BEACHWOOD, Ohio, May 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aleris International,
Inc. (NYSE: ARS) today announced that it has entered into a definitive
share purchase agreement to acquire the $1.8 billion revenue downstream
aluminum business of Corus Group plc. The Company had previously announced
in March that it had signed a non-binding letter of intent concerning this
transaction.
The transaction will include Corus's aluminum rolling and extrusion
businesses but will not include Corus's primary aluminum smelters.
Aggregate net cash consideration for the acquisition will be approximately
700 million euro, excluding the assumption of approximately 28 million euro
of debt as well as certain other liabilities. The acquisition remains
subject to certain regulatory approvals, with the closing envisaged in the
third quarter of 2006.
Following completion of the proposed transaction, the combined company
will have a total of approximately 8,800 employees and will operate 51
manufacturing locations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
About Aleris
Aleris International, Inc. is a major North American manufacturer of
rolled aluminum products and is a global leader in aluminum recycling and
the production of specification alloys. We are also a leading manufacturer
of value-added zinc products that include zinc oxide, zinc dust and zinc
metal. Headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, the Company
operates 40 production facilities in the United States, Brazil, Germany,
Mexico and Wales, and employs approximately 4,200 employees. For more
information about Aleris, please visit our Web site at
http://www.aleris.com .
SAFE HARBOR REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Forward-looking statements made in this news release are made pursuant
to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. These include statements that contain words such as "believe,"
"expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "should" and similar
expressions intended to connote future events and circumstances, and
include statements regarding future actual and adjusted earnings and
earnings per share; future improvements in margins, processing volumes and
pricing; overall 2006 operating performance; anticipated higher adjusted
effective tax rates; expected cost savings; success in integrating Aleris's
recent acquisitions; its future growth; an anticipated favorable economic
environment in 2006; future benefits from acquisitions and new products;
expected benefits from industry consolidation and post-hurricane
reconstruction; and anticipated synergies resulting from the merger with
Commonwealth and other acquisitions. Investors are cautioned that all
forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual
results could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking
statements. These risks and uncertainties would include, without
limitation, Aleris's levels of indebtedness and debt service obligations;
its ability to effectively integrate the business and operations of its
acquisition; further slowdowns in automotive production in the U.S. and
Europe, the financial condition of Aleris's customers and future
bankruptcies and defaults by major customers; the availability at favorable
cost of aluminum scrap and other metal supplies that the Company processes;
the ability of the Company to enter into effective metals, natural gas and
other commodity derivatives; continued increases in natural gas and other
fuel costs of the Company; a weakening in industrial demand resulting from
a decline in U.S. or world economic conditions caused by terrorist
activities or other unanticipated events; future utilized capacity of the
Company's various facilities; a continuation of building and construction
customers and distribution customers reducing their inventory levels and
reducing the volume of the Company's shipments; restrictions on and future
levels and timing of capital expenditures; retention of the Company's major
customers; the timing and amounts of collections; currency exchange
fluctuations; future write-downs or impairment charges which may be
required because of the occurrence of some of the uncertainties listed
above; and other risks listed in the Company's filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the Company's annual
report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005, and
quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2006,
particularly the sections entitled "Risk Factors" contained therein.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050504/CLW056LOGO )
SOURCE Aleris International, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.aleris.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050504/CLW056LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Michael D. Friday of Aleris International,
Inc., +1-216-910-3503
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