GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) (NYSE: GWR) announced today that it has completed the acquisition of RailAmerica, Inc. (RailAmerica) and entered into a new five-year Senior Secured Credit Facility comprised of a $1.875 billion term loan and $425 million revolving credit facility.
Immediately following the closing of the acquisition, control of RailAmerica was placed into a voting trust with R. Lawrence McCaffrey appointed as trustee. The trust will remain in effect until the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) issues its decision on GWI’s application to control RailAmerica and its railroads, which decision could be as early as the fourth quarter of 2012 or as late as the first quarter of 2013. During the period that RailAmerica is held in trust, GWI will account for its ownership under the equity method of accounting. Expected cost savings from the business combination will not be realized until the STB approves GWI’s control of RailAmerica’s railroads.
GWI financed the $1.37 billion cash purchase price for RailAmerica’s shares, the refinancing of $1.23 billion of GWI and RailAmerica’s total outstanding debt prior to the acquisition, as well as transaction and financing related expenses with approximately $1.85 billion of debt from its new five-year Senior Secured Credit Facility, approximately $460 million of cash from its recent public offerings of common stock and tangible equity units and $350 million through a private issuance of mandatorily convertible preferred stock to The Carlyle Group.
About GWI
GWI owns and operates short line and regional freight railroads and provides railcar switching services in the United States, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium. In addition, GWI operates the Tarcoola to Darwin rail line, which links the Port of Darwin with the Australian interstate rail network in South Australia. Operations currently include 66 railroads organized in 10 regions, with more than 7,600 miles of owned and leased track and approximately 1,400 additional miles under track access arrangements. We provide rail service at 23 ports in North America, Australia and Europe and perform contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers.
About RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc. owns and operates short line and regional freight railroads in North America, operating a portfolio of 45 individual railroads with approximately 7,500 miles of track in 28 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding the Company’s business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to forecast. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or forecast in these forward-looking statements. Examples of factors that could cause actual results to vary from those expressed in forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical in nature, including statements regarding: (1) the industry and markets in which we operate and our competitive position and outlook; (2) the impact of political, social or economic conditions (including commodity demand associated with the industrialization of developing economies) on our results and our susceptibility to downturns in the general economy; (3) our operations, competitive position, growth strategy and prospects; (4) our ability to complete, integrate and benefit from acquisitions, including receipt of Surface Transportation Board approval to integrate the operations of RailAmerica, Inc., investments, joint ventures and strategic alliances, and the challenges associated with managing rapid growth and operating a global business with decentralized management and operations; (5) our indebtedness and our ability to fulfill our obligations under such indebtedness; (6) our susceptibility to severe weather conditions, climate change and other natural occurrences, which could result in shutdowns, derailments, other substantial disruptions of operations or impacts on our customers; (7) governmental policies, legislative and regulatory developments affecting our railroad operations or the operations of our customers; (8) our susceptibility to various legal claims and lawsuits; (9) our susceptibility to risks associated with doing business in foreign countries and (10) the inherent uncertainty associated with projecting economic and business conditions.