Offer Update
Mears Group PLC
29 May 2007
Not for release, distribution or publication in whole or in part in, into or
from the United States, Canada, Australia, the Republic of South Africa, New
Zealand, the Republic of Ireland or Japan or any other jurisdiction if to do so
would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction.
Recommended offer with full cash alternative by Mears Group PLC for the entire
issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Careforce Group plc
Offer Update
On 5 March 2007 the boards of Mears Group PLC ('Mears') and Careforce Group plc
('Careforce') announced that they had reached agreement on the terms of a
recommended offer to be made by Mears for the entire issued and to be issued
share capital of Careforce.
As at 1.00 p.m. on 25 May 2007, Mears had received valid acceptances in respect
of a total of 13,656,107 Careforce Shares representing in total approximately
92.9 per cent. of Careforce's issued share capital (which includes shares
issued as a result of the exercise of Careforce Options following the Offer
having been declared unconditional in all respects). None of the acceptances
were received from persons acting in concert with Mears. Of the valid
acceptances, elections have been received for new Mears Shares in respect of
7,018,011 Careforce Shares and elections have been received for the Cash
Alternative in respect of 6,638,096 Careforce Shares.
As announced on 13 April 2007, the Cash Alternative is closed to Careforce
Shareholders and can no longer be accepted. The Offer will remain open until
1.00 p.m. on 8 June 2007 at which point it will close. Careforce Shareholders
who have not yet accepted the Offer are urged to do so as soon as possible.
Consideration
The consideration due in respect of valid acceptances of the Offer received
after 1.00 p.m. today will be dispatched to accepting Careforce Shareholders
within 14 days of receipt of such valid acceptances.
Compulsory acquisition
On 25 April 2007, Mears confirmed it had implemented the procedure set out in
sections 428 to 430F (inclusive) of the Companies Act to acquire compulsorily
any Careforce Shares to which the Offer relates in respect of which it has not
received valid acceptances or which it has not otherwise acquired.
Acceptance of the Offer
Careforce Shareholders who have not yet accepted the Offer are encouraged
(whether or not their Careforce Shares are held in CREST) to complete the Forms
of Acceptance as soon as possible and return it duly signed and witnessed
(together with their share certificate(s) and/or other document(s) of title, if
their Careforce Shares are held in certificated form) either by post or by hand
(during normal business hours) to Lloyds TSB Registrars, The Causeway,
Worthing, West Sussex BN99 6DA. Additional Forms of Acceptance are available
from Lloyds TSB Registrars by telephone on 0870 609 2158 (or +44 1903 276 342
if telephoning from outside the UK) or at the address referred to above.
The expressions used in this announcement, unless the context otherwise
requires, bear the same meaning as in the Offer Document.
This announcement does not constitute or form part of any offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy any security, nor is it a
solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any
sale, issuance or transfer of the securities referred to in this announcement in
any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. Any acceptance or other
response to the Offer should be made only on the basis of information referred
to in the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptance.
Investec Investment Banking, a division of Investec Bank (UK) Limited, which is
authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Services
Authority, is acting as financial adviser and broker to Mears and no one else in
connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than Mears
for providing the protections afforded to clients of Investec nor for providing
advice in connection with the Offer or the contents of this announcement or any
matter referred to herein.
Arbuthnot Securities Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United
Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority, is acting as financial advisor to
Careforce and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be
responsible to anyone other than Careforce for providing the protections
afforded to clients of Arbuthnot Securities nor for providing advice in
connection with the Offer or the contents of this announcement or any matter
referred to herein.
CLB Littlejohn Frazer, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom
by the Financial Services Authority, is acting as financial advisor to
Careforce and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be
responsible to anyone other than Careforce for providing the protections
afforded to clients of CLB Littlejohn Frazer nor for providing advice in
connection with the Offer or the contents of this announcement or any matter
referred to herein.
The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in jurisdictions
other than the United Kingdom may be restricted by law and therefore persons in
such jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, published or
distributed should inform themselves about, and observe, such restrictions.
Failure to comply with the restrictions may constitute a violation of
securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
Unless otherwise determined by Mears and permitted by applicable law and
regulation, the Offer is not being, and will not be, made, directly or
indirectly, in, into or from, or by use of the mails of, or by any means or
instrumentality (including, without limitation, facsimile transmission, telex,
telephone or email) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or by any facility of
a national securities exchange of, nor will it be made in, into or from the
United States, Canada, Australia, the Republic of South Africa, New Zealand,
the Republic of Ireland or Japan or any other jurisdiction if to do so would
constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction and the Offer
will not be capable of acceptance by any such use, means, instrumentality or
facilities. Accordingly, copies of this announcement, the Offer Document, the
Form of Acceptance and any other documents relating to the Offer are not being,
and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed, transmitted or otherwise
forwarded, distributed or sent, in whole or in part, in, into or from the
United States, Canada, Australia, the Republic of South Africa, New Zealand, the
Republic of Ireland or Japan or any other jurisdiction if to do so would
constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction and persons
receiving such documents (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not
directly or indirectly mail, transmit or otherwise forward, distribute or send
them in, into or from any such jurisdiction as to do so may invalidate any
purported acceptance of the Offer.
Investec
Keith Anderson
Michael Ansell
Daniel Adams 020 7597 5970
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange