1 FORM 8 A SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 ------------------------- FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) or (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 PEERLESS MFG. CO. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) TEXAS 75-0724417 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (State of incorporation or organization) I.R.S. Employer Identification No. 2819 WALNUT HILL LANE, DALLAS TEXAS 75229 P.O. BOX 540667, DALLAS TEXAS 75354 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) If this form relates to the If this form relates to the registration of a class of registration of a class of debt debt securities and is effective securities and is to become upon filing pursuant to General effective simultaneously with the Instruction A(c)(1) please check effectiveness of a concurrent the following box. [ ] registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to General Instruction A(c)(2) please check the following box. [ ] SECURITIES TO be REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE ACT: Name of each exchange on Title of each class which each class is to to be so registered be registered ------------------- ------------------------ NONE SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(g) OF THE ACT: COMMON STOCK PURCHASE RIGHTS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Title of Class) 2 Item 1. Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered On May 21, 1997, the Board of Directors of Peerless Mfg. Co. (the "Company") declared a dividend of one common share purchase right (a "Right") for each outstanding share of common stock, $1.00 par value (the "Common Shares"), of the Company. The dividend will be made to the shareholders of record at the close of business on June 2, 1997 (the "Record Date"). Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one Common Share at a price of $30.00 (the "Purchase Price"), subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement dated as of May 22, 1997 (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C. as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent"). Until the earlier to occur of (i) ten Business Days following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the outstanding Common Shares (an "Acquiring Person") or (ii) ten Business Days following the commencement of, or announcement of an intention to make, a tender offer or exchange offer, the consummation of which would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of 20% or more of such outstanding Common Shares (the earlier of such dates being the "Distribution Date"), the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Share certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Share certificate with a copy of this Summary of Rights attached to the certificate. The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new Common Share certificates issued after the Record Date upon transfer or new issuance of Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Shares outstanding even without such notation or a copy of this Summary of Rights being attached to such Certificate, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificate. As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights (the "Right Certificates") will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights. The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire on May 22, 2007 (the "Final Expiration Date"), unless the Final Expiration Date is extended or unless the Rights are earlier redeemed by the Company, in each case, as described below. The Purchase Price payable and the number of Common Shares or other securities or property issuable upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination, or reclassification of, the Common Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Common Shares of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares at a price or securities 2 3 convertible into Common Shares with a conversion price less than the then current market price of the Common Shares; or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Common Shares of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than regular cash dividends out of the Company's earnings or retained earnings), or assets. In the event that any person or entity becomes an Acquiring Person (the beneficial owner of 20% or more of the Common Shares), provision will be made so that each Right, other than Rights beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which will then be void), will entitle the holder to purchase that number of Common Shares having a market value of two times the then current Purchase Price of the Right. The Rights Agreement excludes from the definition of Acquiring Person, Persons who certify to the Company that they inadvertently acquired in excess of 19.9% of the outstanding Common Shares and thereafter divest such excess Common Shares or who acquire 20% or more of the Common Shares in a Permitted Transaction. A "Permitted Transaction" is a stock acquisition or tender or exchange offer pursuant to a definitive agreement which would result in a person beneficially owning 20% or more of the Common Shares and which has been approved by the Board of Directors (including a majority of the Directors not in association with an Acquiring Person) prior to the execution of the agreement or the public announcement of the offer. In the event that the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction, or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power are sold, proper provisions will be made so that each Right will entitle the holder to purchase that number of shares of common stock of the acquiring company that at the time of such transaction will have a market value of two times the then current Purchase Price of the Right. No adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in the Purchase Price. With certain exceptions, no fractional Common Shares will be issued and, in lieu of such fractional shares, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Common Shares on the last trading day prior to the date of exercise. After a person becomes an Acquiring Person, the Company's Board of Directors may exchange the Rights, other than those Rights owned by the Acquiring Person, in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, subject to adjustment. However, the Board of Directors cannot conduct an exchange at any time after any Person, together with its Affiliates and Associates, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock. At any time within ten Business Days following the date that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, a Requisite Majority may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.01 per Right (the "Redemption Price"). In addition, the Board of Directors may extend or reduce the period during which the Rights are redeemable, so long as the Rights are redeemable at the time of such extension or reduction. Immediately upon any redemption of the 3 4 Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price. The terms of the Rights may be amended by the Board of Directors of the Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights, including an amendment to extend the Final Expiration Date, except that from and after the date any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, no such amendment may adversely affect the economic interests of the holders of the Rights. Until a Right is exercised, the holder of the Right, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends. Item 2. Exhibits 1. Shareholder Rights Agreement dated May 22, 1997 among the Company and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C., as rights agent. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. PEERLESS MFG. CO. By: /s/ Sherrill Stone ----------------------------------- Sherrill Stone, President and Chief Executive Officer Dated: May 22, 1997 4 5 INDEX TO EXHIBITS EXHIBIT NUMBER DESCRIPTION - ------- ----------- 1 - Rights Agreement