Exhibit
(a)(5)(vii)
Applica Incorporated
3633 Flamingo Road
Mirarnar, Florida 33027
Phone: 954-883-1000
Lisa R. Carstarphen
Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Phone No : (954) 883-1025
Facsimile No.: (954) 883-1714
lisa.carstarphen@applicamail.com
January 9,
2007
Via Email
NACCO Industries, Inc.
5875 Landerbrook Drive
Cleveland, Ohio 44124-4017
Attention: Charles A. Bittenbender
Re: Offer to Purchase All Outstanding Shares of Common Stock of Applica Incorporated
Dear Mr. Bittenbender:
I am writing on behalf of the Board of Directors of Applica Incorporated (the Company) in
respect to the pending Offer to Purchase All Outstanding Shares of Common Stock of Company, as
amended to the date hereof, including as set forth in the
Schedule TO/A No. 5 filed by NACCO
Industries, Inc. and certain of its affiliates (collectively, NACCO) with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (such Offer to Purchase, as amended, the
Offer). Although the Offer proposes
a price of $7.90 per share of Company Common Stock as compared to the $7.75 per share of Company
Common Stock to be paid under the pending merger agreement (the Pending Merger Agreement) with
affiliates of Harbinger Capital Partners Master Fund I, Ltd. and Harbinger Capital Partners Special
Situations Fund, L.P. (collectively, Harbinger), the Board of Directors of the Company believes
that the conditions precedent set forth in the Offer and its structure present substantial concerns
that the Offer could not be consummated.
Accordingly, unless the Offer is amended as described below in order to provide sufficient
certainty of completion, the Board of Directors of the Company would not be in a position to
reconsider its current recommendation with respect to the Offer.
NACCO Industries, Inc.
Cleveland, Ohio 44124
January 9, 2007
Page 2
1. Minimum Tender Condition - The Offer is conditioned upon, among other
things, there being validly tendered, and not properly withdrawn prior to the expiration date, a
number of shares of Company Common Stock, which constitutes a majority of the outstanding shares,
calculated on a fully diluted basis as of the date the shares are
accepted for payment pursuant to the
offer, excluding, in each case, the shares beneficially owned by NACCO.
The Companys Board of Directors believes that there is a significant risk that this condition
would not be fulfilled because Harbinger owns approximately 39% of the Companys Common
Stock. As a result, there is a concern that if Harbinger were to refuse to tender its shares to
NACCO and unless the holders of substantially all of the Companys remaining shares were tendered
in the Offer, the Minimum Tender Condition would not be satisfied. Accordingly, the Minimum Tender
Condition must be revised to require that a majority of the Applica Common Stock entitled to vote
(as of the date hereof) must be validly tendered and not properly withdrawn prior to the expiration
date of the Offer. We note that, in effect, this would make the
Minimum Tender Condition
substantially equal to the vote requirement necessary to approve the Pending Merger Agreement.
2. Material Adverse Change Condition - The Offer is subject to the condition that
no event, circumstance, change or effect shall have occurred since October 19, 2006
that, individually or in the aggregate, with all other events, circumstances, changes and
effects, is or could reasonably be expected to be materially adverse
to the business, financial condition, assets, liabilities or results
of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken
as a whole; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not include any event, circumstance, change
or effect resulting from (A) changes in general economic conditions or (B) general changes in the
industry of designing, marketing and distributing small electronic kitchen and household appliances
in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate that do not have a disproportionate effect
(relative to overall industry performance) on the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
The Material Adverse Change condition does not exclude effects arising out of the
transaction with NACCO. Accordingly, the Material Adverse Change Condition must be revised, such
that adverse changes resulting from a transaction with NACCO or the announcement thereof would not
constitute a basis for NACCO to assert that the condition has not been satisfied.
3. Financing Unknown -Although the
Offer discloses that it has arranged for credit facilities
to fund the purchase of the Companys Common Stock, it is unclear whether these facilities are fully
committed, whether the conditions to which they are subject are or can reasonably be satisfied and
whether they are adequate to finance the purchase of the Companys common stock and refinance the
Companys debt obligations that would become payable in the
event of a change of control and provide
working capital post acquisition.
Accordingly, NACCO must provide an unequivocal representation that these facilities are fully
committed, that the conditions precedent to the receipt of advances under such facilities are
satisfied or are not subject to any substantive concern that they would not be satisfied such that
that funds will actually be available and sufficient to allow NACCO to purchase and pay
(i) for tendered shares of
NACCO Industries, lnc.
Cleveland, Ohio 44124
January 9, 2007
Page 3
Company Common Stock promptly following the expiration date of the Offer (without any
further extension), (ii) the merger consideration payable in respect of the second step merger
contemplated by the Offer in a timely fashion, and (iii) any funded debt obligations of the Company
the repayment of which may be accelerated by consummation of the Offer.
4.
Merger Agreement - The Offer provides less certainty and greater
obstacles to enforcement than does the Pending Merger Agreement.
Because
any failure of NACCO to perform its obligations under the Offer could
be remedied only
by individual shareholder actions and the Offer does not provide for covenants and obligations to
complete the transaction that are directly enforceable by the Company, the Board of Directors
believes that shareholders are at substantially greater risk relying upon the Offer rather than
participating in the Pending Merger Agreement. Moreover, the Board of Directors believes that in
light of the already protracted contest for control of the Company, that it would be further
counterproductive to prolong this contest pending prolonged negotiations of a new form of merger
agreement. Accordingly, NACCO must provide its acknowledgement that it is willing to enter into a
merger agreement substantially identical to the Pending Merger Agreement except with the following
changes (in addition to necessary or appropriate revisions required in the context of the change in
parties and timing):
(a) The merger agreement would provide for a front end tender offer on the terms and subject
to the same conditions as set forth in the Offer as revised in accordance with this letter and a
second step merger providing in each case not less than $7.90 per
share of Applica Common Stock, in
cash;
(b) That the conditions to consummation of the second step merger would be the same as set
forth in Section 8.1 of NACCOs proposed amended and restated merger agreement provided to the
Company on December 13, 2006;
(c) Both the definition of Apple Material Adverse Effect and the no adverse changes
closing condition would be revised to reflect the modification discussed in Paragraph 2 above; and
(d) The merger agreement should contain a clear representation that NACCO has available
financial resources contemplated by Paragraph 3 above.
The Companys Board of Directors believes the current contest for the Companys control must
be resolved as soon as possible. As a result, your response to this letter is required not later
than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, January 11, 2007. Your failure to respond by that
time will be viewed by the Board of Directors as a rejection of these requirements.
We would be pleased to discuss these terms at any time convenient, subject to such deadline.
Please communicate any written response to the undersigned at the above addresses (either via email
or
NACCO Industries, Inc.
Cleveland, Ohio 44124
January 9, 2007
Page 4
otherwise), with a copy to Ira Rosner of Greenberg Traurig, P.A. (email to
rosneri@gtlaw.com or fax to 305.961.5844) and telephonic communications
should be directed to the undersigned 954.883.1025.
| |
|
|
|
|
Sincerely, |
|
|
 |
|
|
Lisa R. Carstarphen |
| |
|
|
|
|
| cc: |
|
Greenberg Traurig P.A. |
| |
|
1221 Brickell Avenue |
| |
|
Miami, FL 33131 |
|
|
Attention:
|
|
Ira Rosner |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Jones Day |
| |
|
222 E. 41st Street |
| |
|
New York, NY 10017 |
|
|
Attention:
|
|
Robert Profusek |
|
|
|
|
Randi Lesnick |