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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 29, 1999
Registration No. 333-______
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
--------------------
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
KEEBLER FOODS COMPANY
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
DELAWARE 36-3839556
(State or other jurisdiction (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization) Identification No.)
677 Larch Avenue
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126
Telephone: (630) 833-2900
(Address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of
registrant's principal executive offices)
KEEBLER COMPANY UNION SAVINGS PLAN
(Full title of the plan)
Thomas E. O'Neill
Vice President, Secretary and
General Counsel
Keebler Foods Company
677 Larch Avenue
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126
Telephone: (630) 833-2900
(Name, address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of
agent for service)
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title of securities Amount to be Proposed maximum Proposed maximum Amount of
to be registered registered (1) offering price per share aggregate offering price registration fee
- ---------------- -------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ ----------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock, par value
$0.01 per share (2)(3) 50,000 shares $30.40625 $1,520.313 $423
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
(1) Together with an indeterminable number of additional securities in order to
adjust the number of securities reserved for issuance pursuant to the plan
as the result of a stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction
affecting the Common Stock, pursuant to 17 C.F.R. ss. 230.416.
(2) Estimated in accordance with Rule 457(c) and (h)(1), the proposed maximum
offering price per share, proposed maximum aggregate offering price and the
amount of the registration fee are based upon the average of the high and
low prices reported on the New York Stock Exchange on June 24, 1999.
(3) Pursuant to Rule 416(c), the registration statement also covers an
indeterminate amount of plan interests to be offered and sold pursuant to
the Keebler Company Union Savings Plan described herein.
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PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.
There are hereby incorporated by reference in to this Registration
Statement the following documents and information heretofore filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") by Keebler Foods Company
("Registrant" or "Keebler"):
1. The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
January 2, 1999;
2. The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
April 24, 1999; and
3. The description of Registrant's Common Stock contained in the
Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission on
December 12, 1997 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "Exchange Act") (Commission File No. 001-13705),
including any subsequent amendment or any report filed for the purpose
of updating such description.
In addition, each document filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date hereof, and prior
to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities
offered hereunder have been sold or which deregisters all securities then
remaining unsold under this registration statement, shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein and to be part hereof from the date of filing
of such documents.
ITEM 4. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.
Not applicable.
ITEM 5. INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.
Not applicable.
ITEM 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
Keebler is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. Section
145 ("Section 145") of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL") provides
that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any persons who are, or are threatened
to be made, parties to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than
an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that
such person was an officer, director, employee or agent of the corporation, or
is or was serving at the request of the corporation as an officer, director,
employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may
include expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines, and amounts paid
in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with
such action or proceeding, if he acted in good faith and in a manner he
reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the corporation, and, with
respect to any criminal action, had no reasonable cause to believe that his
conduct was illegal. Keebler's By-Laws provide for the indemnification of
directors and officers of Keebler to the fullest extent permitted by Section
145.
Section 102 ("Section 102") of the DGCL permits a Delaware corporation to
include in its certificate of incorporation a provision eliminating or limiting
a director's liability to a corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages
for breaches of fiduciary duty. DGCL Section 102 provides, however, that
liability for breaches of the duty of loyalty, acts or omissions not in good
faith or involving intentional misconduct, or knowing violation of the law,
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and the unlawful purchase or redemption of stock or payment of unlawful
dividends or the receipt of improper personal benefits cannot be eliminated or
limited in this manner. As permitted by Section 102, Keebler's Certificate of
Incorporation provides that directors of Keebler shall have no personal
liability to Keebler or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of
fiduciary duty as a director, except (i) for any breach of a director's duty of
loyalty to Keebler or its stockholder, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good
faith or which involve intentional misconduct or knowing violations of law,
(iii) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from
which a director derived an improper personal benefit.
ITEM 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.
Not Applicable.
ITEM 8. INDEX TO EXHIBITS.
Exhibit Number Description of Document
-------------- -----------------------
4.1 Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of
the Registrant (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed
with the Commission (Commission File No. 333-42075) on
December 12, 1997, as amended (the "Registration
Statement"), and hereby incorporated by reference)
4.2 Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant (filed
as Exhibit 3.2 to the Registration Statement and hereby
incorporated by reference)
23.1 Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
24.1 Powers of Attorney (included on signature page)
The Registrant will submit the plan and any amendment thereto to the Internal
Revenue Service ("IRS") in a timely manner, and will make all changes required
by the IRS in order to qualify the plan under Section 401 of the Internal
Revenue Code.
ITEM 9. UNDERTAKINGS.
(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file during any period in which offers or sales are being made,
a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of
the Securities Act of 1933;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most
recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth
in this registration statement;
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the
plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration
statement or any material change to such information in this
registration statement;
Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration
statement.
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(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed
to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed
to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.
(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in this registration statement
shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities
offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 6 of this
registration statement, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in
the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as
expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim
for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Elmhurst, State of Illinois, on this 25th day of June
1999.
KEEBLER FOODS COMPANY
By: /s/ Sam K. Reed
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Sam K. Reed
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Thomas E. O'Neill, E. Nichol McCully and
James T. Spear, and each of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and
agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him and in his
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign, execute and file this
Registration Statement and any or all amendments (including, without limitation,
post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto and all documents required to be filed with respect
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any regulatory
authority, granting unto such attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary
to be done in connection therewith and about the premises in order to effectuate
the same as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do if
personally present, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such
attorneys-in-fact and agents or his or their substitute or substitutes, may
lawfully do or cause to be done.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on this 25th day of June 1999.
Signature Title
--------- -----
/s/ Sam K. Reed President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
- ---------------------------- (Principal Executive Officer)
Sam K. Reed
/s/ E. Nichol McCully Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
- ---------------------------- (Principal Financial Officer)
E. Nichol McCully
/s/ James T. Spear Vice President Finance and Corporate Controller
- ---------------------------- (Principal Accounting Officer)
James T. Spear
/s/ Robert P. Crozer Director
- ----------------------------
Robert P. Crozer
/s/ Johnston C. Adams, Jr. Director
- ----------------------------
Johnston C. Adams, Jr.
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/s/ Franklin L. Burke Director
- ----------------------------
Franklin L. Burke
/s/ G. Anthony Campbell Director
- ----------------------------
G. Anthony Campbell
/s/ Amos R. McMullian Director
- ----------------------------
Amos R. McMullian
/s/ Wayne H. Pace Director
- ----------------------------
Wayne H. Pace
/s/ Melvin T. Stith Director
- ----------------------------
Dr. Melvin T. Stith
/s/ C. M. Wood III Director
- ----------------------------
C. Martin Wood III
/s/ Jimmy M. Woodward Director
- ----------------------------
Jimmy M. Woodward
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THE PLAN. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, the Plan has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of
Elmhurst, State of Illinois, on this 25th day of June 1999.
KEEBLER COMPANY UNION SAVINGS PLAN
By: /s/ E. Nichol McCully
----------------------------------------------
E. Nichol McCully
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
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INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit Number Description of Document
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4.1 Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the
Registrant (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the Commission
(Commission File No. 333-42075) on December 12, 1997, as
amended (the "Registration Statement"), and hereby
incorporated by reference)
4.2 Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant (filed as
Exhibit 3.2 to the Registration Statement and hereby
incorporated by reference)
23.1 Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
24.1 Powers of Attorney (included on signature page)
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Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement
of Keebler Foods Company on Form S-8 of our report dated February 2, 1999, on
our audits of the consolidated financial statements and financial statement
schedule of Keebler Foods Company as of January 2, 1999 and January 3, 1998 and
for the years ended January 2, 1999, January 3, 1998 and December 26, 1996,
which report is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chicago, Illinois
June 28, 1999
