China Agritech, Inc. Receives Strategic Investment From The Carlyle Group
20 Octobre 2009 - 12:01PM
PR Newswire (US)
BEIJING, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- China Agritech,
Inc. (NasdaqGM: CAGC) ("China Agritech", or the "Company"), a
leading national organic fertilizer manufacturer and distributor in
China, today announced the signing and closing of a private
placement with Carlyle Asia Growth Partners, the growth capital arm
of The Carlyle Group, of 1,392,768 shares of China Agritech common
stock and warrants to purchase up to an additional 928,514 shares
of China Agritech common stock for aggregate gross proceeds of $15
million. As a result of the transaction, The Carlyle Group, through
its affiliates holds approximately 16.5% of the issued and
outstanding China Agritech common stock. In the event that the
Company does not meet a net income target of $11.5 million for
fiscal year 2009, The Carlyle Group affiliates will be issued
additional shares of common stock and the initial warrant exercise
price of $10.77 per share will be reduced, thereby resulting in
additional warrant shares being issuable upon exercise of the
warrants. The proceeds from the private placement will be used for
business expansion and working capital purposes. The stockholders
of China Agritech, acting by majority consent in lieu of a
stockholders' meeting, approved the transactions contemplated by
the securities purchase agreement, including the issuance of the
shares of common stock and the warrants, as required by Nasdaq
Marketplace Rule 5635. As part of the securities purchase
agreement, The Carlyle Group has the right to appoint one Director
to the Board of Directors and, as a result, the Board of Directors
will be expanded to have six members. The Carlyle Group also has
the right to invest between $5-$10 million in any additional
financing by the Company undertaken during the one-year period
commencing on the closing date. Mr. Yu Chang, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of China Agritech, commented, "This strategic
investment by a prestigious investment firm like The Carlyle Group,
strengthens our shareholder base. We believe their investment is an
endorsement of our strategic plans and our ability to generate
shareholder value. With the new financial and global resources from
Carlyle, we will be able to accelerate our growth plans to further
penetrate the large fertilizer market in China and strengthen our
leadership position in our industry. We look forward to the
strategic assistance Carlyle will provide to help us reach our
long-term goals." Mr. Wayne Tsou, Managing Director and Head of
Carlyle Asia Growth Partners, said, "We are excited to establish a
strategic relationship with China Agritech and broaden our reach to
the agricultural industry, one of the pillar industries of China.
Under the leadership of a capable management team, China Agritech
has built a successful track record and is poised for accelerated
growth in the years ahead. We are dedicated to providing global
resources and expertise to support China Agritech's further
expansion." The Carlyle Group is one of the world's largest private
equity firms, with more than $86.1 billion under management. With
64 funds across four investment disciplines (buyouts, growth
capital, real estate and leveraged finance), Carlyle combines
global vision with local insight, relying on a top-flight team of
475+ investment professionals operating out of offices in 20
countries to uncover superior opportunities in North America,
Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East/North Africa and Latin
America. About China Agritech, Inc. China Agritech, Inc. is engaged
in the development, manufacture and distribution of liquid and
granular organic compound fertilizers and related products in
China. The Company has developed proprietary formulas that provide
a continuous supply of high-quality agricultural products while
maintaining soil fertility. The Company sells its products to
farmers located in 28 provinces of China. Rodman & Renshaw,
LLC, a subsidiary of Rodman & Renshaw Capital Group, Inc.
(NASDAQ:RODM), is an advisor to China Agritech. For more
information about the Company, please visit
http://www.chinaagritechinc.com/ . Safe Harbor Statement This
release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" relating
to the business of China Agritech and its subsidiary companies,
which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology
such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" or
similar expressions, including, but not limited to, statements
regarding the continued demand for China Agritech's products, China
Agritech's ability to sustain growth for the balance of the year
and China Agritech's ability to generally meet all of its
objectives. Such forward-looking statements involve known and
unknown risks and uncertainties, including all business
uncertainties relating to product development, marketing,
concentration in a single customer, raw material costs, market
acceptance, future capital requirements, and competition in general
and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially
different from those described herein as anticipated, believed,
estimated or expected. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are
or will be described in greater detail in our filings with the SEC.
Except as required by law, China Agritech is under no obligation to
update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise. For more
information, please contact: In China: Mr. Gareth Tang Chief
Financial Officer China Agritech, Inc. Tel: +86-10-5962-1220 Email:
In the U.S.: Mr. Kevin Theiss Investor Relations Grayling Tel:
+1-646-284-9409 Email: DATASOURCE: China Agritech, Inc. CONTACT: In
China: Mr. Gareth Tang, Chief Financial Officer of China Agritech,
Inc., +86-10-5962-1220, or ; In the U.S.: Mr. Kevin Theiss,
Investor Relations of Grayling, +1-646-284-9409, or Web Site:
http://www.chinaagritechinc.com/
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