Watsco to Acquire ACR Group, Inc.
July 05 2007 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
ACR to Add 54 Locations in Watsco Network in Key HVAC Markets
COCONUT GROVE, Fla., July 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Watsco, Inc.
(NYSE:WSO) and ACR Group, Inc. (AMEX:BRR) today announced that they
have executed a definitive merger agreement under which Watsco will
seek to acquire ACR's outstanding common stock in a cash tender
offer of $6.75 per share. With annual sales of $240 million in its
most recent fiscal year, ACR is one of the nation's largest
distributors of air conditioning and heating products. Founded in
1990, ACR is based in Houston, Texas and operates from 54 locations
serving over 12,000 air conditioning and heating contractors
throughout Florida, Texas, California, Georgia, Tennessee, Arizona,
Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada and New Mexico. ACR has 503 employees
and distributes a full line of air conditioning and heating
equipment and related parts and supplies consisting of
approximately 20,000 SKUs. ACR ranked #7 in Supply House Times
magazine's 2007 list of the top 50 HVAC distributors in the United
States. Additional information about ACR may be found on the
Internet at http://www.acrgroup.com/. ACR trades on the American
Stock Exchange under the symbol "BRR". Albert Nahmad, Watsco's
President and CEO, commented, "We are very pleased to welcome ACR's
employees to the Watsco family. We recognize that ACR's success
over the years is based on the strong relationships this
organization has built with HVAC contractors who want the very best
service and a broad range of products available at convenient
locations. ACR will operate as a subsidiary of Watsco under its
present name and superb management team and Watsco will provide
resources where needed to assist with ACR's growth plans." Alex
Trevino, Jr., ACR's Chairman and CEO, stated, "Watsco is the
recognized leader in the HVAC distribution industry. Al Nahmad has
done a phenomenal job building Watsco to its present size, and we
are pleased to add ACR to the stable of fine companies that
comprise the Watsco family. Watsco's culture of allowing its
business units to operate relatively autonomously while providing
support as needed to foster growth is synonymous with the business
model that we developed at ACR. With the resources of Watsco
supporting us, our employees should continue to thrive and sustain
the dynamic growth rate that has characterized our company in
recent years." Watsco has agreed in the merger agreement to
commence a tender offer for ACR's outstanding common stock as soon
as practicable at a price of $6.75 per share, a 42% premium to the
ninety-day average closing price. ACR's board of directors has
unanimously recommended that ACR's shareholders tender their shares
in the offer. Executive officers of ACR and their affiliates have
agreed to support this transaction and to sell shares representing
approximately 26% of ACR's outstanding shares to Watsco for $6.75
per share. The completion of the tender is conditioned upon the
number of tendered ACR shares and the shares purchased under the
officers' support agreements being at least 66 2/3% of the
outstanding ACR's outstanding shares, as well as regulatory
approvals and other customary closing requirements. Watsco
reasonably believes it will obtain the necessary financing for the
transaction and expects to close the merger transaction in August
2007. Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin is acting as financial
advisor to ACR and has rendered a fairness opinion to its Board of
Directors with respect to the tender offer and merger. Watsco is
the largest independent distributor of air conditioning, heating
and refrigeration equipment and related parts and supplies in the
HVAC industry, currently operating 385 locations serving over
40,000 customers in 32 states. Watsco's goal is to build a national
network of locations that provide the finest service and product
availability for HVAC contractors, assisting and supporting them as
they serve the country's homeowners and businesses. Additional
information about Watsco may be found on the Internet at
http://www.watsco.com/ Important Information The tender offer
described in this press release has not yet commenced. This press
release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to
buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. The
solicitation and the offer to buy shares of ACR's common stock will
only be made pursuant to an offer to purchase and related materials
that Watsco intends to file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission when the tender offer is commenced. ACR will file a
solicitation/recommendation statement with respect to the offer.
ACR shareholders should read all such materials carefully when they
become available before making any decisions with respect to the
offer because they will contain important information, including
the terms and conditions of the offer. When the offer is commenced,
the materials will be available free of charge at the SEC's website
at http://www.sec.gov/ or from Watsco at 2665 S. Bayshore Drive,
Suite 901, Miami, FL 33133 or by emailing your request to . This
document contains 'forward-looking' statements within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
statements are based on management's current expectations and are
subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results
may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in
economic, business, competitive market, regulatory and other
factors, including, without limitation, the effects of supplier
concentration, competitive conditions within Watsco's and ACR's
industry, the seasonal nature of sales of Watsco's and ACR's
products and other risks. Forward-looking statements speak only as
of the date the statement was made. Neither Watsco nor ACR assumes
any obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect
actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors
affecting forward-looking information. Detailed information about
these factors and additional important factors can be found in the
documents that Watsco and ACR file from time to time with the
Securities & Exchange Commission, such as Form 10-K, Form 10-Q
and Form 8-K. DATASOURCE: Watsco, Inc. CONTACT: Barry S. Logan of
Watsco, Inc., +1-305-714-4102, ; or Anthony Maresca of ACR Group,
Inc., +1-713-780-8532, Web site: http://www.watsco.com/
http://www.acrgroup.com/
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