Message #27 From:
NewsBot Date: January 9, 2007 08:52:00 AM
SPGR News Superior Galleries, Inc. Announces Amendment of Agreement to Be Acquired by DGSE Companies, Inc., New Management
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Superior Galleries, Inc. (OTCBB:SPGR), which wholesales, retails and
auctions rare coin products via traditional and Internet channels, today
announced that it has executed an amended and restated agreement to be
acquired by DGSE COMPANIES, INC. (Nasdaq:DGSE) and a management
agreement with DGSE’s acquisition subsidiary
to manage the day-to-day operations of Superior.
Pursuant to the revised merger agreement, Superior will still be merged
into a wholly-owned subsidiary of DGSE in an all-stock transaction.
However, among other things, the following terms of the acquisition have
been modified. First, the purchase price has been reduced such that all
of the outstanding Superior common shares will be exchanged for
3,700,000 DGSE common shares. Thus, after the acquisition, Superior
shareholders will own approximately 43 percent of the outstanding shares
of the combined entity. Second, the exchange rate for the exchange of
the Stanford International Bank Ltd. (SIBL) debt into equity was reduced
from $2.00 to $1.70 per share. The amount of debt to be exchanged at the
time of the merger is $8.4 million.
Third, the acquisition has been re-structured into a two-step
transaction. In the first step of the transaction, which was completed
on January 6, 2007, Silvano DiGenova resigned as Chief Executive
Officer, President, interim Chief Financial Officer and Chairman of
Superior. In accordance with the management agreement, William Oyster
(COO of DGSE) has been appointed the new interim Chief Executive Officer
of Superior, Scott Williamson (Executive Vice-President of DGSE) has
been appointed the new interim Chief Operating Officer of Superior and
John Benson (Chief Financial Officer of DGSE) has been appointed the new
Vice-President, Finance and interim Chief Financial Officer of Superior.
In accordance with the revised merger agreement, all members of the
Superior board other than Mitch Stolz and David Rector have resigned,
and Scott Williamson, John Benson and William Oyster of DGSE were
appointed to fill the vacancies on the Superior board. SIBL has
increased the line of credit available to Superior under the existing
Loan and Security Agreement to approximately $20 million.
In the second step of the transaction, Stanford is expected to exchange
approximately $8.4 million of its loans for approximately 5 million
Superior common shares, and the parties will consummate the merger of
Superior with and into a wholly owned subsidiary of DGSE. The
acquisition remains subject to a number of closing conditions, including
the approval of the stockholders of both companies and the effectiveness
of a registration statement on a Form S-4.
DGSE and Superior expect the acquisition to close late in March 2007,
subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the various closing conditions
in the acquisition agreement.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed acquisition, DGSE and Superior intend to
file relevant materials with the SEC. DGSE and Superior each have filed
a current report on Form 8-K related to the proposed acquisition on the
date of this release. In the near future, DGSE intends to file a
registration statement on Form S-4, which will contain a prospectus and
related materials to register the DGSE common stock to be issued in the
proposed acquisition, and a joint proxy statement, which DGSE and
Superior plan to mail to their respective stockholders in connection
with the approval of the proposed acquisition by their respective
stockholders.
The current report contains, and the registration statement and the
joint proxy statement/prospectus included therein will contain,
important information about DGSE, Superior, the proposed acquisition and
related matters. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE
FILINGS CAREFULLY WHEN THEY ARE AVAILABLE. Investors and security
holders will be able to obtain free copies of these documents (when they
become available) and other documents filed with the SEC at the SEC’s
web site at www.sec.gov or by calling
the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, investors and security holders
may obtain free copies of the documents filed by Superior with the SEC
by contacting Superior Investor Relations at (800) 421-0754.
Participation in Solicitations
DGSE and its directors and executive officers also may be deemed to be
participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of
DGSE in connection with the proposed transaction described herein.
Information regarding the special interests of these directors and
executive officers in the transaction described herein will be included
in the joint proxy statement/prospectus described above. Additional
information regarding these directors and executive officers is also
included in DGSE’s proxy statement for its
2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on or
about June 23, 2006. This document is available free of charge at the SEC’s
web site at www.sec.gov and from DGSE
by contacting DGSE Investor Relations at (972) 484-3662.
Superior and its directors and executive officers also may be deemed to
be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of
DGSE in connection with the proposed transaction described herein.
Information regarding the special interests of these directors and
executive officers in the transaction described herein will be included
in the joint proxy statement/prospectus described above. Additional
information regarding these directors and executive officers is also
included in Superior’s proxy statement for its
2005 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on or
about October 6, 2005. This document is available free of charge at the
SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov
and from Superior by contacting Superior Investor Relations at (800)
421-0754.
About Superior Galleries, Inc.
Superior Galleries, Inc. is a publicly traded company, acting as a
dealer and auctioneer of rare coins and other fine collectibles.
Headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, the firm markets its
products through auctions (both live events and on the World Wide Web),
its nationwide sales force, its gallery in Beverly Hills and via the
company’s web site at www.SGBH.com.
Stanford Coins & Bullion is a member of the Stanford Financial Group, an
international network of affiliated companies that together form a
powerful resource of financial services. Located in Houston, Texas, the
company markets its products through its retail sales force and the
company’s web site.
About DGSE Companies, Inc.
DGSE Companies, Inc. wholesales and retails jewelry, diamonds, fine
watches and precious metal bullion products and rare coins to domestic
and international customers through its Dallas Gold and Silver Exchange
and Charleston Gold and Diamond Exchange subsidiaries and well as
through the Internet and World Wide Web. DGSE also owns Fairchild
International, Inc., one of the largest vintage watch wholesalers in the
country. In addition to its retail facilities, DGSE has online stores
and conducts live Internet auctions which can be accessed at www.dgse.com
and www.CGDEInc.com. Real-time
price quotations and real-time order execution in precious metals are
provided on another DGSE web site at www.USBullionExchange.com.
Wholesale customers can access our full vintage watch inventory through
the restricted site at www.FairchildWatches.com.
DGSE is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and its common stock trades on
The Nasdaq Stock Market® under the symbol “DGSE”.
Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements. This press release
contains statements regarding the proposed transaction between DGSE and
Superior, the expected timetable for completing the transaction, future
financial and operating results, benefits and synergies of the proposed
transaction, the ability of DGSE to integrate the business, operations
and personnel of Superior following the acquisition, and other
statements about DGSE and Superior’s
managements’ future expectations, beliefs,
goals, plans or prospects that are based on current expectations,
estimates, forecasts and projections about DGSE and Superior and the
combined company, as well as DGSE’s and
Superior’s and the combined company’s
future performance and the industries in which DGSE and Superior operate
and the combined company will operate, in addition to managements’
assumptions.These statements constitute forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “expects,”“anticipates,”“targets,”“goals,”“projects,”“intends,”“plans,”“believes,”“seeks,”“estimates,”“will”
and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to
identify such forward-looking statements which are not statements of
historical facts.These forward-looking statements are not
guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks,
uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to assess.Therefore,
actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed
or forecasted in such forward-looking statements.These risks and
uncertainties are based upon a number of important factors including,
among others:the ability to consummate the proposed acquisition;
potential difficulties in otherwise meeting closing conditions set forth
in the definitive merger agreement entered into by DGSE and Superior;
difficulties and delays in obtaining regulatory approvals for the
proposed acquisition; difficulties and delays in integration or
achieving synergies and cost savings; difficulties regarding the
execution of the business planfor the combined companies;
continued acceptance of the Superior’s
products and services in the marketplace; competitive factors; the
cooperation and support of the companies’
lenders for the proposed acquisition; fluctuations in the secondhand
market; existing and future litigation; and other risks detailed in the
companies’ respective periodic report filings
with the SEC. For a list and description of risks and uncertainties
relating to DGSE and Superior and their respective businesses, refer to
DGSE’s Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2005 and Superior’s Form 10-K for the
year ended June 30, 2005, as well as other filings by DGSE and Superior
with the SEC.These forward-looking statements speak only as of
the date of this release and, except as required under the U.S. federal
securities laws and the rules and regulations of the SEC, DGSE disclaims
any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements
after the distribution of this press release, whether as a result of new
information, future events, developments, changes in assumptions or
otherwise.