OWENS ILLINOIS INC /DE/
8-K, 1997-04-24
GLASS CONTAINERS
Previous: CHURCHILL TAX FREE TRUST, 485BPOS, 1997-04-24
Next: OWENS ILLINOIS INC /DE/, 424B3, 1997-04-24



<PAGE>
                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          Washington, D. C.  20549


                                  Form 8-K


                               CURRENT REPORT

                          Pursuant to Section 13 of
                     the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


      Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) April 24, 1997

                            Owens-Illinois, Inc.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


      Delaware                     1-9576                 22-2781933
   ---------------               -----------         -------------------
   (State or other               (Commission             (IRS Employer
   jurisdiction of                File No.)          Identification No.)
   incorporation)


                         Owens-Illinois Group, Inc.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


      Delaware                    33-13061                34-1559348
   ---------------               -----------         -------------------
   (State or other               (Commission             (IRS Employer
   jurisdiction of                File No.)          Identification No.)
   incorporation)


      One SeaGate, Toledo, Ohio                              43666
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Address of principal executive offices)               (Zip code)

      Registrants' telephone number,
        including area code:                             419-247-5000





                           Exhibit Index -- Page 4


                              Page 1 of 7 pages
<PAGE>
Item 5.     Other Events.

            On April 24, 1997, Owens-Illinois, Inc. issued a press release 
announcing a refinancing plan, and the filing with the Securities and Exchange 
Commision of prospectus supplements for offerings of common stock and senior 
notes.  The press release is set forth as Exhibit 99 hereto.

Item 7.     Financial Statements and Exhibits.

       (c)  Exhibits

            Exhibit 99 - Owens-Illinois press release dated April 24, 1997.









































                              Page 2 of 7 pages
<PAGE>
                                 SIGNATURES


      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrants have duly caused this report to be signed on their behalf by the 
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.



                                   OWENS-ILLINOIS, INC.
                                   OWENS-ILLINOIS GROUP, INC.


                                   By   /s/ Lee A. Wesselmann
                                        ----------------------
                                          Lee A. Wesselmann
                                      Senior Vice President and
                                       Chief Financial Officer
                                    (Principal Financial Officer)
                                     



Dated:   April 24, 1997





























                              Page 3 of 7 pages
<PAGE>
                                EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit
Number                             Exhibit                           Page

99          Owens-Illinois press release dated                       5
            April 24, 1997













































                              Page 4 of 7 pages

<PAGE>
OWENS-ILLINOIS ANNOUNCES REFINANCING PLAN; FILES PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENTS FOR 
OFFERINGS OF COMMON STOCK, SENIOR NOTES

     Toledo, Ohio, April 24, 1997 -- Owens-Illinois, Inc., (NYSE:  OI) today 
announced a refinancing plan under which it intends to refinance its 
outstanding public indebtedness.  The refinancing plan is designed to reduce 
interest expense and long term debt, extend long term debt maturities, reduce 
the company's debt-to-equity ratio, and improve its financial flexibility.

     The refinancing plan includes a proposed public offering of 14,750,000 
shares of common stock and a proposed public offering of $250 million of 
senior notes due 2004 and $250 million of senior notes due 2007.  Prospectus 
supplements with respect to these offerings were filed today by Owens-Illinois 
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  These filings are supplements to 
the company's shelf registration statement for the future offering of up to 
$2.5 billion of debt securities, common stock, or both from time to time as 
market conditions permit.

     In the proposed common stock offering, all of the shares to be sold by the
company will be newly issued shares; existing share owners, including the 
company's management, will not be selling shares in the offering.  
Owens-Illinois stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.  As of 
April 23, 1997, approximately 122.8 million shares were outstanding.  The 
company's stock price at the close of trading on April 23, 1997 was $26.375 
per share.

     The refinancing plan also contemplates that the company will amend its 
existing bank credit facility to, among other things, increase the amount it 
may borrow from $1.8 billion to $3.0 billion, and release the existing pledges 
securing the existing bank credit facility and the company's 11% Senior 
Debentures due 2003 and the guarantees of the credit facility.  The company 
also intends to obtain the release of the guarantees of the 11% Senior 
Debentures in accordance with the terms of the agreements governing those 
guarantees.

     Under the refinancing plan, proceeds from the common stock offering and 
the senior note offering, as well as additional borrowings under the amended 
bank credit facility, would be used by the company to:

       - repurchase the company's 11% Senior Debentures due 2003, principal 
amount $1 billion, pursuant to the terms of a cash tender offer and consent 
solicitation;

       - redeem, at the company's option, $250 million aggregate principal 
amount of the company's 10 1/4% Senior Subordinated Notes due 1999, which 
became redeemable at the option of the company on April 1, 1997, at 100% of 
principal amount;

       - redeem, at the company's option, an aggregate of $700 million 
principal amount of the company's remaining Senior Subordinated Notes when and 
as they become redeemable, beginning on June 15, 1997.


                              Page 5 of 7 pages
<PAGE>
    The company currently contemplates that net proceeds from the offerings and
additional borrowings under the company's existing bank credit facility, or its
amended bank credit facility, if available, would be used to repurchase the 
outstanding 11% Senior Debentures pursuant to the terms of the tender offer.  
Borrowings under the amended credit facility, if consummated, also would be 
used, if the company so elects, to redeem the callable 10 1/4% Senior 
Subordinated Notes and to redeem all or a portion of the remaining Senior 
Subordinated Notes, as they become callable.  If the existing credit agreement 
is not amended to increase available borrowings, the company may defer the 
refinancing of the Senior Subordinated Notes or find alternative sources of 
capital to fund the refinancing.

     Subject to the conditions of the tender offer and consent solicitations, 
the company is offering to purchase all of the 11% Senior Debentures for a 
price equal to (i) the present value of $1,024.00 (the weighted average 
redemption price) per $1,000 principal amount of debentures, determined on the
basis of the applicable U.S. Treasury yield plus 50 basis points, minus 
(ii) $20.00 per Debenture (which equals the payment for consents to proposed
amendments to the indenture relating to the Debentures) plus accrued interest. 
The tender offer will commence on April 25, 1997 and will expire at midnight, 
New York City time, on May 22, 1997, unless extended.  The company also is 
seeking consents from the registered holders of a majority in principal amount 
of the Senior Debentures to certain proposed amendments to the indenture 
relating to the debentures.  Each holder of an outstanding Senior Debenture who
validly consents to the proposed indenture amendments on or prior to 5:00 p.m., 
New York City time, on May 9, 1997 will be paid $20.00 in cash for each $1,000 
in principal amount of the outstanding Senior Debentures.  Holders of the 
Senior Debentures will be required to tender their Senior Debentures in order 
to consent to the proposed amendments.

     Closing of the tender offer for the 11% Senior Debentures is subject to a 
number of conditions, including receipt of proceeds from the common stock and 
senior note offerings, which, when combined with amounts available for 
borrowing under the credit facility, will be sufficient to pay the purchase 
price for Senior Debentures tendered in the tender offer, and the valid tender 
of and consent from at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the 
outstanding Senior Debentures.

     The joint dealer managers for the tender offer and consent solicitation 
are Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated.

     The consummation of the senior notes offering is contingent upon the 
release of the existing pledges and guarantees securing the existing bank 
credit agreement and the 11% Senior Debentures.     

     There can be no assurance that any or all of the elements of this 
refinancing plan will be consummated.

     Managing underwriters for the common stock offering are Salomon Brothers 
Inc; Goldman, Sachs & Co.; Lehman Brothers; Merrill Lynch & Co.; Morgan Stanley
& Co. Incorporated; and PaineWebber Incorporated.


                              Page 6 of 7 pages
<PAGE>
     Managing underwriters for the senior notes offering are Morgan Stanley & 
Co. Incorporated; BT Securities Corporation; Credit Suisse First Boston; 
NationsBanc Capital Markets, Inc.; and Salomon Brothers Inc.

     Owens-Illinois is one of the world's leading manufacturers of glass and 
plastic packaging products.  Approximately one of every two glass containers 
made worldwide is manufactured by Owens-Illinois, its affiliates, or its 
licensees.  The company reported net sales of $3.8 billion in 1996.

                               * * *

     This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the 
solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these 
securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be 
unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of 
any such State.

     Prospectuses relating to the common stock may be obtained by contacting:
                    Andrew Freedberg
                    Salomon Brothers Inc
                    7 World Trade Center
                    New York, NY 10048
                    telephone:  (212) 783-7000
                    fax:  (212) 783-2009

     Prospectuses relating to the senior notes may be obtained by contacting:
                    Jo-Anne Gooden
                    Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
                    1585 Broadway
                    New York, NY 10036
                    telephone:  (212) 761-1298
                    fax:  (212) 761-0570
     
- -0-

CONTACT:  Owens-Illinois, John Hoff, 419-247-1203

















                              Page 7 of 7 pages


© 2022 IncJournal is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission