- Greenlane Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNLN) and KushCo Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: KSHB) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. These are the details.
Greenlane Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNLN) and KushCo Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: KSHB) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement, pursuant to which KushCo will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Greenlane. These are the details.
Greenlane Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNLN) and KushCo Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: KSHB) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement, pursuant to which KushCo will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Greenlane. Under the terms of the deal, KushCo’s stockholders will receive approximately 0.2546 shares of Greenlane Class A common stock for each share of KushCo common stock, subject to adjustment.
The Base Exchange Ratio is expected to result in KushCo stockholders owning about 49.9% of the combined company’s common stock and Greenlane stockholders owning about 50.1% of the combined company’s common stock. And the Base Exchange Ratio represents a 6.3% premium to KushCo’s 20-day volume weighted average closing price ending on March 30, 2021.
The merger agreement permits Greenlane to continue to pursue opportunistic and strategic priorities prior to the closing of the transaction, including engaging in certain contemplated acquisitions and capital-raising transactions. And if Greenlane issues additional securities prior to the closing of the transaction in connection with any acquisitions or capital raising transactions, the Exchange Ratio will be adjusted such that Greenlane’s existing stockholders maintain an aggregate interest of at least 50.1%, and not more than 51.9%, in the combined company.
The existing Greenlane stockholders will continue to hold their existing shares of Greenlane common stock. But in connection with the deal, shares of Greenlane Class C common stock will be converted into shares of Greenlane Class B common stock on a 3-to-1 basis. Thereafter, there will be no shares of Greenlane Class C common stock authorized or outstanding, which will have the effect of retiring the enhanced voting rights of Greenlane’s majority stockholder.
The deal is intended to be tax free to KushCo, Greenlane and their respective shareholders for United States federal income tax purposes. And the deal has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors for both Greenlane and KushCo, and a special independent committee consisting entirely of Greenlane’s independent and disinterested directors – which was appointed by the Greenlane board of directors. The boards of directors of Greenlane and KushCo have unanimously recommended that stockholders approve the deal.
Strategic Benefits
— Establishes the leading ancillary cannabis company delivering more value to customers across the supply chain: The combined company will serve a premier group of customers – which includes many of the leading multi-state-operators and licensed producers, the majority of the top smoke shops in the United States, and millions of consumers.
— Optimized platform with significant potential synergies: The deal is expected to generate approximately $15 million to 20 million of annual run-rate cost synergies within 24 months from the closing of the Transaction. These synergies are expected to result from the economies of scale that will be realized following the Transaction, an optimized nationwide distribution network, and reduced operating expenses.
— Strengthens best-in-class proprietary owned brands and exclusive third-party brand offerings: And as the leading supplier of premier consumer brands and products, the combined company will have a diversified and highly complementary customer product offering, including: consumption devices, vaporizers and accessories; supplies and child-resistant packaging; papers and wraps; and complementary solvents and natural products. In addition, the combined company will offer curated proprietary owned brands, including packaging innovator Pollen Gear, VIBES rolling papers, Marley Natural Accessories; K.Haring Glass Collection, Aerospaced grinders, Eyce specialty silicone smoking products, and Higher Standards – which offers an upscale product line as well as an innovative retail experience with flagship stores located in Chelsea Market, New York and Malibu, California.
— The combined company is going to have third-party brand partnerships with a sizable portion of the industry’s leading consumer brands. And the combined company’s product and service offerings are expected to deliver more value and greater choice to customers around the world.
— Potential for robust organic growth through cross-selling opportunities: The combined company is going to have the wide-ranging breadth of products and services needed to support the entire global cannabis industry. And Greenlane’s and KushCo’s highly diverse complementary customer bases create strong opportunities for organic growth and are expected to deliver significant customer value through the introduction of Greenlane’s owned brand products and exclusive third-party brands to KushCo customers, including top multi-state operators and licensed producers. Additionally, the C-CELL suite of products, currently sold exclusively by KushCo and other distributors in the United States, will become available to Greenlane’s large B2B and B2C customer base.
— Unique ability to drive industry innovation and premier product design and development: As pioneers in the industry, both of the companies have established successful track records of furthering product innovation and partnering with trailblazing brands through all stages of the product lifecycle. With more than 200 articles of Intellectual Property, the combined company will cultivate a strong innovation pipeline across a broad category of product offerings and will be supported by an industry-leading and experienced product development and design team. As the industry evolves, the combined company will continue to leverage the deep relationships both companies have collectively developed with customers to enhance value for them as they grow, and ultimately provide the robust and innovative product lines their consumers are seeking.
— Enhanced financial position and capital markets profile: The combined company is expected to have pro forma revenue of over $250 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 and a pro forma market capitalization in excess of $350 million based on the respective share prices of Greenlane and KushCo as of market close on March 30, 2021. Following the completion of the Transaction, the combined company is expected to generate pro forma revenue of between $310 million and $330 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 and will have a strong platform for accelerated organic growth that should be well-positioned to capitalize on attractive market opportunities as the industry continues to grow and evolve.
— Experienced industry leaders: The deal is expected to bring together two of the pioneering cannabis ancillary product and services companies, with a combined 25 plus years of operating history. And the expected post-transaction management team has a combined several decades of proven growth strategy execution as well as significant CPG tenure to establish one of the most experienced teams in the ancillary cannabis industry. With this industry expertise, the management team intends to focus on driving stockholder value by executing on profitable growth opportunities and realizing the significant potential cost synergies.
Upon completion of the deal, KushCo’s Co-Founder, current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Nick Kovacevich, will lead the combined company as Chief Executive Officer, and an Independent Chairman of the Board will be appointed at a later date. And Greenlane’s Bill Mote will serve as Chief Financial Officer, with Greenlane Co-founder Aaron LoCascio serving as President and Greenlane Co-founder Adam Schoenfeld serving as Chief Strategy Officer.
The board of directors of the combined company is going to consist of 7 members, 4 of whom are current Greenlane directors, including Aaron LoCascio, and Adam Schoenfeld, 3 of whom are current KushCo directors, including Nick Kovacevich. Greenlane and KushCo are confident that the leadership team and proposed board of directors of the combined company will provide a strong foundation for the combined company to accelerate growth and profitability. Plus senior leadership positions at the combined company will be named at a later date. The combined company will be headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida with a significant footprint in Southern California.
The completion of the deal is subject to applicable regulatory approvals, including by Nasdaq, in addition to certain customary closing conditions, as well as approval by holders of a majority of the shares held by the existing Greenlane stockholders, other than Jacoby & Co. LLC and its affiliates and the chief executive officer, chief strategy officer, chief financial officer, chief operating officer and general counsel of Greenlane, at a special meeting of stockholders expected to take place in the late second quarter or early third quarter of 2021. And the deal is also subject to approval by a majority of KushCo shareholders.
The majority stockholder of Greenlane – which is an affiliate of two directors of Greenlane – has entered into a support agreement with Greenlane and KushCo, pursuant to which it has agreed to support and vote 100% of its voting power in favor of certain actions required to consummate the Transaction.
Certain directors and stockholders of KushCo – which collectively own approximately 12.5% of the shares of KushCo’s common stock – have entered into support agreements with Greenlane, pursuant to which they have agreed to support and vote in favor of the Transaction.
Management of Greenlane and KushCo is expects the deal to close in the late second quarter or early third quarter of 2021, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all conditions in the agreement, including the receipt of all necessary approvals.
KEY QUOTES:
“This transformative transaction is expected to create a broad and complementary platform that we expect to deliver substantial synergies at an important inflection point in the cannabis industry. As an industry leader, the combined company will be well positioned to grow profitability and maximize value for all stockholders while also providing enhanced product offerings and expanded ancillary services to our valued customer bases. We are thrilled to be working with the talented and experienced KushCo team, and together we will continue to drive innovation and excellence in the space. Since Greenlane’s founding in 2005, we have been at the forefront of the cannabis industry, and today we take the next step in our continued evolution.”
— Aaron LoCascio, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Greenlane
“We’re excited to create a leading, innovative supplier of cannabis ancillary products serving the most valuable segments of the supply chain. For more than 10 years, KushCo has proudly pioneered this industry, creating substantial value for our customers, employees, partners, and stockholders. Now, we have reached a critical time in our industry where the leading operators are increasingly looking to partner with companies in the ancillary space who can reliably support their rapid expansion for years to come. We greatly admire the product portfolio that the Greenlane team has built, and we are excited to work with them to cross-sell to our complementary customer bases and execute on the attractive growth opportunities ahead.”
— Nick Kovacevich, KushCo’s Co-founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer
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