UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 2, 2016

 

 

THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware		001-3433		38-1285128
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)		(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer Identification Number)

 

2030 Dow Center, Midland, Michigan		48674
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (989) 636-1000

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

x	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 

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Item 5.02

Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

The Dow Chemical Company (the “Company” or “Dow”) today announced changes to the Company’s current executive leadership appointments, effective immediately.

On February 2, 2016, Mr. James R. Fitterling was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer. He succeeds Mr. Andrew N. Liveris as President with Mr. Liveris continuing as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. Mr. Fitterling will continue to report to Mr. Liveris in his position as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman.

Mr. Fitterling will continue to be accountable for all of Dow’s businesses, except Dow AgroSciences, and will have accountability for driving the successful completion of the proposed DowDuPont merger and subsequent intended spin-offs of DowDuPont into three independent public companies.

Mr. Fitterling is 54 years old and joined Dow in 1984. Mr. Fitterling has served in a variety of roles during his career with the Company, including as Vice President Corporate Development from 2009 to August 2010; Dow Executive Vice President and President, Plastics and Hydrocarbons August from 2010 to September 2011; Executive Vice President and President, Feedstocks & Energy and Corporate Development from September 2011 to September 2012; Executive Vice President, Feedstocks, Performance Plastics, Asia and Latin America from September 2012 to December 2013; Executive Vice President, Feedstocks, Performance Plastics and Supply Chain from December 2013 to October 2014 and he served as Vice Chairman, Business Operations since October 2014.

There is no arrangement or understanding between Mr. Fitterling and any other person pursuant to which Mr. Fitterling was appointed as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company. There are no transactions in which Mr. Fitterling has an interest requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

 

Item 8.01

Other Events

On February 2, 2016, Dow issued a press release in connection with the executive leadership changes described in Item 5.02 above. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

(d)

Exhibits.

 

Exhibit Number		Description of Exhibit
99.1		Press Release issued by The Dow Chemical Company on February 2, 2016, announcing executive leadership appointment.

Important Information About the Transaction and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transaction, The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) and E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (“DuPont”) will cause Diamond-Orion HoldCo, Inc. (“Diamond-Orion HoldCo”), to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a registration statement on Form S-4 that will include a joint proxy statement of Dow and DuPont and that also will constitute a prospectus of Diamond-Orion HoldCo. Dow, DuPont and Diamond-Orion HoldCo may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. This document is not a substitute for the joint proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or any other document which Dow, DuPont or Diamond-Orion HoldCo may file with the SEC. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF DOW AND DUPONT ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, THE

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JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the registration statement and the joint proxy statement/prospectus (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by Dow, DuPont and Diamond-Orion HoldCo through the web site maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov or by contacting the investor relations department of Dow or DuPont at the following:

 

Dow		DuPont
2030 Dow Center Midland, MI 48674 Attention: Investor Relations 1-989-636-1463		974 Centre Road Wilmington, DE 19805 Attention: Investor Relations: 1-302-774-4994

Participants in the Solicitation

Dow, DuPont, Diamond-Orion HoldCo and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding Dow’s directors and executive officers, including a description of their direct interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is contained in Dow’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and its proxy statement filed on March 27, 2015, which are filed with the SEC. Information regarding DuPont’s directors and executive officers, including a description of their direct interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is contained in DuPont’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and its proxy statement filed on March 23, 2015, which are filed with the SEC. A more complete description will be available in the registration statement on Form S-4 and the joint proxy statement/prospectus.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote of approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Cautionary Notes on Forward Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “see,” “will,” “would,” “target,” similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the consummation of the proposed transaction and the anticipated benefits thereof. These and other forward-looking statements, including the failure to consummate the proposed transaction or to make or take any filing or other action required to consummate such transaction on a timely matter or at all, are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that may cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, (i) the completion of the proposed transaction on anticipated terms and timing, including obtaining shareholder and regulatory approvals, anticipated tax treatment, unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, losses, future prospects, business and management strategies for the management, expansion and growth of the new combined company’s operations and other conditions to the completion of the merger, (ii) the ability of Dow and DuPont to integrate the business successfully and to achieve anticipated synergies, risks and costs and pursuit and/or implementation of the potential separation, including timing anticipated, any changes to the configuration of businesses included in the potential separation if implemented, (iii) potential litigation relating to

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the proposed transaction that could be instituted against Dow, DuPont or their respective directors, (iv) the risk that disruptions from the proposed transaction will harm Dow’s or DuPont’s business, including current plans and operations, (v) the ability of Dow or DuPont to retain and hire key personnel, (vi) potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the merger, (vii) uncertainty as to the long-term value of Diamond-Orion HoldCo common stock, (viii) continued availability of capital and financing and rating agency actions, (ix) legislative, regulatory and economic developments and (x) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, acts of terrorism or outbreak of war or hostilities, as well as management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors. These risks, as well as other risks associated with the proposed merger, will be more fully discussed in the joint proxy statement/prospectus that will be included in the registration statement on Form S-4 that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed merger. While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors to be presented in the registration statement on Form S-4 are, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward looking statements. Consequences of material differences in results as compared with those anticipated in the forward-looking statements could include, among other things, business disruption, operational problems, financial loss, legal liability to third parties and similar risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on Dow’s or DuPont’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations, credit rating or liquidity. Neither Dow nor DuPont assumes any obligation to publicly provide revisions or updates to any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.

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SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Date: February 2, 2016

 

 

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THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit Number		Description of Exhibit
99.1		Press Release issued by The Dow Chemical Company on February 2, 2016, announcing executive leadership appointment.