ADT Inc. (NYSE: ADT), a leading provider of security, automation,
and smart home solutions serving consumer and business customers in
the United States, announced today it has acquired Defenders, its
largest independent dealer and only Authorized Premier Provider,
for a purchase price of approximately $381 million1. As part of the
transaction, Defenders founder David P. Lindsey and Jessica A.
Lindsey received approximately 16.3 million shares of ADT common
stock for 100% of their ownership in Defenders, while the remaining
$260 million of consideration was paid in cash to retire existing
Defenders debt, fund other liabilities, and pay transaction
expenses. The cash consideration was partially funded from existing
revolving credit facilities.
“We’re excited to officially join forces with the impressive
Defenders team after successfully partnering with them for nearly
22 years so that, as one company, we can create a unique and
simplified platform,” said Jim DeVries, ADT’s President and Chief
Executive Officer. “This opportunistic acquisition creates numerous
strategic, financial and operational advantages for ADT, and is
consistent with our stated goal of driving down the capital
intensity of the business as we seek to drive long-term, profitable
growth.”
Mr. DeVries continued, “Together, we will have greater marketing
efficiency through unified brand messaging, enhanced control of the
customer experience, and the ability to provide a full suite of
innovative security and home automation products, including
consumer financing, to a complementary geographic footprint. Over
time, we also expect lower subscriber acquisition costs, an
improved revenue payback period, and new account gains from the
optimization of our combined ecosystem.”
“We have built our business by partnering with ADT to sell and
install state-of-the-art security systems, helping to protect more
than 2.2 million families through our best-in-class marketing team
and expert knowledge of the industry,” said David Lindsey, Chairman
and Founder, Defenders. “Given this longstanding and productive
relationship, we are proud that this transaction will integrate us
even closer into the ADT team, and I am excited to be a significant
shareholder and see the benefits we are able to deliver to
customers as a combined company.”
“We are thrilled to join the ADT team,” said Jim Boyce,
President & CEO, Defenders. “This acquisition brings our direct
response marketing capabilities, best in class sales
expertise, and national reach to a leading provider of security,
automation, and smart home solutions. Together, we will be better
positioned to leverage the trusted ADT brand, improve the combined
company’s go-to-market operations and deliver an enhanced customer
experience.”
Strategic and Financial Benefits of
Transaction
- Enhances Customer Experience: Provides ability
to drive a unified brand message and premium customer experience to
the majority of ADT’s residential customers.
- Simplifies Operating Ecosystem: Establishes a
single party focused on the customer experience and lifetime value,
and reduces channel conflict and potential for customer
confusion.
- Improves Marketing Prowess: Leverages
Defenders’ strengths in customer acquisition to drive optimized
spend across channels and enable more effective marketing messaging
and customer segmentation.
- Increases Go to Market Efficiency:
Significantly enhances ability to bring new initiatives to a
broader customer base more quickly, including consumer financing,
DIY, and innovative equipment and service offerings.
- Drives Capital Efficiency: Results in a more
capital efficient ADT through the elimination of dealer “margin.”
Expected to be modestly beneficial to 2020 net cash provided by
operating activities and free cash flow before special items and to
create synergies to further drive net cash provided by operating
activities and free cash flow before special items in subsequent
years.
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Defenders has
approximately 2,900 team members across more than 130 field branch
locations, and has developed a best-in-class direct marketing
skillset, currently generating more than 6 billion ADT advertising
impressions annually. Through its rigorously trained and certified
technicians and its full suite of home security and automation
products, including an 85 percent interactive take rate, Defenders
currently helps more than 2.2 million families improve their lives
and safety.
Financial Advisor Citi served as the
financial advisor to Defenders.
About ADT Inc.ADT is a leading provider of
security, automation, and smart home solutions serving consumer and
business customers through more than 200 locations, 9 monitoring
centers, and the largest network of security professionals in the
United States. The Company offers many ways to help protect
customers by delivering lifestyle-driven solutions via
professionally installed, do-it-yourself, mobile, and digital-based
offerings for residential, small business, and larger commercial
customers. For more information, please visit www.adt.com or follow
on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Investor Relations:Jason Smith
- ADTinvestorrelations@adt.comTel: 888-238-8525
Media Inquiries:Paul Wiseman –
ADTpaulwiseman@adt.comTel: 561-356-6388
NON-GAAP MEASURESTo provide
investors with additional information in connection with our
results as determined in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), we disclose
Free Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow before special items as non-GAAP
measures. These measures are not financial measures calculated in
accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute
for net income, operating income, cash flows, or any other measure
calculated in accordance with GAAP, and may not be comparable to
similarly titled measures reported by other companies.
Free Cash FlowWe believe that
the presentation of Free Cash Flow is appropriate to provide
additional information to investors about our ability to repay
debt, make other investments, and pay dividends.
We define Free Cash Flow as cash flows from
operating activities less cash outlays related to capital
expenditures. We define capital expenditures to include purchases
of property, plant, and equipment; subscriber system asset
additions; and accounts purchased through our network of authorized
dealers or third parties outside of our authorized dealer network.
These items are subtracted from cash flows from operating
activities because they represent long-term investments that are
required for normal business activities.
Free Cash Flow adjusts for cash items that are
ultimately within management’s discretion to direct, and therefore,
may imply that there is less or more cash that is available than
the most comparable GAAP measure. Free Cash Flow is not intended to
represent residual cash flow for discretionary expenditures since
debt repayment requirements and other non-discretionary
expenditures are not deducted. These limitations are best addressed
by using Free Cash Flow in combination with the cash flows as
calculated in accordance with GAAP.
Free Cash Flow before special
itemsWe define Free Cash Flow before special items as Free
Cash Flow adjusted for payments related to (i) financing and
consent fees, (ii) restructuring and integration, (iii) integration
related capital expenditures, (iv) radio conversion costs, and (v)
other payments or receipts that may mask the operating results or
business trends of the Company. As a result, subject to the
limitations described below, Free Cash Flow before special items is
a useful measure of our cash available to repay debt, make other
investments, and pay dividends.
Free Cash Flow before special items adjusts for
cash items that are ultimately within management’s discretion to
direct, and therefore, may imply that there is less or more cash
that is available than the most comparable GAAP measure. Free Cash
Flow before special items is not intended to represent residual
cash flow for discretionary expenditures since debt repayment
requirements and other non-discretionary expenditures are not
deducted. These limitations are best addressed by using Free Cash
Flow before special items in combination with the GAAP cash flow
numbers.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTSADT
has made statements in this press release and other reports,
filings, and other public written and verbal announcements that are
forward-looking and therefore subject to risks and uncertainties.
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included
in this document are, or could be, “forward-looking statements”
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995 and are made in reliance on the safe harbor protections
provided thereunder. These forward-looking statements relate
to anticipated financial performance, management’s plans and
objectives for future operations, business prospects, outcome of
regulatory proceedings, market conditions and other matters. Any
forward-looking statement made in this press release speaks only as
of the date on which it is made. ADT undertakes no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as
a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Forward-looking statements can be identified by various words such
as “expects,” “intends,” “will,” “anticipates,” “believes,”
“confident,” “continue,” “propose,” “seeks,” “could,” “may,”
“should,” “estimates,” “forecasts,” “might,” “goals,” “objectives,”
“targets,” “planned,” “projects,” and similar expressions. These
forward-looking statements are based on management’s current
beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to
management. ADT cautions that these statements are subject to risks
and uncertainties, many of which are outside of ADT’s control, and
could cause future events or results to be materially different
from those stated or implied in this document, including among
others, risk factors that are described in the Company’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including the sections entitled “Risk Factors”
and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations” contained therein.
___________________________
1 Based on ADT’s closing stock price of $7.45 on January 3,
2020.
ADT (NYSE:ADT)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
ADT (NYSE:ADT)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024