DETROIT,
July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- To meet customer demand for leasing and non-prime financing
for GM vehicles, General Motors and AmeriCredit Corp. (NYSE: ACF) today announced
they have entered into a definitive agreement for GM to acquire AmeriCredit, one
of the nation's leading independent auto finance companies, in an all-cash transaction
valued at approximately $3.5 billion."This
acquisition supports our efforts to design, build and sell the world's best vehicles
by expanding the financing options we can offer to consumers who want to buy GM
vehicles," said GM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ed Whitacre. "Adding
AmeriCredit to our team will improve our competitiveness in auto financing offerings,
and I am very pleased to have them on board." The
acquisition establishes the core of a new GM captive financing arm that will enable
GM to provide customers with a more complete range of financing options, while
creating significant growth opportunities for both GM and AmeriCredit. Since
GM and AmeriCredit launched a successful non-prime program in September 2009,
GM's non-prime penetration has increased significantly. Upon completion of the
transaction, AmeriCredit intends to also re-enter the leasing business which will
provide expanded leasing availability for all GM customers. Direct
ownership of AmeriCredit's expertise will provide consistent availability of non-prime
financing for GM customers throughout all economic cycles. While AmeriCredit already
has relationships with approximately 4,000 GM dealers, this transaction will enhance
dealer receptivity and improve sales penetration rates through coordinated GM
branding and targeted customer marketing initiatives. "With
AmeriCredit providing us niche capabilities in leasing and non-prime financing,
along with the continued strong support of Ally Financial and others for prime
retail and dealer financing, we've set up a very competitive solution for our
financing needs, which will be resilient through credit and business cycles,"
said GM Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer, Chris Liddell. AmeriCredit
President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Berce said, "We're excited about
joining the GM team. While we will be expanding our product set to more fully
support GM, we'll continue to offer our loan products to the more than 11,000
dealers across the country we serve today. Long term, this transaction will deliver
benefits to our dealers, customers and employees." The
highly regarded AmeriCredit management team will remain intact, which will assist
in minimizing integration risk and maximizing opportunities between the two companies. With
total assets of approximately $10 billion, the acquisition of AmeriCredit poses
minimal impact to GM's balance sheet, and does not change GM's objective of achieving
strong investment grade status. Under GM ownership, AmeriCredit will maintain
its own direct access to the capital markets for its financing requirements. Under
the terms of the agreement, which has been approved by both companies' boards
of directors, at closing, AmeriCredit shareholders will receive $24.50 in cash
for each share of stock held as of the transaction closing date. The
transaction is expected to close by the end of the fourth quarter of 2010, pending
certain closing conditions, including the approval of AmeriCredit shareholders. GM
and AmeriCredit will hold a joint conference call today for analysts and media
at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The toll-free number for U.S. callers is
800-764-4852. The dial-in number for international callers is 1-212-231-2917. When
prompted, please ask to be connected to the General Motors conference call. Details
on the call and information about how to access a replay of the call can be found
on the GM or AmeriCredit websites at www.gm.com/corporate/investor_information/cal_events
or www.americredit.com/investors/presentations.asp, respectively. About
General Motors: General
Motors, one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908.
With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 205,000 people in every major
region of the world and does business in some 157 countries. GM and its strategic
partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles
through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden,
Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is the United
States, followed by China, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy.
GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and
information services. General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation
on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials
refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on
the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com. About
AmeriCredit: AmeriCredit
Corp. is a leading independent automobile finance company that provides financing
solutions indirectly through auto dealers across the United States. AmeriCredit
has approximately 3,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada, 800,000 customers and
$9 billion in auto receivables. The Company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered
in Fort Worth, Texas. For more information, visit www.americredit.com. Forward-Looking
Statements: GM
and AmeriCredit Corp. advise that in this press release and in related comments
by our management, our use of the words "expect," "anticipate," "possible,"
"potential," "target," "believe," "commit,"
"intend," "continue," "may," "would,"
"could," "should," "project," "projected,"
"positioned" or similar expressions is intended to identify forward-looking
statements that represent our current judgment about possible future events. We
believe these judgments are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees
of any events or financial results, and our actual results may differ materially
due to a variety of important factors. Among other items, such factors might include
for GM: our ability to realize production efficiencies and to achieve reductions
in costs as a result of our restructuring initiatives and labor modifications;
our ability to maintain quality control over our vehicles and avoid material vehicle
recalls; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and financing sources and
an appropriate level of debt, including as required to fund our planning significant
investment in new technology; our ability to realize successful vehicle applications
of new technology and our ability to comply with the continuing requirements related
to U.S. and other government support. For AmeriCredit these factors include our
ability to successfully operate in variable economic conditions, including fluctuating
interest rate environment, changes in competitive, regulatory and legal environment,
volatile wholesale vehicle values; our ability to service adverse changes in portfolio
performance, our reliance on warehouse financing and capital markets; our ability
to continue to securitize loans; our ability to obtain credit enhancement for
securitization transactions on acceptable terms; our ability to manage the high
degree of risk associated with subprime borrowers, and our exposure to litigation. Our
most recent annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q provide
information about these and other factors, which we may revise or supplement in
future reports to the SEC. Important
additional information regarding the merger will be filed with the SEC: In
connection with the proposed merger, AmeriCredit plans to file a proxy statement
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). INVESTORS AND
SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE
BECAUSE IT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE MERGER AND THE PARTIES
TO THE MERGER. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of the proxy
statement (when available) and other relevant documents filed with the SEC from
the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov. Investors and security holders and other
interested parties will also be able to obtain, free of charge, a copy of the
proxy statement and other relevant documents (when available) by directing
a request by mail or telephone to Investor Relations, AmeriCredit Corp., 801 Cherry
Street, Suite 3500, Fort Worth, Texas 76102, telephone (800) 644-2297, or from
AmeriCredit's web site at www.AmeriCredit.com. AmeriCredit
and its directors, executive officers and other members of its management and
employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from
AmeriCredit's shareholders with respect to the merger. Information about AmeriCredit's
directors and executive officers and their ownership of AmeriCredit's common stock
is set forth in AmeriCredit's Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed on September
16, 2009. Shareholders and investors may obtain additional information regarding
the interests of AmeriCredit and its directors and executive officers in the merger,
which may be different than those of AmeriCredit's shareholders generally, by
reading the proxy statement and other relevant documents regarding the merger,
which will be filed with the SEC. GM
and its directors, executive officers and other members of its management and
employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from
AmeriCredit's shareholders with respect to the merger. Information about GM's
directors and executive officers is set forth in GM's Form 10-K filed on April
7, 2010 and GM's Form 10 Amendment No.1 filed May 17, 2010. These documents are
available free of charge from the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov, and by
directing a request by mail or telephone to Investor Relations, General Motors
Company, 303 Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan 48265-3000, telephone (313)
667-1669, or from GM's web site at www.GM.com. SOURCE
General Motors |