Preferred Pet Care, Inc. Offers to Acquire 8 Veterinary Practices in Coachella Valley Owned by Pet DRx Corporation
December 22 2008 - 5:18PM
PR Newswire (US)
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Dec. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Preferred Pet Care,
Inc. ("PPC") today announced it sent a letter to Pet DRx
Corporation ("VETS"), a NASDAQ listed company, offering to acquire
certain assets of VETS. Background: VETS owns and operates
veterinary practices in California, with approximately $72 million
in annual revenue. On Friday, December 19, 2008, VETS closed at a
price of $0.16/ share, giving it a market cap of about $4 million,
a valuation equal to about 6% of total veterinary practice revenue.
PPC believes this low valuation reflects the market perception that
VETS will need to seek new financing, and based on VETS poor
performance, any financing could be highly dilutive to
shareholders. The OFFER: Preferred Pet Care has offered to acquire
eight (8) veterinary practices, and certain real property, in the
Coachella Valley owned by VETS, for a total consideration of $8
million, or 2 times the entire market value of VETS. The eight (8)
practices in Coachella Valley represent less than 20% of VETS total
revenue, so this is an opportunity for VETS to retain 80% of their
revenue, & receive transaction proceeds equal to 2 times the
current market value of the entire company. The consideration of $8
million, also represents a price equal to approximately 66% of
revenue of the underlying veterinary practices being acquired, a
price equal to 11 times the valuation accorded to VETS practices
based on its current market value at 6% of revenue. More
significantly, the cash proceeds from this offer should allow VETS
to forgo the need to do a highly dilutive financing at this time.
Preferred Pet Care has urged the Board of Directors of VETS to
consider their duty to enhance shareholder value, and accept this
offer from PPC, instead of decreasing shareholder value by raising
cash in a highly dilutive financing. About VETS: VETS was formed
from the merger of XLNT Veterinary Care & ECHO Healthcare (a
SPAC) in January 2008. It owns and operates veterinary practices in
the California market. In the past 3 quarters, since the merger
that created VETS, profit margins at the hospital contribution
level have declined in each quarter, with margins falling from the
teens prior to the merger, to 9.6% in the first quarter of 2008, 7%
in the second quarter, & 4.4% in the third quarter, while
SG&A increased to nearly 20%. This poor financial performance,
has consumed proceeds from the SPAC merger, which had been intended
for acquisitions, and has led to VETS being in a position of
seeking new financing, the dilutive nature of which is presently
reflected in the low market valuation of VETS. About PPC: Preferred
Pet Care, Inc. was formed in mid 2007 for the purpose of
consolidating the large, growing, but highly fragmented veterinary
care industry. It has acquired and operated veterinary practices in
the California market since the third quarter of 2007. Its profit
margins at the hospital contribution level were in the 19% range in
the past quarter, compared to VETS 4.4% margin. DATASOURCE:
Preferred Pet Care, Inc. CONTACT: Lindsey Spaethe of Preferred Pet
Care, Inc., +1-949-366-5815
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