Flowers Foods has tentatively agreed to acquire beleaguered Tasty Baking Company, the iconic Philadelphia snack food firm, which had until June 30 to refinance its $100 million bank debt or find a buyer for the 97 year old company. The deal was announced on April 11.
Thomasville, GA based Flowers will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Tasty common stock for $4.00 per share in cash for a total purchase price of approximately $165 million, including Tasty’s existing indebtedness. That translates into $34.3 million in cash for Tasty’s 8.5 million shares.
Flowers said the acquisition is expected to strengthen its snack cake business through the addition of the Tastykake brand and also expand its geographic reach, immediately adding more than 24 million consumers who are contiguous with Flowers’ current footprint. Tastykake’s sales this year are expected to be approximately $210 million.
Flowers also said it will keep Tasty’s new $78 million bakery (including $31 million in public financing) at the Navy Yard complex in South Philadelphia and its second plant in Oxford, PA. Those bakeries are expected to provide additional capacity to support growth and generate significant operating synergies through additional revenue and cost-saving opportunities.
Financially, the deal will add approximately $115 million-$125 million to Flowers’ 2011 sales, contribute approximately $10 million-$12 million to Flowers’ 2011 EBITDA, and be neutral to slightly accretive to 2011 earnings per share, excluding one-time costs of the transaction. In 2012, it will contribute approximately $210 million to $225 million to Flowers’ sales, contribute approximately $25 million to $30 million to EBITDA, and contribute approximately $.06 to $.09 per diluted share.
Under the terms of the agreement, Flowers will commence a tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Tasty common stock for $4.00 per share in cash. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2011 and is subject to customary closing conditions and approvals, as well as a majority of the outstanding shares of Tasty common stock being validly tendered and not withdrawn in the tender offer. The agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies. Flowers intends to fund the transaction through cash-on-hand and credit facilities. There is no financing condition to the offer. Upon completion of the transaction, Tasty will become part of Flowers’ direct-store-delivery segment.
“We are very pleased with the addition of Tasty to Flowers,” said George E. Deese, Flowers Foods’ chairman and CEO. “Tasty brings a talented, committed team of employees, two highly efficient bakeries, the iconic Tastykake brand, a solid sales base, and an effective distribution system. The merger will expand Flowers’ geographic reach and bring new consumers, new customers, and new opportunities for further growth. It will provide the opportunity to add Tastykake products to Flowers’ existing direct-store-delivery network. With the addition of Tasty, our snack cake business will be significantly enhanced and we will have a new platform to grow our Nature’s Own brand as we make other acquisitions that add needed production capacity for breads, buns, and rolls.
Tasty and Flowers have a similar heritage and share the same core values of integrity, service, quality, and commitment,” Deese continued. “We are delighted to welcome Tasty’s 740 dedicated employees and 413 independent sales distributors to the Flowers Foods family. Our plans are to invest in the combined business for sustainable and profitable growth, and they will be an important part of Flowers’ ongoing success.”
Charles P. Pizzi, Tasty’s president and CEO, said, “This merger with Flowers will create value for Tasty’s shareholders, employees, and the Philadelphia community. It will provide immediate cash value to our stockholders at an attractive premium over the current trading value. We believe the combination of Tasty with Flowers will create a company with long-term advantages for our employees, customers, suppliers, independent sales distributors, and other constituents. Flowers also shares Tasty’s commitment to the communities in which it operates. We have a deep respect for Flowers’ approach to managing its business and employees, and we look forward to working closely with the Flowers team to complete the merger as quickly as possible and to ensure a smooth transition.”
“We take a very deliberate approach to selecting acquisitions, focusing on strong brands and premium products that extend our capabilities and geographic reach. We believe Tasty is highly consistent with our acquisition strategy and also offers substantial synergy potential that we expect will generate a strong financial return for our shareholders,” said Deese.