FILED BY MARTIN MARIETTA MATERIALS, INC.
PURSUANT TO RULE 425 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
AND DEEMED FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 14a-12
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
SUBJECT COMPANY: VULCAN MATERIALS COMPANY
COMMISSION FILE NO. 001-33841
On January 5, 2012, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. issued the following press release:
MARTIN MARIETTA MATERIALS, INC. RESPONDS TO VULCAN MATERIALS PRESENTATION
Raleigh, North Carolina, January 5, 2012 – Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE: MLM) today issued the following statement in response to the new shareholder presentation released by Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC).
“Vulcan’s shareholder presentation suffers from numerous inaccuracies and mischaracterizations, which we will address promptly. Most importantly, the basic theme – the past is prologue to the future – is fundamentally flawed.
“Pointing to past cyclical recoveries in this industry, Vulcan’s presentation touts its performance on historical recoveries but in footnotes Vulcan admits that ‘historical performance is not a guarantee or assurance of future performance nor that previous results will be attained or surpassed.’
“This last statement recognizes the reality that today’s Vulcan is not the same company that came through the past cyclical recoveries. Specifically, Vulcan today – and on a standalone basis going forward – is burdened with:
| • | A highly levered balance sheet; |
| • | Cash constraints—which required the virtual elimination of its dividend; |
| • | A “junk” credit rating; |
| • | A steadily falling unaffected stock price—reflecting Vulcan’s risk profile and lack of profitability; |
| • | A “too little, too late” cost reduction program—which itself is fundamentally misconceived; |
| • | And most significantly, no clear prospect, as to either timing or level, of the life-line it is looking to for rescue of its standalone future value (inadvisably in light of the circumstances)—a strong and sustained economic recovery. |
“In short, Vulcan fails to factor into its overstated view of its potential value, and takes no responsibility for, the reality of today’s Vulcan or the challenges it faces.
“We also can’t help but note that despite Vulcan’s statements that its stock is trading at a 10-year low, its current unaffected EBITDA multiple is meaningfully higher than Martin Marietta or Vulcan’s historical multiples, fully reflecting any potential higher standalone growth prospects.
“The Martin Marietta proposal offers a reality-based opportunity to Vulcan shareholders who will receive an upfront premium, 58% ownership in the combined company, a meaningful dividend and the synergies and any cyclical recovery that would benefit the combined company.”
As previously announced, on December 12, 2011, Martin Marietta commenced an exchange offer in which each outstanding share of Vulcan will be exchanged for 0.50 Martin Marietta shares. The offer represents a premium for Vulcan shareholders of 15% to the average exchange ratio based on the closing share prices for Vulcan and Martin Marietta during the 10-day period ended December 9, 2011 and 18% to the average exchange ratio based on the closing share prices for Vulcan and Martin Marietta during the 30-day period ended December 9, 2011. Martin Marietta also intends to maintain the dividend for the combined company at Martin Marietta’s current rate of $1.60 per Martin Marietta share annually, or the equivalent of $0.80 per Vulcan share annually, based on the proposed exchange ratio. This dividend rate is 20 times Vulcan’s current level.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may include “forward-looking statements.” Statements that include words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “should be,” “believe,” “will,” and other words of similar meaning in connection with future events or future operating or financial performance are often used to identify forward-looking statements. All statements in this press release, other than those relating to historical information or current conditions, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Martin Marietta’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. Risks and uncertainties relating to the proposed transaction with Vulcan include, but are not limited to: Vulcan’s willingness to accept Martin Marietta’s proposal and enter into a definitive transaction agreement reasonably satisfactory to the parties; Martin Marietta’s ability to obtain shareholder, antitrust and other approvals on the proposed terms and schedule; uncertainty as to the actual premium that will be realized by Vulcan shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction; uncertainty of the expected financial performance of the combined company following completion of the proposed transaction; Martin Marietta’s ability to achieve the cost-savings and synergies contemplated by the proposed transaction within the expected time frame; Martin Marietta’s ability to promptly and effectively integrate the businesses of Vulcan and Martin Marietta; a downgrade of the credit rating of Vulcan’s indebtedness, which could give rise to an obligation to redeem Vulcan’s existing indebtedness; the potential implications of alternative transaction structures with respect to Vulcan, Martin Marietta and/or the combined company, including potentially requiring an offer to repurchase certain of Martin Marietta’s existing debt; the implications of the proposed transaction on certain of Martin Marietta’s and Vulcan’s employee benefit plans; and disruption from the proposed transaction
making it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees or suppliers. Additional risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the performance of the United States economy; decline in aggregates pricing; the inability of the U.S. Congress to pass a successor federal highway bill; the discontinuance of the federal gasoline tax or other revenue related to infrastructure construction; the level and timing of federal and state transportation funding, including federal stimulus projects; the ability of states and/or other entities to finance approved projects either with tax revenues or alternative financing structures; levels of construction spending in the markets that Martin Marietta and Vulcan serve; a decline in the commercial component of the nonresidential construction market, notably office and retail space; a slowdown in residential construction recovery; unfavorable weather conditions, particularly Atlantic Ocean hurricane activity, the late start to spring or the early onset of winter and the impact of a drought or excessive rainfall in the markets served by Martin Marietta and Vulcan; the volatility of fuel costs, particularly diesel fuel, and the impact on the cost of other consumables, namely steel, explosives, tires and conveyor belts; continued increases in the cost of other repair and supply parts; transportation availability, notably barge availability on the Mississippi River system and the availability of railcars and locomotive power to move trains to supply Martin Marietta’s and Vulcan’s long haul distribution markets; increased transportation costs, including increases from higher passed-through energy and other costs to comply with tightening regulations as well as higher volumes of rail and water shipments; availability and cost of construction equipment in the United States; weakening in the steel industry markets served by Martin Marietta’s dolomitic lime products; inflation and its effect on both production and interest costs; Martin Marietta’s ability to successfully integrate acquisitions and business combinations quickly and in a cost-effective manner and achieve anticipated profitability to maintain compliance with Martin Marietta’s leverage ratio debt covenants; changes in tax laws, the interpretation of such laws and/or administrative practices that would increase Martin Marietta’s and/or Vulcan’s tax rate; violation of Martin Marietta’s debt covenant if price and/or volumes return to previous levels of instability; a potential downgrade in the rating of Martin Marietta’s or Vulcan’s indebtedness; downward pressure on Martin Marietta’s or Vulcan’s common stock price and its impact on goodwill impairment evaluations; the highly competitive nature of the construction materials industry; the impact of future regulatory or legislative actions; the outcome of pending legal proceedings; healthcare costs; the amount of long-term debt and interest expense incurred; changes in interest rates; volatility in pension plan asset values which may require cash contributions to pension plans; the impact of environmental clean-up costs and liabilities relating to previously divested businesses; the ability to secure and permit aggregates reserves in strategically located areas; exposure to residential construction markets; and the impact on the combined company (after giving effect to the proposed transaction with Vulcan) of any of the foregoing risks, as well as other risk factors listed from time to time in Martin Marietta’s and Vulcan’s filings with the SEC.
The foregoing review of important factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included elsewhere, including the Risk Factors section of the Registration Statement and our most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, and any other documents of Martin Marietta and Vulcan filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments anticipated by us will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, us or our business or operations. Except to the extent required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Important Additional Information
This press release relates to the Exchange Offer by Martin Marietta to exchange each issued and outstanding share of common stock of Vulcan for 0.50 shares of Martin Marietta common stock. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to exchange, or a solicitation of an offer to exchange, shares of Vulcan common stock, nor is it a substitute for the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO or the preliminary prospectus/offer to exchange included in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) (including the letter of transmittal and related documents and as amended and supplemented from time to time, the “Exchange Offer Documents”) filed by Martin Marietta on December 12, 2011 with the SEC. The Registration Statement has not yet become effective. The Exchange Offer will be made only through the Exchange Offer Documents. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE EXCHANGE OFFER DOCUMENTS AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT MARTIN MARIETTA HAS FILED OR MAY FILE WITH THE SEC IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
Martin Marietta may file a proxy statement on Schedule 14A and other relevant documents with the SEC in connection with the solicitation of proxies (the “Vulcan Meeting Proxy Statement”) for the 2012 annual meeting of Vulcan shareholders (the “Vulcan Meeting”). Martin Marietta may also file a proxy statement on Schedule 14A and other relevant documents with the SEC in connection with its solicitation of proxies for a meeting of Martin Marietta shareholders (the “Martin Marietta Meeting”) to approve, among other things, the issuance of shares of Martin Marietta common stock pursuant to the Exchange Offer (the “Martin Marietta Meeting Proxy Statement”). INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE VULCAN MEETING PROXY STATEMENT AND THE MARTIN MARIETTA MEETING PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT MATERIALS IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
All documents referred to above, if filed, will be available free of charge at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) or by directing a request to Morrow & Co., LLC at (877) 757-5404 (banks and brokers may call (800) 662-5200).
Martin Marietta, its directors and executive officers and the individuals referenced in the Registration Statement to be nominated by Martin Marietta for election to Vulcan’s Board of Directors are participants in any solicitation of proxies from Vulcan shareholders for the Vulcan Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Martin Marietta, its directors and executive officers are participants in any solicitation of proxies from Martin Marietta shareholders for the Martin Marietta Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Information about the participants, including a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is available in the Registration Statement or the proxy statement for Martin Marietta’s 2011 annual meeting of shareholders, filed with the SEC on April 8, 2011, or will be available in the Vulcan Meeting Proxy Statement, the Martin Marietta Meeting Proxy Statement or other relevant solicitation materials that Martin Marietta files with the SEC in connection with the foregoing matters, as applicable.
About Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. is the nation’s second largest producer of construction aggregates and a producer of magnesia-based chemicals and dolomitic lime. For more information about Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., refer to the Corporation’s website at www.martinmarietta.com.
Contacts
Anne Lloyd
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.
(919) 788-4367
investor.relations@martinmarietta.com
Media:
Mark Semer / Andrea Calise Andrew Siegel / Jamie Moser
Kekst and Company Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
(212) 521-4800 (212) 355-4449
mark-semer@kekst.com
andrea-calise@kekst.com
Investors:
Tom Ball / Joe Mills
Morrow & Co. LLC
(203) 658-9400
exchangeofferinfo@morrowco.com
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