424B3
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration Nos. 333-124857, 333-124857-01, 333-124857-02
PROSPECTUS
AMERICAN STANDARD INC.
Offer To Exchange
$200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of
51/2% Senior
Notes due 2015,
which have been registered under the Securities Act (CUSIP
No. 029717 AQ8),
for any and all
outstanding, unregistered
51/2% Senior
Notes due 2015
(CUSIP Nos. 029717 AP0, U02971 AC0)
Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed by
AMERICAN STANDARD COMPANIES INC.
and
AMERICAN STANDARD INTERNATIONAL INC.
We are offering to exchange our
51/2% senior
notes due 2015, or the exchange notes, for our currently
outstanding
51/2% senior
notes due 2015, or the outstanding notes. The exchange notes are
substantially identical to the outstanding notes, except that
the exchange notes have been registered under the Securities Act
of 1933, or the Securities Act, and, therefore, will not have
any transfer restrictions, will bear a different CUSIP number
from the outstanding notes and will not entitle their holders to
registration rights or rights to additional interest. The
exchange notes will represent the same debt as the outstanding
notes, and we will issue the exchange notes under the same
indenture.
The exchange notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed
by American Standard Companies Inc., our parent company, and
American Standard International Inc., our affiliate. We refer to
American Standard Companies Inc. and American Standard
International Inc. herein as the guarantors. If we
do not make scheduled payments on the exchange notes, the
guarantors will be required to make them for us. The exchange
notes and the guarantees will be senior unsecured obligations
that will rank junior in right of payment to all of our and the
guarantors existing and future secured debt and to all
debt of American Standard Inc.s subsidiaries from time to
time outstanding, and that will rank equal in right of payment
to our and the guarantors senior unsecured debt from time
to time outstanding.
The principal terms of the exchange offer are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
The exchange offer expires at 5:00 p.m., New York City
time, on December 7, 2005, unless extended. |
|
|
|
We will exchange all outstanding notes that are validly tendered
and not validly withdrawn prior to the expiration of the
exchange offer. |
|
|
|
You may withdraw tendered outstanding notes at any time prior to
the expiration of the exchange offer. |
|
|
|
The exchange of outstanding notes for exchange notes pursuant to
the exchange offer will not be a taxable event for
U.S. federal income tax purposes. |
|
|
|
We will not receive any proceeds from the exchange offer. |
|
|
|
No public market exists for the outstanding notes or the
exchange notes. We do not intend to apply for listing of the
exchange notes on any securities exchange or to arrange for them
to be quoted on Nasdaq. |
You should carefully consider the risk factors on page 7
of this prospectus before participating in the exchange
offer.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved of the
exchange notes or determined if this prospectus is truthful or
complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
The date of this Prospectus is November 4, 2005
Each broker-dealer that receives exchange notes for its own
account pursuant to the exchange offer must acknowledge that it
will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such
exchange notes. The letter of transmittal delivered with this
prospectus states that, by so acknowledging and by delivering a
prospectus, a broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it
is an underwriter within the meaning of the
Securities Act. This prospectus, as it may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer
in connection with resales of exchange notes received in
exchange for outstanding notes where the outstanding notes were
acquired by the broker-dealer as a result of market-making or
other trading activities. We have agreed that, for a period of
180 days after the date of expiration of the exchange
offer, we will make this prospectus available to any
broker-dealer for use in connection with any such resale. See
Plan of Distribution.
This prospectus incorporates important business and financial
information about us that is not included in or delivered with
this document. See Incorporation of Certain Documents by
reference on page ii for a listing of documents we
incorporate by reference.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ii |
|
|
|
|
ii |
|
|
|
|
iii |
|
|
|
|
iv |
|
|
|
|
iv |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
7 |
|
|
|
|
7 |
|
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
|
20 |
|
|
|
|
31 |
|
|
|
|
35 |
|
|
|
|
36 |
|
|
|
|
36 |
|
This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should rely
only on the information we have provided or incorporated by
reference in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to
provide you with additional or different information. We are not
making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where
the offer is not permitted. You should assume that the
information in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date
on the front of this document and that any information we have
incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the
document incorporated by reference.
In this prospectus:
|
|
|
|
|
American Standard or the Company refers
to American Standard Companies Inc. and its direct and indirect
subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis; |
|
|
|
We or the issuer refers to American
Standard Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of American Standard
Companies Inc. and the issuer of the outstanding notes and the
exchange notes; |
|
|
|
Guarantors refers to American Standard Companies
Inc. and American Standard International Inc., another wholly
owned subsidiary of American Standard Companies Inc. |
|
|
|
Outstanding notes refers to the
51/2% senior
notes due 2015 that were issued on April 1, 2005 and
exchange notes refers to the
51/2% senior
notes due 2015 offered pursuant to this prospectus. We sometimes
refer to the outstanding notes and the exchange notes
collectively as the notes; and |
|
|
|
Exchange offer refers to our offer to exchange notes
for outstanding notes pursuant to this prospectus. |
The exchange offer is not being made to, nor will we accept
surrenders of outstanding notes for exchange from, holders of
outstanding notes in any jurisdiction in which the exchange
offer or the acceptance of outstanding notes would not be in
compliance with the securities or blue sky laws of such
jurisdiction.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
American Standard files reports, proxy statements and other
information with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. You may read and copy
this information at the SECs Public Reference Room,
100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You also
may obtain copies of this information by mail from the Public
Reference Section of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E.,
Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates. Further
information on the operation of the SECs Public Reference
Room in Washington, D.C. can be obtained by calling the SEC
at 1-800-SEC-0330. American Standard Inc. is and, upon
effectiveness of the registration statement for the issuance of
exchange notes, American Standard International Inc. shall be,
conditionally exempt from filing financial statements with the
SEC in reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 based
on, among other things, inclusion of condensed consolidating
financial information regarding American Standard Inc. and
American Standard International Inc. in the footnotes to
American Standards consolidated financial statements
included in annual and quarterly periodic reports filed with the
SEC.
The SEC also maintains an Internet world wide web site that
contains reports, proxy statements and other information about
issuers, such as us, who file electronically with the SEC. The
address of that site is http://www.sec.gov. You can also
inspect reports, proxy statements and other information about us
at the offices of the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad
Street, New York, New York 10005.
Information with respect to us also may be obtained from us by
contacting our Investor Relations Department by telephone at
732-980-6125 or in writing at P.O. Box 6820, One Centennial
Avenue, Piscataway, New Jersey 08855-6820.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The following documents have been filed with the SEC by American
Standard (SEC file number 001-11415) and are incorporated
by reference in this prospectus:
|
|
|
|
|
its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2004, filed on February 25, 2005, as
amended by Form 10-K/ A filed on March 2, 2005; |
|
|
|
its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
September 30, 2005, filed on October 26, 2005; |
|
|
|
its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
June 30, 2005, filed on July 27, 2005; |
|
|
|
its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
March 31, 2005, filed on April 29, 2005; |
|
|
|
its Current Reports on Form 8-K, as filed with the SEC on
February 1, 2005, February 4, 2005, February 22,
2005, April 1, 2005, April 19, 2005, June 29,
2005, July 12, 2005, July 19, 2005, August 1,
2005, October 18, 2005, and a Form 8-K/A filed on
July 18, 2005, respectively; and |
|
|
|
all other documents filed by American Standard pursuant to
Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act
subsequent to the date of this prospectus and prior to the
termination of the exchange offer. |
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to
be incorporated by reference in this prospectus is modified or
superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a
statement contained in this prospectus or in any other
subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such
statement. Any statement so modified or superseded does not,
except as so modified or superseded, constitute a part of this
prospectus.
We will provide without charge to each person to whom a copy of
this prospectus is delivered, upon the request of such person, a
copy of any or all of the documents that are incorporated by
reference herein, other than exhibits to such documents, unless
such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into
such documents. Requests should be directed to Investor
Relations Department by telephone at 732-980-6125 or in writing
at P.O. Box 6820, One Centennial Avenue, Piscataway, New
Jersey 08855-6820.
To obtain timely delivery of documents incorporated by
reference in this prospectus, you must request the information
no later than five business days prior to the expiration of the
exchange offer. The exchange offer will expire on
December 7, 2005, unless extended.
ii
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are made based upon managements
good faith expectations and beliefs concerning future
developments and their potential effect upon American Standard.
There can be no assurance that future developments will be in
accordance with such expectations or that the effect of future
developments on American Standard will be those anticipated by
management. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the
use of words such as believe, expect,
plans, strategy, prospects,
estimate, project,
anticipate, intends and other words of
similar meaning in connection with a discussion of future
operating or financial performance. Important factors that could
affect performance and cause results to differ materially from
our expectations are described or referred to in the subsection
of Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations entitled
Information Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2004 incorporated by reference into
this prospectus and as updated from time to time in our SEC
filings. Those factors include, but are not limited to:
|
|
|
|
|
the level of end market activity in American Standards Air
Conditioning Systems and Services and Bath and Kitchen
businesses and the level of truck and bus production in American
Standards Vehicle Control Systems markets; |
|
|
|
the extent to which American Standard will be able to realize
the estimated savings from Materials Management and Six Sigma
initiatives; |
|
|
|
additional developments may occur that could affect American
Standards estimate of asbestos liabilities and recoveries,
such as the nature and number of future claims, the average cost
of disposing of such claims, average annual defense costs, the
amount of insurance recovery, legislation or legal decisions
affecting claims, criteria or payout; |
|
|
|
unpredictable difficulties or delays in the development of new
product technology; |
|
|
|
changes in U.S. or international economic conditions, such
as inflation, interest rate fluctuations, foreign exchange rate
fluctuations or recessions in American Standards markets; |
|
|
|
pricing changes to American Standards supplies or products
or those of its competitors, and other competitive pressures on
pricing and sales; |
|
|
|
increased difficulties in obtaining the supply of basic
materials such as steel, aluminum, copper, clays, electronics
and energy necessary to avoid disruptions of operations; |
|
|
|
increased difficulties in obtaining a consistent supply of those
basic materials at pricing levels which will not have an adverse
effect on results of operations; |
|
|
|
labor relations; integration of acquired businesses; |
|
|
|
difficulties in obtaining or retaining the management and other
human resource competencies that American Standard needs to
achieve its business objectives; |
|
|
|
the impact on American Standard or a segment from the loss of a
significant customer or a few customers; |
|
|
|
risks generally relating to American Standards
international operations, including governmental, regulatory or
political changes; |
|
|
|
changes in environmental, health or other regulations that may
affect one or more of American Standards current products
or future products; |
|
|
|
assumptions made related to post-retirement benefits, including
rate of return on plan assets, the discount rate applied to
projected benefit obligations and the rate of increase in the
health care cost trend rate; |
iii
|
|
|
|
|
changes in laws or different interpretations of laws that may
affect American Standards expected effective tax rate for
2005; |
|
|
|
the outcome of lawsuits and other contingencies; |
|
|
|
transactions or other events affecting the need for, timing and
extent of American Standards capital expenditures; and |
|
|
|
adoption of new accounting pronouncements promulgated by the
FASB or other accounting standard setting agencies. |
All forward-looking statements in this prospectus are made as of
the date hereof, based on information available to us as of the
date hereof, and we caution you not to rely on these statements
without also considering the risks and uncertainties associated
with these statements and our business that are addressed above.
We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.
MARKET DATA
Market data used throughout this prospectus, or included in
documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus,
including information relating to our relative position in our
industry, is based on the good faith estimates of management,
which estimates are based upon their review of internal surveys,
independent industry publications and other publicly available
information. We have not independently verified such information.
NOTICE TO RESIDENTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
This prospectus does not constitute an offer to the public
within the meaning of the United Kingdoms Financial
Services and Markets Act 2000, or the FSMA, or the Public Offers
of Securities Regulations 1995. This prospectus is directed only
at persons who (i) are outside the United Kingdom or
(ii) have professional experience in matters relating to
investments or (iii) are persons falling within article
49(2)(a) to (d) (high net worth companies,
unincorporated associations etc.) of the FSMA (financial
promotion) order 2001 (all such persons together being referred
to as relevant persons). This prospectus is provided
to recipients on a personal basis and must not be transferred or
assigned or otherwise acted or relied upon by persons who are
not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to
which this prospectus relates is available only to relevant
persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons.
iv
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
The following summary contains basic information about this
offering. It does not contain all of the information that is
important to you. For a more complete understanding of this
offering, we encourage you to read the entire document and the
documents we have referred you to. Unless the context otherwise
indicates and except with respect to any description of the
notes, references to American Standard,
we, us, and our are to
American Standard Companies Inc. together with its subsidiaries,
including American Standard Inc., the issuer of the notes.
American Standard
We are a global, diversified manufacturer of high-quality,
brand-name products in three major business segments: air
conditioning systems and services; bath and kitchen fixtures and
fittings; and vehicle control systems. American Standard is one
of the largest providers of products in each of its three major
business segments.
The Air Conditioning Systems and Services segment, or Air
Conditioning, is a global manufacturer of commercial and
residential heating, ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) equipment, systems and controls. It also provides
aftermarket parts to the HVAC industry, performance contracting
for the installation and maintenance of HVAC systems featuring
its products, and service for its products and those of other
manufacturers. Air Conditioning markets and sells its products
and services globally under the TRANE® name and, for
U.S. residential and light commercial applications, under
both the TRANE® and AMERICAN STANDARD® names. Air
Conditioning, with revenues of $5.345 billion in 2004,
accounted for 56% of our sales and 56% of our segment income.
The products manufactured by Air Conditioning include chillers
and air handlers, light and large commercial unitary equipment,
heat pumps, residential condensing units and furnaces, and fan
coils. Air Conditioning also produces a wide range of HVAC
controls: from electromechanical controls on its equipment, to
thermostats that regulate room and building temperature, to
integrated building automation systems that automatically
control a buildings performance, including its energy
consumption, air quality and comfort.
The Bath and Kitchen segment is a leading producer of
bathroom and kitchen fixtures and fittings in Europe, the U.S.,
Central America and Asia. Its products, including sinks,
toilets, faucets, tubs, showers, bathroom furniture and
accessories, are marketed through retail and wholesale sales
channels for residential and commercial markets. In 2004, Bath
and Kitchen, with revenues of $2.440 billion, accounted for
26% of our sales and 20% of our segment income. Bath and Kitchen
operates through three primary groups that are regionally
focused: Europe, Americas and Asia.
Bath and Kitchen sells products in Europe primarily under the
brand names IDEAL STANDARD, JADO, ARMITAGE SHANKS, DOLOMITE and
PORCHER. We are currently increasing our focus on expanding the
presence and scope of offerings of the Ideal Standard brand. We
manufacture and distribute bathroom and kitchen fixtures and
fittings through subsidiaries or joint ventures in Belgium,
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece,
Italy, the Netherlands, the U.K., Spain, and distribute products
in other European countries.
Bath and Kitchen Americas Group manufactures bathroom and
kitchen fixtures and fittings selling under the brand names
AMERICAN STANDARD, STANDARD, PORCHER and JADO (manufactured in
Europe) in the U.S. and under the brand names AMERICAN STANDARD,
IDEAL STANDARD, and STANDARD through our wholly-owned operations
in Mexico, Canada and Brazil, our majority-owned joint venture
in Central America and our unconsolidated joint venture in the
Dominican Republic.
In Asia, Bath and Kitchen manufactures bathroom and kitchen
fixtures and fittings, selling under the brand names AMERICAN
STANDARD, IDEAL STANDARD, and STANDARD through our wholly-owned
operations in South Korea and Indonesia, and our majority-owned
operations in Thailand and Vietnam.
1
The group also operates in China through a majority-owned joint
venture, which has ownership interests in seven joint ventures.
The Vehicle Control Systems segment, operating under the
WABCO® name, designs, manufactures and sells braking and
control systems primarily for the worldwide commercial vehicle
industry. WABCOs largest-selling products are pneumatic
braking control systems and related electronic braking controls,
referred to as ABS and EBS, and conventional components for
heavy and medium-sized trucks, trailers and buses. In 2004
WABCO, with sales of $1.724 billion, accounted for 18% of
our sales and 24% of our segment income.
We believe that WABCO is the worldwide technology leader for
braking, stability, suspension and transmission controls for
commercial vehicles. WABCO has a strong reputation for
technological innovation and is a leading systems development
partner with several major vehicle manufacturers. Electronic
controls, first introduced in ABS in the early 1980s, are
increasingly applied in other control systems sold to the
commercial vehicle industry. WABCO also supplies electronic
suspension controls to the luxury car and sport utility vehicle
market.
The Issuer and the Guarantors
American Standard Inc., a Delaware corporation formed in 1929,
is the issuer of both the outstanding notes and the exchange
notes. American Standard Companies Inc., the parent company of
American Standard Inc., and American Standard International
Inc., the sister company of American Standard Inc., have jointly
and severally guaranteed the notes. American Standard Companies
Inc. is a Delaware corporation formed in 1988 to be a holding
company of American Standard Inc. American Standard
International Inc., a Delaware corporation formed in 1965, is a
holding company for certain non-U.S. and
U.S. subsidiaries of American Standard Companies Inc.
Our principal executive offices are located at One Centennial
Avenue, P.O. Box 6820, Piscataway, New Jersey, telephone
(732) 980-6000.
The Exchange Offer
On April 1, 2005, we completed an offering of $200,000,000
aggregate principal amount of unregistered
51/2% senior
notes due 2015 in a private transaction exempt from the
registration requirements of the Securities Act. These
outstanding notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed as to
payment of principal and interest by the guarantors. The
exchange notes will be our obligations and will be entitled to
the benefits of the indenture relating to the outstanding notes.
The exchange notes will also be unconditionally guaranteed as to
payment of principal and interest by the guarantors. The form
and terms of the exchange notes are substantially identical in
all material respects to the form and terms of the outstanding
notes, except that the exchange notes:
|
|
|
|
|
have been registered under the Securities Act and, therefore,
will contain no restrictive legends; |
|
|
|
will bear a different CUSIP number from the outstanding notes; |
|
|
|
will not have registration rights; and |
|
|
|
will not have the right to additional interest. |
The following is a brief summary of the terms of the exchange
offer. It likely does not contain all the information that is
important to you. For a more complete description of the
exchange offer, see The Exchange Offer.
|
|
|
The Exchange Offer |
|
We are offering to exchange $1,000 principal amount of our
51/2% senior
notes due 2015, which have been registered under the Securities
Act, for each $1,000 principal amount of our currently
outstanding, unregistered
51/2% senior
notes due 2015. Outstanding |
2
|
|
|
|
|
notes may only be exchanged in integral multiples of $1,000 in
principal amount. |
|
Expiration of the Exchange Offer |
|
The exchange offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City
time, on December 7, 2005, unless we decide to extend the
expiration date. |
|
Registration Rights Agreement |
|
The exchange offer is intended to satisfy your registration
rights under the registration rights agreement we entered into
with the initial purchasers of the outstanding notes. Those
rights will terminate upon completion of the exchange offer.
Under the registration rights agreement, we are required to pay
liquidated damages in the form of additional interest on the
outstanding notes in certain circumstances, including if the
exchange offer registration statement is not declared effective
by the SEC on or before October 28, 2005 or the exchange
offer is not consummated within 45 days after the effective
date of the exchange offer registration statement. See The
Exchange Offer Additional Interest. |
|
Resale of Exchange Notes |
|
Based on an interpretation by the staff of the SEC set forth in
no-action letters issued to other parties unrelated to us, we
believe that you can resell and transfer the exchange notes you
receive pursuant to the exchange offer, without compliance with
the registration and prospectus delivery provisions of the
Securities Act, provided that: |
|
|
|
any exchange notes to be received by you will be
acquired in the ordinary course of your business; |
|
|
|
you are not engaged in, do not intend to engage in,
and have no arrangement or understanding with any person to
participate in, the distribution of the exchange notes within
the meaning of the Securities Act; and |
|
|
|
you are not an affiliate, as defined in
Rule 405 under the Securities Act, of ours. |
|
|
|
If any of these conditions are not satisfied and you transfer
any exchange notes issued to you in this exchange offer without
delivering a resale prospectus meeting the requirements of the
Securities Act or without an exemption from registration of your
exchange notes from these requirements, you may incur liability
under the Securities Act. We will not assume, nor will we
indemnify you against, any such liability. |
|
|
|
Each broker-dealer that is issued exchange notes in this
exchange offer must acknowledge that it will deliver a
prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act in
connection with any resale of the exchange notes. A
broker-dealer may use this prospectus for an offer to resell,
resale or other transfer of the exchange notes issued to it in
this exchange offer in exchange for outstanding notes that were
acquired by that broker-dealer as a result of market-making or
other trading activities. See Plan of Distribution. |
|
Conditions to the Exchange Offer |
|
The exchange offer is subject to certain customary conditions,
which we may waive, including that holders of outstanding notes
tender such notes in accordance with the terms of the exchange |
3
|
|
|
|
|
offer. The exchange offer is not conditioned upon any minimum
principal amount of the outstanding notes being tendered. See
The Exchange Offer Conditions to the Exchange
Offer. |
|
Procedures for Tendering Outstanding Notes |
|
If you wish to accept the exchange offer, you must transmit a
properly completed and signed letter of transmittal, together
with all other documents required by the letter of transmittal,
including the certificate or certificates representing your
outstanding notes to be exchanged, to the exchange agent at the
address set forth on the cover page of the letter of
transmittal. These materials must be received by the exchange
agent before 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on
December 7, 2005, the expiration date of the exchange
offer. In the alternative, you can tender your outstanding notes
by following the procedures for book-entry transfer, as
described in this prospectus, prior to the expiration of the
exchange offer. For more information on accepting the exchange
offer and tendering your outstanding notes, see The
Exchange Offer Procedures for Tendering and
The Exchange Offer Book-Entry Transfer. |
|
Special Procedures for Beneficial Owners |
|
If you are a beneficial owner of outstanding notes that are held
through a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or
other nominee and you wish to tender your outstanding notes in
the exchange offer, you should contact the registered holder of
the outstanding notes promptly and instruct the registered
holder to tender your notes on your behalf. |
|
Guaranteed Delivery Procedures |
|
If you cannot deliver your outstanding notes, the letter of
transmittal or any other required documentation, or if you
cannot comply with The Depository Trust Companys, or
DTCs, standard operating procedures for electronic tenders
on time, you may tender your outstanding notes according to the
guaranteed delivery procedures set forth under The
Exchange Offer Guaranteed Delivery Procedures. |
|
Withdrawal Rights |
|
You may withdraw the tender of your outstanding notes at any
time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on
December 7, 2005, the expiration date. To withdraw, you
must send a written or facsimile transmission of your notice of
withdrawal to the exchange agent at the address set forth in
this prospectus under The Exchange Offer
Exchange Agent prior to the expiration of the exchange
offer. A notice of withdrawal may also be made by electronic
transmission through DTCs Automated Tender Offer Program.
See The Exchange Offer Withdrawal of
Tenders. |
|
Acceptance of the Outstanding Notes and Delivery of the Exchange
Notes |
|
We will accept for exchange any and all outstanding notes that
you properly tender in the exchange offer prior to the
expiration date of the exchange offer. We will issue and deliver
the exchange notes promptly following the expiration date of the
exchange offer. See The Exchange Offer Terms
of the Exchange Offer. |
|
Use of Proceeds |
|
We will not receive any proceeds from the issuance of exchange
notes pursuant to the exchange offer. |
4
|
|
|
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences |
|
The exchange of outstanding notes for exchange notes pursuant to
the exchange offer will not be a taxable exchange for
U.S. federal income tax purposes. See Material
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations. |
|
Consequences of Failure to Exchange |
|
If you are eligible to participate in the exchange offer and you
do not tender your outstanding notes as described in this
prospectus, you will not have any further registration rights.
In that case, your outstanding notes will continue to be subject
to restrictions on transfer. As a result of the restrictions on
transfer and the availability of exchange notes, the outstanding
notes are likely to be much less liquid than before the exchange
offer. The outstanding notes will, after the exchange offer,
bear interest at the same rate as the exchange notes. See
The Exchange Offer Consequences of Failure to
Exchange. |
|
Exchange Agent |
|
The Bank of New York, the trustee under the indenture for the
notes, is serving as the exchange agent in connection with the
exchange offer. The exchange agent can be reached at Corporate
Trust Operations, Reorganization Unit, 101 Barclay
Street 7 East, New York, New York 10286,
Attention: Randolph Holder, its facsimile number is
(212) 298-1915 and its telephone number is
(212) 815-5098. |
The Exchange Notes
The following is a brief summary of the material terms of the
exchange notes. It likely does not contain all the information
that is important to you. For a more complete description of the
terms of the exchange notes, see Description of the
Exchange Notes.
|
|
|
Issuer |
|
American Standard Inc. |
|
Notes Offered |
|
$200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of
51/2% senior
notes due 2015. |
|
Maturity Date |
|
April 1, 2015. |
|
Interest |
|
Interest on the exchange notes will accrue from the last
interest payment date on which interest was paid on the
outstanding notes surrendered in exchange for the exchange notes
or, if no interest has been paid on the outstanding notes, from
April 1, 2005. Interest on the exchange notes will be
payable at a rate of
51/2% per
annum semi-annually in arrears on April 1 and
October 1 of each year, commencing October 1, 2005. No
additional interest will be paid on outstanding notes tendered
and accepted for exchange. |
|
Ranking |
|
The exchange notes will constitute senior debt of American
Standard Inc. and will rank: |
|
|
|
equally with its senior unsecured debt from time to
time outstanding ($1.58 billion as of September 30,
2005); |
|
|
|
senior to its subordinated debt from time to time
outstanding (none as of September 30, 2005); and |
|
|
|
junior to its secured debt (none as of
September 30, 2005) and to all debt of its subsidiaries
(none as of September 30, 2005) from time to time
outstanding. |
5
|
|
|
|
|
The guarantees will constitute senior obligations of the
guarantors and will rank pari passu with other unsecured
unsubordinated obligations of each guarantor. |
|
Optional Redemption |
|
At any time, we may elect to redeem any or all of the notes in
principal amounts of $1,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000.
We will pay an amount equal to the principal amount of notes
redeemed plus a make whole premium, which is described under the
heading Description of the Exchange Notes
Redemption. We also will pay accrued interest to the
redemption date. |
|
Guarantees |
|
American Standard Companies Inc. and American Standard
International Inc. will fully and unconditionally guarantee on a
senior unsecured basis the due and punctual payment of the
principal of and any premium and interest on the notes when and
as it becomes due and payable, whether at maturity or otherwise. |
|
Covenants |
|
The indenture for the notes contains covenants that, among other
things, limits our ability to: |
|
|
|
incur debt secured by liens; and |
|
|
|
engage in sale-leaseback transactions. |
|
|
|
These limitations are subject to a number of important
qualifications and exceptions. For more details, see
Description of the Exchange Notes Restrictive
Covenants. |
|
Absence of Public Market for the Exchange Notes |
|
The exchange notes are new securities for which there is
currently no market. Although the initial purchasers of the
outstanding notes have informed us that they currently intend to
make a market in the exchange notes, they are not obligated to
do so, and any such market-making activities may be discontinued
at any time without notice. Accordingly, we cannot assure you as
to the development or liquidity of any market for the exchange
notes. We do not intend to apply for listing of the exchange
notes on any securities exchange or for quotation of the
exchange notes on Nasdaq. |
6
RISK FACTORS
Your decision whether or not to participate in the exchange
offer and own outstanding notes or exchange notes will involve
some degree of risk. You should be aware of, and carefully
consider, the following risk factors, along with all of the
other information provided or referred to in this prospectus,
before deciding whether or not to participate in the exchange
offer.
|
|
|
If you do not properly tender your outstanding notes, your
ability to transfer such outstanding notes will be adversely
affected. |
We will only issue exchange notes for outstanding notes that are
timely received by the exchange agent together with all required
documents, including a properly completed and signed letter of
transmittal. Therefore, you should allow sufficient time to
ensure timely delivery of the outstanding notes and you should
carefully follow the instructions on how to tender your
outstanding notes. None of the issuer, the guarantors or the
exchange agent are required to tell you of any defects or
irregularities with respect to your tender of the outstanding
notes. If you do not tender your outstanding notes or if your
tender of outstanding notes is not accepted because you did not
tender your outstanding notes properly, then, after consummation
of the exchange offer, you will continue to hold outstanding
notes that are subject to the existing transfer restrictions.
After the exchange offer is consummated, if you continue to hold
any outstanding notes, you may have difficulty selling them
because there will be fewer outstanding notes remaining and the
market for such outstanding notes, if any, will be much more
limited than it is currently. In particular, the trading market
for unexchanged outstanding notes could become more limited than
the existing market for the outstanding notes and could cease to
exist altogether due to the reduction in the amount of the
outstanding notes remaining upon consummation of the exchange
offer. A more limited trading market might adversely affect the
liquidity, market price and price volatility of such untendered
outstanding notes.
|
|
|
If you are a broker-dealer or participating in a
distribution of the exchange notes, you may be required to
deliver prospectuses and comply with other requirements. |
If you tender your outstanding notes for the purpose of
participating in a distribution of the exchange notes, you will
be required to comply with the registration and prospectus
delivery requirements of the Securities Act in connection with
any resale of the exchange notes. If you are a broker-dealer
that receives exchange notes for your own account in exchange
for outstanding notes that you acquired as a result of
market-making activities or any other trading activities, you
will be required to acknowledge that you will deliver a
prospectus in connection with any resale of such exchange notes.
|
|
|
You may not be able to sell your exchange notes if a
trading market for the exchange notes does not develop. |
The exchange notes will be new securities for which there is
currently no established trading market, and none may develop.
We do not intend to apply for a listing of the exchange notes on
any securities exchange or for quotation on any automated
interdealer quotation system. The liquidity of any market for
the exchange notes will depend on the number of holders of the
exchange notes, the interest of securities dealers in making a
market in the exchange notes and other factors. Accordingly,
there can be no assurance as to the development or liquidity of
any market for the exchange notes. If an active trading market
does not develop, the market price and liquidity of the exchange
notes may be adversely affected.
USE OF PROCEEDS
We will not receive any cash proceeds from the exchange offer.
Any outstanding notes that are properly tendered and exchanged
pursuant to the exchange offer will be retired and cancelled and
cannot be reissued. Accordingly, the issuance of the exchange
notes will not result in any change to our capitalization. On
April 1, 2005, we sold the outstanding notes. We used the
net proceeds from the sale of the outstanding notes, after
deducting the expenses of the offering, including the initial
purchasers discounts, towards the repayment of the
issuers
73/8% senior
notes due 2005.
7
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
Set forth below is the ratio of earnings to fixed charges of
American Standard Companies Inc. for the periods indicated. For
the purpose of computing the ratio of earnings to fixed charges,
earnings consist of consolidated net income before income taxes,
plus fixed charges other than capitalized interest but including
the amortization thereof, adjusted by the excess or deficiency
of dividends over income of entities accounted for by the equity
method, fixed charges consist of interest on debt (including
capitalized interest), amortization of debt discount and
expense, and a portion of rentals determined to be
representative of interest (rental expense factor).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended | |
|
|
December 31, | |
|
|
| |
|
|
2004 | |
|
2003 | |
|
2002 | |
|
2001 | |
|
2000 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
|
|
|
3.3 |
|
|
|
4.5 |
|
|
|
3.9 |
|
|
|
3.1 |
|
|
|
3.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nine Months | |
|
|
Ended | |
|
|
September 30, | |
|
|
| |
|
|
2005 | |
|
2004 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
|
|
|
5.8 |
|
|
|
5.7 |
|
8
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
The selected consolidated financial data which follows should be
read in conjunction with the audited and unaudited consolidated
financial statements and accompanying notes of American Standard
Companies Inc. in the documents which are incorporated by
reference in this prospectus. In the opinion of management, all
adjustments, including normal recurring items, considered
necessary for a fair presentation of financial data have been
included in the unaudited consolidated financial data for the
nine months ended September 30, 2005. See Where You
Can Find More Information. Historical results are not
necessarily indicative of the results to be obtained in the
future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nine Months Ended | |
|
|
Year Ended December 31, | |
|
September 30, | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
2004 | |
|
2003 | |
|
2002 | |
|
2001 | |
|
2000 | |
|
2005 | |
|
2004 | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
(Dollars in millions, except per share data) | |
Segment and Income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Statement Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Segment sales:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Air Conditioning Systems and Services
|
|
$ |
5,345.5 |
|
|
$ |
4,974.6 |
|
|
$ |
4,743.9 |
|
|
$ |
4,692.2 |
|
|
$ |
4,726.1 |
|
|
$ |
4,484.0 |
|
|
$ |
4,054.4 |
|
|
Bath and Kitchen
|
|
|
2,439.5 |
|
|
|
2,234.8 |
|
|
|
1,994.4 |
|
|
|
1,812.7 |
|
|
|
1,803.5 |
|
|
|
1,843.0 |
|
|
|
1,835.2 |
|
|
Vehicle Control Systems
|
|
|
1,723.8 |
|
|
|
1,358.2 |
|
|
|
1,057.1 |
|
|
|
960.4 |
|
|
|
1,068.8 |
|
|
|
1,392.3 |
|
|
|
1,266.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total sales
|
|
$ |
9,508.8 |
|
|
$ |
8,567.6 |
|
|
$ |
7,795.4 |
|
|
$ |
7,465.3 |
|
|
$ |
7,598.4 |
|
|
$ |
7,719.3 |
|
|
$ |
7,156.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Segment income:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Air Conditioning Systems and Services
|
|
$ |
556.1 |
|
|
$ |
521.6 |
|
|
$ |
537.4 |
|
|
$ |
515.2 |
|
|
$ |
531.4 |
|
|
$ |
521.3 |
|
|
$ |
467.6 |
|
|
Bath and Kitchen
|
|
|
196.9 |
|
|
|
139.5 |
|
|
|
154.7 |
|
|
|
147.5 |
|
|
|
161.5 |
|
|
|
101.7 |
|
|
|
155.8 |
|
|
Vehicle Control Systems
|
|
|
231.3 |
|
|
|
176.6 |
|
|
|
138.7 |
|
|
|
124.4 |
|
|
|
146.8 |
|
|
|
193.0 |
|
|
|
169.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total segment income(a)
|
|
|
984.3 |
|
|
|
837.7 |
|
|
|
830.8 |
|
|
|
787.1 |
|
|
|
839.7 |
|
|
|
816.0 |
|
|
|
792.6 |
|
Equity in net income of unconsolidated joint ventures
|
|
|
28.2 |
|
|
|
25.9 |
|
|
|
26.6 |
|
|
|
18.5 |
|
|
|
30.0 |
|
|
|
27.4 |
|
|
|
21.8 |
|
Asbestos indemnity charge, net of recoveries(b)
|
|
|
(320.2 |
) |
|
|
(10.0 |
) |
|
|
(3.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(13.2 |
) |
Gain on sale of water heater business(c)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
57.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restructuring and asset impairment charges(d)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(69.5 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
(114.9 |
) |
|
|
(117.0 |
) |
|
|
(129.0 |
) |
|
|
(168.7 |
) |
|
|
(198.7 |
) |
|
|
(89.1 |
) |
|
|
(86.5 |
) |
Corporate and other expenses(a)
|
|
|
(214.5 |
) |
|
|
(187.4 |
) |
|
|
(168.9 |
) |
|
|
(160.6 |
) |
|
|
(149.4 |
) |
|
|
(154.9 |
) |
|
|
(164.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income from continuing operations before income taxes
|
|
|
362.9 |
|
|
|
549.2 |
|
|
|
556.2 |
|
|
|
476.3 |
|
|
|
509.4 |
|
|
|
599.4 |
|
|
|
550.4 |
|
Income taxes(a)
|
|
|
(49.5 |
) |
|
|
(144.0 |
) |
|
|
(185.2 |
) |
|
|
(181.3 |
) |
|
|
(194.2 |
) |
|
|
(107.5 |
) |
|
|
(150.1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income from continuing operations
|
|
$ |
313.4 |
|
|
$ |
405.2 |
|
|
$ |
371.0 |
|
|
$ |
295.0 |
|
|
$ |
315.2 |
|
|
$ |
491.9 |
|
|
$ |
400.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
$ |
1.46 |
|
|
$ |
1.87 |
|
|
$ |
1.71 |
|
|
$ |
1.38 |
|
|
$ |
1.50 |
|
|
$ |
2.32 |
|
|
$ |
1.86 |
|
|
|
Diluted
|
|
$ |
1.42 |
|
|
$ |
1.83 |
|
|
$ |
1.68 |
|
|
$ |
1.35 |
|
|
$ |
1.45 |
|
|
$ |
2.26 |
|
|
$ |
1.81 |
|
Average number of outstanding common shares
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
|
214,835,002 |
|
|
|
216,809,658 |
|
|
|
217,049,925 |
|
|
|
214,359,657 |
|
|
|
210,369,855 |
|
|
|
212,183,265 |
|
|
|
214,961,619 |
|
|
Diluted
|
|
|
220,584,135 |
|
|
|
221,150,472 |
|
|
|
220,924,698 |
|
|
|
219,353,988 |
|
|
|
216,593,016 |
|
|
|
218,061,363 |
|
|
|
220,726,658 |
|
Balance Sheet Data(at end of period):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets
|
|
$ |
6,841.8 |
|
|
$ |
5,878.7 |
|
|
$ |
5,143.8 |
|
|
$ |
4,831.4 |
|
|
$ |
4,744.7 |
|
|
$ |
6,938.6 |
|
|
$ |
6,357.8 |
|
Total debt
|
|
$ |
1,507.9 |
|
|
$ |
1,679.1 |
|
|
$ |
1,959.2 |
|
|
$ |
2,212.1 |
|
|
$ |
2,471.7 |
|
|
$ |
1,623.3 |
|
|
$ |
1,668.9 |
|
9
|
|
(a) |
Segment income for the first nine months of 2005 included
$55.5 million ($37.6 million after tax, or
$0.17 per diluted share) of expenses related to operational
consolidations. The costs were comprised of $25.0 million
for Air Conditioning and Systems Services, $22.5 million
for Bath and Kitchen and $8.0 million for Vehicle Control
Systems. Income taxes included a tax benefit of
$17.9 million related to those expenses. Income taxes in
2005 also included $68.3 million associated with the
resolution of tax audits, tax contingencies, the impact of other
non-U.S. tax planning initiatives on prior tax years and the
recording of an amount to adjust the 2004 tax provision to the
final U.S. tax return. Segment income for the first nine
months of 2004 includes $19.9 million ($14.1 million
after tax, or $0.06 per diluted share) of expenses related to
operational consolidations. The costs were comprised of
$18.0 million for Bath and Kitchen, $1.2 million for
Vehicle Control Systems and $0.7 million for Air
Conditioning Systems and Services. In 2004 segment income
includes $46.1 million and corporate and other expenses
includes $0.3 million ($32.0 million after tax, or
$0.15 per diluted share) of expenses related to operational
consolidations, primarily for the elimination of 1,695 jobs
during 2004, comprised of $7.7 million for Air Conditioning
Systems and Services, $33.0 million for Bath and Kitchen
and $5.4 million for Vehicle Control Systems. Income taxes
include a tax benefit of $14.4 million related to those
expenses. Income taxes in 2004 includes a $39.2 million
benefit ($0.18 per diluted share) including an
$18.5 million benefit for the resolution of tax audits, an
$18.0 million benefit relating to a reduction in
withholding tax liabilities due to a decision not to distribute
the earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries and
$2.7 million of other tax items. In 2003 segment income
includes expenses of $38.9 million ($27.3 million
after tax, or $0.12 per diluted share) related to the
elimination of 870 jobs in the fourth quarter, comprised of
$8.4 million for Air Conditioning Systems and Services,
$20.8 million for Bath and Kitchen and $9.7 million
for Vehicle Control Systems. Income taxes include a tax benefit
of $11.6 million related to those expenses. Income taxes in
2003 includes a $26.7 million benefit ($0.12 per
diluted share) principally because of the resolution of audits
and approval of claims for research and development tax credits.
In the fourth quarter of 2001 we recorded expenses of
$53.1 million ($35.8 million after tax, or
$0.16 per diluted share) related to the elimination of
approximately 1,700 salaried positions, comprised of
$12.7 million for Air Conditioning Systems and Services,
$14.7 million for Bath and Kitchen, $15.8 million for
Vehicle Control Systems and $9.9 million for corporate
headquarters. Total segment income represents the summation of
segment income of the Companys three business segments:
Air Conditioning Systems and Services, Bath and Kitchen and
Vehicle Control Systems. The presentation of total segment
income is not in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles (GAAP). Management believes that presenting
total segment income is useful to shareholders because it
enhances their understanding of how management assesses the
performance of the Companys businesses. Total segment
income may not be comparable to similar measures of other
companies as not all companies calculate this measure in the
same manner. See above for a reconciliation of total segment
income to income from continuing operations. The presentation of
total segment income is not meant to be a substitute for
measurements prepared in conformity with GAAP, nor to be
considered in isolation. |
|
|
|
(b) |
|
In the fourth quarter of 2004, the Company recorded a
$307 million ($188 million, net of tax benefit, or
$0.85 per diluted share) charge covering estimated net
payments for pending and future asbestos-related claims. Certain
reclassifications were made to prior periods to reflect asbestos
indemnity charges, to be consistent with 2004. |
|
(c) |
|
In 2000, the Company sold its Calorex water heater business for
a gain of $57 million ($52 million after tax, or
$0.24 per diluted share). |
|
(d) |
|
In 2000, the Company recorded a net restructuring and asset
impairment charge of $70 million ($51 million, net of
tax benefits, or $0.24 per diluted share). These charges
consisted of $26 million for Air Conditioning Systems and
Services, $34 million for Bath and Kitchen and
$15 million for Vehicle Control Systems, partly offset by a
$5 million reduction of charges taken in prior years. |
10
THE EXCHANGE OFFER
Purpose of the Exchange Offer
We sold the outstanding notes to Citigroup Global Markets Inc.,
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Banc of America Securities
LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., ABN AMRO Incorporated, BNP Paribas
Securities Corp., Calyon Securities (USA) Inc., HSBC
Securities (USA) Inc., Mitsubishi Securities International
plc, Mizuho International plc, and Scotia Capital
(USA) Inc., the initial purchasers, on April 1, 2005
in a private transaction exempt from the registration
requirements of the Securities Act. The initial purchasers
resold the outstanding notes to qualified institutional buyers
pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act and to
non-U.S. persons outside the United States pursuant to
Regulation S under the Securities Act. Accordingly, the
outstanding notes may not be reoffered, resold or otherwise
transferred unless registered under the Securities Act and any
other applicable securities law or unless applicable exemptions
from the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of
the Securities Act and any such other securities laws are
available.
In connection with the sale of the outstanding notes, we and the
guarantors entered into a registration rights agreement with the
initial purchasers of the outstanding notes. The registration
rights agreement requires us to register the exchange notes
under the Securities Act and to offer to exchange the exchange
notes for the outstanding notes. We are effecting the exchange
offer to comply with the registration rights agreement. Under
the registration rights agreement, we and the guarantors are
obligated:
|
|
|
|
|
to use our reasonable best efforts to file with the SEC a
registration statement for the exchange offer and the exchange
notes within 120 days after the date of issuance of the
outstanding notes; |
|
|
|
to use our reasonable best efforts to cause the exchange offer
registration statement to be declared effective under the
Securities Act not later than the 210th day after the date of
issuance of the outstanding notes; |
|
|
|
promptly after the effectiveness of the exchange offer
registration statement, to offer to the holders of outstanding
notes, who are not prohibited by any applicable law or any
applicable interpretation of the staff of the SEC from
participating in the exchange offer, the opportunity to exchange
their outstanding notes for the exchange notes offered in
connection with this prospectus; |
|
|
|
to use our reasonable best efforts to keep the exchange offer
open for not less than 20 business days, or longer if
required by applicable law or otherwise extended by us at our
option, after the date on which notice of the exchange offer is
mailed to the holders of the outstanding notes; and |
|
|
|
to use our reasonable best efforts to cause the exchange offer
to be consummated no later than 45 days after the effective
date of the exchange offer registration statement. |
Shelf Registration
In the registration rights agreement, we agreed to file a shelf
registration statement if:
|
|
|
|
|
we are not permitted to effect the exchange offer as
contemplated by this prospectus because of any change in law or
applicable interpretations of the law by the staff of the SEC; |
|
|
|
the exchange offer registration statement is not declared
effective within 210 days after the issue date of the
outstanding notes or the exchange offer is not consummated
within 45 days after the exchange offer registration
statement is declared effective, but we may terminate the shelf
registration statement at any time, without penalty, if the
exchange offer registration statement is declared effective or
the exchange offer is consummated; |
|
|
|
any holder of the outstanding notes, other than an initial
purchaser holding outstanding notes acquired directly from us,
is not eligible to participate in the exchange offer because of
any applicable law or interpretations thereof or elects to
participate in the exchange offer but does not receive freely
transferable exchange notes; or |
11
|
|
|
|
|
any of the initial purchasers so requests before the date that
is 90 days after the consummation of the exchange offer
with respect to outstanding notes not eligible to be exchanged
in the exchange offer and held by it following consummation of
the exchange offer. |
In any such event, we will file with the SEC promptly, but no
later than (a) the 210th day after the date of issuance of
the outstanding notes, or (b) the 60th day after any such
filing obligation arises, whichever is later, a shelf
registration statement to cover resales of transfer restricted
securities by those holders who satisfy various conditions
relating to the provision of information in connection with the
shelf registration statement.
If a shelf registration statement is required, we will use our
reasonable best efforts to keep the shelf registration statement
continuously effective, in order to permit the prospectus
included therein to be lawfully delivered by holders of relevant
outstanding notes, for a period of two years from the date of
its effectiveness or such shorter period that will terminate
when all notes covered by it have been sold or disposed of or
can be sold pursuant to Rule 144(k) under the Securities
Act.
Additional Interest
If a registration default, as defined below, occurs with respect
to outstanding notes, we will be required to pay additional
interest to each holder of such notes. During the first 90-day
period that such a registration default occurs and is
continuing, we will pay additional interest on the outstanding
notes at a rate of 0.25% per year. If a registration
default occurs and is continuing for a period of more than
90 days, then the amount of additional interest we are
required to pay on the outstanding notes will increase,
effective from and after the 91st day in that period, by an
additional 0.25% per year until all registration defaults
have been cured. However, in no event will the rate of
additional interest exceed 0.50% per year, and we will not
be required to pay additional interest for more than one
registration default at a time. This additional interest will
accrue only for those days that a registration default occurs
and is continuing. All accrued additional interest will be paid
to the holders of the outstanding notes in the same manner as
interest payments on the notes, with payments being made on the
interest payment dates for notes.
Following the cure of all registration defaults with respect to
outstanding notes, no more additional interest will accrue
unless a subsequent registration default occurs. You will not be
entitled to receive any additional interest on any outstanding
notes if you were, at any time while the exchange offer was
pending, eligible to exchange, and did not validly tender,
outstanding notes for exchange notes in the exchange offer.
A registration default will occur if:
|
|
|
|
|
we fail to file any of the registration statements required by
the registration rights agreement on or before the date
specified for that filing; |
|
|
|
any such registration statement is not declared effective by the
SEC on or prior to the date specified for its effectiveness; |
|
|
|
we fail to complete the exchange offer on or prior to the date
specified for completion; or |
|
|
|
any of the registration statements is declared effective but
thereafter ceases to be effective or usable in connection with
resales covered thereby during the periods specified in the
registration rights agreement, except during limited periods as
a result of the exercise by us of our right to suspend use of
such registration statement and the related prospectus. |
The exchange offer is intended to satisfy our exchange offer
obligations under the registration rights agreement. The above
summary of the registration rights agreement is not complete and
is subject to, and qualified by reference to, all the provisions
of the registration rights agreement, which has been filed with
the registration statement within which this prospectus forms a
part.
Terms of the Exchange Offer
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this
prospectus and in the accompanying letter of transmittal, we are
offering to exchange $1,000 principal amount of exchange notes
for each $1,000
12
principal amount of outstanding notes. You may tender some or
all of your outstanding notes only in integral multiples of
$1,000 in principal amount. As of the date of this prospectus,
$200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the outstanding notes
sold on April 1, 2005 are outstanding.
The terms of the exchange notes to be issued are substantially
identical to the outstanding notes, except that the exchange
notes have been registered under the Securities Act and,
therefore, the certificates for the exchange notes will not bear
legends restricting their transfer. In addition, the exchange
notes will bear a different CUSIP number from the outstanding
notes and will not entitle their holders to registration rights
or rights to additional interest. The exchange notes will be
issued under, and be entitled to the benefits of, the indenture,
dated as of April 1, 2005, among the issuer, the guarantors
and The Bank of New York, as trustee.
In connection with the issuance of the outstanding notes, we
arranged for the outstanding notes to be issued and transferable
in book-entry form through the facilities of The Depository
Trust Company, or DTC, acting as depositary. The exchange notes
will also be issuable and transferable in book-entry form
through DTC.
There will be no fixed record date for determining the eligible
holders of the outstanding notes that are entitled to
participate in the exchange offer. We will be deemed to have
accepted for exchange validly tendered outstanding notes when
and if we have given oral (confirmed in writing) or written
notice of acceptance to the exchange agent. The exchange agent
will act as agent for the tendering holders of outstanding notes
for the purpose of receiving exchange notes from us and
delivering them to such holders. The exchange offer is not
conditioned upon any minimum principal amount of the outstanding
notes being tendered for exchange.
You do not have any appraisal or dissenters rights under
law or the indenture for the notes in connection with the
exchange offer.
If we successfully complete the exchange offer, any outstanding
notes that holders do not tender or that we do not accept in the
exchange offer will remain outstanding and will continue to be
subject to restrictions on transfer. The outstanding notes will
continue to accrue interest but, in general, the holders of
outstanding notes after the exchange offer will not have further
rights under the registration rights agreement, and we will not
have any further obligation to register the outstanding notes
under the Securities Act. In that case, holders wishing to
transfer outstanding notes would have to rely on exemptions from
the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
Expiration Date; Extensions; Amendment; Termination
The expiration date is 5:00 p.m., New York City
time, on December 7, 2005, unless we, in our sole
discretion, extend the exchange offer, in which case the
expiration date shall mean the latest date and time
to which the exchange offer is extended. In the case of any
extension, we will notify the exchange agent orally (confirmed
in writing) or in writing of any extension. We will also notify
the registered holders of outstanding notes by public
announcement via press release to a financial news service of
the extension no later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time,
on the business day after the previously scheduled expiration of
the exchange offer.
To the extent we are legally permitted to do so, we expressly
reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to:
|
|
|
|
|
delay accepting any outstanding note; |
|
|
|
extend the exchange offer; |
|
|
|
waive any condition of the exchange offer; |
|
|
|
if any of the conditions described below under
Conditions to the Exchange Offer have
occurred, to terminate the exchange offer; and |
|
|
|
amend the terms of the exchange offer in any manner. |
13
Any such delay in acceptance, extension, termination or
amendment will be followed as promptly as practicable by oral or
written notice to the registered holders of outstanding notes.
If we consider an amendment to the exchange offer to be
material, we will promptly inform the registered holders of
outstanding notes of such amendment in a reasonable manner. In
addition, if we make a material change to the exchange offer
within five business days of the scheduled expiration date, we
will extend the exchange offer period to ensure that there are
at least five business days between the date we provide notice
of such material change and the expiration date of the offer. We
will only delay acceptance of a validly tendered outstanding
note if an extension of the exchange offer is announced.
Without limiting the manner by which we may choose to make
public announcements of any extension, delay in acceptance,
amendment or termination of the exchange offer, we will have no
obligation to publish, advertise or otherwise communicate any
public announcement, other than by making a timely release to a
financial news service.
Interest on the Exchange Notes
Interest on the exchange notes will accrue from the last
interest payment date on which interest was paid on the
outstanding notes surrendered in exchange for the exchange notes
or, if no interest has been paid on the outstanding notes, from
April 1, 2005. Interest on the exchange notes will be
payable at a rate of
51/2% per
annum semi-annually in arrears on April 1 and
October 1 of each year, commencing October 1, 2005. We
will make each interest payment to the holders of record of the
exchange notes on the immediately preceding March 15 and
September 15. Interest will be computed on the basis of a
360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months.
Resale of Exchange Notes
Based on an interpretation by the staff of the SEC set forth in
several no-action letters issued to other parties unrelated to
us, we believe that the exchange notes issued pursuant to the
exchange offer in exchange for the outstanding notes may be
offered for resale, resold and otherwise transferred by their
holders without complying with the registration and prospectus
delivery requirements of the Securities Act, provided that:
|
|
|
|
|
any exchange notes to be received by you are acquired in the
ordinary course of your business; |
|
|
|
you are not engaged in, do not intend to engage in or have any
arrangement or understanding with any person to participate in,
the distribution of the exchange notes within the meaning of the
Securities Act; |
|
|
|
you are not an affiliate, as defined in
Rule 405 under the Securities Act, of ours or, if you are
such an affiliate, you will comply with the registration and
prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act to the
extent applicable; |
|
|
|
if you are a broker-dealer, you have not entered into any
arrangement or understanding with us or any
affiliate of ours to distribute the exchange
notes; and |
|
|
|
if you are a broker-dealer, you will receive exchange notes for
your own account in exchange for outstanding notes that were
acquired as a result of market-making or other trading
activities (but not directly from us or one of our affiliates)
and that you will deliver a prospectus in connection with any
resale of such exchange notes. |
If you wish to participate in the exchange offer, you will be
required to make these representations to us in the letter of
transmittal.
Each broker-dealer that receives exchange notes for its own
account in exchange for outstanding notes, where such
outstanding notes were acquired by such broker-dealer as a
result of market-making or other trading activities, must
acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with
any resale of such exchange notes. See Plan of
Distribution.
14
Procedures for Tendering
The term holder with respect to the exchange offer
means any person in whose name outstanding notes are registered
on our registrars books or any other person who has
obtained a properly completed bond power from the registered
holder, or any person whose outstanding notes are held of record
by DTC who desires to deliver such outstanding notes by
book-entry transfer at DTC.
Except in limited circumstances, only a holder may tender its
outstanding notes in the exchange offer. To tender outstanding
notes in the exchange offer:
|
|
|
|
|
the exchange agent must receive, before expiration of the
exchange offer, a properly completed and duly executed letter of
transmittal, or facsimile of the letter of transmittal, together
with any required signature guarantees and with the certificate
or certificates representing the outstanding notes being
tendered and any other required documents; |
|
|
|
the exchange agent must receive, before expiration of the
exchange offer, a confirmation of a book-entry transfer of
outstanding notes into the exchange agents account at DTC
according to DTCs standard operating procedures for
electronic tenders described below under
Book-Entry Transfer and a properly
transmitted agents message in lieu of a letter of
transmittal as described below under
Book-Entry Transfer; or |
|
|
|
the holder must comply with the guaranteed delivery procedures
described below under Guaranteed Delivery
Procedures. |
The tender by a holder of outstanding notes will constitute an
agreement between such holder and us in accordance with the
terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this prospectus
and in the letter of transmittal. If less than all the
outstanding notes held by a holder are tendered, the tendering
holder should fill in the amount of outstanding notes being
tendered in the specified box in the letter of transmittal. The
entire amount of outstanding notes delivered to the exchange
agent will be deemed to have been tendered unless otherwise
indicated.
The method of delivery of outstanding notes, the letter of
transmittal and all other required documents, including through
DTCs Automated Tender Offer Program system as described
below under Book Entry Transfer, to the
exchange agent is at the election and risk of the holder.
Instead of delivery by mail, we recommend that holders use an
overnight or hand delivery service. In all cases, sufficient
time should be allowed to assure timely delivery prior to the
expiration of the exchange offer. No letter of transmittal or
outstanding notes should be sent to us but must instead be
delivered to the exchange agent. Delivery of documents to DTC
will not constitute delivery to the exchange agent.
If you are a beneficial owner of outstanding notes that are
registered in the name of a broker, dealer, commercial bank,
trust company or other nominee and you wish to tender your
outstanding notes, you should contact the registered holder
promptly and instruct the registered holder to tender on your
behalf. If you wish to tender on your own behalf, you must,
prior to completing and executing the letter of transmittal and
delivering your outstanding notes, either:
|
|
|
|
|
make appropriate arrangements to register ownership of the
outstanding notes in your name; or |
|
|
|
obtain a properly completed bond power from the registered
holder. |
The transfer of record ownership may take considerable time and
may not be completed prior to the expiration date.
Signatures on a letter of transmittal or a notice of withdrawal
as described below in Withdrawal of
Tenders, as the case may be, must be guaranteed by an
eligible institution unless the outstanding notes tendered
pursuant thereto are tendered:
|
|
|
|
|
by a registered holder who has not completed the box entitled
Special Registration Instructions or Special
Delivery Instructions in the letter of transmittal; or |
|
|
|
for the account of an eligible institution. |
15
An eligible institution is:
|
|
|
|
|
a member firm of a registered national securities exchange or of
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.; |
|
|
|
a commercial bank or trust company having an office or
correspondent in the United States; or |
|
|
|
an eligible guarantor institution within the meaning
of Rule I7Ad-15 under the Exchange Act. |
If the letter of transmittal is signed by a person other than
the registered holder of any outstanding notes listed therein,
the outstanding notes must be endorsed or accompanied by
appropriate bond powers which authorize the person to tender the
outstanding notes on behalf of the registered holder, in either
case signed as the name of the registered holder or holders
appears on the outstanding notes. If the letter of transmittal
or any outstanding notes or bond powers are signed by trustees,
executors, administrators, guardians, attorneys-in-fact,
officers of corporations or others acting in a fiduciary or
representative capacity, such persons should so indicate when
signing and, unless waived by us, evidence satisfactory to us of
their authority to so act must be submitted with the letter of
transmittal.
We will determine in our sole discretion all the questions as to
the validity, form, eligibility (including time of receipt),
acceptance and withdrawal of the tendered outstanding notes. Our
determinations will be final and binding. We reserve the
absolute right to reject any and all outstanding notes not
validly tendered or any outstanding notes our acceptance of
which would, in the opinion of our counsel, be unlawful. We also
reserve the absolute right to waive any defects, irregularities
or conditions of tender as to particular outstanding notes. Our
interpretation of the terms and conditions of the exchange offer
(including the instructions in the letter of transmittal) will
be final and binding on all parties. Unless waived, any defects
or irregularities in connection with tenders of outstanding
notes must be cured within such time before the expiration time
as we will determine. Neither we, the exchange agent nor any
other person shall be under any duty to give notification of
defects or irregularities with respect to tenders of outstanding
notes nor shall we or any of them incur any liability for
failure to give such notification. Tenders of outstanding notes
will not be deemed to have been made until such irregularities
have been cured or waived. Any outstanding notes received by the
exchange agent that are not properly tendered and as to which
the defects or irregularities have not been cured or waived will
be returned without cost by the exchange agent to the tendering
holder of such outstanding notes unless otherwise provided in
the letter of transmittal, promptly following the expiration
date of the exchange offer.
In addition, we reserve the right in our sole discretion to
(a) purchase or make offers for any outstanding notes that
remain outstanding subsequent to the expiration date or, if any
of the conditions described below under
Conditions to the Exchange Offer have
occurred, the termination date and (b) to the extent
permitted by applicable law, purchase outstanding notes in the
open market, in privately negotiated transactions or otherwise.
The terms of any such purchases or offers may differ from the
terms of the exchange offer.
Book-Entry Transfer
We understand that the exchange agent will make a request
promptly after the date of this prospectus to establish accounts
with respect to the outstanding notes at DTC for the purpose of
facilitating the exchange offer. Any financial institution that
is a participant in DTCs system may make book-entry
delivery of outstanding notes by causing DTC to transfer such
outstanding notes into the exchange agents DTC account in
accordance with DTCs Automated Tender Offer Program
procedures for such transfer. The exchange for tendered
outstanding notes will only be made after a timely confirmation
of a book-entry transfer of the outstanding notes into the
exchange agents account, and timely receipt by the
exchange agent of an agents message.
The term agents message means a message,
transmitted by DTC to, and received by, the exchange agent and
forming a part of the confirmation of a book-entry transfer,
which states that DTC has received an express acknowledgment
from the participant in DTC tendering the outstanding notes that
are the subject of such book-entry confirmation that such
participant has received and agrees to be bound by the terms of
the
16
letter of transmittal, and that we may enforce such agreement
against the participant. Delivery of an agents message
will also constitute an acknowledgment from the tendering DTC
participant that the representations and warranties contained in
the appropriate letter of transmittal and described above are
true and correct.
In the case of an agents message relating to guaranteed
delivery, the term means a message transmitted by DTC to, and
received by, the exchange agent, which states that DTC has
received an express acknowledgement from the participant in DTC
tendering outstanding notes that such participant has received
and agrees to be bound by the terms of the notice of guaranteed
delivery.
Guaranteed Delivery Procedures
Holders who wish to tender their outstanding notes and
(a) whose outstanding notes are not immediately available,
(b) who cannot deliver their outstanding notes, the letter
of transmittal or any other required documents to the exchange
agent before expiration of the exchange offer or (c) who
cannot complete DTCs standard operating procedures for
electronic tenders before expiration of the exchange offer, may
tender their outstanding notes if:
|
|
|
|
|
the tender is made through an eligible institution; |
|
|
|
before expiration of the exchange offer, the exchange agent
receives from the eligible institution either a properly
completed and duly executed notice of guaranteed delivery in the
form accompanying this prospectus, by facsimile transmission,
mail or hand delivery or an agents message in lieu of
notice of guaranteed delivery: |
|
|
|
|
|
setting forth the name and address of the holder and the
certificate number or numbers of the outstanding notes tendered
(if applicable) and the principal amount of outstanding notes
tendered; |
|
|
|
stating that the tender offer is being made by guaranteed
delivery; and |
|
|
|
guaranteeing that, within three New York Stock Exchange, Inc.
trading days after the date of execution of the notice of
guaranteed delivery, the letter of transmittal, or facsimile of
the letter of transmittal (or a properly transmitted
agents message), together with certificates for the
outstanding notes tendered in proper form for transfer (or a
book-entry confirmation with an agents message), and any
other documents required by the letter of transmittal will be
deposited by the eligible institution with the exchange
agent; and |
|
|
|
|
|
the exchange agent receives the properly completed and executed
letter of transmittal, or facsimile of the letter of transmittal
(or an agents message), as well as certificates for all
tendered outstanding notes in proper form for transfer (or a
book-entry confirmation), and all other documents required by
the letter of transmittal, within three New York Stock Exchange,
Inc. trading days after the date of execution of the notice of
guaranteed delivery. |
Upon request to the exchange agent, a notice of guaranteed
delivery will be sent to holders who wish to tender their
outstanding notes according to the guaranteed delivery
procedures set forth above.
Withdrawal of Tenders
Except as otherwise provided in this prospectus, tenders of
outstanding notes may be withdrawn at any time prior to
5:00 p.m., New York City time, on December 7, 2005,
the expiration date of the exchange offer.
For a withdrawal to be effective:
|
|
|
|
|
the exchange agent must receive a timely written notice, which
may be by facsimile transmission or letter, of withdrawal at the
address set forth below under Exchange
Agent; or |
|
|
|
for DTC participants, holders must comply with DTCs
standard operating procedures for electronic tenders and the
exchange agent must receive a timely electronic notice of
withdrawal from DTC. |
17
Any notice of withdrawal must:
|
|
|
|
|
specify the name of the person who tendered the outstanding
notes to be withdrawn; |
|
|
|
identify the outstanding notes to be withdrawn, including the
certificate number or numbers and principal amount of the
outstanding notes to be withdrawn, or, in the case of
outstanding notes transferred by book-entry transfer, as
indicated below; |
|
|
|
be signed by the person who tendered the outstanding notes in
the same manner as the original signature on the letter of
transmittal, including any required signature
guarantees; and |
|
|
|
specify the name in which the outstanding notes are to be
re-registered, if different from that of the withdrawing holder. |
If outstanding notes have been tendered pursuant to the
procedures for book-entry transfer described above, the notice
of withdrawal must specify the name and number of the account at
DTC to be credited with the withdrawn outstanding notes and
otherwise comply with the procedures of DTC for withdrawals.
We will determine all questions as to the validity, form and
eligibility (including time of receipt) for such withdrawal
notices, and our determination shall be final and binding on all
parties. Any outstanding notes properly withdrawn will be deemed
not to have been validly tendered for purposes of the exchange
offer, and no exchange notes will be issued with respect thereto
unless the outstanding notes so withdrawn are validly
re-tendered. Any outstanding notes which have been tendered and
which are properly withdrawn will be returned to the holder
without cost to such holder (or, in the case of outstanding
notes tendered by book-entry transfer into the exchange
agents account at DTC pursuant to the book-entry transfer
procedures described above, the outstanding notes will be
credited to an account maintained with DTC for the outstanding
notes) promptly after withdrawal. Properly withdrawn outstanding
notes may be re-tendered by following the procedures described
above under Procedures for Tendering at
any time prior to the expiration of the exchange offer.
Conditions to the Exchange Offer
Notwithstanding any other term of the exchange offer, we will
not be required to accept for exchange, or issue any exchange
notes for, any outstanding notes, and we may terminate or amend
the exchange offer as provided in this prospectus before the
acceptance of the outstanding notes, if
|
|
|
|
|
the exchange offer, or the making of any exchange by a holder,
violates any applicable law or any applicable interpretation of
the staff of the SEC, |
|
|
|
any action or proceeding shall have been instituted or
threatened in any court or by or before any governmental agency
with respect to the exchange offer which, in our judgment, would
reasonably be expected to impair our ability to proceed with the
exchange offer, or |
|
|
|
the holders do not tender the outstanding notes in accordance
with the exchange offer. |
These conditions are for the sole benefit of us and the
guarantors and may be asserted or waived by us in whole or in
part at any time and from time to time in our sole discretion
prior to expiration of the exchange offer. Our failure to
exercise any of these rights at any time will not be deemed a
waiver of such rights and each of such rights shall be deemed an
ongoing right which may be asserted by us at any time and from
time to time.
Consequences of Failure to Exchange
If you do not tender your outstanding notes to be exchanged in
the exchange offer, they will remain restricted
securities within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) of
the Securities Act. Accordingly, they:
|
|
|
|
|
may be resold only if (a) registered pursuant to the
Securities Act and other applicable securities laws, (b) an
exemption from registration is available or (c) neither
registration nor an exemption is required by law; and |
|
|
|
shall continue to bear a legend restricting transfer in the
absence of registration or an exemption therefrom. |
18
As a result of the restrictions on transfer and the availability
of the exchange notes, the outstanding notes are likely to be
much less liquid than before the exchange offer. Consequently,
holders of outstanding notes who do not participate in the
exchange offer could experience significant diminution in value
of their outstanding notes, compared to the value of the
exchange notes. Following the consummation of the exchange
offer, in general, holders of outstanding notes will have no
further registration rights under the registration rights
agreement.
Accounting Treatment
The exchange notes will be recorded at the same carrying value
as the outstanding notes on the date of exchange. The carrying
value is face value. Accordingly, we will not recognize any gain
or loss for accounting purposes. The expenses of the exchange
offer and the unamortized expenses relating to the issuance of
the outstanding notes will be amortized over the term of the
exchange notes. See Fees and Expenses.
Regulatory Approvals
Other than pursuant to the federal securities laws, we do not
believe that there are any federal or state regulatory
requirements that we must comply with, or any approvals that we
must obtain, in connection with the exchange offer.
Exchange Agent
The Bank of New York, the trustee under the indenture for the
notes, has been appointed as the exchange agent for the exchange
offer. All executed letters of transmittal should be directed to
the exchange agent at the address set forth below. Questions and
requests for assistance, requests for additional copies of this
prospectus or of the letter of transmittal and requests for
notices of guaranteed delivery should be directed to the
exchange agent addressed as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By Registered or Certified |
|
By Hand/Overnight |
By Facsimile: |
|
Mail: |
|
Delivery: |
|
(212) 298-1915 |
|
The Bank of New York
Corporate Trust Operations |
|
The Bank of New York
Corporate Trust Operations |
Confirm by Telephone:
(212) 815-5098 |
|
Reorganization Unit
101 Barclay Street 7 East
New York, New York 10286
Attn: Randolph Holder |
|
Reorganization Unit
101 Barclay Street 7 East
New York, New York 10286
Attn: Randolph Holder |
Delivery of the letter of transmittal to an address other
than as set forth above or transmission of such letter of
transmittal via facsimile other than as set forth above does not
constitute a valid delivery of the letter of transmittal.
Fees and Expenses
We will bear the expenses of soliciting tenders. The principal
solicitation is being made by mail. However, our officers and
regular employees and those of our affiliates may make
additional solicitations by facsimile, telephone, other
electronic means or in person.
We have not retained any dealer-manager in connection with the
exchange offer and will not make any payment to broker-dealers
or others soliciting acceptances of the exchange offer. We will,
however, pay the exchange agent reasonable and customary fees
for its services and reimburse the exchange agent for its
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection therewith. We
may also pay brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and
fiduciaries the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by
them in forwarding copies of this prospectus, letters of
transmittal and related documents to the beneficial owners of
the outstanding notes and in handling or forwarding tenders for
exchange.
19
We will pay the expenses incurred in connection with the
exchange offer. The expenses include, among others:
|
|
|
|
|
SEC registration filing fee; |
|
|
|
fees and expenses of compliance with federal securities and
state blue sky or securities laws; |
|
|
|
expenses of messengers, delivery services and telephones; |
|
|
|
fees and expenses of the exchange agent and trustee; |
|
|
|
accounting and legal fees; and |
|
|
|
printing costs. |
We will pay all transfer taxes, if any, applicable to the
exchange of outstanding notes pursuant to the exchange offer.
The tendering holder, however, will be required to pay any
transfer taxes (whether imposed on the registered holder or any
other person) if:
|
|
|
|
|
certificates representing exchange notes, or outstanding notes
for principal amounts not tendered or accepted for exchange, are
to be delivered to, or are to be issued in the name of, any
person other than the registered holder of the outstanding notes
tendered; |
|
|
|
tendered outstanding notes are registered in the name of any
person other than the person signing the letter of
transmittal; or |
|
|
|
a transfer tax is imposed for any reason other than the exchange
of outstanding notes under the exchange offer. |
If satisfactory evidence of payment of these taxes or an
exemption therefrom is not submitted with the letter of
transmittal, the amount of these transfer taxes will be billed
to that tendering holder.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXCHANGE NOTES
We issued the outstanding notes, and we will issue the exchange
notes, as a single series of securities under an indenture (the
indenture), dated as of April 1, 2005, among
the issuer, the guarantors and The Bank of New York, as trustee.
The form and terms of the exchange notes are substantially
identical in all material respects to the form and terms of the
outstanding notes, except that the exchange notes have been
registered under the Securities Act and, therefore, will not be
subject to certain transfer restrictions, will bear a different
CUSIP number from the outstanding notes and will not entitle
their holders to registration rights or rights to additional
interest. The outstanding notes and the exchange notes are
referred to collectively as the notes. The terms of
the notes include those stated in the indenture and those made
part of the indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of
1939.
The following description is a summary of the material
provisions of the indenture. It does not restate the indenture
in its entirety. We urge you to read the indenture because it,
and not this description, defines your rights as holders of the
notes. The indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the
exchange offer registration statement and is available as
described under Where You Can Find More Information.
General
The notes will mature on April 1, 2015 and will bear
interest at
51/2% per
year. Interest on the notes will accrue from April 1, 2005.
We:
|
|
|
|
|
will pay interest semiannually on April 1 and
October 1 of each year, commencing October 1, 2005; |
|
|
|
will pay interest to the person in whose name a note is
registered at the close of business on the March 15 or September
15 immediately preceding the interest payment date; |
|
|
|
will compute interest on the basis of a 360-day year consisting
of twelve 30-day months; |
20
|
|
|
|
|
will make payments on the notes at the offices of the trustee
and any paying agent; and |
|
|
|
may make payments by wire transfer for notes held in book-entry
form or by check mailed to the address of the person entitled to
the payment as it appears in the security register. |
We will issue the notes only in fully registered form, without
coupons, in minimum denominations of $100,000 and any integral
multiple of $1,000. The notes will not be subject to any sinking
fund or mandatory redemption provisions.
The notes will be limited initially to $200 million in
aggregate principal amount. We may, however, reopen
this series of notes and issue an unlimited principal amount of
additional notes of the same series in the future without the
consent of the holders. We may reopen this series of notes only
if the additional notes issued will be fungible with the
original notes of the series for United States federal income
tax purposes.
The indenture does not limit the amount of debt that may be
issued under the indenture, nor the amount of other unsecured
debt or securities that we may issue. We may issue debt
securities under the indenture from time to time in one or more
series, each in an amount authorized prior to issuance. Other
than the restrictions on liens and sale/leaseback transactions
described below under Restrictive
Covenants and the provisions described below under
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of
Assets, the indenture does not contain any covenants or
other provisions designed to protect holders of the notes in the
event we participate in a highly leveraged transaction or upon a
change in control. The indenture also does not contain
provisions that give holders the right to require the issuer to
repurchase the notes in the event of a decline in the
issuers credit ratings for any reason, including as a
result of a takeover, recapitalization or similar restructuring
or otherwise.
Redemption
The notes will be redeemable at our option, in whole or in part,
at any time and from time to time, in principal amounts of
$1,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 for an amount equal to:
|
|
|
|
|
100% of the principal amount of the notes to be
redeemed; and |
|
|
|
a premium equal to the amount, if any, by which the sum of the
present values of the Remaining Scheduled Payments on the notes
being redeemed, discounted to the redemption date on a
semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve
30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points
exceeds the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed. |
In each case, we will pay accrued interest to the date of
redemption.
Treasury Rate means the rate per year equal to:
|
|
|
|
|
the yield, under the heading that represents the average for the
immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently
published statistical release designated H.15(519)
or any successor publication which is published weekly by the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and which
establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury
securities adjusted to constant maturity under the caption
Treasury Constant Maturities, for the maturity
corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue; provided that if
no maturity is within three months before or after the maturity
date for the notes, yields for the two published maturities most
closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue will be
determined and the Treasury Rate will be interpolated or
extrapolated from those yields on a straight line basis rounding
to the nearest month; or |
|
|
|
if that release, or any successor release, is not published
during the week preceding the calculation date or does not
contain such yields, the rate per year equal to the semiannual
equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue,
calculated using a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue
(expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the
Comparable Treasury Price for that redemption date. |
The Treasury Rate will be calculated on the third business day
preceding the redemption date.
21
Comparable Treasury Issue means the United States
Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker
that would be used, at the time of selection and in accordance
with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of
corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the
remaining term of the notes. Independent Investment
Banker means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers that we
appoint.
Comparable Treasury Price means (a) the average
of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for the redemption
date, after excluding the highest and lowest of such Reference
Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (b) if the trustee obtains
fewer than four such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the
average of all quotations obtained.
Reference Treasury Dealer means each of Citigroup
Global Markets Inc. (and its successors), J.P. Morgan
Securities Inc. (and its successors), and two other nationally
recognized investment banking firms that are primary
U.S. government securities dealers specified from time to
time by us. If, however, any of them shall cease to be a primary
U.S. government securities dealer, we will substitute
another nationally recognized investment banking firm that is
such a dealer.
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations means, with
respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption
date, the average, as determined by the trustee, of the bid and
asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in
each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in
writing to the trustee by such Reference Treasury Dealer as of
3:30 p.m., New York time, on the third business day
preceding the redemption date.
Remaining Scheduled Payments means the remaining
scheduled payments of the principal of and interest on each note
to be redeemed that would be due after the related redemption
date but for such redemption. If the redemption date is not an
interest payment date with respect to the note being redeemed,
the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment on
the note will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued
thereon to that redemption date.
We will mail notice of a redemption not less than 30 days
nor more than 60 days before the redemption date to holders
of notes to be redeemed.
If the issuer is redeeming less than all the notes, the trustee
will select the particular notes to be redeemed pro rata, by lot
or by another method the trustee deems fair and appropriate.
Unless there is a default in payment of the redemption amount,
on and after the redemption date, interest will cease to accrue
on the notes or portions thereof called for redemption.
Except as described above, the notes will not be redeemable
prior to maturity and will not be entitled to the benefit of any
sinking fund.
Guarantees
American Standard Companies Inc. and American Standard
International Inc. will each fully and unconditionally guarantee
on a senior unsecured basis the full and prompt payment of the
principal of and any premium and interest on the notes when and
as the payment becomes due and payable, whether at maturity or
otherwise. The guarantees provide that in the event of a default
in the payment of principal of or any premium or interest on a
note, the holder of the note may institute legal proceedings
directly against American Standard Companies Inc. and American
Standard International Inc. to enforce the guarantees without
first proceeding against us.
Ranking
The exchange notes will constitute senior debt of American
Standard Inc and will rank:
|
|
|
|
|
equally with its senior unsecured debt from time to time
outstanding ($1.58 billion as of September 30, 2005); |
|
|
|
senior to its subordinated debt from time to time outstanding
(none as of September 30, 2005); and |
|
|
|
junior to its secured debt (none as of September 30, 2005)
and to all debt of its subsidiaries (none as of
September 30, 2005) from time to time outstanding. |
22
American Standard Companies Inc., one of the guarantors, has as
its only significant assets all the outstanding common stock of
American Standard Inc., the issuer, and American Standard
International Inc., the other guarantor. Each guarantor will
fully and unconditionally guarantee the payment of principal,
premium, if any, and interest on the notes. The guarantees will
rank pari passu with other unsecured unsubordinated obligations
of each guarantor. As of September 30, 2005, neither of the
guarantors had any other unsecured unsubordinated obligations,
or any obligations that rank senior to the guarantees.
Restrictive Covenants
The issuer and guarantors have agreed to two principal
restrictions on their activities for the benefit of holders of
the notes. The restrictive covenants summarized below will apply
to the notes (unless waived or amended) as long as the notes are
outstanding. We have used in this summary description
capitalized terms that we have defined below under
Glossary.
The issuer and each guarantor will not, nor will any of them
permit any of their Subsidiaries to, create, incur, or permit to
exist, any Lien on any of their respective properties or assets,
whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or upon any income or
profits therefrom, in order to secure any Indebtedness of the
issuer or any guarantor, without effectively providing that the
notes shall be equally and ratably secured until such time as
such Indebtedness is no longer secured by such Lien, except:
|
|
|
(a) Liens existing as of April 1, 2005, the closing
date of the private placement of the outstanding notes; |
|
|
(b) Liens granted after April 1, 2005 on any assets or
properties of the issuer or a guarantor or any of their
Subsidiaries securing Indebtedness to the issuer of a guarantor
created in favor of the holders of such series; |
|
|
(c) Liens securing Indebtedness of the issuer or a
guarantor which is incurred to extend, renew or refinance
Indebtedness which is secured by Liens permitted to be incurred
under the indenture, provided that such Liens do not extend to
or cover any property or assets of the issuer or a guarantor or
any of their Subsidiaries other than the property or assets
securing the Indebtedness being refinanced and that the
principal amount of such Indebtedness does not exceed the
principal amount of the Indebtedness being refinanced; |
|
|
(d) Permitted Liens; and |
|
|
(e) Liens created in substitution of or as replacements for
any Liens permitted by the preceding clauses (a) through
(d), provided that, based on a good faith determination of an
officer of each of the issuer and each guarantor, the property
or asset encumbered under any such substitute or replacement
Lien is substantially similar in nature to the property or asset
encumbered by the otherwise permitted Lien which is being
replaced. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the issuer and the guarantors and
any Subsidiary may, without securing any series of notes,
create, incur or permit to exist Liens which would otherwise be
subject to the restrictions set forth in the preceding
paragraph, if after giving effect thereto and at the time of
determination, Exempted Debt does not exceed the greater of
(i) 15% of Consolidated Net Assets or
(ii) $250,000,000.
|
|
|
Limitation on Sale/ Leaseback Transactions |
The issuer and each guarantor will not, nor will any of them
permit any of their Subsidiaries to, enter into any sale and
lease-back transaction for the sale and leasing back of any
property or asset, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, of
the issuer or a guarantor or any of their Subsidiaries unless
(a) the issuer or guarantor or such Subsidiary would be
entitled under the Limitation on Liens covenant above to create,
incur or permit to exist a Lien on the assets to be leased in an
amount at least equal to the Attributable Liens in respect of
such transaction without equally and ratably securing the
notes, or
23
(b) the proceeds of the sale of the assets to be leased are
at least equal to their fair market value and the proceeds are
applied to the purchase or acquisition (or in the case of real
property, the construction) of assets or to the repayment of
Indebtedness of the issuer or a guarantor or a Subsidiary of the
issuer or a guarantor which by its terms matures not earlier
than one year after the date of such repayment.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the issuer, the guarantors and
their Subsidiaries are permitted to enter into sale and
leaseback transactions:
|
|
|
(1) entered into prior to April 1, 2005, or |
|
|
(2) for the sale and leasing back of any property or asset
by a Subsidiary of the issuer or guarantor to the issuer or
guarantor, or |
|
|
(3) involving leases for less than three years, or |
|
|
(4) in which the lease for the property or asset is entered
into within 120 days after the later of the date of
acquisition, completion of construction or commencement of full
operations of such property or asset. |
Glossary
Attributable Liens means in connection with a sale
and lease-back transaction, the lesser of (a) the fair
market value of the assets subject to such transaction and
(b) the present value (discounted at a rate per annum equal
to the average interest borne by all outstanding securities
issued under the indenture (which may include securities in
addition to the notes) determined on a weighted average basis
and compounded semiannually) of the obligations of the lessee
for rental payments during the term of the related lease.
Capital Lease means any Indebtedness represented by
a lease obligation of a person incurred with respect to real
property or equipment acquired or leased by such person and used
in its business that is required to be recorded as a capital
lease in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting
principles (GAAP).
Capital Stock of any person means any and all
shares, interests, participations, rights to purchase, warrants,
options or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate
stock or other equity of such person.
Consolidated Net Assets means as of any particular
time the aggregate amount of assets after deducting therefrom
all current liabilities except for (a) notes and loans
payable, (b) current maturities of long-term debt and
(c) current maturities of obligations under capital leases,
all as set forth on the most recent consolidated balance sheet
of American Standard Companies Inc. and its consolidated
Subsidiaries and computed in accordance with GAAP.
Exempted Debt means the sum of the following as of
the date of determination: (i) Indebtedness of the issuer
and each guarantor incurred after April 1, 2005 and secured
by Liens not otherwise permitted by the first sentence under
Limitation on Liens above, and
(ii) Attributable Liens of the issuer and each guarantor
and their Subsidiaries in respect of sale and lease-back
transactions entered into after April 1, 2005, other than
sale and lease-back transactions permitted by the limitation on
sale and lease-back transactions set forth under
Limitation on Sale and Lease-Back Transactions
above. For purposes of determining whether or not a sale and
lease-back transaction is permitted by
Limitation on Sale and Lease-Back Transactions, the
last paragraph under Limitation on Liens above
(creating an exception for Exempted Debt) will be disregarded.
Facility means the Five Year Credit Agreement dated
as of November 6, 2001, as amended on November 5,
2002, among American Standard Companies Inc., American Standard
Inc., certain Borrowing Subsidiaries (as defined in the
Facility), the lenders named in the Facility and JPMorgan Chase
Bank, N.A. as Administrative Agent, as such agreement may be
amended (including any amendment, restatement and successors
thereof), supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time,
including any increase in the principal amount of the
obligations under the Facility.
Indebtedness means, with respect to any person,
without duplication,
24
(1) any Obligation of such person relating to any
indebtedness of such person (A) for borrowed money (whether
or not the recourse of the lender is to the whole of the assets,
of such person or only to a portion thereof), (B) evidenced
by notes, debentures or similar instruments (including purchase
money obligations) given in connection with the acquisition of
any property or assets (other than trade accounts payable for
inventory or similar property acquired in the ordinary course of
business), including securities, for the payment of which such
person is liable, directly or indirectly, or the payment of
which is secured by a lien, charge or encumbrance on property or
assets of such person, (C) for goods, materials or services
purchased in the ordinary course of business (other than trade
accounts payable arising in the ordinary course of business),
(D) with respect to letters of credit or bankers
acceptances issued for the account of such person or
performance, surety or similar bonds, (E) for the payment
of money relating to a Capital Lease obligation or
(F) under interest rate swaps, caps or similar agreements
and foreign exchange contracts, currency swaps or similar
agreements;
(2) any liability of others of the kind described in the
preceding clause (1), which such person has guaranteed or
which is otherwise its legal liability; and
(3) any and all deferrals, renewals, extensions and
refunding of, or amendments, modifications or supplements to,
any liability of the kind described in any of the preceding
clauses (1) or (2).
Lien means any lien, security interest, charge or
encumbrance of any kind (including any conditional sale or other
title retention agreement, any lease in the nature thereof, and
any agreement to give any security interest).
Obligation of any person with respect to any
specified Indebtedness means any obligation of such person to
pay principal, premium, interest (including interest accruing on
or after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy or for
reorganization relating to such person, whether or not a claim
for such post-petition interest is allowed in such proceeding),
penalties, reimbursement or indemnification amounts, fees,
expense or other amounts relating to such Indebtedness.
Permitted Liens means (i) Liens securing
Indebtedness arising under the Facility and any initial or
subsequent renewal, extension, refinancing, replacement or
refunding thereof; (ii) Liens on accounts receivable,
merchandise, inventory, equipment, and patents, trademarks,
trade names and other intangibles, securing Indebtedness;
(iii) Liens on any asset of the issuer or a guarantor, any
Subsidiary, or any joint venture to which the issuer or a
guarantor or any of their Subsidiaries is a party, created
solely to secure obligations incurred to finance the
refurbishment, improvement or construction of such asset, which
obligations are incurred no later than 24 months after
completion of such refurbishment, improvement or construction,
and all renewals, extensions, refinancings, replacements or
refundings of such obligations; (iv)(a) Liens given to secure
the payment of the purchase price incurred in connection with
the acquisition (including acquisition through merger or
consolidation) of property (including shares of stock),
including Capital Lease transactions in connection with any such
acquisition, and (b) Liens existing on property at the time
of acquisition thereof or at the time of acquisition by the
issuer, a guarantor or a Subsidiary or any person then owning
such property whether or not such existing Liens were given to
secure the payment of the purchase price of the property to
which they attach; provided that, with respect to
clause (a), the Liens shall be given within 24 months
after such acquisition and shall attach solely to the property
acquired or purchased and any improvements then or thereafter
placed thereon; (v) Liens for taxes, assessments and
governmental charges or levies that are not yet delinquent, or
are delinquent, but the validity of which is being contested in
good faith; (vi) Liens in favor of customs and revenue
authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of
customs duties in connection with the importation of goods;
(vii) Liens upon specific items of inventory or other goods
and proceeds of any person securing such persons
obligations in respect of bankers acceptances issued or
created for the account of such person to facilitate the
purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or other goods;
(viii) Liens securing reimbursement obligations with
respect to letters of credit that encumber documents and other
property relating to such letters of credit and the products and
proceeds thereof; (ix) Liens on key-man life insurance
policies granted to secure Indebtedness of the issuer or a
guarantor against the cash surrender value thereof;
(x) Liens encumbering customary initial deposits and margin
deposits and other Liens in the ordinary course of business, in
each case securing Indebtedness of the
25
issuer or a guarantor under interest swap obligations and
currency agreements and forward contract, option, futures
contracts, futures options or similar agreements or arrangements
designed to protect the issuer or a guarantor or any of their
Subsidiaries from fluctuations in interest rates, currencies or
the price of commodities; (xi) Liens arising out of
conditional sale, title retention, consignment or similar
arrangements for the sale of goods entered into by the issuer or
a guarantor or any of their Subsidiaries in the ordinary course
of business; (xii) any mechanics, materialmens,
carriers or other similar lien arising in the ordinary
course of business (including construction of facilities) in
respect of obligations which are not yet due or which are being
contested in good faith, and (xiii) Liens in favor of the
issuer or a guarantor or any Subsidiary.
Subsidiary means a person (other than an individual)
at least a majority of the outstanding voting stock (or other
ownership interests) of which is owned or controlled, directly
or indirectly, by such other person, or by one or more
Subsidiaries, or by such person and one or more Subsidiaries.
For the purposes of this definition, voting stock
means stock (or other ownership interests) having voting power
for the election of directors, trustees or managers, as the case
may be, whether at all times or only so long as no senior class
of stock has such voting power by reason of any contingency.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
The issuer or a guarantor may, without the consent of the
holders of any outstanding notes, consolidate with or sell,
lease or convey all or substantially all of their assets to, or
merge with or into, any other entity provided that:
|
|
|
(a) either the issuer or the relevant guarantor, as the
case may be, shall be the continuing entity, or the successor
entity formed by or resulting from any such consolidation or
merger or which shall have received the transfer of such assets
is organized under the laws of any domestic jurisdiction and
expressly assumes the guarantors and/or the issuers
obligations to pay principal of (and premium, if any) and
interest on all of the notes and the due and punctual
performance and observance of all of the covenants and
conditions contained in the indenture; |
|
|
(b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no
event of default under the indenture and no event which, after
notice or the lapse of time, or both, would become such an Event
of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and |
|
|
(c) an officers certificate and legal opinion
covering certain of such conditions shall be delivered to the
trustee. |
Events of Default
The following are events of default with respect to the notes:
|
|
|
|
|
failure to pay interest on the notes for 30 days when due; |
|
|
|
failure to pay principal of or any premium on the notes when due; |
|
|
|
failure to comply with any covenant or agreement in the notes or
the indenture (other than an agreement or covenant that has been
included in the indenture solely for the benefit of other series
of debt securities issued under the indenture) for 90 days
after written notice by the trustee or by the holders of at
least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities
issued under the indenture that are affected by that failure; |
|
|
|
specified events involving bankruptcy, insolvency or
reorganization of the issuer or the guarantors. |
A default under the notes will not necessarily be a default
under any other series of debt securities issued under the
indenture. The trustee may withhold notice to the holders of the
notes of any default or event of default (except in any payment
on the notes) if the trustee considers it in the interest of the
holders to do so.
If an event of default for the notes occurs and is continuing,
the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount
of the outstanding notes (or, in some cases, 25% in principal
amount of all debt securities issued under the indenture that
are affected, voting as one class) may declare the principal of
and all accrued
26
and unpaid interest on those notes (or debt securities) to be
due and payable. If an event of default relating to certain
events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occurs, the
principal of and interest on all the debt securities issued
under the indenture, including the notes, will become
immediately due and payable without any action on the part of
the trustee or any holder. The holders of a majority in
principal amount of the outstanding notes (or, in some cases, of
all debt securities issued under the indenture that are
affected, voting as one class) may in some cases rescind this
accelerated payment requirement.
A holder of a note may pursue any remedy under the indenture
only if:
|
|
|
|
|
the holder gives the trustee written notice of a continuing
event of default; |
|
|
|
the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the
outstanding notes make a written request to the trustee to
pursue the remedy; |
|
|
|
the holders offer to the trustee indemnity satisfactory to the
trustee; |
|
|
|
the trustee fails to act for a period of 60 days after
receipt of the request and offer of indemnity; and |
|
|
|
during that 60-day period, the holders of a majority in
principal amount of the notes do not give the trustee a
direction inconsistent with the request. |
This provision does not, however, affect the right of a holder
of a note to sue for enforcement of any overdue payment.
In most cases, holders of a majority in principal amount of the
outstanding (or of all debt securities issued under the
indenture that are affected, voting as one class) may direct the
time, method and place of:
|
|
|
|
|
conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the
trustee; and |
|
|
|
exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee relating
to or arising as a result of an event of default. |
The indenture requires the issuer and the guarantors to file
each year with the trustee a written statement as to their
compliance with the covenants contained in the indenture.
Modification and Waiver
The indenture may be amended or supplemented if the holders of a
majority in principal amount of the outstanding notes and all
other series of debt securities issued under the indenture that
are affected by the amendment or supplement (acting as one
class) consent to it. Without the consent of each holder of a
note, however, no modification may:
|
|
|
|
|
reduce the amount of notes whose holders must consent to an
amendment, supplement or waiver; |
|
|
|
reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest on
the note; |
|
|
|
reduce the principal of the note or change its stated maturity; |
|
|
|
reduce any premium payable on the redemption of the note or
change the time at which the note may be redeemed; |
|
|
|
make payments on the notes payable in currency other than
U.S. dollars; |
|
|
|
impair the holders right to institute suit for the
enforcement of any payment on or with respect to the note; |
|
|
|
make any change in the percentage of principal amount of notes
necessary to waive compliance with certain provisions of the
indenture or to make any change in the provision related to
modification; or |
|
|
|
waive a continuing default or event of default regarding any
payment on the notes. |
27
The indenture may be amended or supplemented or any provision of
the indenture may be waived without the consent of any holders
of notes in certain circumstances, including:
|
|
|
|
|
to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency; |
|
|
|
to provide for the assumption of the obligations under the
indenture of the issuer or a guarantor by a successor upon any
merger, consolidation or asset transfer permitted under the
indenture; |
|
|
|
to provide for uncertificated notes in addition to or in place
of certificated notes or to provide for bearer notes; |
|
|
|
to provide any security for or any guarantees of the notes or
the related guarantees; |
|
|
|
to comply with any requirement to effect or maintain the
qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of
1939; |
|
|
|
to add covenants that would benefit the holders of the notes or
to surrender any rights the issuer or a guarantor has under the
indenture; |
|
|
|
to add events of default with respect to the notes; and |
|
|
|
to make any change that does not adversely affect any
outstanding notes in any material respect. |
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding
notes (or, in some cases, of all debt securities issued under
the indenture that are affected, voting as one class) may waive
compliance with any provision in the indenture in any particular
instance, and may waive any existing or past default or event of
default with respect to the notes (or debt securities). Those
holders may not, however, waive any default or event of default
in any payment on any note or compliance with a provision that
cannot be amended or supplemented without the consent of each
holder affected.
Defeasance
When we use the term defeasance, we mean discharge from some or
all of our obligations under the indenture. If any combination
of funds or government securities are deposited with the trustee
sufficient to make payments on the notes on the dates those
payments are due and payable, then, at the issuers option,
either of the following will occur:
|
|
|
|
|
the issuer and the guarantors will be discharged from their
obligations with respect to the notes and the related guarantees
(legal defeasance); or |
|
|
|
the issuer and the guarantors will no longer have any obligation
to comply with the restrictive covenants, the merger covenant
and other specified covenants under the indenture, and the
related events of default will no longer apply (covenant
defeasance). |
If the notes are defeased, the holders of the notes will not be
entitled to the benefits of the indenture, except for
obligations to register the transfer or exchange of notes,
replace stolen, lost or mutilated notes or maintain paying
agencies and hold moneys for payment in trust. In the case of
covenant defeasance, the obligation of the issuer to pay
principal, premium and interest on the notes and the
guarantors guarantees of the payments will also survive.
We will be required to deliver to the trustee an opinion of
counsel that the deposit and related defeasance would not cause
the holders of the notes to recognize income, gain or loss for
U.S. federal income tax purposes. If we elect legal
defeasance, that opinion of counsel must be based upon a ruling
from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or a change in law
to that effect.
Governing Law
New York law governs the indenture and the notes.
28
Trustee
The Bank of New York is the trustee under the indenture. The
Bank of New York also serves as the exchange agent in this
exchange offer, and as trustee and custodian relating to other
series of our debt securities. The Bank of New York and its
affiliates perform certain commercial banking services for us
for which they receive customary fees and are lenders under
various outstanding credit facilities of subsidiaries of
American Standard Companies Inc.
If an event of default occurs under the indenture and is
continuing, the trustee will be required to use the degree of
care and skill of a prudent person in the conduct of his own
affairs. The trustee will become obligated to exercise any of
its powers under the indenture at the request of any of the
holders of the notes only after those holders have offered the
trustee indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it.
The indenture contains limitations on the right of the trustee,
if it becomes a creditor of the issuer or a guarantor, to obtain
payment of claims or to realize on certain property received for
any such claim, as security or otherwise. The trustee is
permitted to engage in other transactions with the issuer or a
guarantor. If, however, it acquires any conflicting interest, it
must eliminate that conflict or resign within 90 days after
ascertaining that it has a conflicting interest and after the
occurrence of a default under the indenture, unless the default
has been cured, waived or otherwise eliminated within the 90-day
period.
Book-Entry, Delivery and Form
The notes initially will be represented by one or more notes in
registered, global form without interest coupons (collectively,
the Global Notes). The Global Notes will be
deposited upon issuance with the trustee as custodian for The
Depository Trust Company (DTC), in New York, New
York, and registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, in each
case for credit to the account of direct or indirect
participants in DTC as described below.
Except as set forth below, the Global Notes may be transferred,
in whole and not in part, only to another nominee of DTC or to a
successor of DTC or its nominee. Beneficial interests in the
Global Notes may not be exchanged for notes in certificated form
except in the limited circumstances described below. See
Exchange of Global Notes for Certificated
Notes. In addition, transfers of beneficial interests in
the Global Notes will be subject to the applicable rules and
procedures of DTC and its direct or indirect participants, which
may change from time to time.
Depository Procedures
DTC has advised us that DTC is a limited-purpose trust company
created to hold securities for its participating organizations
(collectively, the Participants) and to facilitate
the clearance and settlement of transactions in those securities
between Participants through electronic book-entry changes in
accounts of its Participants. The Participants include
securities brokers and dealers (including the initial
purchasers), banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and
certain other organizations. Access to DTCs system is also
available to other entities such as banks, brokers, dealers and
trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial
relationship with a Participant, either directly or indirectly
(collectively, the Indirect Participants). Persons
who are not Participants may beneficially own securities held by
or on behalf of DTC only through the Participants or the
Indirect Participants.
The ownership interests in, and transfers of ownership interests
in, each security held by or on behalf of DTC are recorded on
the records of the Participants and Indirect Participants.
DTC has also advised us that, pursuant to procedures established
by it:
|
|
|
(1) upon deposit of the Global Notes, DTC will credit the
accounts of Participants designated by the initial purchasers
with portions of the principal amount of the Global
Notes; and |
|
|
(2) ownership of these interests in the Global Notes will
be shown on, and the transfer of ownership of these interests
will be effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with
respect to the |
29
|
|
|
Participants) or by the Participants and the Indirect
Participants (with respect to other owners of beneficial
interest in the Global Notes). |
Investors in the Global Notes who are Participants in DTCs
system may hold their interests therein directly through DTC.
Investors in the Global Notes who are not Participants may hold
their interests therein indirectly through organizations which
are Participants in such system. The laws of some states require
that certain persons take physical delivery in definitive form
of securities that they own. Consequently, the ability to
transfer beneficial interests in a Global Note to such persons
will be limited to that extent. Because DTC can act only on
behalf of Participants, which in turn act on behalf of Indirect
Participants, the ability of a person having beneficial
interests in a Global Note to pledge such interests to persons
that do not participate in the DTC system, or otherwise take
actions in respect of such interests, may be affected by the
lack of a physical certificate evidencing such interests.
Except as described below, owners of interests in the Global
Notes will not have notes registered in their names, will not
receive physical delivery of notes in certificated form and will
not be considered the registered owners or holders
thereof under the indenture for any purpose.
Payments in respect of the principal of, and interest and
premium, if any, on a Global Note registered in the name of DTC
or its nominee will be payable to DTC in its capacity as the
registered holder under the indenture. Under the terms of the
indenture, we and the trustee will treat the persons in whose
names the notes, including the Global Notes, are registered as
the owners of the notes for the purpose of receiving payments
and for all other purposes. Consequently, neither we, the
trustee nor any agent of ours or the trustee has or will have
any responsibility or liability for:
|
|
|
(1) any aspect of DTCs records or any
Participants or Indirect Participants records
relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership
interests in the Global Notes or for maintaining, supervising or
reviewing any of DTCs records or any Participants or
Indirect Participants records relating to the beneficial
ownership interests in the Global Notes; or |
|
|
(2) any other matter relating to the actions and practices
of DTC or any of its Participants or Indirect Participants. |
DTC has advised us that its current practice, upon receipt of
any payment in respect of securities such as the notes
(including principal and interest), is to credit the accounts of
the relevant Participants with the payment on the payment date.
Each relevant participant is credited with an amount
proportionate to its beneficial ownership of an interest in the
principal amount of the relevant security as shown on the
records of DTC. Payments by the Participants and the Indirect
Participants to the beneficial owners of notes will be governed
by standing instructions and customary practices and will be the
responsibility of the Participants or the Indirect Participants
and will not be the responsibility of DTC, the trustee or
American Standard. Neither we nor the trustee will be liable for
any delay by DTC or any of its Participants in identifying the
beneficial owners of the notes and we and the trustee may
conclusively rely on and will be protected in relying on
instructions from DTC or its nominee for all purposes.
Transfers between Participants in DTC will be effected in
accordance with DTCs procedures, and will be settled in
same-day funds.
DTC has advised us that it will take any action permitted to be
taken by a holder of the notes only at the direction of one or
more Participants to whose account DTC has credited the
interests in the Global Notes and only in respect of such
portion of the aggregate principal amount of the notes as to
which such Participant or Participants has or have given such
direction. However, if there is an event of default under the
notes, DTC reserves the right to exchange the Global Notes for
notes in certificated form, and to distribute such notes to its
Participants.
30
Exchange of Global Notes for Certificated Notes
A Global Note is exchangeable for definitive notes in registered
certificated form (Certificated Notes) if:
|
|
|
|
|
we advise the trustee in writing that DTC is no longer willing
or able to discharge its responsibilities properly or that DTC
is no longer a registered clearing agency under the Exchange
Act, and the trustee or we are unable to locate a qualified
successor within 90 days; |
|
|
|
an event of default has occurred and is continuing under the
indenture; or |
|
|
|
we, at our option, elect to terminate the book-entry system
through DTC. |
In all cases, Certificated Notes delivered in exchange for any
Global Note or beneficial interests in Global Notes will be
registered in the names, and issued in any approved
denominations, requested by or on behalf of the depository (in
accordance with its customary procedures).
Same Day Settlement and Payment
We will make payments in respect of the notes represented by the
Global Notes by wire transfer of immediately available funds to
the accounts specified by the holders of the Global Notes. We
will make all payments with respect to Certificated Notes by
wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts
specified by the holders of the Certificated Notes or, if no
such account is specified, by mailing a check to each such
holders registered address. The note represented by the
Global Notes are expected to trade in DTCs Same-Day Funds
Settlement System, and any permitted secondary market trading
activity in the notes will, therefore, be required by DTC to be
settled in immediately available funds. We expect that secondary
trading in any Certificated Notes will also be settled in
immediately available funds.
MATERIAL FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
In this section we summarize the material U.S. federal
income tax considerations relevant to the exchange of your
outstanding notes for exchange notes in the exchange offer and
the ownership and disposition of exchange notes by an individual
or entity who or that purchased notes in the offering for cash
at original issue and holds the exchange notes as capital assets
for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code. This summary does not
purport to be a complete analysis of all potential tax
considerations relating to the exchange or the exchange notes.
The Code contains rules relating to securities held by special
categories of holders, including financial institutions, certain
insurance companies, broker-dealers, tax-exempt organizations,
traders in securities that elect to mark-to-market, investors
liable for the alternative minimum tax, investors that hold
shares as part of a straddle or a hedging or conversion
transaction, and investors whose functional currency is not the
U.S. dollar. We do not discuss these rules and holders who
are in special categories should consult their own tax advisors.
This discussion is based on the current provisions of:
|
|
|
|
|
the Code and the U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated
thereunder; |
|
|
|
the administrative policies published by the IRS; and |
|
|
|
judicial decisions; |
|
|
|
all of which are subject to change either prospectively or
retroactively. |
We do not discuss any aspect of U.S. state or local,
foreign or other tax laws, including gift and estate tax laws,
that may apply. Therefore, you should consult your own tax
advisor regarding the specific tax consequences of your own
exchange of notes or of owning, or disposing of the exchange
notes.
We have not sought and do not expect to seek any rulings from
the IRS on the matters discussed in this section. The IRS may
take a different position on the tax consequences of the
exchange of your outstanding
31
notes for exchange notes in the exchange offer and of the
ownership or disposition of the exchange notes, and that
position may be sustained.
We refer to you as a U.S. holder if you are:
|
|
|
|
|
an individual or entity who or that is, for purposes of the
Code, a citizen or resident in the U.S.; |
|
|
|
a corporation or other entity treated as a corporation for
U.S. federal income tax purposes created or organized under
the laws of the U.S. or any political subdivision of the
U.S.; |
|
|
|
an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal
income taxation regardless of its source; |
|
|
|
a trust which either (1) is subject to supervision of a
court within the U.S. and the control of one or more
U.S. persons, or (2) has elected to be treated as a
U.S. person; or |
|
|
|
otherwise subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net
income basis on the notes. |
We refer to persons who or that are not
U.S. holders as
non-U.S. holders.
If a partnership holds notes, the tax treatment of a partner in
the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the
partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a
partner of a partnership holding our notes, you should consult
your tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the exchange
of old notes for exchange notes and ownership and disposition of
the exchange notes.
U.S. Holders
Exchange Offer. As a U.S. holder, you will not
recognize taxable gain or loss from exchanging outstanding notes
for exchange notes in the exchange offer. The holding period of
the exchange notes will include the holding period of the
outstanding notes that are exchanged for the exchange notes. The
adjusted tax basis of the exchange notes will be the same as the
adjusted tax basis of the outstanding notes exchanged for the
exchange notes immediately before the exchange.
Interest. If you are a U.S. holder, the stated
interest on the exchange notes generally will be taxable to you
as ordinary income at the time that it is paid or accrued, in
accordance with your method of accounting for U.S. federal
income tax purposes.
Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of an Exchange
Note. As a U.S. holder, you will recognize gain or loss
on the sale, retirement, redemption or other taxable disposition
of an exchange note in an amount equal to the difference between
(1) the amount of cash and the fair market value of other
property received in exchange for the exchange note, other than
amounts for accrued but unpaid stated interest, which will be
taxable as ordinary income to the extent not previously included
in income, and (2) your adjusted tax basis in the exchange
note. Any gain or loss recognized will generally be capital gain
or loss. The capital gain or loss will generally be long-term
capital gain or loss if you have held the exchange note for more
than one year. Otherwise, the capital gain or loss will be a
short-term capital gain or loss. The deductibility of capital
losses is subject to limitations.
Liquidated Damages. We intend to take the position that
any liquidated damages payable on a failure to meet our
registration obligations will be taxable to you as ordinary
income when received or accrued in accordance with your method
of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This
position is based in part on the assumption that, as of the date
of issuance of the notes, the possibility that liquidated
damages would have to be paid was a remote or
incidental contingency within the meaning of
applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations. Our determination
that such possibility was a remote or incidental contingency is
binding on you, unless you explicitly disclose that you are
taking a different position to the IRS on your tax return for
the year during which you acquire the note. The IRS, however,
may take a different position, which could affect the timing and
character of your income and our deduction with respect to
payments of liquidated damages.
Optional Redemption. We, at our option, are entitled to
redeem all or a portion of the exchange notes.
U.S. Treasury Regulations contain special rules for
determining the yield to maturity and maturity date on a
32
debt instrument in the event the debt instrument provides for a
contingency that could result in the acceleration or deferral of
one or more payments. We believe that under these rules the
redemption provisions of the exchange notes should not affect
the computation of the yield to maturity or maturity date of the
exchange notes.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting. As a
U.S. holder, you may be subject to information reporting
and possible backup withholding. If applicable, backup
withholding would apply to payments of interest on, or the
proceeds of a sale, exchange, redemption, retirement, or other
disposition of, an exchange note, unless you (1) are a
corporation or come within other exempt categories and, when
required, demonstrate this fact or (2) provide us or our
agent with your taxpayer identification number, certify as to no
loss of exemption from backup withholding, and otherwise comply
with the backup withholding rules.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax but, rather, is a
method of tax collection. You generally will be entitled to
credit any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules
against your U.S. federal income tax liability provided
that the required information is furnished to the IRS in a
timely manner.
Non-U.S. Holders
Interest. If you are a non-U.S. holder, interest
paid to you on the exchange notes will not be subject to
U.S. federal withholding tax if:
|
|
|
|
|
you do not actually or constructively own 10% or more of the
total combined voting power of all classes of our stock; |
|
|
|
you are not a controlled foreign corporation for
U.S. federal income tax purposes that is related to us,
directly or indirectly, through stock ownership; |
|
|
|
you are not a bank that holds the exchange note on an extension
of credit made under a loan agreement entered into in the
ordinary course of your trade or business; and |
|
|
|
either (1) you, as the beneficial owner of the exchange
note, provide us or our agent with a statement, on
U.S. Treasury Form W-8BEN or a suitable substitute form,
signed under penalties of perjury that includes your name and
address and certifies that you are not a U.S. person or
(2) an exemption is otherwise established. If you hold your
exchange notes through certain foreign intermediaries or certain
foreign partnerships, such foreign intermediaries or
partnerships must also satisfy the certification requirements of
applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations. |
If these requirements are not met, you will be subject to
U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% on interest payments
on the exchange notes unless you provide us with a properly
executed and updated (1) U.S. Treasury
Form W-8BEN (or successor form) claiming an exemption from
or reduction in withholding under the benefit of an applicable
U.S. income tax treaty or (2) U.S. Treasury
Form W-8ECI (or successor form) stating that the interest
paid on the exchange note is not subject to withholding tax
because it is effectively connected with the conduct of a
U.S. trade or business.
In the event we are required to pay liquidated damages on the
notes, as described above in U.S. Holders
Liquidated Damages, the tax treatment of such payment
should be the same as other interest payments received by a
Non-U.S. Holder. However, the IRS may treat such payments
as other than interest, in which case they would be subject to
U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30%, unless the holder
qualifies for a reduced rate of tax or an exemption under an
applicable U.S. income tax treaty.
If you are engaged in a trade or business in the U.S. and
interest on an exchange note is effectively connected with your
conduct of that trade or business, you will be required to pay
U.S. federal income tax on that interest on a net income
basis (although payments to you will be exempt from the 30%
U.S. federal withholding tax, provided the certification
requirements described above are satisfied) in the same manner
as if you were a U.S. person as defined under the
U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
If you are eligible for the benefit of a tax treaty, effectively
connected income generally will be subject to U.S. federal
income tax only if it is attributable to a permanent
establishment in the U.S. In addition, if you
33
are a foreign corporation, you may be required to pay a branch
profits tax equal to 30% (or lower rate as may be prescribed
under an applicable U.S. income tax treaty) of your
earnings and profits for the taxable year, subject to
adjustments, that are effectively connected with your conduct of
a trade or business in the U.S., provided the required
information is properly furnished to the IRS.
Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of an Exchange
Note. As a non-U.S. holder, gain realized by you on the
sale, exchange or redemption of an exchange note (except, in the
case of redemptions, with respect to accrued and unpaid
interest, which would be taxable as described above) generally
will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax.
However, gain will be subject to U.S. federal income tax if
(1) the gain is effectively connected with your conduct of
a trade or business in the U.S., (2) you are an individual
who is present in the U.S. for a total of 183 days or
more during the taxable year in which the gain is realized and
other conditions are satisfied, or (3) you are subject to
tax under U.S. tax laws that apply to certain
U.S. expatriates. If you are described in clause (1)
above, you generally will be required to pay U.S. federal
income tax on the net gain derived from the sale. If you are a
corporation, then you may be required to pay a branch profits
tax at a 30% rate (or such lower rate as may be prescribed under
an applicable U.S. income tax treaty) on any such
effectively connected gain. If you are described in
clause (2) above, you will be subject to a flat 30% United
States federal income tax on the gain derived from the sale,
which may be offset by United States source capital losses,
even though you are not considered a resident of the United
States. If you are a holder described in clause (3) above,
you should consult your tax advisor to determine the
U.S. federal, state, local and other tax consequences that
may be relevant to you.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting. The amount
of any interest paid to, and the tax withheld with respect to, a
non-U.S. holder, must generally be reported annually to the
IRS and to such non-U.S. holder, regardless of whether any
tax was actually withheld.
Payments on the exchange notes made by us or our paying agent to
noncorporate non-U.S. holders may be subject to information
reporting and possibly to backup withholding. Information
reporting and backup withholding generally do not apply,
however, to payments made by us or our paying agent on an
exchange note if we (1) have received from you the
U.S. Treasury Form W-8BEN or a suitable substitute
form as described above under
Non-U.S. Holders-Interest, or otherwise
establish an exemption and (2) do not have actual knowledge
or have reason to know that you are a U.S. holder.
Payment of proceeds from a sale of an exchange note to or
through the U.S. office of a broker is subject to
information reporting and backup withholding unless you certify
as to your non-U.S. status or otherwise establish an
exemption from information reporting and backup withholding and
the broker does not have actual knowledge or have reason to know
that you are a U.S. holder. Payment outside the
U.S. of the proceeds of the sale of an exchange note to or
through a foreign office of a broker, as defined in
the applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations, should not be
subject to information reporting or backup withholding. However,
U.S. information reporting, but not backup withholding,
generally will apply to a payment made outside the U.S. of
the proceeds of a sale of an exchange note through an office
outside the U.S. of a broker if the broker:
|
|
|
|
|
is a U.S. person; |
|
|
|
is a foreign person who derives 50% or more of its gross income
from the conduct of a U.S. trade or business; |
|
|
|
is a controlled foreign corporation for
U.S. federal income tax purposes; or |
|
|
|
is a foreign partnership, if at any time during its taxable
year, one or more of its partners are U.S. persons, as
defined in U.S. Treasury Regulations, who in the aggregate
hold more than 50% of the income or capital interest in the
partnership or if, at any time during its taxable year, the
foreign partnership is engaged in a U.S. trade or business. |
However, information reporting will not apply if (1) you
certify as to your non-U.S. status or the broker has
documentary evidence in its records that you are a
non-U.S. holder, and certain other conditions are met or
(2) an exemption is otherwise established.
34
Any amounts withheld from a payment to you under the backup
withholding rules of the U.S. Treasury Regulations will be
allowed as a refund or credit against your U.S. federal
income tax liability, provided that you follow the requisite
procedures.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
Each broker-dealer that receives exchange notes for its own
account under the exchange offer must acknowledge that it will
deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of those
notes. This prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented
from time to time, may be used by a broker-dealer for resales of
exchange notes received in exchange for outstanding notes that
had been acquired as a result of market-making or other trading
activities. We have agreed that, for a period of 180 days
after the expiration of the exchange offer, we will make this
prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented, available to
any broker-dealer for use in connection with any such resale.
Any broker-dealers required to use this prospectus and any
amendments or supplements to this prospectus for resales of the
exchange notes must notify us of this fact by checking the box
on the letter of transmittal requesting additional copies of
these documents.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we are entitled under the
registration rights agreement to suspend the use of this
prospectus by broker-dealers under specified circumstances. For
example, we may suspend the use of this prospectus if:
|
|
|
|
|
the SEC or any state securities authority requests an amendment
or supplement to this prospectus or the related registration
statement or additional information; |
|
|
|
the SEC or any state securities authority issues any stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the registration statement or
initiates proceedings for that purpose; |
|
|
|
we receive notification of the suspension of the qualification
of the exchange notes for sale in any U.S. jurisdiction or
the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose; |
|
|
|
the suspension is required by law; |
|
|
|
the suspension is taken by us in good faith and for a valid
business reason, including the possible acquisition or
divestiture of assets or a material corporate transaction or
event; or |
|
|
|
an event occurs which makes any statement in this prospectus
untrue in any material respect or which constitutes an omission
to state a material fact in this prospectus. |
If we suspend the use of this prospectus, the 180-day period
referred to above will be extended by a number of days equal to
the period of the suspension.
We will not receive any proceeds from any sale of exchange notes
by broker-dealers. Exchange notes received by broker-dealers for
their own account under the exchange offer may be sold from time
to time in one or more transactions
|
|
|
|
|
in the over-the-counter market; |
|
|
|
in negotiated transactions; |
|
|
|
through the writing of options on those notes; or |
|
|
|
through a combination of those methods of resale; |
at market prices prevailing at the time of resale, at prices
related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. Any
resales may be made directly to purchasers or to or through
brokers or dealers who may receive compensation in the form of
commissions or concessions from the selling broker-dealer or the
purchasers of the exchange notes. Any broker-dealer that resells
exchange notes received by it for its own account under the
exchange offer and any broker or dealer that participates in a
distribution of the exchange notes may be deemed to be an
underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act
and any profit on any resale of exchange notes and any
commissions or concessions received by these persons may be
deemed to be underwriting compensation under the Securities Act.
The letter of transmittal states that, by acknowledging
35
that it will deliver and by delivering a prospectus, a
broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an
underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act.
We have agreed to pay all expenses incidental to the exchange
offer, including the expenses of one counsel for the holders of
the outstanding notes, other than commissions or concessions of
any brokers or dealers and will indemnify holders of the
exchange notes, including any broker-dealers, against certain
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act or
contribute to payments that they may be required to make in
request thereof.
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity and enforceability of the exchange notes and the
guarantees offered hereby will be passed upon for us by
McDermott Will & Emery LLP, Chicago, Illinois.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of American Standard
Companies Inc. appearing in American Standard Companies
Inc.s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended
December 31, 2004 (including schedules appearing therein),
and American Standard Companies Inc. managements
assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over
financial reporting as of December 31, 2004 included
therein, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP,
independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in
their reports thereon, therein, and incorporated herein by
reference. Such consolidated financial statements, schedules and
managements assessment are incorporated herein by
reference in reliance upon such reports given on the authority
of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
36
American Standard Inc.
Offer To Exchange
$200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of
51/2% Senior
Notes due 2015,
which have been registered under the Securities Act (CUSIP
No. 029717 AQ8),
for any and all
outstanding, unregistered
51/2% Senior
Notes due 2015
(CUSIP Nos. 029717 AP0, U02971 AC0)
Guaranteed by
American Standard Companies Inc.
and
American Standard International Inc.
PROSPECTUS
November 4, 2005
The Exchange Agent for the Exchange Offer is:
The Bank of New York
Corporate Trust Operations
Reorganization Unit
101 Barclay Street 7 East
New York, New York 10286
Attn: Randolph Holder
Facsimile: (212) 298-1915
Until 90 days after the date of this prospectus, all
dealers that effect transactions in the exchange notes, whether
or not participating in the exchange offer, may be required to
deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers
obligations to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters
and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.