4C Controls Inc. Announces Strategic Alliance and Financing of BQT Solutions Limited
03 Mars 2008 - 3:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
NEW YORK and SYDNEY, Australia, March 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
4C Controls Inc. (OTC:FOUR.OB) (BULLETIN BOARD: FOUR.OB) ("4C
Controls") and BQT Solutions Limited (ASX:BQT) ("BQT Solutions")
today announced they have reached agreement whereby 4C Controls
will invest in BQT Solutions and two of its current subsidiaries.
The total value of the investment is AUD$24 million (approximately
US$21.6 million) of which AUD$4 million is to be directly invested
in BQT Solutions. 4C Controls is a publicly traded U.S. company.
Approximately 80% of the issued and outstanding shares of 4C
Controls were recently acquired by a Swiss-based investment group,
Rudana Investment Group AG ("Rudana"), to serve as a public
platform to create strategic affiliations with leading
international security and surveillance enterprises serving
security markets worldwide. Through these alliances, 4C Controls
intends to position itself at the forefront of international
security and surveillance technology, and establish its ability to
design, manage and integrate state-of-the-art high technology
security solutions with comprehensive and fully integrated service
offerings. 4C Controls anticipates acquiring technologies and large
global distribution networks primarily in the market sectors of (1)
electronic surveillance/ global access control markets (biometric
and closed-circuit television (CCTV)) and (2) low-orbit high
resolution satellites technologies. Gerald Sullivan, 4C Controls
Chief Financial Officer, also serving as interim President and
Chief Executive Officer, commented "4C Controls business plan is
focused on technology as the key growth driver in the security
market based on a general market shift towards more integrated
security solutions. We believe that the diversified technologies
portfolio of BQT, and specifically the remarkable opportunity
provided by access to the low-orbit high resolution satellites
market, as well as its first class customer base, will facilitate
entrance into the security and surveillance industry by 4C Controls
and creates a foundation on which to globally distribute
sophisticated security solutions for a wide range of applications."
Rudana has undertaken to provide 4C Controls with the funds
required to complete its investment in BQT Solutions, BQT
Satellites Ltd ("BQT Satellites") and BQT Intelligent Security
Systems Pty Ltd ("BQT Security") as specified in a Securities
Purchase Agreement to be entered into between 4C Controls, BQT
Solutions, BQT Satellites and BQT Security. "This strategic
alliance with 4C Controls is a significant milestone for our
company. We are proud of our development of cutting edge
technologies and the quality of our client base. Our goal is to
capitalise on these achievements," said Mr. Abdulrahman Ahmad
Falaknaz, Chairman of BQT Solutions, adding, "We will focus our
strategy on corporate development and commercialization of the BQT
Group technologies." The investment by 4C Controls has been
initiated, organized and managed by Prime Asset Finance Ltd.
("PAF"), a current financial adviser to BQT Solutions, and
Arimathea Limited ("Arimathea"), a corporate development and
financial advisory company based in the Isle of Man. 1. Corporate
Development Overview BQT Solutions is an Australian public company
specializing in access control systems, biometric and smart card
readers, CCTV, cameras and customised developments for selected
clients. BQT Solutions' strategy is to diversify and expand its
activities in the security and surveillance technology sector. This
strategy will involve hiring of senior management with expertise in
the selected expanding sectors, especially the commercial segment.
The expansion plan will be conducted as follows: BQT Solutions will
focus on commercializing its SMAX access control system and support
sales of existing company technologies of biometrics, smart card
readers, CCTV cameras and customized solutions for selected key
clients. BQT Satellites (currently 60% owned by BQT Solutions) will
focus on design, building and operation of small synthetic aperture
radar (SAR) satellites dedicated for earth observation and
surveillance. BQT Satellites has finalized the establishment of an
Italian joint venture company with Politechnico di Torino
("Polito"), one of the leading European technology scientific
research institutes and technology partners for the satellite
project. The new joint venture company named BQT Polito Space
Technologies SPA ("BP Space") has been established as an Italian
private stock company. BQT Satellites intends to seek listing on
the Australian Stock Exchange through an initial public offering.
BQT Security (currently 60% owned by BQT Solutions) is in the final
stage of acquiring from Polito technologies in the field of
intrusion detection systems, radar systems for border and pipeline
surveillance, radio frequency identification (RFID) and real time
locating systems (RTLS) for monitoring and surveillance. BQT
Security is also negotiating to acquire a highly qualified
manufacturer of security and surveillance products. The completion
of this acquisition will provide BQT Security with a manufacturing
capability for the technologies to be acquired from Polito. 2.
Investment Terms: 4C Controls will provide funds as follows: AUD$1
million (first tranche) to be provided immediately for issue of
5,000,000 ordinary shares of BQT Solutions at a price of AUD$0.20
per share for the purpose of working capital. AUD$3 million (second
tranche) for issue of 15,000,000 ordinary shares of BQT Solutions
at a price of AUD$0.20 per share (AUD$0.5 million will be used for
the support of the advanced access control system "SMAX" global
commercialization and AUD$2.5 million will be used for corporate
development). The AUD$3 million second tranche will be provided
upon BQT Solutions fulfilling the following conditions: 2.1.
Appoint a new Group CEO nominated by 4C Controls to manage and
complete the group expansion plan. 2.2. Consolidation of BQT
Solutions shares (referred to in the United States as a reverse
split) at a ratio of 7 to 1, which will require BQT Solutions
shareholder approval. After the 7 for 1 consolidation (reverse
split) BQT Solutions will issue options to 4C Controls for the
issue of 9,500,000 ordinary shares of BQT Solutions at an exercise
price of AUD$0.10 per share. AUD$14 million (approximately US$12.6
million) as an equity participation in BQT Satellites. The funds
will be utilized to set up production facilities in Italy. The
business plan for this segment of operations is to be finalized by
BQT Satellites and revised by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. At the
conclusion of this equity participation 4C Controls will own 40% of
BQT Satellites and BQT Solutions will retain an equity interest of
20% of BQT Satellites. AUD$6 million (approximately US$5.6 million)
as an equity participation in BQT Security. The proceeds will be
invested to finalize the acquisition and prototyping of
technologies to be acquired from Politechnico di Torino (Polito),
as well as the completion of the acquisition transaction referred
to above. At the conclusion of this equity participation, 4C
Controls will own 40% of BQT Security and BQT Solutions will retain
an equity interest of 20% of BQT Security. BQT and 4C Controls will
verify within the coming weeks tax and regulatory compliances for
the investment into BQT Satellites (AUD$14 million) and BQT
Security (AUD$6 million). Conditions of the investments into BQT
Satellites and BQT Security include that BQT Solutions: 2.3. Adopt
a new global corporate name, which brands its new security
surveillance systems structure and international business strategy.
Initiate the process of seeking supplemental listings on European
exchanges and on Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange
(registration as American Depository Receipts, "ADRs"). 3. Manager
Fees and Options 3.1. BQT Solutions, BQT Security and BQT
Satellites will pay PAF and Arimathea ("Managers"), for their
respective work in facilitating the investments by 4C Controls
described above (collectively, the "Financing"), a commission of
eight per cent (8%) of the respective capital received from 4C
Controls and introduced by the Managers (the "Commissions"). For
clarity, there will be no duplication of Commissions due or payable
to the Managers and the Commissions are payable by the respective
recipient companies. 3.2. In addition to the Commissions, in
further consideration for the respective work of the Managers on
behalf of BQT Solutions, BQT Satellites and BQT Security in
relation to the Financing, BQT Solutions will, subject to BQT
Solutions shareholder approval, grant to each Manager options for
the issue of 4,500,000 ordinary shares of BQT Solutions (post
consolidation) at an exercise price of AUD$0.10 (post
consolidation) per share (the "Manager Options"). The Manager
Options will be issued after the BQT Solutions consolidation and
pro rata in proportion to the funds received. The Manager Options
may be exercised by the Managers at any time on or before December
31, 2013 by written notice to BQT Solutions. 3.3. All 54,000,000
issued and outstanding BQT Solutions options previously granted to
PAF, will, subject to shareholder approval, be replaced by an
equivalent number of further options that may be exercised at any
time on or before December 31, 2013. In connection with the
investment by 4C Controls, BQT Solutions will seek the consent of
shareholders to the seven-for-one share consolidation and the
issues of BQT Solutions shares and options referred to above. BQT
Solutions also expects to announce additional organizational
restructuring during the course of the next few weeks.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains
'forward-looking statements' as defined in the U.S. Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements are based upon currently available competitive,
financial, and economic data and management's views and assumptions
regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements are
inherently uncertain. 4C Controls cannot provide assurances that
any prospective matters described in the press release will be
successfully completed or that it will realize the anticipated
benefits of any transactions. Actual results may differ materially
from those projected as a result of certain risks and
uncertainties, including but not limited to: global economic and
market conditions; the war on terrorism and the potential from war
or other hostilities in other parts of the world; availability of
financing and lines of credit; successful integration of acquired
or merged businesses; changes in interest rates; management's
ability to forecast revenues and control expenses, especially on a
quarterly basis; unexpected decline in revenues without a
corresponding and timely slowdown in expense growth; its ability to
retain key management and employees; intense competition and the
ability to meet demand at competitive prices and to continue to
introduce new products and new versions of existing products that
keep pace with technological developments, satisfy increasingly
sophisticated customer requirements and achieve market acceptance;
relationships with significant suppliers and customers; as well as
other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those
detailed from time to time in the 4C Controls SEC filings. 4C
Controls undertakes no obligation to update information contained
in this release. For further information regarding risks and
uncertainties associated with the business of 4C Controls, please
refer to the risks and uncertainties detailed in the 4C Controls
SEC filings. DATASOURCE: 4C Controls Inc. CONTACT: Scott Eckstein,
Financial Relations Board, +1-212-827-3766, for 4C Controls Inc.
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