Matson completes Alaska acquisition for $469 mln
Matson, Inc. has announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Horizon Lines, Inc. which includes Horizon's Alaska operations and the assumption of all non-Hawaii business liabilities. Separately and immediately preceding the completion of the Transaction, Horizon completed the sale of its Hawaii trade lane assets and liabilities to The Pasha Group for $141.5 million, the company said in its press release.
Matson acquired the stock of Horizon for $0.72 per fully diluted common share, or $69 million, and repaid Horizon's outstanding debt, for a total transaction value of $469 million (before transaction costs). Matson financed the Transaction with cash on hand and available borrowings under its revolving credit facility.
Matson will continue Horizon's long operating history in Alaska with a three vessel deployment of diesel powered Jones Act qualified containerships that provide two weekly sailings from Tacoma to Anchorage and Kodiak, and a weekly sailing to Dutch Harbor. In addition, Matson will be operating port terminals in Anchorage, Kodiak and Dutch Harbor and acquiring several reserve steam powered Jones Act containerships that may be used for dry-dock relief.
Excluding the one-time transaction costs and other restructuring and integration costs, Matson expects the Transaction to be accretive to annual earnings per share ("EPS"), providing low to mid-teens percent annual EPS accretion in years one and two post-closing, and approximately $0.35 to $0.45 of annual EPS accretion thereafter. Within two years post-closing, Matson expects the Transaction to contribute approximately $70 million to consolidated annual EBITDA and to be approximately $1.00 accretive to annual cash flow per share.
Matson expects one-time pre-tax transaction costs and other restructuring and integration costs of approximately $45 to $50 million of which approximately 65 percent, 30 percent and 5 percent are expected to be incurred in the second quarter 2015, the second half of 2015 and 2016, respectively. Matson intends to update its 2015 outlook for the effects of the Transaction during its second quarter 2015 earnings conference call, currently scheduled for early August 2015.
About the Company
Founded in 1882, Matson is a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific. Matson provides a vital lifeline to the economies of Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Micronesia and select South Pacific islands, and operates a premium, expedited service from China to Southern California. The Company's fleet of 25 vessels includes containerships, combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships and custom-designed barges. Matson Logistics, established in 1987, extends the geographic reach of Matson's transportation network throughout the continental U.S. Its integrated, asset-light logistics services include rail intermodal, highway brokerage and warehousing.
