Proposal; |
| • | | fail to recommend against acceptance of any tender offer or exchange offer for our common stock within 10 business days after the commencement of such offer; |
| • | | make any public statement inconsistent with the recommendation that our shareholders approve the Merger Agreement; or |
| • | | resolve or agree to take any of the foregoing actions, any of the foregoing actions being herein referred to as a “Company Adverse Recommendation Change.” |
We are permitted, prior to obtaining the stockholder approval, directly or indirectly through any representative, to engage in discussions or negotiations with any third party if:
| • | | the third party has made a bona fide, unsolicited takeover proposal in writing that the Board believes in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel and the Company’s financial advisor, constitutes or would reasonably be expected to result in a “Superior Proposal”; |
| • | | the Board of Directors determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel that the failure to take such action would reasonably be expected to cause the Board to be in breach of its fiduciary duties under applicable Law. |
A “Takeover Proposal” is defined in the Merger Agreement to mean, other than the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, any proposal or offer relating to:
| • | | direct or indirect acquisition of assets of the Company or its subsidiaries (including any equity interests of subsidiaries, but excluding sales of assets in the ordinary course of business) equal to 20% or more of the fair market value of the Company’s consolidated assets or to which 20% or more of the Company’s net revenues or net income on a consolidated basis are attributable; |
| • | | direct or indirect acquisition of 20% or more of the equity interests of the Company; |
| • | | tender offer or exchange offer that if consummated would result in any person beneficially owning (within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Act) 20% or more of the equity interests of the Company; |
| • | | merger, consolidation, other business combination or similar transaction involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or |
| • | | liquidation or dissolution (or the adoption of a plan of liquidation or dissolution) of the Company or the declaration or payment of an extraordinary dividend (whether in cash or other property) by the Company. |
A “Superior Proposal” is defined in the Merger Agreement to mean any bona fide written takeover proposal involving the direct or indirect acquisition pursuant to a tender offer, exchange offer, Merger, consolidation or other business combination, of all or substantially all of the Company’s consolidated assets or a majority of the outstanding common stock of the Company that the Board determines in good faith (after consultation with outside legal counsel and the Company’s financial advisor) is more favorable from a financial point of view to the holders of the Company’s common stock than the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and takes into account (a) all financial considerations, (b) the identity (if permitted to be disclosed) of the third party making such takeover proposal, (c) the anticipated timing, conditions and prospects for completion of such takeover proposal, (d) the other terms and conditions of such takeover proposal and the implications thereof on the Company, including relevant legal, regulatory and other aspects of such takeover proposal deemed relevant by the Board and (e) any revisions to the terms of the Merger Agreement proposed by the Buyer during the notice period described in the Merger Agreement.
Except as set forth below, the Company shall not, and shall cause each of its subsidiaries and representatives not to, directly or indirectly withdraw, modify or amend the recommendation to the Company’s stockholders of the Company’s Board of Directors in favor of the Merger.
Notwithstanding the restrictions on solicitation described above, prior to engaging a third party in talks with respect to a takeover proposal, we must provide Buyer prior written notice of our intent to take such action.
Notwithstanding the restrictions on solicitation described above, prior to obtaining stockholder approval of the Merger Agreement, we may: (i) participate in negotiations or discussions with any third party that has made bonafide unsolicited takeover proposal in writing which the Board believes in good faith after consultation with outside legal counsel and its financial advisor constitutes or would reasonably be expected to result in a superior proposal; (ii) thereafter furnish to such third party non-public information related to the Company pursuant to an executed confidentiality agreement; (iii) upon receipt of and on account of a superior proposal, make a Company Adverse Recommendation Change; (iv) take any action that any court of competent jurisdiction orders us to take; and or (v) subject to compliance with the provisions described below under the captioned “Match Right”, enter into a Company Acquisition Agreement.
Nothing contained herein shall prevent the Board from disclosing to the Company’s stockholders a position contemplated by Rule 14d-9 and Rule 14e-2(a) promulgated under the Act with regard to a takeover proposal, if the Company determines, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that failure to disclose such position would constitute a violation of applicable law.
Match Right
We are required to notify Buyer promptly (but in no event later than 24 hours) after we obtain knowledge of the receipt by us (or any of our representatives) of any takeover proposal, any inquiry that would reasonably be expected to lead to a takeover proposal, any request for non-public information relating to us or any of our subsidiaries or for access to the business, properties, assets, books or records of the Company or any of our subsidiaries by any third party. In such notice, we are required to identify the third party making, and details of the material terms and conditions of, any such takeover proposal, indication or request, redacted, if necessary, to remove the identity of the person making the proposal or offer to comply with confidentiality obligations to such person. We are required to keep Buyer fully informed, on a current basis, of the status and material terms of any such takeover proposal, indication or request, including any material amendments or proposed amendments as to price and other material terms thereof. We are required to provide Buyer with at least 72 hours prior notice of any meeting of the Board (or such lesser notice as is provided to the members of the Board) at which the Board is reasonably expected to consider any takeover proposal. We are also required to promptly provide Buyer with a list of any non-public information concerning the Company’s business, present or future performance, financial condition or results of operations, provided to any third party, and, to the extent such information has not been previously provided to Buyer, copies of such information.
We are not entitled to approve, endorse or recommend a superior proposal or terminate the Merger Agreement to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to superior proposal unless:
| • | | we have provided to Buyer prior notice of two business days that we intend to make a Company Adverse recommendation change or enter into a definitive agreement, attaching the most current version of such definitive agreement (including any amendments, supplements or modifications) to such notice; |
| • | | during the two business day period following Buyer’s receipt of the notice of superior proposal, we offer to negotiate with (and, if accepted, negotiate with) Buyer to make such adjustments in the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement as are acceptable to Buyer and will cause the Superior Proposal of the third party to cease to be a superior proposal and enable us to proceed with the Merger contemplated by the Merger Agreement; and |
| • | | the Board of Directors shall have determined in good faith, after considering the results of such negotiations and any revised proposals made by Buyer that the superior proposal giving rise to such notice continues to be a superior proposal. |
Stockholder Approval; Proxy Statement
The Merger Agreement requires us to prepare a draft of the proxy statement, provide Buyer with reasonable opportunity to review such draft and provide comments, and file the proxy statement with the SEC. The Merger Agreement requires us to use our reasonable best efforts to respond to any comments or requests for additional information from the SEC as soon as practicable after receipt, to promptly notify Buyer of the receipt of any such comments or requests and to provide Buyer with copies of all correspondence between us and our representatives, on the one hand, and the SEC and its staff, on the other hand.
The Merger Agreement also requires us to take all necessary actions consistent with applicable law, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws to duly call, give notice of, convene and hold a meeting of stockholders as promptly as practicable after August 15, 2011 for the purpose of voting on adoption of the Merger. Subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Merger Agreement and described above under “No Solicitation of Takeover Proposals; Fiduciary Out ” and “Match Right,” we have agreed to use reasonable best efforts to solicit or cause to be solicited from our stockholders proxies in favor of adoption of the Merger Agreement and take all other actions reasonably necessary or advisable to secure the approval of our stockholders.
Access to Information
Subject to certain restrictions and the terms of the confidentiality agreement dated June 8, 2011, between Buyer and the Company, the Merger Agreement requires us, between the date of the Merger Agreement and the effective time, to provide Buyer and its respective representatives at reasonable times access to the officers, employees, agents, properties, books and records of the Company and our subsidiaries and to furnish promptly such information concerning the Company and its subsidiaries as reasonably requested by Buyer or its representatives. Without limiting these general rights of access, we also specifically agreed that Buyer would be entitled to conduct a review of our network compliance documentation.
However, the information rights described above do not give Buyer, directly or indirectly, rights to control or direct the operations of us or our subsidiaries prior to the effective time. Prior to the effective time, we will exercise complete control and supervision over the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement.
Covenants of Buyer and/or Merger Sub
Indemnification and Insurance
Buyer has agreed to cause the surviving corporation and its subsidiaries to, at its sole expense, to: (i) maintain in effect for a period of six years after the effective time the current policies of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance maintained by the Company immediately prior to the effective time (provided that the surviving corporation may substitute therefore policies, of at least the same coverage and amounts and containing terms and conditions that are not less advantageous to the directors and officers of the Company and its subsidiaries when compared to the insurance maintained by the Company as of the date hereof); or (ii) obtain as of the effective time “tail” insurance policies with a claims period of six years from the effective time with at least the same coverage and amounts and containing terms and conditions that are not less advantageous to the directors and officers of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case with respect to claims arising out of or relating to events which occurred before or at the effective time (including in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement); provided, however, that in no event will the surviving corporation be required to expend an annual premium for such coverage in excess of 200% of the last annual premium paid by the Company for such insurance prior to the date of the Merger Agreement. If such insurance coverage cannot be obtained at 200% of the last annual premium paid by the Company for such insurance prior to the date of the Merger Agreement, the surviving corporation will obtain, and Buyer will cause the surviving corporation to obtain, that amount of directors’ and officers’ insurance (or “tail” coverage) obtainable for an annual premium equal to 200% of the last annual premium paid by the Company for such insurance prior to the date of the Merger Agreement. In addition, for six years after the effective time, Buyer has agreed to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each present and former director or officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, fees, expenses, judgments and fines arising in whole or in part out of actions or omissions in their capacity as such occurring at or prior to the effective time (including in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement), and shall reimburse each present and former director or officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any such losses, claims, damages, liabilities, fees, expenses, judgments and fines as such expenses are incurred.
Certain Covenants of Each Party
Filings and Authorizations
The parties to the Merger Agreement agreed to cooperate and consult with each other in connection with making required filings and notifications pursuant to the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations of The NASDAQ Global Market and any other applicable laws, including by providing copies of all relevant documents to the non-filing party and its advisors prior to filing. Neither Buyer nor the Company may (i) file any such document if the other party has reasonably objected to the filing of such document or (ii) consent to any voluntary extension of any statutory deadline or waiting period or to any voluntary delay of the consummation of the transactions expressly contemplated by the Merger Agreement at the request of any governmental entity without the consent of the other party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned. The Merger Agreement requires Buyer to use commercially reasonable efforts to resolve any objections that may be asserted under any antitrust, competition or trade regulatory laws, but Buyer is not required to agree to (i) sell, hold separate, divest, discontinue or limit, any assets, businesses or interest in any assets or businesses of Buyer, the Company or any of their respective affiliates or (ii) any conditions relating to, or changes or restriction in, the operations of any such assets or businesses which, in either case, could reasonably be expected to be material to Buyer and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely impact the economic or business benefits to Buyer of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.
Approvals and Consents
The parties agreed to cooperate with each other and use their commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all required consents, approvals or other authorizations, including, without limitation, all consents of governmental entities and certain other consents.
Notification of Certain Events
Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, the parties agreed to give prompt notice to each other of (i) any notice or other communication from any person alleging that the consent of such person is or may be required in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; (ii) any notice or other communication from any governmental entity in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, (iii) any legal actions commenced, or to such party’s knowledge, threatened, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or Buyer or its Subsidiaries or Merger Sub or its subsidiaries, as applicable, that are related to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, and (iv) any event, change or effect between the date of the Merger Agreement and the effective time which causes or is reasonably likely to: (A) make any of that party’s representations or warranties in the Merger Agreement untrue or inaccurate or (B) causes or is reasonably likely to cause any breach of the obligations of such party under the Merger Agreement.
Public Announcements
The Merger Agreement requires Company and Buyer to obtain the other party’s prior consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) before issuing any press releases or otherwise making any public statements with respect to the Merger Agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby, except that no such consent is necessary to the extent disclosure may be required by law, order or applicable stock exchange or any listing agreement of any party thereto, and either party may make public statements consistent with prior public disclosures regarding the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.
Conditions to the Completion of the Merger
Conditions to the obligations of each of the parties to complete the Merger include:
| • | | a majority of the Company’s outstanding shares have voted in favor of the Merger; |
| • | | no governmental entity has enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any laws or orders, whether temporary, preliminary or permanent, that make illegal, enjoin or otherwise prohibit consummation of the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; and |
| • | | all consents, approvals and other authorizations of any governmental entity required to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (other than the filing of the certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware) shall have been obtained, free of any condition that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse affect on the Company or a material adverse effect on Buyer’s and Merger Sub’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. |
Conditions to Buyer’s obligations to complete the Merger include the satisfaction or waiver of the following additional conditions:
| • | representations and warranties of the Company shall be true and correct and all material respects; |
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| • | the Company shall have performed in all material respects all obligations and covenants required to be complied with under the Merger Agreement; |
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| • | the Company shall not have suffered a Company Material Adverse Effect subsequent to August 15, 2011; |
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| • | the shares of common stock dissenting from adoption of the Merger Agreement and exercising appraisal rights shall not exceed 10% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares as of August 15, 2011; |
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| • | the Company shall have delivered payoff letters for the Sovereign Bank, N.A. debt; |
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| • | the Company shall have delivered payoff letters for the LC Capital and Cadence Special Holdings II, LLC debt; |
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| • | the Note Purchase Agreement, between Buyer and Douglas B. Falcone, shall be in full force and effect and Mr. Falcone shall be willing and able to perform all of his obligations under the Note Purchase Agreement; and |
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| • | with respect to certain identified material contracts, the Company is not in default of any material obligations thereunder, has not received notice from the counterparty thereunder that the Company is in default thereunder and will not, by reason of the Merger, be in default of any of its material obligations thereunder. |
Conditions to our obligations to complete the Merger include the satisfaction or waiver of the following conditions:
| • | the representations and warranties of Buyer and Merger Sub shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the closing; |
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| • | buyer and Merger Sub have performed in all material respects all obligations and covenants required to be performed by or complied with by them under the Merger Agreement |
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| • | the Buyer shall have made payments in full satisfaction of our outstanding obligations to Sovereign Bank, N.A., LC Capital and Cadence Special Holdings II, LLC; and |
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| • | the Note Purchase Agreement, between Buyer and Douglas B. Falcone, shall be in full force and effect and Buyer shall be willing and able to perform all of its obligations under the Note Purchase Agreement. |
Termination of the Merger Agreement
The Merger Agreement may be terminated at any time before the effective time, whether or not our stockholders have adopted the Merger Agreement:
| • | by mutual written agreement of Buyer and us; |
| • | by either Buyer or us if: |
| • | the Merger has not been consummated on or before December 31, 2011, unless the breach of the Merger Agreement by the party seeking to terminate resulted in the failure to consummate the Merger by the end date; |
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| • | any applicable law, judgment or decree makes consummation of the Merger illegal or otherwise prohibited or permanently enjoins the consummation of the Merger and such enjoinment has become final and non-appealable, provided the party seeking to terminate the Merger Agreement shall have used all reasonable best efforts to prevent, oppose and remove such applicable law; or |
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| • | the adoption of the Merger Agreement by the our stockholders was not obtained at the special meeting (or adjournment or postponement of the meeting). |
| • | a breach by us of a representation, warranty, covenant or Agreement has occurred, which breach would give rise to a failure of certain conditions to closing and such breach is not capable of being cured by the end date, subject to certain limitations; |
| • | our Board of Directors has effected a Company Adverse Recommendation Change; |
| • | our Board of Directors shall have entered into or recommend a Company Acquisition Agreement; |
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| • | we shall have breached or failed to perform in any material respect any of the covenants and agreements relating to the “no solicitation” provision of the Merger Agreement; |
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| • | our Board of Directors fails to publicly reaffirm its recommendation of the Merger within 10 business days of a request by Buyer that it do so; |
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| • | a tender offer or exchange offer relating to our common stock shall have been commenced by a person unaffiliated with Buyer and we shall not have sent to our stockholders pursuant to Rule 14e-2 under the Exchange Act, within 10 Business Days after such tender offer or exchange offer is first published, sent or given, a statement reaffirming the Board recommendation in favor of the Merger Agreement and recommending that stockholders reject such tender or exchange offer; or |
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| • | the Board (or any committee thereof) shall publicly announce its intentions to do any of the foregoing. |
| • | our Board of Directors authorizes us, subject to complying with the terms of the Merger Agreement, to enter into a written definitive agreement concerning a superior proposal provided that we have paid a termination fee to Buyer; |
| • | a breach of a representation, warranty, covenant or agreement by Buyer or Merger Sub has occurred, which breach would give rise to a failure of certain conditions to closing and such breach is not capable of being cured by the end date, subject to certain limitations; or |
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| • | all conditions to the obligations of Buyer and Merger Sub to complete the Merger have been satisfied or waived and Buyer and Merger Sub have breached their obligation to complete the Merger. |
Effect of Termination; Fees and Expenses
Fees Payable to Buyer
If any of the following events occur, we will be obligated to pay Buyer $1,000,000, plus expenses actually incurred by Buyer in an amount not to exceed $100,000:
| • | | if a Company Adverse Recommendation Change shall have occurred; |
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| • | | if (i) we have entered into a Company Acquisition Agreement; (ii) we have breached or failed to perform in any material respect any of the covenants and agreements relating to the “no solicitation” provision of the Merger Agreement; (iii) the Board fails to reaffirm (publicly, if so requested by Buyer) the Board recommendation in favor of the Merger within ten business days after the date any takeover proposal (or material modification thereto) is first publicly disclosed by the Company or the person making such takeover proposal; (iv) a tender offer or exchange offer relating to the Company’s common stock shall have been commenced by a person unaffiliated with Buyer and we shall not have sent to its stockholders pursuant to Rule 14e-2 under the Securities Act, within ten Business Days after such tender offer or exchange offer is first published, sent or given, a statement reaffirming the Board recommendation in favor of the Merger Agreement and recommending that stockholders reject such tender or exchange offer, or (v) the Company or the Board (or any committee thereof) shall publicly announce its intentions to do any of the foregoing; |
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| • | | if we fail to call, give notice of, convene and hold a the special meeting, mail this Proxy Statement to the stockholders in advance of such meeting, or to solicit proxies in favor of the Merger; or |
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| • | | if (i) a takeover proposal shall have been made or proposed to the Company or its stockholders or otherwise publicly announced, (ii) either Buyer or the Company terminate the Merger Agreement either because the Merger has not been consummated by December 31, 2011 or because the approval of the Company’s stockholders was not obtained at the stockholder meeting, and (iii) within 12 months after such termination, the Company or any of its subsidiaries enters into an agreement in respect of or consummates a takeover proposal (whether or not such takeover proposal was the same takeover proposal that had been publicly announced); provided that for purposes of clause (iii) above, all references to 20% in the definition of takeover proposal are replaced with 50%. |
Fees Payable to the Company
In the event that all of the conditions and obligations of the Buyer and Merger Sub to consummate the Merger have been satisfied or waived and Parent and Merger Sub have breached their obligation to cause the Merger to be consummated, we may terminate the Merger Agreement and Buyer will be obligated to pay us $1,000,000, plus expenses actually incurred by us in an amount not to exceed $100,000.
Effect of Termination; General Expense Provisions
If the Merger Agreement is terminated for any reason, the Merger Agreement will become void and of no further force or effect and no party thereto (or any of its stockholders, directors, officers, employees, agents or representatives) will have any liability to any other party as a result thereof, except (i) as provided above under “Fees Payable to Buyer” and “Fees Payable to the Company”; (ii) as provided in the confidentiality agreement between Buyer and the Company; or (iii) as provided in Section 8 of the Merger Agreement.
The Merger Agreement provides that each party is to pay all expenses incurred by it in connection the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby except (i) as provided above under “Fees Payable to Buyer” and “Fees Payable to the Company” and (ii) if either the Company or Buyer shall fail to pay in a timely manner the amounts due under the “Fees Payable to Buyer” and “Fees Payable to the Company”, the liable party shall pay to the other party the reasonable costs and expenses (including its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred or accrued in connection with such suit, together with interest on the termination fees at the prime lending rate prevailing during such period as published in The Wall Street Journal.
Amendment; Extension; Waiver
The Merger Agreement may be amended in writing by each of the parties to the agreement at any time prior to the effective time of the Merger, so long as following the adoption of the Merger Agreement there shall be no amendment which by law or in accordance with the rules of any relevant self regulatory organization would require further approval by the holders of our common stock.
At any time prior to the effective time of the Merger, Buyer and Merger Sub, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, may (i) extend the time for the performance of any of the obligations of the other party(ies), (ii) waive any inaccuracies in the representations and warranties of the other party in the Merger Agreement or any document delivered pursuant to the Merger Agreement or, (iii) subject to applicable laws, waive compliance with any of the covenants or conditions contained in the Merger Agreement. Any agreement on the part of a party to any extension or waiver shall be valid only if set forth in an instrument in writing signed by such party.
Related Transactions and Agreements
In connection with the Merger Agreement, the following additional transactions will occur and certain of the parties have entered into the following additional material agreements:
| • | Note Purchase Agreement by and between Douglas B. Falcone and the Buyer. See “The Merger (Proposal 1) – Note Purchase Agreement with Mr. Falcone” on page 45. |
| • | LC Capital has agreed to vote all shares of common stock beneficially owned by it in favor of the Merger and has appointed Buyer as its proxy to vote such shares |
| • | In connection with the closing of the Merger, the Buyer and Douglas B. Falcone will enter into an executive employment agreement and restricted stock award agreement. See “The Merger (Proposal 1) – Employment Agreement with Mr. Falcone” beginning on page 45. |
| • | Our obligations under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement with Sovereign Bank will be paid in full at closing. |
| • | The 2010 Notes payable to LC Capital and Cadence will be paid in full at closing. |
| • | Richard B. Stern and LC Capital have agreed to indemnify the Buyer for up to $250,000 of expenses incurred by the Buyer in connection with any post closing obligations related to any outstanding warrants of the Company. |
Adoption of the Agreement and Plan of Merger
This proxy statement is being furnished to our stockholders as part of the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors for use at the Company’s special meeting to consider and vote on the proposal to adopt the Merger Agreement. If our stockholders fail to adopt the Merger Agreement, the Merger will not occur. Holders of our common stock should read this document carefully and in its entirety, including the annexes, for more detailed information concerning the Merger Agreement and the Merger. A copy of the Merger Agreement is attached to this information statement/proxy statement/prospectus as Appendix A.
The Board of Directors, after careful consideration, deemed it advisable and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders that the Company enter into the Merger Agreement, determined that the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the Merger consideration, are advisable, fair (both substantively and procedurally) to and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders and recommended that the Company’s stockholders adopt the Merger Agreement at the Company’s special meeting.
The affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company as of the record date and entitled to vote, is required to adopt the Merger Agreement.
The Company’s Board of Directors recommends that our stockholders vote “FOR” the adoption of the Merger Agreement.
GOLDEN PARACHUTE COMPENSATION (PROPOSAL 2)
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and Rule 14a-21(c) under the Exchange Act require us to provide our stockholders with the opportunity to vote to approve on a non-binding, advisory basis the compensation that may be paid or payable to our named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger (also known as “golden parachute” compensation).
Accordingly, we are requesting that the holders of our common stock approve the following resolution:
“RESOLVED, that the stockholders of Access To Money, Inc. approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation that may be paid or become payable to its named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the merger, as disclosed in the proxy statement relating to our special meeting in the table entitled “Golden Parachute Compensation,” including the related narrative discussion contained in the footnotes thereto, the agreements or understandings pursuant to which such compensation may be paid or become payable.
Approval of Proposal No. 2 is not a condition to the completion of the Merger. As this is an advisory vote, the result will not be binding on us or the Buyer, or the Board of Directors or Cardtronics. Accordingly, such compensation, including amounts that we are obligated to pay could still be payable regardless of the outcome of this advisory vote, subject only to the conditions applicable thereto. Proxies submitted without discretion pursuant to this solicitation will be voted “FOR” the approval of the compensation to be paid to our named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger, as disclosed in this proxy statement.
Our board of directors recommends that our stockholders vote “FOR” the approval on a non-binding, advisory basis of the compensation that may be paid or payable to our named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the merger, as disclosed pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE SPECIAL MEETING (PROPOSAL 3)
Adjournment of the Special Meeting
In the event that the number of shares of the Company’s common stock present in person and represented by proxy at the special meeting and voting “FOR” the Merger is insufficient to approve the Merger proposal, the Company may move to adjourn the special meeting in order to enable the Company’s Board of Directors to solicit additional proxies in favor of the approval of the Merger proposal. In that event, the Company will ask its stockholders to vote only upon the adjournment proposal and not on the other proposals discussed in this proxy statement.
Vote Required and Board of Directors Recommendation
The approval of the proposal to adjourn the special meeting if there are not sufficient votes to adopt the Merger proposal requires the affirmative vote of stockholders holding a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy at the special meeting and entitled to vote thereat and thereon.
Our board of directors recommends that holders of our common stock vote “FOR” our adjournment proposal, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies.
Our common stock is currently quoted on the OTCBB under the symbol “AEMI.” The following table sets forth the high and low bid prices as reported by the OTCBB. The quoted prices represent only prices between dealers on each trading day as submitted from time to time by certain of the securities dealers wishing to trade in our common stock, do not reflect retail markups, mark-downs or commissions, and may differ substantially from prices in actual transactions.
| | High | | | Low | |
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Year Ended December 31, 2009 | | | | | | |
First Quarter | | $ | 0.21 | | | $ | 0.08 | |
Second Quarter | | $ | 0.34 | | | $ | 0.08 | |
Third Quarter | | $ | 0.46 | | | $ | 0.22 | |
Fourth Quarter | | $ | 0.46 | | | $ | 0.23 | |
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Year Ended December 31, 2010 | | | | | | | | |
First Quarter | | $ | 0.51 | | | $ | 0.30 | |
Second Quarter | | $ | 0.65 | | | $ | 0.22 | |
Third Quarter | | $ | 0.31 | | | $ | 0.19 | |
Fourth Quarter | | $ | 0.30 | | | $ | 0.19 | |
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Year Ended December 31, 2011 | | | | | | | | |
First Quarter | | $ | 0.30 | | | $ | 0.08 | |
Second Quarter | | $ | 0.20 | | | $ | 0.07 | |
Third quarter (through August 23, 2011) | | $ | 0.29 | | | $ | 0.08 | |
As of [ ], 2011, there were 33,294,348 shares of our common stock ($.001 par value) issued and outstanding. We are authorized to issue a maximum of 70,000,000 shares of common stock and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock.
On August 12, 2011, the last trading day prior to the date of the first public announcement of the execution of the Merger Agreement, the high and low sale prices for the Company’s common stock as reported on the OTC Bulletin Board were $0.11 and $0.11 per share, respectively, and the closing sale price on that date was $0.11. On August 23, 2011, the last trading day for which information was available prior to the date of the printing of this proxy statement, the high and low sale prices for the Company’s common stock as reported on the OTC Bulletin Board were $0.27 and $0.266 per share, respectively, and the closing sale price on that date was $0.266. The Company’s stockholders should obtain a current market quotation for the Company’s common stock before making any decision with respect to the Merger. On [ ], 2011 (the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the special meeting), there were approximately [ ] holders of record of the Company’s common stock.
We do not pay and do not plan to pay any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. In addition, under the Merger Agreement, we have agreed not to make, declare or pay any dividends on our common stock before the closing of the Merger.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth, as of [ , 2011], information with respect to the securities holdings of all persons that we, pursuant to filings with the SEC and our stock transfer records, have reason to believe may be deemed the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our common stock. The following table also sets forth, as of such date, the beneficial ownership of our common stock by all of our current officers and directors, both individually and as a group.
The beneficial owners and amount of securities beneficially owned have been determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, and, in accordance therewith, includes all shares of our common stock that may be acquired by such beneficial owners within 60 days of [], 2011 upon the exercise or conversion of any options, warrants or other convertible securities. This table has been prepared based on 33,294,348 shares of common stock outstanding on [], 2011. Unless otherwise indicated, each person or entity named below has sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares beneficially owned by that person or entity, subject to the matters set forth in the footnotes to the table below.
Name | | Number of Shares(2) | | | Percentage | |
Lampe, Conway & Co., LLC(3) | | | 11,124,093 | | | | 33.4 | % |
Douglas B. Falcone | | | 3,102,250 | | | | 9.3 | % |
GSO Funds(4) | | | 3,072,074 | | | | 8.4 | % |
638 Capital Management LLC(5) | | | 2,180,541 | | | | 6.5 | % |
Cadence Special Holdings II, LLC(6) | | | 1,700,902 | | | | 5.1 | % |
Richard B. Stern | | | 951,000 | | | | 2.9 | % |
Kenneth Paull | | | 674,422 | | | | 2.0 | % |
Michael J. Dolan | | | 256,884 | | | | * | |
Thomas S. McNamara | | | 180,000 | | | | * | |
Ethan S. Buyon(7) | | | 171,000 | | | | * | |
Michael E. Venezia | | | - | | | | * | |
All officers and directors as a group (7 persons) | | | 5,335,556 | | | | 15,9 | % |
(1) | Unless otherwise noted the address of each beneficial owner is 1101 Kings Highway North, Suite G100, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-1912. |
(2) | Total number of shares for officers and directors includes shares owned, restricted stock holdings and/or exercisable options. |
(3) | This information is based upon a Schedule 13D/A dated and filed with the SEC on August 15, 2011, reporting that Lampe, Conway & Co., LLC (“LC&C”), the investment manager of LC Capital Master Fund, Ltd. (the “Master Fund”), Steven G. Lampe, a managing member of the Agent, and Richard F. Conway, a managing member of the LC&C, have shared voting dispositive power with respect to 11,124,903 shares of common stock. LC&C’s address is: 680 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor New York, NY 10019. |
(4) | This information is based upon a Schedule 13G/A dated February 14, 2011, and filed with the SEC on February 14, 2011, and the records of the Company. As of the date of this filing, (i) GSO Domestic Capital Funding LLC may be deemed to beneficially own 1,069,082 shares of Common Stock (issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants it holds), (ii) GSO Special Situations Fund LP may be deemed to beneficially own 1,069,082 shares of Common Stock (issuable upon the exercise of the 1,069,082 Warrants held by GSO Domestic Capital Funding LLC), (iii) GSO Special Situations Overseas Master Fund Ltd. may be deemed to beneficially own 1,145,883 shares of Common Stock (issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants it holds), (iv) GSO Special Situations Overseas Fund Ltd. may be deemed to beneficially own 1,145,883 shares of Common Stock (issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants held by GSO Special Situations Overseas Master Fund Ltd.), (v) GSO Targeted Opportunity Master Partners L.P. may be deemed to beneficially own 857,109 shares of Common Stock (issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants it holds), (vi) GSO Special Situations Overseas Benefit Plan Fund Ltd. and GSO Credit Opportunities Fund (Helios), L.P. no longer hold any Warrants or beneficially own any shares of Common Stock and (vii) each of GSO Capital Partners LP, Bennett J. Goodman, J. Albert Smith III, Douglas I. Ostrover, GSO Advisor Holdings L.L.C., Blackstone Holdings I L.P., Blackstone Holdings I/II GP Inc., The Blackstone Group L.P., Blackstone Group Management L.L.C., and Stephen A. Schwarzman may be deemed to beneficially own 3,072,074 shares of Common Stock (issuable upon the exercise of the 857,109 Warrants held by GSO Targeted Opportunity Master Partners L.P., the 1,069,082 Warrants. GSO Fund’s address is: 280 Park Avenue New York, NY 10017. |
(5) | This information is based upon a Schedule 13G/A dated and filed with the SEC on January 29, 2010 reporting that 683 Capital Management LLC has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to 2,180,541 shares of common stock. Ari Zweiman is identified as the managing partner and controlling person of 683 Capital Management LLC and Capital GP LLC. As such, each of 683 Capital Management LLC, 683 Capital GP, LLC and Ari Zweiman may be deemed the beneficial owner of the shares of common stock owned by 683 Capital Management LLC. |
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(6) | Cadence Special Holdings II, LLC’s address is: 800 Third Avenue, 10th Floor New York, NY 10022. |
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(7) | Ethan Buyon’s address is 16 Vermont Avenue, White Plains, NY 10606. |
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The consolidated financial statements of the Company included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 20010, incorporated by reference in this proxy statement, have been audited by Friedman LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in its reports appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K.
FUTURE STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS
If the Merger is completed, there will be no public participation in any future meetings of the Company’s stockholders. If the Merger is not completed, however the Company’s stockholders will continue to be entitled to attend and participate in the Company’s stockholders’ meetings. If the Merger is not completed, then stockholder proposals to be considered for inclusion in the proxy materials for the Company’s 2011 annual meeting of stockholders must be received by our secretary no later than December 29, 2011. The Company’s Compensation Committee does not currently have a policy with regard to the consideration of any director candidates recommended by stockholders, but the Company expects that such a policy may be developed in the future. The Company’s Board of Directors believes that the current absence of such a policy is appropriate because the Company has never received a stockholder recommendation. All other proposals will be deemed untimely unless submitted by [ ], 2011. All proposals must comply with the rules and regulations of the SEC then in effect.
DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS TO STOCKHOLDERS SHARING AN ADDRESS
Stockholders who share a single address will receive only one proxy statement at that address unless we have received instructions to the contrary from any stockholder at that address. This practice, known as “householding,” is designed to reduce the our printing and postage costs. However, if a stockholder of record residing at such an address wishes to receive a separate copy of this proxy statement or of future proxy statements (if applicable), he or she may contact Access to Money, Inc., 1101 Kings Highway North, Suite G100 Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-1912, Attention: Corporate Secretary. We will deliver separate copies of this proxy statement promptly upon written or oral request. If you are a stockholder of record receiving multiple copies of this proxy statement, you can request householding by contacting us in the same manner. If you own your shares of our common stock through a bank, broker or other stockholder of record, you can request additional copies of this proxy statement or request householding by contacting the stockholder of record.
WHERE STOCKHOLDERS CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act. We file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy these reports, proxy statements and other information at the SEC’s Public Reference Section at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains an Internet website, located at www.sec.gov, that contains reports, proxy statements and other information regarding companies and individuals that file electronically with the SEC. You may also obtain the Company’s reports, proxy statements and other information filed with the SEC at the Company’s website, located at www.accesstomoney.com.
The information contained in this proxy statement speaks only as of the date indicated on the cover of this proxy statement unless the information specifically indicates that another date applies.
Requests for copies of our filings should be directed to Access to Money, Inc., 1101 Kings Highway North, Suite G100, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-1912, Attention: Corporate Secretary, Telephone: (856) 414-9100
Document requests from the us should be made by [ ] in order to receive them before the special meeting.
These documents are also available at the Company’s website, located at www.accesstomoney.com.
The proxy statement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, or the solicitation of a proxy, in any jurisdiction to or from any person to whom it is not lawful to make any offer or solicitation in that jurisdiction. The delivery of this proxy statement should not create an implication that there has been no change in our affairs since the date of this proxy statement or that the information herein is correct as of any later date.
Stockholders should not rely on information other than that contained in this proxy statement. We have not authorized anyone to provide information that is different from that contained in this proxy statement. This proxy statement is dated [ ], 2011. No assumption should be made that the information contained in this proxy statement is accurate as of any date other than that date, and the mailing of this proxy statement will not create any implication to the contrary.
No other matters are intended to be brought before the special meeting by the Company, and we do not know of any matters to be brought before the special meeting by others. If, however, any other matters properly come before the meeting, the persons named in the proxy will vote the shares represented thereby in accordance with the judgment of management on any such matter.
If you have questions about the special meeting or the Merger after reading this proxy, or if you would like additional copies of this proxy statement or the proxy card, you should contact Access to Money, Inc., 1101 Kings Highway North, Suite G100, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-1912, Attention: Corporate Secretary.