Douglas Dynamics Announces Acquisition of Henderson

MILWAUKEE, Nov. 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Douglas Dynamics, Inc. (NYSE: PLOW), North America's premier manufacturer of vehicle attachments and equipment, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Henderson for $95 million in cash, subject to working capital, cash and other adjustments. The transaction is also subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions and is expected to close before the end of the calendar year.

Headquartered in Manchester, Iowa, Henderson is the leading North American manufacturer of customized, turnkey snow and ice control solutions for heavy-duty trucks focused on state Departments of Transportation (DOT), counties, and municipalities. Henderson's diverse product portfolio includes ice control equipment, snow plows, dump bodies, muni-bodies, and replacement parts. Henderson generated $76 million in net sales over the trailing twelve months ending September 30, 2014.

"The acquisition aligns perfectly with our core business and adds a layer of predictability and stability to our business, which is highlighted by Henderson's excellent track record of 11 consecutive years of revenue growth," said James L. Janik, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Douglas Dynamics, Inc. "Henderson is the industry leader in the heavy-duty truck segment of the snow and ice control market and has a different customer base and sales cycle as compared to our core business. Henderson works with the municipal budgeting and planning cycle which provides a much higher degree of revenue visibility with purchase decisions that are generally pre-planned and less driven by near-term weather conditions."

Janik explained, "The addition of Henderson cements Douglas Dynamics as the North American leader in snow and ice control across all truck segments. It expands our product portfolio, broadens our geographic footprint, and adds a dynamic and productive workforce and management team. We will also leverage our Douglas Dynamics Management System, including our lean manufacturing expertise, to work with Marty Ward, President/CEO of Henderson, and his leadership team to improve business efficiency and drive margin growth in the business."

"Douglas Dynamics' track record of success, customer centric focus, and culture of integrity make them the perfect partner for our business," said Marty Ward. "Both businesses have strategic expertise in snow and ice control which can be leveraged to enhance the service and capabilities we provide to our customers and support our continued growth. We look forward to joining the Douglas Dynamics team and sharing expertise in 2015 and beyond."

Douglas Dynamics plans to fund the acquisition through a combination of cash and the amendment of its existing term loan agreement. The Company plans to seek the consent of the lenders under its existing term loan agreement to extend the maturity date of the agreement from 2018 to 2021.

Henderson includes a 170,000 square foot manufacturing facility where most of its 350+ employees are based. The Company also maintains five truck equipment upfit facilities located in New York, Iowa, Ohio, New Jersey, and Illinois, which provide turnkey assembly and delivery of heavy duty trucks to state DOTs, counties, and municipalities.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

Douglas Dynamics will host an investor conference call to discuss the transaction on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. Central Time. The conference call can be accessed at Douglas Dynamics' website at www.douglasdynamics.com under the Investor Relations section. If you are interested in listening to the live call, please go to the website fifteen minutes early to register and download any necessary audio software. To listen to the conference call by phone, dial 877-369-6591 in the U.S. and Canada, or 253-237-1176 Internationally. The Conference ID is #40368678. For those who are unable to listen to the live broadcast, an Internet replay will be made available shortly following the call.

About Douglas Dynamics

Home to the most trusted brands in the industry, Douglas Dynamics is North America's premier manufacturer of vehicle attachments and equipment. For more than 65 years, the company has been innovating products that not only enable people to perform their jobs more efficiently and effectively, but also enable businesses to increase profitability. Our commitment to continuous improvement enables us to consistently produce the highest quality products and drive shareholder value. The Douglas Dynamics' portfolio includes snow and ice management attachments sold under the BLIZZARD®, FISHER®, SNOWEX® and WESTERN® brands, turf care equipment under the TURFEX® brand, and industrial maintenance equipment under the SWEEPEX® brand. Additional information regarding Douglas Dynamics is available at www.douglasdynamics.com.  

About Henderson

Henderson is the leading North American manufacturer of customized, turnkey snow and ice control equipment solutions for heavy duty trucks focused on State Departments of Transportations (DOTs), counties, and municipalities. Henderson's expansive product portfolio includes ice-control equipment, snow plows, dump bodies, muni-bodies, and replacement parts. The Company is based in Manchester, IA. Additional information regarding Henderson is available at www.Hendersonproducts.com

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include information relating to future events, future financial performance, strategies, expectations, competitive environment, regulation, product demand, the payment of dividends, and availability of financial resources. These statements are often identified by use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "continue," "should," "could," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "will" and similar expressions and include references to assumptions and relate to our future prospects, developments and business strategies. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the possibility that we may not complete the acquisition of Henderson due to one or more of the conditions to closing remaining unsatisfied or other circumstances, our inability to secure financing to fund the acquisition, the potential for Henderson not to achieve projected financial performance and unexpected costs or liabilities related to the acquisition of Henderson. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. In addition, the forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of the date hereof and we undertake no obligation, except as required by law, to update or release any revisions to any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available in the future.

CONTACT: Douglas Dynamics, Inc.
         Bob McCormick
         414-362-3868
         [email protected]

Source: Douglas Dynamics, Inc.

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