Papendrecht, 15 December 2009
Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) wishes to announce that the financing of the intended public offer of 60 per share (cum dividend) for Smit Internationale N.V. (Smit) is in place.
Peter Berdowski, CEO: "I am extremely pleased that we have been able to secure the sizable financing package with a group of banks within a very short period of time. The strong strategic and financial position of the Boskalis / Smit combination played a major role in this respect and I look forward with confidence to the successful execution of the Smit merger."
Equity offering
With reference to the press releases of 9 and 10 December 2009, Boskalis confirms that the 230 million equity offering has been settled.
Debt financing
In addition to the proceeds of the equity offering, the financing will comprise a combination of a
3- and 5-year bank facility ( 650 million in total) and a temporary bridge facility ( 400 million). The financing was arranged with a group of banks comprising Rabobank, ING Wholesale Banking, Fortis Bank Nederland and RBS. The entire package will be used to finance the intended acquisition of Smit as well as the refinancing and replacement of Smit's and Boskalis' existing bank facilities. Furthermore, these facilities will provide sufficient room for the new combination to make future investments.
Rabobank is the coordinator on behalf of the banks and together with Kempen & Co financial advisor for the public offer.
This is a public announcement by Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. as referred to in Section 7 paragraph 4 of the Public Offers Decree (Besluit Openbare Biedingen Wft). This announcement is not to be published or distributed in or to the United States of America, Japan, Australia or Canada. This announcement does not constitute an offer, or any solicitation of any offer, to buy or subscribe for any securities in Smit and/or Boskalis.
This is an English translation of the Dutch press release. In the event of any disparity between the Dutch original and this translation, the Dutch text will prevail.
Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. is a leading global services provider operating in the dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services sectors. We provide creative and innovative all-round solutions to infrastructural challenges in the maritime, coastal and delta regions of the world including the construction and maintenance of ports and waterways, land reclamation, coastal defense and riverbank protection. The company holds important home market positions in and outside of Europe and targets all market segments in the dredging industry. It also has positions in strategic partnerships in the Middle East (Archirodon) and in offshore services (Lamnalco). Boskalis has a versatile fleet of over 300 units and operates in over 50 countries across five continents. Including its share in partnerships, Boskalis has approximately 10,000 employees.
For further information please contact:
Martijn L.D. Schuttevâer
Director of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
Telephone: +31 78 69 69 822 / +31 6 200 10 232
Telefax: +31 78 69 69 020
E-mail: m.l.schuttevaer@boskalis.nl
This press release can also be found on our website www.boskalis.com
Let's talk
Stay up to date
Enter your email address to receive Boskalis press releases, news and/or financial calendar updates.
IR & Public Relations
For questions concerning our press and news releases contact our Corporate Communications department.
Corporate Communications
