RAVEN INDUSTRIES INC
8-K, 1998-10-05
APPAREL & OTHER FINISHD PRODS OF FABRICS & SIMILAR MATL
Previous: NORTHWESTERN CORP, 4, 1998-10-05
Next: SYMMETRICOM INC, DEF 14A, 1998-10-05





                       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): September 22, 1998


                             RAVEN INDUSTRIES, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


         SOUTH DAKOTA                1-07982                 46-0246171
(State or other jurisdiction     (Commission File          (IRS Employer
of incorporation)                    Number)             Identification No.)


          205 EAST 6TH STREET
             P.O. BOX 5107
       SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA                            57117-5107
(Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (605) 336-2750


                                 NOT APPLICABLE
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

                                   Page 1 of 8
                         Exhibit Index Appears on Page 3

<PAGE>


ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS.

         The Registrant's Press Release dated September 29, 1998, which is filed
as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K, is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENT, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS.

(c)      Exhibits

4.1      Amendment to Rights Agreement dated September 22, 1998 between Raven
         Industries, Inc. and Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A., as Rights Agent.

99.1     Press Release dated September 29, 1998.




                                    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 thereunto duly authorized.

                                       RAVEN INDUSTRIES, INC.
                                       (Registrant)



Date: October 5, 1998                  By:  s/ Thomas Iacarella
                                          -------------------------------------
                                       Name:  Thomas Iacarella
                                       Title: Vice President, Finance, Secretary
                                       and Treasurer (Principal Financial and
                                       Accounting Officer)


                                        2

<PAGE>


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


                                                                     Page
Exhibit No.                         Description                     Number
- -----------                         -----------                     ------

4.1            Amendment to Rights Agreement dated September          4
               22, 1998 between Raven Industries, Inc. and
               Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A., as Rights Agent.

99.1           Press Release dated September 29, 1998.                8


                                3



                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.1


                          AMENDMENT TO RIGHTS AGREEMENT

            AMENDMENT, dated as of September 22, 1998, to the Rights Agreement,
dated as of March 16, 1989 (the "Rights Agreement"), between Raven Industries,
Inc., a South Dakota corporation (the "Company"), and Norwest Bank Minnesota,
National Association (the "Rights Agent").

            WHEREAS, the Company and the Rights Agent have heretofore executed
and entered into the Rights Agreement;

            WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 26 of the Rights Agreement, the Company
may from time to time supplement or amend the Rights Agreement in accordance
with the provisions of Section 26 thereof;

            WHEREAS, the Board of Directors has determined that it is in the
best interests of the Company and its shareholders to amend the Rights Agreement
to change the definition of an "Acquiring Person" pursuant to Section 1(a) of
the Rights Agreement, and any other provisions in the Rights Agreement that
relate to such definition; and

            NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and the Rights Agent hereby amend the
Rights Agreement as follows:

1.          Amendment to the Rights Agreement.

            A.    Section 1(a) of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended to read
in its entirety as follows:

            (a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any person (as such term is
            hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates (as
            such term is hereinafter defined) and Associates (as such term is
            hereinafter defined) of such Person, without the prior approval of a
            majority of the Board, shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term
            is hereinafter defined) of 25% or more of the then outstanding
            shares of Common Stock of the Company or who was such a Beneficial
            Owner at any time after the date hereof, whether or not such person
            continues to be the Beneficial Owner of 25% or more of the then
            outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company, but shall not
            include the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee
            benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or
            any entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or
            pursuant to the terms of any such plan. For purposes of this


                                        4

<PAGE>


            Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock
            outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of
            determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of
            Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be
            made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of
            the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities and Exchange
            Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as in effect on the
            date of this Agreement.

            B.    Section 3(a) of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended to read
in its entirety as follows:

            (a) Until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth day
            after the Stock Acquisition Date, or (ii) the close of business on
            the tenth day after the date of the commencement of, or first public
            announcement of the intent of any Person (other than the Company,
            any Subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan of the
            Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any entity organized,
            appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms
            of any such plan) to commence (which intention to commence remains
            in effect for five business days after such announcement), a tender
            or exchange offer which would result in such Person becoming the
            Beneficial Owner of 25% or more of the then outstanding shares of
            Common Stock of the Company (including any such date which is after
            the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights)
            (the earlier of such dates being herein referred to as the
            "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to
            the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by the
            certificates for Common Stock registered in the names of the holders
            of the Common Stock (which certificates for Common Stock shall be
            deemed also to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate
            certificates, and (y) the Rights (and the right to receive
            certificates therefor) will be transferable only in connection with
            the transfer of the underlying shares of Common Stock (including a
            transfer to the Company). As soon as practicable after the
            Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send by first class,
            postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as
            of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the address of
            such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or more rights
            certificates, in substantially the same form of Exhibit A hereto
            (the "Rights Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each share of
            Common Stock so held. As of and after the Distribution Date, the
            Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.


                                        5

<PAGE>


            C.    Section 23(a)(ii) of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended to
read in its entirety as follows:

            (ii) In addition, a majority of the Continuing Directors may redeem
            all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at the
            Redemption Price following the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition
            Date but prior to any event described in Section 13(a) either (x) if
            each of the following shall have occurred and remain in effect: (1)
            a Person who is an Acquiring Person shall have transferred or
            otherwise disposed of a number of shares of Common Stock in a
            transaction, or series of transactions, which did not result in the
            occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) such that such
            Person is thereafter a Beneficial Owner of 5% or less of the then
            outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company and (2) there are
            no other Persons, immediately following the occurrence of the event
            described in clause (1), who are Acquiring Persons or (y) in
            connection with any event specified in Sections 11(a)(ii)(A)(1) or
            13(a) not involving an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate
            of an Acquiring Person or (z) following an occurrence of an event
            set forth in, and the expiration of any period during which the
            holder of Rights may exercise the rights under, Section 11(a)(ii),
            but only if at the time of such redemption, neither the Acquiring
            Person nor any other Acquiring Person is the Beneficial Owner of 25%
            or more of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock of the
            Company.

2.          Miscellaneous.

            (a) Except as otherwise expressly provided, or unless the context
otherwise requires, all capitalized terms used herein have the meanings ascribed
to them in the Rights Agreement.

            (b) This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts,
each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute but
one and the same document.

            (c) Except as expressly set forth herein, this Amendment shall not
by implication or otherwise alter, modify, amend or in any way affect any of the
terms, conditions, obligations, covenants or agreements contained in the Rights
Agreement, all of which are ratified and affirmed in all respects and shall
continue in full force and effect.


                                        6

<PAGE>


            IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to
be duly executed as of the day and year first written above.

                                          RAVEN INDUSTRIES, INC.


                                          By:     /s/ Thomas Iacarella
                                                  ------------------------------
                                            Its:  VP Finance



                                          NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA, N.A.


                                          By:     /s/  Ted Garrity
                                                  ------------------------------
                                            Its:  Assistant Vice President


                                        7



                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1


COMPANY PRESS RELEASE

SOURCE: RAVEN INDUSTRIES, INC.

RAVEN INDUSTRIES ANNOUNCES AMENDMENT TO SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS
AGREEMENT AS IT CONTINUES TO REPURCHASE ITS SHARES

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Raven Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: RAVN
- - news) announced today that its Board of Directors has approved an amendment to
is shareholder rights plan, effective September 22, 1998. This plan was
initially adopted on March 16, 1989.

The main change to the Plan is concerned with increasing the ownership threshold
for determining "Acquiring Persons" under the Plan from 20 percent to 25 percent
of common stock ownership. The change is designed to prevent existing
shareholders from inadvertantly crossing the ownership threshold, which would
cause the Rights to become exercisable.

Specifically, the management and board of Raven Industries wish to prevent
current shareholders from involuntarily crossing the ownership threshold as a
result of the company repurchasing shares of common stock pursuant to its
ongoing share repurchase program. President and Chief Executive Officer David A.
Christensen commented that the amendment "allows Raven Industries to continue to
take advantage of buying opportunities in the market in connection with its
share repurchase program without inadvertantly causing some of our larger
shareholders to trigger the Rights."

Christensen added that changes to the Plan were not made in response to any
known effort to acquire Raven Industries, Inc., but rather "as a precaution to
ensure continued shareholder value and equity." The Company currently has no
shareholder with an interest of 20 percent or more of outstanding common shares,
and is not aware of any current attempt to take control of the Company.

Raven Industries is a diversified manufacturer that supplies plastics,
electronics and special-apparel products to various markets.


                                        8



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