Unifrax, a leading global provider of high-performance specialty
materials focused on thermal management, specialty filtration,
battery materials, emission control and fire protection
applications backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (“Clearlake”),
today announced it has signed definitive agreements to acquire
Lydall, Inc. (NYSE: LDL, “Lydall” or the “Company”), a leader in
the design and production of specialty filtration materials and
advanced material solutions. With its leading technologies and 23
manufacturing facilities around the world, Lydall is well
positioned to capitalize on growth in clean air filtration and
electric vehicle adoption, among many other attractive markets.
Under the terms of the agreement, Lydall shareholders will receive
$62.10 per share in cash for each share outstanding, implying a
total enterprise value of approximately $1.3 billion.
“The combination of Unifrax and Lydall creates a
global specialty materials platform with new cutting edge
technologies in advanced filtration, electric vehicle battery
systems, and energy saving applications,” said John Dandolph,
President and CEO of Unifrax. “The addition of Lydall’s people,
technologies, and assets to the Unifrax portfolio will help
accelerate our innovation pipeline and creates a world class
platform capable of solving the world’s most pressing energy
consumption, environmental and filtration challenges. We are
excited to partner with a company that is similarly focused on our
commitment to a Greener, Cleaner, and Safer® world.”
Sara Greenstein, President and CEO of Lydall,
added, “We are excited about the combination of Lydall and Unifrax.
With this transaction, we are creating a leader in specialty
filtration and advanced materials with over 250 years of combined
expertise and experience delivering innovative and compelling
solutions to customers worldwide.”
“We have long admired Lydall and what it would
bring to our platform investment in Unifrax, and could not be more
excited about partnering with the Company and its team to build one
of the world’s leading global specialty materials platforms,” said
José E. Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Clearlake,
and Colin Leonard, Partner at Clearlake, in a joint statement. “We
have supported Unifrax’s development of new technologies over the
last few years that have the potential to change how we think about
the industries in which both Unifrax and Lydall operate and inform
their futures. The addition of Lydall to the Unifrax portfolio and
its strong capabilities in advanced filtration creates a global
platform with significant scale that together can accelerate each
company’s respective compelling growth plans.”
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC acted as lead
financial advisor, J.P. Morgan acted as financial advisor, and
Kirkland & Ellis acted as legal counsel to Unifrax in the
transaction. BofA Securities is acting as exclusive financial
advisor, and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is acting as legal
counsel to Lydall in connection with the transaction.
Approvals and TimingThe
transaction, which has been approved by the boards of directors of
both companies, is expected to close in the second half of 2021
subject to the receipt of required regulatory approvals, approvals
of Lydall stockholders and other customary closing conditions.
Important Information For Investors And
StockholdersThis communication does not constitute an
offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell
any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. This
communication relates to a proposed transaction between Lydall and
Unifrax. In connection with this proposed transaction, Lydall may
file one or more proxy statements or other documents with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). This communication
is not a substitute for any proxy statement or other document
Lydall may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed
transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF LYDALL ARE URGED TO
READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE FILED WITH
THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME
AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Any
definitive proxy statement(s) (if and when available) will be
mailed to stockholders of Lydall as applicable. Investors and
security holders will be able to obtain free copies of these
documents (if and when available) and other documents filed with
the SEC by Lydall through the website maintained by the SEC at
http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by
Lydall will be available free of charge on Lydall’s internet
website at https://ir.lydall.com/corporate-profile/default.aspx or
by contacting Lydall’s primary investor relation’s contact by email
at info@lydall.com or by phone at 860-646-1233.
Participants in
SolicitationLydall, Unifrax, their respective directors
and certain of their respective executive officers may be
considered participants in the solicitation of proxies in
connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the
directors and executive officers of Lydall is set forth in its
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2020, which was filed with the SEC on February 23,
2021, certain of its Quarterly Reports filed on Form 10-Q and
certain of its Current Reports filed on Form 8-K.
These documents can be obtained free of charge
from the sources indicated above. Additional information regarding
the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of
their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or
otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement and other
relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become
available.
Forward Looking StatementsThis
communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements
contained in this communication that are not statements of
historical fact, including (among other) statements about Lydall’s
ability to consummate the proposed transaction, the expected
benefits of the proposed transaction and the expected impact of the
coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on the Company's businesses may be
deemed to be forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking
statements are intended to provide management’s current
expectations for the future of the Company based on current
expectations and assumptions relating to the Company’s business,
the economy and other future conditions. Forward-looking statements
generally can be identified through the use of words such as
“believes,” “anticipates,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “plans,”
“projects,” “expects,” “expectations,” “estimates,” “forecasts,”
“predicts,” “targets,” “prospects,” “strategy,” “signs,” and other
words of similar meaning in connection with the discussion of
future performance, plans, actions or events. Because
forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject
to inherent risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that
are difficult to predict. Such risks and uncertainties include,
among others: the failure to obtain the required vote of Lydall’s
stockholders, the timing to consummate the proposed transaction,
the risk that a condition of closing of the proposed transaction
may not be satisfied or that the closing of the proposed
transaction might otherwise not occur, the risk that a regulatory
approval that may be required for the proposed transaction is not
obtained or is obtained subject to conditions that are not
anticipated, the diversion of management time on
transaction-related issues; risks related to disruption of
management time from ongoing business operations due to the
proposed transaction, the risk that any announcements relating to
the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market
price of the common stock of Lydall, the risk that the proposed
transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on
the ability of Lydall to retain customers and retain and hire key
personnel and maintain relationships with its suppliers and
customers, worldwide economic or political changes that affect the
markets that the Company’s businesses serve which could have an
effect on demand for the Company’s products and impact the
Company’s profitability, challenges encountered by the Company in
the execution of restructuring programs, disruptions in the global
credit and financial markets, including diminished liquidity and
credit availability, changes in international trade agreements,
including tariffs and trade restrictions, disruptions in the
Company's businesses from the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19),
cyber-security vulnerabilities, foreign currency volatility, swings
in consumer confidence and spending, raw material pricing and
supply issues, retention of key employees, increases in fuel
prices, and outcomes of legal proceedings, claims and
investigations. Accordingly, actual results may differ materially
from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements.
Investors, therefore, are cautioned against relying on any of these
forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of
historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance.
Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual
results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements
is available in Lydall’s filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including the risks and uncertainties identified in
Part I, Item 1A - Risk Factors of Lydall’s Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. These forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date of this communication, and
Lydall does not assume any obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statement made in this communication or that may
from time to time be made by or on behalf of the Company.
About UnifraxUnifrax is a
leading global supplier of high-performance specialty materials
used in thermal management, specialty filtration, battery
materials, emission control and fire protection applications.
Headquartered in Tonawanda, NY, Unifrax serves more than 4,000
customers through a global footprint of 31 plants operating across
12 countries. Unifrax’s portfolio of products, technologies,
proprietary chemistries and processes have been developed from more
than 70 years of deep application knowledge and innovation. Its
products address mission critical energy efficiency, emission
control, regulatory and fire safety requirements across the globe.
More information is available at www.unifrax.com.
About Lydall, Inc.Lydall
delivers value-added engineered materials and specialty filtration
solutions that promote a cleaner, safer, and quieter world. With
global manufacturing operations, Lydall partners with customers to
develop bespoke, high-performing and efficient solutions that are
adaptable and scalable to meet their needs. Headquartered in
Manchester, Connecticut, Lydall is a New York Stock Exchange-listed
Company. For more information, visit http://www.lydall.com. Lydall®
is a registered trademark of Lydall, Inc. in the U.S. and other
countries. More information is available at www.lydall.com.
About ClearlakeClearlake
Capital Group, L.P. is an investment firm founded in 2006 operating
integrated businesses across private equity, credit and other
related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks
to partner with experienced management teams by providing patient,
long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from
Clearlake’s operational improvement approach, O.P.S.® The firm’s
core target sectors are technology, industrials and consumer.
Clearlake currently has approximately $39 billion of assets under
management and its senior investment principals have led or co-led
over 300 investments. The firm has offices in Santa Monica and
Dallas. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on
Twitter @ClearlakeCap.
Media Contacts:
For Lydall
Kristen Weiss
Ph: +1 860-646-1233
info@lydall.com
For Unifrax
Deborah Myers
Unifrax
Ph: +1 716-768-6465
dmyers@unifrax.com
For Clearlake
Jennifer Hurson
Lambert & Co.
Ph: +1 845-507-0571
jhurson@lambert.com
Investor Contacts:
For Lydall
Brendan Moynihan
Ph: +1 860-646-1233
investor@lydall.com
Lydall (NYSE:LDL)
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