Hershey goes beyond chocolate with acquisition of Amplify (Tyrrell's, SkinnyPop)

The Amplify product range includes Skinnypop popcorn, Tyrrell's potato chips and Paqui tortilla chips.

December 19, 2017

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Hershey Co. is expanding further beyond chocolate, agreeing to buy the owner of SkinnyPop popcorn and Tyrrell’s potato chips for $921 million.

The U.S. candy giant agreed to buy Amplify Snack Brands Inc. for $12 a share, a 71 percent premium to Friday’s closing price. The company has about $600 million in debt and has seen its stock value dive since it went public in 2015.

Hershey’s move signals the intent of new Chief Executive Officer Michele Buck to lead consolidation in the snacks industry after the maker of Kisses candy rejected a takeover bid from Oreo maker Mondelez International Inc.

During a March investor meeting, Hershey’s management said it was particularly interested in companies that had accelerated growth in the U.S. snack industry. Hershey shares have gained 10 percent this year, valuing the company at $24 billion.

Hershey Enters Into Agreement To Acquire Amplify Snack Brands, Inc.

The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) ("Hershey") and Amplify Snack Brands, Inc. (NYSE:BETR) ("Amplify") today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Hershey will acquire all outstanding shares of Amplify for $12.00 per share in cash.

Michele Buck, The Hershey Company President and Chief Executive Officer:

"The acquisition of Amplify and its product portfolio is an important step in our journey to becoming an innovative snacking powerhouse as together it will enable us to bring scale and category management capabilities to a key sub-segment of the warehouse snack aisle.”

“Hershey's snack mix and meat snacks products, combined with Amplify's Skinny Pop, Tyrrells, Oatmega, Paqui and other international brands, will allow us to capture more consumer snacking occasions by creating a broader portfolio of brands."

Tom Ennis, Amplify Snack Brands, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer:

"Since Amplify's inception in 2014, our company's goal has been to bring transparency to our products, and clean ingredients and great tasting snacks to consumers.”

“This transaction is a continuation of our mission as Hershey also believes in bringing to consumers great-tasting snacks made with the best ingredients possible.”

“Hershey is a great cultural partner for Amplify and I'm excited for our team who will have access to Hershey's marketing and go-to-market resources to take our brands to the next level."

This strategic acquisition is expected to be accretive to Hershey's financial targets given the growth trajectory and margin structure of Amplify's key products. Amplify's brands compete in many attractive food categories that are capitalizing on fast-growing trends in snacking with a focus on better-for-you products that deliver clean, simple and transparent ingredients as well as unique flavors and forms. Additionally, this combination brings customers a known brand building partner that invests in category management solutions to drive higher levels of conversion and velocity at retail.

Under the terms of the agreement between Hershey and Amplify, Hershey has agreed to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Amplify Snack Brands, Inc. for $12.00 per share, in a transaction structured as a tender offer followed by a merger, valued at approximately $1.6 billion, including net debt and including a make-whole payment of $76 million related to the Tax Receivable Agreement ("TRA"). Based on previously announced guidance, this represents a multiple of approximately 14.8-times 2017 Adjusted EBITDA including identified annual run-rate synergies of approximately $20 million expected to be generated over the next two years from cost savings and portfolio optimization.1,2 The transaction will be funded with cash on hand and new debt and is not expected to impact Hershey's current ratings.

Hershey expects the transaction to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share-diluted, including transaction related non-cash amortization, in the first-year post closing with accretion increasing in year two. Adjusted earnings per share-diluted accretion in both years is substantially higher when excluding transaction related amortization. The acquisition is not expected to affect the previously announced full year 2017 outlooks provided in Hershey's and Amplify's third quarter earnings release and conference calls.

The agreement has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies. Affiliates of TA Associates, Amplify's largest stockholder, and key Amplify insiders, who collectively represent approximately 57%3 of the outstanding shares, have agreed to tender their shares in the transaction. The transaction is subject to Amplify's stockholders tendering a majority of Amplify's outstanding shares on a fully diluted basis prior to the expiration of the tender offer, certain regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are serving as financial advisors to Hershey in connection with this transaction, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is serving as legal advisor. Jefferies LLC is serving as the financial advisor to Amplify and Goodwin Procter LLP is serving as legal advisor.

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