SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14D-9
SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT UNDER SECTION 14(d)(4)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
AIRGAS, INC.
(Name of Subject Company)
AIRGAS, INC.
(Names of Person(s) Filing Statement)
Common Stock, Par Value $0.01 Per Share
(Title of Class of Securities)
009363102
(CUSIP Number of Class of Securities)
Robert H. Young, Jr.
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Airgas, Inc.
259 North Radnor-Chester Rd.
Radnor, PA 19087-5283
(610) 687-5253
(Name, address, and telephone numbers of person authorized to receive notices and
communications on behalf of the person(s) filing statement)
With copies to:
Daniel A. Neff, Esq.
David A. Katz, Esq.
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
51 West 52nd Street
New York, New York 10019
(212) 403-1000
þ Check the box if the filing relates solely to preliminary communications made before the
commencement of a tender offer.
To: All Airgas Associates
From: Peter McCausland
Date: February 9, 2010
Subject: Airgas Rejects Unsolicited Proposal from Air Products
This afternoon Airgas issued a news release announcing that our Board of Directors, with the assistance of its independent financial and legal advisors, has carefully reviewed the unsolicited proposal from Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. to acquire the company for $60.00 per share and has unanimously rejected the proposal. After thorough consideration, the Board determined that Air Products’ proposal significantly undervalues Airgas and its future prospects and is not in the best interests of the Company, its stockholders, customers or associates. The press release we issued this afternoon detailing the reasons for the Board’s decision is attached.
If you own Airgas shares, whether in a personal account or through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan, you need not take any action at this time. We will be communicating more with you and all of our stockholders in the days and weeks ahead.
I recognize that this situation may be a distracting one and I am grateful for your continued hard work and dedication. Many of you have expressed your support and asked what you can do to help. The best way you can help is by remaining focused on the task at hand – maintaining our industry-leading offering of products and services and continuing to create value for our customers and stockholders.
We expect this announcement may lead to inquiries from external parties, and it is important for us to speak with one voice. Consistent with our existing policy, please forward all media inquiries to Jay Worley, Vice President–Communications and Investor Relations, at 610-902-6206 or jay.worley@airgas.com, and all investor inquiries should go to Barry Strzelec, Manager-Investor Relations, at 610-902-6256 or barry.strzelec@airgas.com.
We are committed to doing what is in the best interests of Airgas and our stockholders, and we have the right resources and expertise in place to preserve the stockholder value that we have worked so hard to build through the years. On behalf of the Board and management team, I thank you for your commitment to Airgas.
Sincerely,
Peter McCausland
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This communication does not constitute an offer to buy or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. No tender offer for the shares of Airgas has commenced at this time. If a tender offer is commenced, Airgas may file a solicitation/recommendation statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Any solicitation/recommendation statement filed by Airgas that is required to be mailed to stockholders will be mailed to stockholders of Airgas. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF AIRGAS ARE URGED TO READ THESE AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of these documents (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by Airgas through the web site maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, Airgas may file a proxy statement with the SEC. Any definitive proxy statement will be mailed to stockholders of Airgas. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF AIRGAS ARE URGED TO READ THESE AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of these documents (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by Airgas through the web site maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.
CERTAIN INFORMATION REGARDING PARTICIPANTS
Airgas and certain of its respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants under the rules of the SEC. Security holders may obtain information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of Airgas’ directors and executive officers in Airgas’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2009, which was filed with the SEC on June 1, 2009, and its proxy statement for the 2009 Annual Meeting, which was filed with the SEC on July 13, 2009. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Additional information regarding the interests of these participants in any proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will also be included in any proxy statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC if and when they become available.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This communication may contain statements that are forward looking, as that term is defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, or by the SEC in its rules, regulations and releases. These statements include, but are not limited to: our having strong prospects for organic and acquisition growth in the coming years; the economy just beginning its recovery; the view that under the terms of Air Products’ proposal, our stockholders would sacrifice real value and opportunity; our belief that a combination of our two companies could destroy rather than create value; and our prospects for continued growth and stockerholder value creation. We intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. All forward-looking statements are based on current expectations regarding important risk factors and should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the results expressed therein will be achieved. Airgas assumes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement include: adverse changes in customer buying patterns resulting from further deterioration in current economic conditions; weakening in the operating and financial performance of our customers, which can negatively impact our sales and ability to collect our accounts receivable; postponement of projects due to the recession; customer acceptance of price increases; the success of implementing and continuing our cost reduction programs; supply cost pressures; increased industry competition; our ability to successfully identify, consummate, and integrate acquisitions; our ability to achieve acquisition synergies; our continued ability to access credit markets on satisfactory terms; significant fluctuations in interest rates; increases in energy costs and other operating expenses eroding planned cost savings; higher than expected implementation costs of the SAP system; conversion problems related to the SAP system that disrupt our business and negatively impact customer relationships; the impact of tightened credit markets on our customers; the impact of changes in tax and fiscal policies and laws; the potential for increased expenditures relating to compliance with environmental regulatory initiatives; the impact of new environmental, healthcare, tax, accounting, and other regulation; continued potential liability under the Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act of 1980 with respect to our participation in or withdrawal from multi-employer pension plans for our union employees; the extent and duration of current recessionary trends in the U.S. economy; the effect of catastrophic events; political and economic uncertainties associated with current world events; and other factors described in Airgas’ reports, including its March 31, 2009 Form 10-K, subsequent Forms 10-Q, and other documents filed by Airgas with the SEC.