UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
_____________________________________________________________________
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
______________________________________________________________________
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 22, 2013
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| DELAWARE | 1-11083 | 04-2695240 |
| (State or other | (Commission | (IRS employer |
| jurisdiction of | file number) | identification no.) |
| incorporation) | ||
| One Boston Scientific Place, Natick, Massachusetts | 01760-1537 |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) |
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (508) 650-8000
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| o | Written communication pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| o | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| o | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| o | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
ITEM 2.05. COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH EXIT OR DISPOSAL ACTIVITIES.
On October 22, 2013, the Board of Directors of Boston Scientific Corporation (the “Company”) approved, and the Company committed to, a 2014 restructuring program (the “Program”). The Program is intended to build on the progress the Company has made to address financial pressures in a changing global marketplace, further strengthen its operational effectiveness and efficiency and support new growth investments. Key activities under the Program include continued implementation of the Company's ongoing Plant Network Optimization (PNO) strategy, continued focus on driving operational efficiencies and ongoing business and commercial model changes. The PNO strategy is intended to simplify our manufacturing plant structure by transferring certain production lines among facilities. Other activities involve rationalizing organizational reporting structures to streamline various functions, eliminate bureaucracy, increase productivity and better align resources to business strategies and marketplace dynamics. These activities will start to be initiated in the fourth quarter of 2013 and are expected to be substantially completed by the end of 2015.
The Company estimates that the Program will reduce gross annual pre-tax operating expenses by approximately $150 million to $200 million exiting 2015, and expects a portion of the Program savings to be reinvested in strategic growth initiatives.
The Company anticipates a gross reduction of 1,100 to 1,500 positions worldwide through a combination of employee attrition and targeted headcount reductions as a result of the Program implementation. Plans detailing specific employee impacts will be developed for each affected region and business, and the Company will work with employee representative bodies where required under local laws.
The Company estimates that the implementation of the Program will result in total pre-tax charges of approximately $175 million to $225 million, of which approximately $160 million to $210 million is expected to result in future cash outlays. The following table provides a summary of the Company's estimates of costs associated with the Program by major type of cost:
| Type of cost | Total estimated amount expected to be incurred |
| Restructuring charges: | |
| Termination benefits | $120 million to $150 million |
| Other (1) | $5 million to $15 million |
| Restructuring-related expenses: | |
| Other (2) | $50 million to $60 million |
| $175 million to $225 million | |
(1) Consists primarily of consultant fees and costs associated with contractual cancellations.
(2) Comprised of other costs directly related to the restructuring program, including program management, accelerated depreciation, and costs to transfer product lines among facilities.
The Company estimates that during the fourth quarter of 2013, it will record approximately $30 million of restructuring charges associated with the Program. The Company will record the remaining expenses throughout the duration of the Program when it identifies with more specificity the job classifications, functions and locations of the remaining head count to be eliminated and as other Program-related expenses are incurred.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words like “anticipate,” “expect,” “project,” “believe,” “plan,” “estimate,” “intend” and similar words. These forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and estimates using information available to us at the time and are not intended to be guarantees of future events or performance. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, the execution and effect of our business strategy; our cost-savings and growth initiatives; and our restructuring program activities and expected impact. If our underlying assumptions turn out to be incorrect, or if certain risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties, in some cases, have affected and in the future could affect our ability to implement its business strategy and may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements expressed in this document. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of its forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties that may cause such differences include, among other things: future economic, political, competitive, reimbursement and regulatory conditions; new product introductions and the market acceptance of those products; markets for our products; expected pricing environment; expected procedural volumes; clinical trial results; demographic trends; intellectual property rights; litigation; financial market conditions; the execution and effect of our business strategy; our cost-savings and growth initiatives; the execution and effect of our restructuring program; and future business decisions made by us and our competitors. New risks and uncertainties may arise from time to time and are difficult to predict. All of these factors are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of them are beyond our control. For a further list and description of these and other important risks and uncertainties that may affect our future operations, see Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we may update in Part II, Item 1A – Risk Factors in Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q we have filed or will file hereafter. We disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions, or circumstances on which those expectations may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this document.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Date: October 23, 2013 | BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION | ||
| By: | /s/ Vance R. Brown | ||
| Vance R. Brown | |||
| Vice President and Chief Corporate Counsel | |||