| . |
. |
|
7th
September 2007 - Delphi
Announces Definitive Settlement With General Motors and Plan of
Reorganization
Delphi Corp. announced it has signed definitive
settlement and restructuring agreements with General Motors
Corp. (GM) and will file its proposed Joint Plan of
Reorganization and related Disclosure Statement with the U.S.
Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York later
today. Copies of these documents, which remain subject to
approval by the Bankruptcy Court as part of the reorganization
plan confirmation process, will be posted on
www.delphidocket.com
later today.
Delphi's comprehensive settlement with GM resolves all
outstanding issues between Delphi and GM including: litigation
commenced in March 2006, by Delphi, to terminate certain supply
agreements with GM; all potential claims and disputes with GM
arising out of the separation of Delphi from GM in 1999; certain
post-separation claims and disputes between Delphi and GM; the
proofs of claim filed by GM against Delphi in Delphi's Chapter
11 cases; GM's treatment under Delphi's proposed plan of
reorganization; and various other legacy and ordinary course
business matters between the companies.
The proposed Plan and related Disclosure Statement includes
detailed information regarding the treatment of claims and
interests, the company's five-year business plan, events leading
up to and during Delphi's Chapter 11 cases, and an outline of
the plan investor agreement and rights offering. Delphi's
emergence timetable calls for the company to obtain exit
financing commitments early in the fourth quarter of 2007. The
proposed plan also outlines Delphi's transformation centering
around five core areas:
| ▪ |
Agreements reached with all principal U.S. labor unions
which create a competitive arena in which to conduct its
business; |
| ▪ |
Agreements with General Motors outlining its financial
support for certain legacy and labor costs and certain future
business commitments to Delphi; |
| ▪ |
Delphi's future product portfolio and manufacturing
footprint; |
| ▪ |
Delphi's planned transformation of its salaried workforce
and progress in reducing SG&A to support its realigned
portfolio; and |
| ▪ |
Delphi's plans to fund its U.S. defined benefit programs. |
"Today's filing of Delphi's Plan of Reorganization and
Disclosure Statement is a significant milestone for our
company," said Rodney O'Neal, Delphi CEO and president. "Each of
the numerous moving pieces to our transformation are coming
together. In recent months, we have announced a new equity
investment agreement with our Plan Investors and agreed on
consensual distributions with our Statutory Committees for both
our creditors and equity holders. Additionally, we completed our
labor transformation with our six U.S. unions, settled complex
multi-district ERISA and securities litigation, and finalized
comprehensive settlement and restructuring agreements with GM.
While achieving these transformation objectives, we also
continued to support our customers and deliver operational
excellence every step of the way. Delphi has made great progress
toward its stated transformation goals and is intensely focused
on completing the remaining items in order to successfully
emerge from Chapter 11 as a more competitive technology leader."
PLAN OF REORGANIZATION FRAMEWORK
Delphi's plan of reorganization (the "Plan") is based upon a
series of global settlements and compromises that involve every
major group of constituents in Delphi's reorganization cases,
including: Delphi, its principal U.S. labor unions, GM, the
statutory creditors' and equity holders' committees appointed in
Delphi's Chapter 11 cases and the lead plaintiffs in certain
securities and ERISA multidistrict litigation. The Plan provides
for a recovery through a plan distribution of reorganized Delphi
common stock and cash amounting to the principal amount of the
claim plus accrued interest at a negotiated plan value for
general unsecured creditors, and agreed upon distributions to
other classes of creditors and interests. GM will receive a $2.7
billion cash distribution in satisfaction of certain of its
claims against Delphi. As part of the settlement of the
multidistrict ERISA and securities litigation, distributions
will be made under three plan classes using plan currency in the
same form, ratio, and treatment as what will be used to satisfy
the holders of general unsecured claims. Allowed claims and
interests for these three plan classes total $24.5 million for
the ERISA plan class and a total of $204 million for the debt
securities class and the common stock securities class. Holders
of existing Delphi common stock will receive a distribution of
shares of reorganized Delphi, five-year warrants exercisable to
purchase shares of reorganized Delphi, and transferable and
non-transferable subscription rights to purchase shares of
reorganized Delphi.
The settlements embodied by the Plan feature rights offerings
that will be conducted after confirmation of the Plan and which
will allow Delphi's common stockholders, who are holders of
shares of Delphi common stock as of the date when the
Confirmation Hearing commences, to purchase, (i) through the
exercise of transferable rights, approximately 28 percent of the
common stock of reorganized Delphi at a discount to the
negotiated plan value, and (ii) through the exercise of
non-transferable rights, up to $572 million worth of shares (in
the aggregate) of reorganized Delphi at the negotiated plan
enterprise value price of $45.00 per share.
The rights offerings are expected to commence following
confirmation of Delphi's plan of reorganization and conclude 30
days thereafter prior to Delphi's emergence from Chapter 11
reorganization. The rights will be issued only to those
individuals who are holders of Delphi's existing common stock as
of the date the Confirmation Hearing commences and after the
Bankruptcy Court has confirmed the company's Plan and the SEC
has approved Delphi's registration statement for the Rights
Offerings.
LABOR TRANSFORMATION
Delphi previously negotiated and signed Memoranda of
Understanding with each of its six U.S. unions and GM covering
site plans, workforce transition as well as other comprehensive
transformational issues. In addition, pursuant to the previously
announced attrition agreements, over 24,000 employees
voluntarily retired, accepted buy outs or opted to flow back to
GM within provisions of negotiated attrition plans. Delphi will
continue to own and operate four UAW-represented sites, three
IUE-CWA-represented sites and one USW-represented site.
Additionally, 25 North American sites will be sold or closed.
GM SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS
Pursuant to the company's Plan, subject to Bankruptcy Court
approval as part of the plan confirmation process, Delphi and GM
have entered into comprehensive settlement agreements consisting
of a Global Settlement Agreement (the "GSA") and a Master
Restructuring Agreement (the "MRA"). Most obligations set forth
in the GSA are to be performed upon the occurrence of the
Effective Date of the Plan or as soon as reasonably possible
after. By contrast, resolution of most of the matters addressed
in the MRA will require a significantly longer period that will
extend for a number of years after confirmation of the Plan.
The GSA is intended to resolve outstanding issues among
Delphi and GM that have arisen or may arise before Delphi's
emergence from Chapter 11, and will be implemented by Delphi and
GM in the short term. The GSA addresses, among other things,
commitments by Delphi and GM regarding OPEB and pension
obligations, other GM contributions with respect to labor
matters, releases, and claims treatment.
| ▪ |
GM will make significant contributions to cover costs
associated with certain post-retirement benefits for certain
of the company's active and retired hourly employees,
including health care and life insurance; |
| ▪ |
Delphi will freeze its Hourly Pension Plan as soon as
possible following the Effective Date, as provided in the
union settlement agreements, and GM's Hourly Pension Plan will
become responsible for certain future costs related to
Delphi's Hourly Pension Plan; |
| ▪ |
Delphi will transfer certain assets and liabilities of its
Hourly Pension Plan to the GM Hourly Pension Plan, as set
forth in the union term sheets; |
| ▪ |
Shortly after the effective date, GM will receive an
interest bearing note from Delphi in the amount of $1.5
billion to be paid within 10 days of its issuance; |
| ▪ |
GM will make significant contributions to Delphi to fund
various special attrition programs, consistent with the
provisions of the union Memorandum of Understanding; |
| ▪ |
GM and certain related parties and Delphi and certain
related parties will exchange broad, global releases (which
will not apply to certain surviving claims as set forth in the
GSA); and |
| ▪ |
On the Effective Date, subject to certain surviving claims
in the GSA and in satisfaction of various GM claims, Delphi
will pay GM $2.7 billion, and the GM Proof of Claim will be
settled. |
The MRA is intended to govern certain aspects of Delphi and
GM's commercial relationship following Delphi's emergence from
Chapter 11. The MRA addresses, among other things, the scope of
GM's existing and future business awards to Delphi and related
pricing agreements and sourcing arrangements, GM commitments
with respect to reimbursement of specified ongoing labor costs,
the disposition of certain Delphi facilities, and the treatment
of existing agreements between Delphi and GM.
| ▪ |
Through the MRA, Delphi and GM have agreed to certain
terms and conditions governing, among other things: |
|
▪ |
- the scope of existing business awards, related pricing
agreements, and extensions of certain existing supply
agreements; |
|
▪ |
- GM's ability to move production to alternative
suppliers; and |
|
▪ |
- Reorganized Delphi's rights to bid and qualify for new
business awards. |
| ▪ |
GM will make significant, ongoing contributions to Delphi
and Reorganized Delphi to reimburse the company for labor
costs in excess of $26 per hour at specified manufacturing
facilities; |
| ▪ |
GM and Delphi have agreed to certain terms and conditions
concerning the sale of certain of its non-core businesses; |
| ▪ |
GM and Delphi have agreed to certain additional terms and
conditions if certain of its businesses and facilities are not
sold or wound down by certain future dates (as defined in the
MRA); and |
| ▪ |
GM and Delphi have
agreed to the treatment of certain contracts between Delphi and GM
arising from Delphi's separation from GM and other contracts between
Delphi and GM |
PRODUCT PORTFOLIO
Delphi previously announced plans to focus its product portfolio
on those core technologies for which the company has significant
competitive advantages and can provide the greatest support and
differentiation to its customers in automotive, aftermarket,
consumer electronics, and adjacent markets such as commercial
vehicles, medical systems, computers, aerospace and
transportation products. To that end, the company is focusing
the organization on the following core strategic product lines:
| ▪ |
Controls & Security (Body Security, Mechatronics, and
Displays); |
| ▪ |
Electrical/Electronic Architecture (Electrical/Electronic
Distribution Systems, Connection Systems, and Electrical
Centers); |
| ▪ |
Entertainment & Communications (Audio, Navigation, and
Telematics); |
| ▪ |
Powertrain (Diesel and Gas Engine Management Systems); |
| ▪ |
Safety (Occupant Protection and Safety Electronics); and |
| ▪ |
Thermal (Climate Control & Powertrain Cooling). |
During these Chapter 11 cases, Delphi has made substantial
progress in identifying and implementing the sale (or receiving
Bankruptcy Court approval to sell) or wind down of those
facilities and business lines that do not support the company's
future strategic framework, including:
| ▪ |
The sale of the brake hose manufacturing business in
Dayton, Ohio to Harco Manufacturing Group, LLC. |
| ▪ |
The settlement of a social plan in the "Concurso," or
Spanish insolvency proceeding, of Delphi Automotive Systems
Espana S.L.; |
| ▪ |
The sale of the brake components business, including a
manufacturing plant in Saltillo, Mexico, to Robert Bosch LLC
and its affiliate Frenados Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V.; |
| ▪ |
The sale of substantially all of the assets of MobileAria,
Inc. to Wireless Matrix USA, Inc.; |
| ▪ |
The sale of a New
Brunswick, N.J., battery manufacturing facility to Johnson Controls,
Inc.; |
| ▪ |
The wind-down of a Delphi Medical Texas facility in
Houston, Texas; |
| ▪ |
The consolidation of fuel injector production in
Rochester, New York during 2006-2007, which allowed the
Debtors to wind down a manufacturing facility in Coopersville,
Michigan; |
| ▪ |
The sale of the catalyst business to Umicore; |
The company has also been in discussions regarding the sale
of Delphi's Steering, Bearings and Interior and Closures
businesses. The company will continue with its stated plans to
sell or wind-down additional non-core product lines and
manufacturing sites through 2008.
SALARIED RESTRUCTURING
On Jan. 1, 2007, Delphi implemented a new organizational
structure surrounding the company's Product Business Units
(PBUs) to increase focus on the product and customer. As part of
its organizational restructuring, Delphi previously announced
that it expects to reduce its global salaried workforce by as
many as 8,500 employees. In addition, Delphi has commenced the
implemention of an SG&A cost savings plan, which should realize
savings of approximately $450 million per year (in addition to
savings realized from competitive measures planned for its core
businesses and the disposition of non-core assets) and includes
the following initiatives:
| ▪ |
streamlining of the corporate structure of the
organization; |
| ▪ |
streamlining of divisional/product business units' SG&A in
finance, human resources, and customer interaction processes; |
| ▪ |
transformation of information technologies, the creation
of information technologies shared services and the
exploration of other opportunities to reduce costs; and |
| ▪ |
creation of a finance, human resources, and sales shared
services organization. |
Also, as part of its equity investment agreement, Delphi is
implementing a competitively-benchmarked executive compensation
program for its continuing salaried executives as part of its
plan of reorganization and emergence from Chapter 11.
PENSION PLANS
One of Delphi's principal goals throughout Chapter 11 was to
retain the benefits accrued under the existing defined benefit
U.S. pension plans for both the hourly and salaried workforce.
To accomplish this, Delphi will freeze the current hourly and
salaried U.S. pension plans as of the first of the month
following the Effective Date of the Plan and replace them with
contemporary plans.
As part of the resolution of its pension issues, Delphi
obtained temporary waivers of its minimum funding requirements
from the IRS and the PBGC, under the hourly plan and the
salaried plan. By obtaining the waivers, Delphi can delay its
minimum funding requirements from June 15, 2007, through the
expected Effective Date of its Plan of Reorganization. Delphi
will also facilitate the transfer of $1.5 billion of the
company's net hourly pension obligations to GM's Hourly Pension
Plan under applicable federal law. On the date of such transfer,
GM will receive a note in the principal amount of $1.5 billion
that will be paid in full within 10 days of issuance. This
transfer facilitates Delphi's resolution of its pension issues
and will help allow Delphi to make up required contributions to
the plans that were not made in full during Chapter 11.
EQUITY INVESTMENT AGREEMENT
On July 18, 2007, Delphi announced that it had accepted a
proposal for an Equity Purchase and Commitment Agreement with
affiliates of lead investor Appaloosa Management L.P.; Harbinger
Capital Partners Master Fund I, Ltd.; Merrill Lynch, Pierce,
Fenner & Smith Inc.; UBS Securities LLC; Goldman Sachs & Co.;
and Pardus Capital Management, L.P. (collectively the "Plan
Investors") to invest up to $2.55 billion in preferred and
common equity in reorganized Delphi to support the company's
transformation plan and its plan of reorganization.
Under the terms of the Equity Purchase and Commitment
Agreement, the Plan Investors will purchase $800 million of
convertible preferred stock and approximately $175 million of
common stock in the reorganized company. Additionally, the Plan
Investors will commit to purchasing any unsubscribed shares of
common stock in connection with an approximately $1.6 billion
rights offering that will be made available to existing common
stockholders subject to approval of the Bankruptcy Court and
satisfaction of other terms and conditions.
While today's filing of the Plan and related Disclosure
Statement was made by Delphi after consultation with the Plan
Investors, the Plan Investors have not approved the Plan or
related Disclosure Statement and today's filing does not waive
or modify any of Delphi's or the Plan Investors' rights and/or
obligations under the Investment Agreement.
EXIT FINANCING
In addition to the equity funds to be raised from the Plan
Investors and the proposed Rights Offerings, the company is in
discussions with lenders of syndicated debt and corporate
high-yield debt to raise an amount sufficient to repay the DIP
facilities and conduct its post-reorganization operations.
Delphi's emergence timetable calls for the company to obtain
exit financing commitments early in the fourth quarter of 2007.
EMERGENCE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
The company's recently concluded Equity Purchase and Commitment
Agreement with its Plan Investors details certain corporate
governance provisions for the reorganized Delphi. Under the
terms of the proposed plan, reorganized Delphi would be governed
by a new nine-member Board of Directors including an Executive
Chairman and the company's current CEO. Subject to certain
conditions, a super-majority of the directors (6 of 9) would be
required to be independent of reorganized Delphi under
applicable exchange rules and independent of the Plan Investors.
A five-member selection committee has been formed to select
the company's post-emergence Executive Chairman, to interview
and approve all directors nominated for the Board, and make the
initial appointment of directors to all Board committees.
ABOUT DELPHI'S CHAPTER 11 CASE
Delphi's Chapter 11 cases were filed on October 8, 2005, in the
United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New
York and were assigned to the Honorable Robert D. Drain under
lead case number 05-44481 (RDD).
The Adequacy Hearing for the Disclosure Statement is
scheduled for Oct. 3, 2007. Approval of the Disclosure Statement
and related voting solicitation procedures would permit the
company to solicit acceptances of the proposed Plan of
Reorganization and seek confirmation of the Joint Plan of
Reorganization by the Bankruptcy Court later this year. This
press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of
these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation
or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification
under the securities laws of any such state.
More information on Delphi's U.S. restructuring and access to
court documents, including all of the documents referenced in
this press release and other general information about the
Chapter 11 cases, is available at
www.delphidocket.com.
Information on the case can also be obtained on the
Bankruptcy Court's website with Pacer registration:
http://www.nysb.uscourts.gov. For more information about
Delphi and its operating subsidiaries, visit Delphi's website at
www.delphi.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release, as well as other statements made by Delphi,
may contain forward-looking statements that reflect, when made,
the Company's current views with respect to current events and
financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are and
will be, as the case may be, subject to many risks,
uncertainties and factors relating to the Company's operations
and business environment which may cause the actual results of
the Company to be materially different from any future results,
express or implied, by such forward-looking statements. In some
cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking
words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "expects,"
"plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts,"
"potential" or "continue," the negative of these terms and other
comparable terminology. Factors that could cause actual results
to differ materially from these forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, the following: the ability of
the Company to continue as a going concern; the ability of the
Company to operate pursuant to the terms of the
debtor-in-possession financing facility; the terms of any
reorganization plan ultimately confirmed; the Company's ability
to obtain Court approval with respect to motions in the chapter
11 cases prosecuted by it from time to time; the ability of the
Company to develop, prosecute, confirm and consummate one or
more plans of reorganization with respect to the chapter 11
cases; the Company's ability to satisfy the terms and conditions
of the revised Equity Purchase and Commitment Agreement; risks
associated with third parties seeking and obtaining Court
approval to terminate or shorten the exclusivity period for the
Company to propose and confirm one or more plans of
reorganization, for the appointment of a chapter 11 trustee or
to convert the cases to chapter 7 cases; the ability of the
Company to obtain and maintain normal terms with vendors and
service providers; the Company's ability to maintain contracts
that are critical to its operations; the potential adverse
impact of the chapter 11 cases on the Company's liquidity or
results of operations; the ability of the Company to fund and
execute its business plan (including the transformation plan
described in Item 1. Business "Potential Divestitures,
Consolidations and Wind-Downs" of the Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006 filed with the SEC) and to
do so in a timely manner; the ability of the Company to attract,
motivate and/or retain key executives and associates; the
ability of the Company to avoid or continue to operate during a
strike, or partial work stoppage or slow down by any of its
unionized employees and the ability of the Company to attract
and retain customers. Additional factors that could affect
future results are identified in the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, including the
risk factors in Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors, contained therein
and the Company's quarterly periodic reports for the subsequent
periods, including the risk factors in Part II. Item 1A. Risk
Factors, contained therein, filed with the SEC. Delphi disclaims
any intention or obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events and/or otherwise.
Similarly, these and other factors,
including the terms of any reorganization plan ultimately confirmed, can
affect the value of the Company's various prepetition liabilities,
common stock and/or other equity securities. Additionally, no assurance
can be given as to what values, if any, will be ascribed in the
bankruptcy cases to each of these constituencies. A plan of
reorganization could result in holders of Delphi's common stock
receiving no distribution on account of their interest and cancellation
of their interests. In addition, under certain conditions specified in
the Bankruptcy Code, a plan of reorganization may be confirmed
notwithstanding its rejection by an impaired class of creditors or
equity holders and notwithstanding the fact that equity holders do not
receive or retain property on account of their equity interests under
the plan. In light of the foregoing, the Company considers the value of
the common stock to be highly speculative and cautions equity holders
that the stock may ultimately be determined to have no value.
Accordingly, the Company urges that appropriate caution be exercised
with respect to existing and future investments in Delphi's common stock
or other equity interests or any claims relating to prepetition
liabilities
Source: Delphi Press Release |
. |
|
|