Exhibit (a)(1)(i)
Offer to Purchase
by
Covenant Logistics Group, Inc.
Up to $40.0 Million in Value of Shares of Its Class A Common Stock
At a Cash Purchase Price not greater than $23.00 per Share Nor Less than $21.00 per Share
THE OFFER, PRORATION PERIOD AND WITHDRAWAL RIGHTS WILL EXPIRE AT ONE MINUTE AFTER 11:59 P.M., NEW YORK CITY
TIME, ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2021, UNLESS THE OFFER IS EXTENDED (SUCH DATE AND TIME, AS THEY MAY BE EXTENDED, THE “EXPIRATION DATE”).
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Covenant Logistics Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company,” “Covenant,” “we,” “us” or “our”), invites our stockholders to tender up to $40.0 million in value of shares of our Class A common
stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Shares”), for purchase by us at a price not greater than $23.00 nor less than $21.00 per Share, to the seller in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest, upon the terms and subject to
the conditions described in this Offer to Purchase and in the related Letter of Transmittal (which together, as they may be amended or supplemented from time to time, constitute the “Offer”).
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, we will determine a single per Share price that we will pay for Shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn from the Offer, taking
into account the total number of Shares tendered and the prices specified, or deemed specified, by tendering stockholders. We will select the lowest single purchase price, not greater than $23.00 nor less than $21.00 per Share, that will allow us
to purchase $40.0 million in value of Shares, or a lower amount depending on the number of Shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn (such purchase price, the “Final Purchase Price”). Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the
Offer, if, based on the Final Purchase Price, Shares having an aggregate value of less than $40.0 million are properly tendered and not properly withdrawn, we will buy all Shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn. All Shares acquired in
the Offer will be acquired at the Final Purchase Price, including those Shares tendered at a price lower than the Final Purchase Price. Only Shares properly tendered at prices at or below the Final Purchase Price, and not properly withdrawn, will
be purchased. We may not purchase all of the Shares tendered at or below the Final Purchase Price if, based on the Final Purchase Price, Shares having an aggregate value in excess of $40.0 million are properly tendered and not properly withdrawn,
because of proration, “Odd Lot” priority and conditional tender provisions described in this Offer to Purchase. Shares not purchased in the Offer will be returned to the tendering stockholders promptly after the Expiration Date. We reserve the
right, in our sole discretion, to change the per Share purchase price range and to increase or decrease the value of Shares sought in the Offer, subject to applicable law. In accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“SEC”), we may increase the number of Shares accepted for payment in the Offer by no more than 2% of the outstanding Shares without extending the Offer. See Section 1.
As of August 5, 2021, we had 14,453,675 outstanding Shares. At the maximum Final Purchase Price of $23.00 per Share, we could purchase 1,739,130 Shares if the Offer is fully subscribed, which would represent approximately 12.0% of the outstanding Shares as of August 5, 2021. At the minimum Final Purchase Price of $21.00 per
Share, we could purchase 1,904,761 Shares if the Offer is fully subscribed, which would represent approximately 13.2% of the outstanding Shares as of August 5, 2021. This Offer does not cover our Class B common stock, of which there are 2,350,000
shares outstanding.
THE OFFER IS NOT CONDITIONED ON THE RECEIPT OF FINANCING OR ANY MINIMUM NUMBER OF SHARES BEING TENDERED. THE OFFER IS, HOWEVER, SUBJECT TO CERTAIN OTHER CONDITIONS. SEE SECTION 7.
The Shares are listed and traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) under the trading symbol “CVLG.” On August 6, 2021, the last full trading day prior to the commencement of the Offer, the last reported
sale price of the Shares was $20.27 per Share. Stockholders are urged to obtain current market quotations for the Shares before deciding whether and at what purchase price or purchase prices to tender their Shares.
See Section 8.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS AUTHORIZED US TO MAKE THE OFFER. HOWEVER, NONE OF THE COMPANY, THE MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, GEORGESON LLC, THE INFORMATION AGENT FOR THE OFFER
(THE “INFORMATION AGENT”), OR COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A., THE DEPOSITARY FOR THE OFFER (THE “DEPOSITARY”), MAKES ANY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU AS TO WHETHER YOU SHOULD TENDER OR REFRAIN FROM TENDERING YOUR SHARES OR AS TO THE PURCHASE PRICE OR
PURCHASE PRICES AT WHICH YOU MAY CHOOSE TO TENDER YOUR SHARES. NEITHER WE NOR ANY MEMBER OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY HAS AUTHORIZED ANY PERSON TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. YOU MUST
MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION AS TO WHETHER TO TENDER YOUR SHARES AND, IF SO, HOW MANY SHARES TO TENDER AND THE PURCHASE PRICE OR PURCHASE PRICES AT WHICH YOU WILL TENDER THEM. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONSULT YOUR OWN FINANCIAL AND TAX ADVISORS, AND READ
CAREFULLY AND EVALUATE THE INFORMATION IN THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE AND IN THE RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, INCLUDING OUR REASONS FOR MAKING THE OFFER, BEFORE TAKING ANY ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. SEE SECTION 2.
OUR DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS ARE ENTITLED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OFFER ON THE SAME BASIS AS ALL OTHER STOCKHOLDERS. OUR PRESIDENT, MR. JOEY B. HOGAN, HAS ADVISED US THAT, ALTHOUGH NO FINAL
DECISION HAS BEEN MADE, HE MAY TENDER UP TO 25,000 SHARES THAT HE BENEFICIALLY OWNS IN THE OFFER. ALL OF OUR OTHER DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS HAVE ADVISED US, HOWEVER, THAT THEY DO NOT INTEND TO TENDER ANY OF THEIR SHARES IN THE OFFER. SEE
SECTION 11.
THE OFFER HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE SEC OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SEC OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE FAIRNESS OR MERITS OF THE OFFER OR
UPON THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE AND ANY RELATED DOCUMENTS, AND ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS UNLAWFUL AND MAY BE A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
If you have questions or need assistance, you should contact the Information Agent at its address and telephone number set forth on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase. If you require
additional copies of this Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal, the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery or other related materials, you should contact the Information Agent.
The Information Agent for the Offer is:
1290 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10104
(888) 607-9107 (Toll Free)
IMPORTANT
If you want to tender all or part of your Shares, you must do one of the following before the Offer expires at one minute after 11:59 P.M., New York City time, on Friday, September 3, 2021 (or the
earlier deadline set forth below with respect to the Shares held within the Covenant Transportation Group 401(k) & Profit Sharing Plan (the “401(k) Plan”) (unless the Offer is extended):
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if your Shares are registered in the name of a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee, contact the nominee and request that the nominee tender your Shares for you. Beneficial owners
should be aware that their broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee may establish its own earlier deadlines for participation in the Offer. Accordingly, beneficial owners wishing to participate in the Offer should
contact their broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee as soon as possible in order to determine the times by which such owner must take action in order to participate in the Offer;
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if you hold certificates registered in your own name, complete and sign a Letter of Transmittal according to its Instructions, and deliver it, together with any required signature guarantees, the certificates
for your Shares and any other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal, to Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the Depositary for the Offer;
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if you are an institution participating in The Depository Trust Company, which we call the “Book-Entry Transfer Facility” in this Offer to Purchase, tender your Shares according to the procedure for
book-entry transfer described in Section 3;
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if you hold restricted stock, you may only tender Shares represented by such interests that are fully vested and not subject to lapse restrictions prior to the Expiration Date; and
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if you hold Shares within the 401(k) Plan, you must follow the procedures described in the separate instructions that you will receive and accept the Offer by 5:00 p.m.,
New York City time, on Wednesday, September 1, 2021.
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If you want to tender your Shares, but: (a) the certificates for your Shares are not immediately available or cannot be delivered to the Depositary by the Expiration Date; (b) you cannot comply with
the procedure for book-entry transfer by the Expiration Date; or (c) your other required documents cannot be delivered to the Depositary by the Expiration Date, you can still tender your Shares if you comply with the guaranteed delivery procedures
described in Section 3.
If you wish to maximize the chance that your Shares will be purchased in the Offer, you should check the box in the section of the Letter of Transmittal captioned “Shares Tendered At Price
Determined Under The Offer.” If you agree to accept the purchase price determined in the Offer, your Shares will be deemed to be tendered at the minimum price of $21.00 per Share. You should understand that this
election may lower the Final Purchase Price and could result in your Shares being purchased at the minimum price of $21.00 per Share. The lower end of the price range for the Offer is below the last reported sale price of the Shares on the NASDAQ
on August 6, 2021, the last full trading day prior to the commencement of the Offer, which was $20.27 per Share.
We are not making the Offer to, and will not accept any tendered Shares from, stockholders in any jurisdiction where it would be illegal to do so. However, we may, at our discretion, take any
actions necessary for us to make the Offer to stockholders in any such jurisdiction.
You may contact the Information Agent or your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance. The contact information for the Information Agent is set forth on the
back cover of this Offer to Purchase.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS AUTHORIZED US TO MAKE THE OFFER. HOWEVER, NONE OF THE COMPANY, THE MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY HAS MADE
ANY RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHETHER YOU SHOULD TENDER OR NOT TENDER YOUR SHARES IN THE OFFER. NONE OF THE COMPANY, THE MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY HAS AUTHORIZED ANY PERSON TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION ON
OUR BEHALF AS TO WHETHER YOU SHOULD TENDER OR NOT TENDER YOUR SHARES IN THE OFFER. NONE OF THE COMPANY, THE MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY HAS AUTHORIZED ANY PERSON TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY
REPRESENTATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFER OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE OR IN THE RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON ANY RECOMMENDATION, OR ANY SUCH REPRESENTATION OR INFORMATION, AS HAVING BEEN
AUTHORIZED BY US, ANY MEMBER OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY.
THE STATEMENTS MADE IN THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE ARE MADE AS OF THE DATE ON THE COVER PAGE AND THE STATEMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE ARE MADE AS OF THE DATE OF THE DOCUMENTS
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. THE DELIVERY OF THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE AND THE RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL SHALL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CREATE ANY IMPLICATION THAT THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IS CORRECT AS OF A
LATER DATE OR THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY CHANGE IN SUCH INFORMATION OR IN OUR AFFAIRS SINCE SUCH DATES.
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We are providing this summary term sheet for your convenience. This summary highlights certain material information in this Offer to Purchase, but it does not describe all of the
details of the Offer to the same extent described elsewhere in this Offer to Purchase. To understand the Offer fully and for a more complete description of the terms of the Offer, we urge you to read carefully this entire Offer to Purchase, the
Letter of Transmittal and the other documents that constitute part of the Offer. We have included references to the sections of this Offer to Purchase where you will find a more complete description of the topics in this summary.
Who is offering to purchase my Shares?
The issuer of the Shares, Covenant Logistics Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation, is offering to purchase the Shares. See Section 1.
What is Covenant offering to purchase?
We are offering to purchase up to $40.0 million in value of Shares. See Section 1.
What is the purpose of the Offer?
Our Board of Directors has determined that the Offer is a prudent use of our financial resources and presents an appropriate balance between meeting the needs of our business and delivering value to
our stockholders. Our Board of Directors determined that a cash tender offer is an appropriate mechanism to return capital to stockholders that seek liquidity under current market conditions while, at the same time, allowing other stockholders to
share in a higher portion of our future potential.
We believe that the modified Dutch auction tender offer set forth in this Offer to Purchase represents an efficient mechanism to provide our stockholders with the opportunity to tender all or a
portion of their Shares and thereby receive a return of some or all of their investment in the Company if they so elect. The Offer provides stockholders with an opportunity to obtain liquidity with respect to all or a portion of their Shares
without the potential disruption to the Share price.
The Offer also provides our stockholders with an efficient way to sell their Shares without incurring brokerage fees or commissions associated with open market sales.
If we complete the Offer, stockholders who do not participate in the Offer will automatically increase their relative percentage ownership interest in the Company and our future operations at no
additional cost to them. See Section 2.
How many Shares will we purchase in the Offer?
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, we will purchase up to $40.0 million in value of Shares in the Offer or a lower amount depending on the number of Shares properly tendered
and not properly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer. Because the Final Purchase Price will be determined after the Expiration Date, the exact number of Shares that will be purchased will not be known until after that time.
As of August 5, 2021, we had 14,453,675 outstanding Shares. As of August 5, 2021, an aggregate of approximately 1.1 million Shares remained available for future awards under the Covenant Logistics
Group, Inc. Third Amended and Restated 2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended (the “Incentive Plan”), further described in Section 11, approximately 1.2 million Shares were subject to currently outstanding, unvested options awarded under the
Incentive Plan, approximately 0.2 million Shares subject to currently outstanding, unvested restricted stock with voting rights awarded under the Incentive Plan, and approximately 0.4 million Shares subject to currently outstanding, unvested
restricted stock without voting rights awarded under the Incentive Plan. Under the Incentive Plan, the maximum number of Shares available for awards is reduced by (i) one share for every one Share subject to a stock option or stock appreciation
right and (ii) 1.8 Shares for every one Share subject to an award other than a stock option or stock appreciation right granted.
At the maximum Final Purchase Price of $23.00 per Share, we could purchase 1,739,130 Shares if the Offer is fully subscribed, which would represent approximately 12.0% of the outstanding Shares as
of August 5, 2021. At the minimum Final Purchase Price of $21.00 per Share, we could purchase 1,904,761 Shares if the Offer is fully subscribed, which would represent approximately 13.2% of the outstanding Shares as of August 5, 2021. If, based on
the Final Purchase Price, more than $40.0 million in value of Shares are properly tendered and not properly withdrawn, we will purchase all Shares tendered at or below the Final Purchase Price on a pro rata basis. This Offer does not cover our
Class B common stock, of which there are 2,350,000 shares outstanding.
We expressly reserve the right to purchase additional Shares in the Offer, subject to applicable law. See Section 1. The Offer is not conditioned on the receipt of financing or any minimum number of
Shares being tendered but is subject to certain other conditions. See Section 7. In accordance with the rules of the SEC, we may increase the number of Shares accepted for payment in the Offer by no more than 2% of the outstanding Shares without
extending the Offer. See Section 1.
What will be the purchase price for the Shares and what will be the form of payment?
We are conducting the Offer through a procedure commonly called a modified “Dutch auction.” This procedure allows you to select the price, within a price range specified by us, at which you are
willing to tender your Shares. The price range for the Offer is $21.00 to $23.00 per Share. We will select the single lowest purchase price (in increments of $0.25), not greater than $23.00 nor less than $21.00 per Share, that will allow us to
purchase up to $40.0 million in value of Shares at such price, based on the number of Shares tendered, or, if fewer Shares are properly tendered, all Shares that are properly tendered and not properly withdrawn. We will purchase all Shares at the
Final Purchase Price, even if you have selected a purchase price lower than the Final Purchase Price, but we will not purchase any Shares tendered at a price above the Final Purchase Price.
If you wish to maximize the chance that we will purchase your Shares, you should check the box in the section entitled “Shares Tendered At Price Determined Under The Offer” in the section of the
Letter of Transmittal captioned “Price (In Dollars) Per Share At Which Shares Are Being Tendered,” indicating that you will accept the Final Purchase Price. If you agree to accept the purchase price determined in the Offer, your Shares will be
deemed to be tendered at the minimum price of $21.00 per Share. You should understand that this election may have the effect of lowering the Final Purchase Price and could result in your Shares being purchased at
the minimum price of $21.00 per Share, a price which could be below the last reported sale price of the Shares on the NASDAQ on the Expiration Date.
If we purchase your Shares in the Offer, we will pay you the Final Purchase Price in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest, promptly after the Expiration Date. Under no
circumstances will we pay interest on the Final Purchase Price, even if there is a delay in making payment. See the Introduction, Section 1 and Section 3.
Stockholders are urged to obtain current market quotations for the Shares before deciding whether and at what price or prices to tender their Shares. See Section 8.
How will we pay for the Shares?
The maximum value of Shares purchased in the Offer will be $40.0 million. We expect that the maximum aggregate cost of this purchase, including all fees and expenses applicable to the Offer, will be
approximately $40.7 million. We intend to pay for the Shares with a combination of existing cash resources and borrowings under the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, as amended (the “Credit Facility”), dated as of September 23, 2008, by
and among the Company, substantially all of the Company’s subsidiaries, Bank of America, N.A., as agent (the “Agent”), and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (together with the Agent, the “Lenders”). The Offer is not subject to a financing condition. See
Section 9.
In accordance with the rules of the SEC, we may increase the number of Shares accepted for payment in the Offer by no more than 2% of the outstanding Shares without extending the Offer. See
Section 1.
How long do I have to tender my Shares?
You may tender your Shares until the Offer expires on the Expiration Date. The Offer will expire one minute after 11:59 P.M., New York City time, on Friday, September 3, 2021 (or the earlier
deadline set forth below with respect to the Shares held within the 401(k) Plan), unless we extend the Offer. See Section 1. We may choose to extend the Offer at any time and for any reason. We cannot assure you, however, that we will extend the
Offer or, if we extend it, for how long. See Section 1 and Section 14. If a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee holds your Shares, it may have an earlier deadline for accepting the Offer. We urge you to contact the
broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee that holds your Shares to find out its deadline. See Section 3.
You will have an earlier deadline for accepting the Offer if you wish to tender Shares you hold within the 401(k) Plan. If you wish to tender such Shares, you must follow the procedures described in
the separate instructions you will receive and accept the Offer by 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Wednesday, September 1, 2021.
Beneficial owners holding their Shares through a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee should be aware that their broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other
nominee may establish its own earlier deadlines for participation in the Offer. Accordingly, beneficial owners wishing to participate in the Offer should contact their broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee as soon as
possible in order to determine the times by which such owner must take action in order to participate in the Offer.
Can the Offer be extended, amended or terminated, and if so, under what circumstances?
Yes. We can extend or amend the Offer in our sole discretion at any time, subject to applicable laws. We may, however, decide not to extend the Expiration Date for the Offer. If we extend the
Expiration Date for the Offer, we cannot indicate, at this time, the length of any extension that we may provide. In any event, if we extend the Expiration Date for the Offer, we will delay the acceptance of any Shares that have been tendered. See
Section 14. We can also amend or terminate the Offer under certain circumstances and subject to applicable law. See Section 7.
How will I be notified if you extend the Offer or amend the terms of the Offer?
If we extend the Offer, we will issue a press release not later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first business day after the previously scheduled Expiration Date. If we extend the Offer,
you may withdraw your Shares until the Expiration Date, as extended. We will announce any amendment to the Offer by making a public announcement of the amendment. In the event that the terms of the Offer are amended, we will file an amendment to
our Offer on Schedule TO-I describing the amendment. See Section 14.
Are there any conditions to the Offer?
Yes. Our obligation to accept for payment and pay for your tendered Shares depends upon a number of conditions that must be satisfied in our reasonable judgment or waived on or
prior to the Expiration Date, including, among others:
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no legal action shall have been threatened, pending or taken that might, in our reasonable judgment, adversely affect the Offer;
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no general suspension of trading in, or general limitation on prices for, securities on any national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter markets in the United States or the declaration of a banking
moratorium or any suspension of payments in respect of banks in the United States shall have occurred;
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no decrease of more than 10% in the market price of the Shares or in the general level of market prices for equity securities in the New York Stock Exchange Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the NASDAQ
Global Market Composite Index or Standard & Poor’s Composite Index of 500 Industrial Companies measured from the close of trading on August 6, 2021, the last full trading day prior to the commencement of the Offer, shall have occurred;
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no commencement of a war, armed hostilities or other national or international calamity, including, but not limited to, any outbreak of a pandemic or contagious disease or an act of terrorism, shall have
occurred directly involving the United States on or after August 9, 2021, or any material escalation, on or after August 9, 2021, of any war, armed hostilities or other national or international calamity directly involving the United
States that had commenced prior to August 9, 2021 (including the COVID-19 pandemic, to the extent that there is any material adverse development related thereto on or after August 9, 2021), shall have occurred which in our reasonable
judgment is or may be materially adverse to us or otherwise makes it inadvisable for us to proceed with the Offer;
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no limitation, whether or not mandatory, by any governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or authority on, or any event that, in our reasonable judgment, could materially affect, the extension of
credit by banks or other lending institutions in the United States;
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no changes in the general political, market, economic or financial conditions, domestically or internationally, that are reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect our business or the trading in the
Shares shall have occurred;
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no change in law or in the official interpretation or administration of law, or relevant position or policy of a governmental authority with respect to any laws, applicable to the Offer;
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no person shall have filed a Notification and Report Form under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended or shall have proposed, announced or taken certain actions that could lead
to the acquisition of us or a change of control transaction;
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no material adverse change in our business, condition (financial or otherwise), assets, income, operations or prospects shall have occurred during the Offer;
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any approval, permit, authorization, favorable review or consent of any governmental entity required to be obtained in connection with the Offer shall have been obtained on terms satisfactory to us in our
reasonable discretion; and
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we shall not have determined that as a result of the consummation of the Offer and the purchase of Shares that there will be a reasonable likelihood that the Shares either (1) will be held of record by fewer
than 300 persons or (2) will be delisted from the NASDAQ or be eligible for deregistration under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
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For a more detailed discussion of these and other conditions to the Offer, please see Section 7.
How do I tender my Shares?
If you want to tender all or part of your Shares, you must do one of the following by one minute after 11:59 P.M., New York City time, on Friday, September 3, 2021 (or the
earlier deadline set forth below with respect to the Shares held within the 401(k) Plan), or any later time and date to which the Offer may be extended:
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if your Shares are registered in the name of a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee, contact the nominee and request that the nominee tender your Shares for you. Beneficial owners
should be aware that their broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee may establish its own earlier deadlines for participation in the Offer. Accordingly, beneficial owners wishing to participate in the Offer should
contact their broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee as soon as possible in order to determine the times by which such owner must take action in order to participate in the Offer;
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if you hold certificates registered in your own name, complete and sign a Letter of Transmittal according to its instructions, and deliver it, together with any required signature guarantees, the certificates
for your Shares and any other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal, to the Depositary at the address appearing on the back cover page of this Offer to Purchase;
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if you are an institution participating in the Book-Entry Transfer Facility, tender your Shares according to the procedure for book-entry transfer described in Section 3;
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if you hold restricted stock, you may only tender Shares represented by such interests that are fully vested and not subject to lapse restrictions prior to the Expiration Date; and
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if you hold Shares within the 401(k) Plan, you must follow the procedures described in the separate instructions that you will receive and accept the Offer by 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Wednesday,
September 1, 2021.
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If you want to tender your Shares, but: (a) the certificates for your Shares are not immediately available or cannot be delivered to the Depositary by the Expiration Date; (b) you cannot comply with
the procedure for book-entry transfer by the Expiration Date; or (c) your other required documents cannot be delivered to the Depositary by the Expiration Date, you can still tender your Shares if you comply with the guaranteed delivery procedures
described in Section 3.
We are not making the Offer to, and will not accept any tendered Shares from, stockholders in any jurisdiction where it would be illegal to do so. However, we may, at our discretion, take any
actions necessary for us to make the Offer to stockholders in any such jurisdiction.
You may contact the Information Agent or your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance. The contact information for the Information Agent is set forth on the
back cover of this Offer to Purchase. See Section 3 and the Instructions to the Letter of Transmittal.
Once I have tendered Shares in the Offer, may I withdraw my tendered Shares?
Yes. You may withdraw any Shares you have tendered at any time prior to one minute after 11:59 P.M., New York City time, on Friday, September 3, 2021 (or the earlier deadline set forth below with
respect to the Shares held within the 401(k) Plan), or any later Expiration Date, if the Offer is extended. If after one minute after 11:59 P.M., New York City time, on October 4, 2021 we have not accepted for payment the Shares you have tendered
to us, you may also withdraw your Shares at any time thereafter. See Section 4.
How do I withdraw Shares I previously tendered?
To properly withdraw Shares, you must deliver on a timely basis a written notice of your withdrawal to the Depositary at one of the addresses appearing on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase.
Your notice of withdrawal must specify your name, the number of Shares to be withdrawn and the name of the registered holder of the Shares. Some additional requirements apply if the certificates for Shares to be withdrawn have been delivered to the
Depositary or if your Shares have been tendered under the procedure for book-entry transfer set forth in Section 3.
In what order will you purchase the tendered Shares?
We will purchase Shares on the following basis:
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first, we will purchase all Odd Lots (as defined in Section 1) of less than 100 Shares at the Final Purchase Price from stockholders who properly tender all of their
Shares at or below the Final Purchase Price and who do not properly withdraw them before the Expiration Date (tenders of less than all of the Shares owned, beneficially or of record, by such Odd Lot Holder (as defined in Section 1) will not
qualify for this preference);
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second, after purchasing all the Odd Lots that were properly tendered at or below the Purchase Price, subject to the conditional tender provisions described in
Section 6 (whereby a holder may specify a minimum number of such holder’s Shares that must be purchased if any such Shares are purchased), we will purchase all Shares properly tendered at or below the Final Purchase Price on a pro rata
basis with appropriate adjustment to avoid purchases of fractional Shares; and
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third, only if necessary to permit us to purchase $40.0 million in value of Shares (or such greater amount as we may elect to pay, subject to applicable law), we will
purchase Shares conditionally tendered (for which the condition was not initially satisfied) at or below the Final Purchase Price, by random lot, to the extent feasible. To be eligible for purchase by random lot, stockholders whose Shares
are conditionally tendered must have tendered all of their Shares. Random lot would be facilitated by the Company.
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Therefore, we may not purchase all of the Shares that you tender even if you tender them at or below the Final Purchase Price. See Section 1 and Section 6.
If I own fewer than 100 Shares and I tender all of my Shares, will I be subject to proration?
If you own, beneficially or of record, fewer than 100 Shares in the aggregate, you properly tender all of these Shares at or below the Purchase Price and do not properly withdraw them before the
Expiration Date, and you complete the section entitled “Odd Lots” in the Letter of Transmittal and, if applicable, in the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, we will purchase all of your Shares without subjecting them to the proration procedure. See
Section 1.
Has the Company or its Board of Directors adopted a position on the Offer?
Our Board of Directors has authorized us to make the Offer. However, none of the Company, the members of our Board of Directors, the Depositary or the Information Agent makes any recommendation to
you as to whether you should tender or refrain from tendering your Shares or as to the purchase price or purchase prices at which you may choose to tender your Shares. We cannot predict how our Class A common stock will trade after the Expiration
Date, and it is possible that our Class A common stock price will trade above the Final Purchase Price after the Expiration Date. You must make your own decision as to whether to tender your Shares and, if so, how many Shares to tender and the
purchase price or purchase prices at which you will tender them. We recommend that you read carefully the information in this Offer to Purchase and in the related Letter of Transmittal, including our reasons for making the Offer, before taking any
action with respect to the Offer. See Section 2. You should discuss whether to tender your Shares with your broker or other financial or tax advisors.
Do the directors or executive officers of the Company intend to tender their Shares in the Offer?
Our directors and executive officers are entitled to participate in the Offer on the same basis as all other stockholders. Our President, Mr. Joey B. Hogan, has advised us that, although no final decision has been
made, he may tender up to 25,000 Shares that he beneficially owns in the Offer. All of our other directors and executive officers have advised us, however, that they do not intend to tender any of their Shares in the Offer. As a result, the
proportional holdings of our directors and executive officers who do not participate in the Offer will increase following the consummation of the Offer. After termination of the Offer, our directors and executive officers may, in compliance with
applicable law, sell their Shares in open market transactions or otherwise, at prices that may be more or less favorable than the Purchase Price to be paid to our stockholders in the Offer. See Section 11.
If I decide not to tender, how will the Offer affect my Shares?
Stockholders who decide not to tender will own a greater percentage interest in the outstanding Shares following the consummation of the Offer. See Section 2.
Following the Offer, will you continue as a public company?
Yes. We believe that the Shares will continue to be authorized for quotation on the NASDAQ and that we will continue to be subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. See
Section 2.
When and how will you pay me for the Shares I tender?
We will pay the Final Purchase Price to the seller, in cash, less applicable withholding taxes and without interest, for the Shares we purchase promptly after the Expiration Date. We will announce
the preliminary results of the Offer, including price and preliminary information about any expected proration, on the business day following the Expiration Date. We do not expect, however, to announce the final results of any proration or the
Final Purchase Price and begin paying for tendered Shares until after the Expiration Date. We will pay for the Shares accepted for purchase by depositing the aggregate purchase price with the Depositary, promptly after the Expiration Date. The
Depositary will act as your agent and will transmit to you the payment for all of your Shares accepted for payment. See Section 1 and Section 5.
If I am a holder of restricted stock, how do I participate in the Offer?
We are not offering, as part of the Offer, to purchase any outstanding restricted stock unless and until the restricted stock has vested and the restrictions on the Shares have lapsed. Shares that
you hold that are vested and no longer subject to any restrictions may be tendered in the Offer, subject to the terms and conditions of the Offer.
If I am a holder of Shares through the 401(k) Plan, how do I participate in the Offer?
If you hold Shares within the 401(k) Plan, you are entitled to participate in the Offer. If you wish to tender such Shares, you must follow the procedures described in the separate instructions that
you will receive and accept the Offer by 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Wednesday, September 1, 2021. See Section 3.
What is the recent market price of my Shares?
On August 6, 2021, the last full trading day before the commencement of the Offer, the last reported sale price of the Shares on the NASDAQ was $20.27 per Share. You are urged to obtain current
market quotations for the Shares before deciding whether and at what purchase price or purchase prices to tender your Shares. See Section 8.
Will I have to pay brokerage commissions if I tender my Shares?
If you are a registered stockholder and you tender your Shares directly to the Depositary, you will not incur any brokerage commissions. If you hold Shares through a broker, dealer, commercial bank,
trust company or other nominee, we urge you to consult your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee to determine whether any transaction costs are applicable. See the Introduction and Section 3.
Will I have to pay stock transfer tax if I tender my Shares?
If you instruct the Depositary in the Letter of Transmittal to make the payment for the Shares to the registered holder, you will not incur any stock transfer tax. If you give special instructions
to the Depositary in connection with your tender of Shares, then stock transfer taxes may apply. See Section 5.
What are the United States federal income tax consequences if I tender my Shares?
Generally, if you are a U.S. Holder (as defined in Section 13), your receipt of cash from us in exchange for the Shares you tender will be a taxable transaction for United States federal income tax
purposes. The cash you receive for your tendered Shares will generally be treated for United States federal income tax purposes either as consideration received in respect of a sale or exchange of the Shares purchased by us or as a distribution
from us in respect of Shares. See Section 13 for a more detailed discussion of the tax treatment of the Offer. We urge you to consult your own tax advisor as to the particular tax consequences to you of the Offer. If you are a non-U.S. Holder (as
defined in Section 13), because it is unclear whether the cash you receive in connection with the Offer will be treated (i) as proceeds of a sale or exchange or (ii) as a distribution, the Depositary or other applicable withholding agent may treat
such payment as a dividend distribution for withholding purposes. Accordingly, if you are a non-U.S. Holder, you may be subject to withholding on payments to you at a rate of 30% of the gross proceeds paid, unless you establish an entitlement to a
reduced rate of withholding by timely completing, under penalties of perjury, the applicable Form W-8. See Section 13 for a more detailed discussion of the tax treatment of the Offer. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors
regarding the application of United States federal income tax withholding and backup withholding, including eligibility for a withholding tax reduction or exemption and the refund procedure.
Who should I contact with questions about the Offer?
The Information Agent can help answer your questions. The Information Agent is Georgeson LLC. Its contact information is set forth below.
1290 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10104
(888) 607-9107 (Toll Free)
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Offer to Purchase, including any documents incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference, and other documents we file with the SEC contain forward-looking statements that
are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections and our management’s belief and assumptions about us, our future performance and our business. In addition, we, or others on our behalf, may make forward-looking statements in
press releases or written statements, or in our communications and discussions with investors and analysts in the normal course of business through meetings, webcasts, phone calls and conference calls. Such words as “believe,” “may,” “could,”
would,” “will,” “expects,” “estimates,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “outlook,” “focus,” “seek,” “potential,” “mission,” “continue,” “goal,” “target,” “objective,” “intends," as well as variations of such words and similar expressions are
intended to identify such forward-looking statements.
You should not read forward-looking statements as a guarantee of future performance or results. They will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or at what time such
performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or management’s good faith belief at that time with respect to future events. Such statements are
subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the
factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, as amended, and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021, as well as the
factors relating to the transactions discussed in this Offer to Purchase and the following:
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our ability to complete the Offer;
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the price and time at which we may make any additional Share repurchases following completion of the Offer and the number of Shares acquired in such repurchases;
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our business is subject to economic, credit, business, and regulatory factors affecting the truckload industry that are largely beyond our control;
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we may not be successful in achieving our strategic plan;
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we operate in a highly competitive and fragmented industry;
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we may not grow substantially in the future and we may not be successful in improving our profitability;
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we may not make acquisitions in the future, or if we do, we may not be successful in our acquisition strategy;
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increases in driver compensation or difficulties attracting and retaining qualified drivers could have a materially adverse effect on our profitability and the ability to maintain or grow our fleet;
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our engagement of independent contractors to provide a portion of our capacity exposes us to different risks than we face with our tractors driven by company drivers;
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we derive a significant portion of our revenues from our major customers;
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fluctuations in the price or availability of fuel, the volume and terms of diesel fuel purchase commitments, surcharge collection, and hedging activities may increase our costs of operation;
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we depend on third-party providers, particularly in our Managed Freight segment;
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we depend on the proper functioning and availability of our management information and communication systems and other information technology assets (including the data contained therein) and a system failure
or unavailability, including those caused by cybersecurity breaches, or an inability to effectively upgrade such systems and assets could cause a significant disruption to our business;
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if we are unable to retain our key employees, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be harmed;
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seasonality and the impact of weather and other catastrophic events affect our operations and profitability;
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we self-insure for a significant portion of our claims exposure, which could significantly increase the volatility of, and decrease the amount of, our earnings;
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our self-insurance for auto liability claims and our use of captive insurance companies could adversely impact our operations;
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we have experienced, and may experience additional, erosion of available limits in our aggregate insurance policies;
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we may experience additional expense to reinstate insurance policies due to liability claims;
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we operate in a highly regulated industry;
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if our independent contractor drivers are deemed by regulators or judicial process to be employees, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected;
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developments in labor and employment law and any unionizing efforts by employees could have a materially adverse effect on our results of operations;
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the Compliance Safety Accountability program adopted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration could adversely affect our profitability and operations, our ability to maintain or grow our fleet, and
our customer relationships;
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an unfavorable development in the Department of Transportation safety rating at any of our motor carriers could have a materially adverse effect on our operations and profitability;
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compliance with various environmental laws and regulations;
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changes to trade regulation, quotas, duties, or tariffs;
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litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations;
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our Credit Facility and other financing arrangements contain certain covenants, restrictions, and requirements, and we may be unable to comply with such covenants, restrictions, and requirements;
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in the future, we may need to obtain additional financing that may not be available or, if it is available, may result in a reduction in the percentage ownership of our stockholders;
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our indebtedness and finance and operating lease obligations could adversely affect our ability to respond to changes in our industry or business;
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our profitability may be materially adversely impacted if our capital investments do not match customer demand or if there is a decline in the availability of funding sources for these investments;
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increased prices for new revenue equipment, design changes of new engines, future uses of autonomous tractors, volatility in the used equipment market, decreased availability of new revenue equipment, and the
failure of manufacturers to meet their sale or trade-back obligations to us could have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and profitability;
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our 49% owned subsidiary, Transport Enterprise Leasing, faces certain additional risks particular to its operations, any one of which could adversely affect our operating results;
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we may incur additional charges in connection with the disposition of substantially all of the operations and assets of Transport Financial Services, which could have a material adverse effect on our results
of operations, cash flows, available liquidity, and total indebtedness;
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we could determine that our goodwill and other intangible assets are impaired, thus recognizing a related loss;
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our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and his wife control a large portion of our stock and have substantial control over us, which could limit other stockholders' ability to influence the
outcome of key transactions, including changes of control;
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provisions in our charter documents or Nevada law may inhibit a takeover, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay for our Class A common stock;
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the market price of our Class A common stock may be volatile;
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if we fail to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, there could be an elevated possibility of a material misstatement, and such a misstatement could cause investors to
lose confidence in our financial statements, which could have a material adverse effect on our stock price; and
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we could be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak or other similar outbreaks.
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All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Offer to Purchase or the date of documents incorporated by reference. You are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on such forward-looking statements.
In addition, please refer to the documents incorporated by reference into this Offer to Purchase (see Section 10) for additional information on risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements or that may otherwise impact our Company and business. Any statement contained in a document incorporated herein by reference into this Offer to Purchase shall be
deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent such statement is modified or superseded in this Offer to Purchase. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this
Offer to Purchase.
Notwithstanding anything in this Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal or any document incorporated by reference into this Offer to Purchase, the safe harbor
protections of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 do not apply to statements made in connection with a tender offer.
To the holders of our Class A common stock:
We invite our stockholders to tender up to $40.0 million in value of Shares for purchase by us at a price not greater than $23.00 nor less than $21.00 per Share, to the seller in cash, less any
applicable withholding taxes and without interest, upon the terms and subject to the conditions described in this Offer to Purchase and in the related Letter of Transmittal which together, as they may be amended or supplemented from time to time,
constitute the “Offer.”
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, we will determine a single per Share price that we will pay for Shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn from the Offer, taking
into account the total number of Shares tendered and the prices specified, or deemed specified, by tendering stockholders. We will select the lowest single purchase price, not greater than $23.00 nor less than $21.00 per Share, that will allow us
to purchase $40.0 million in value of Shares, or a lower amount depending on the number of Shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn. We refer to the price we will select as the “Final Purchase Price.” We will acquire Shares in the Offer
at the Final Purchase Price, on the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, including proration provisions.
We will only purchase Shares properly tendered at prices at or below the Final Purchase Price and not properly withdrawn. We may not purchase all of the Shares tendered at or below the Final
Purchase Price because of proration (because Shares having an aggregate value greater than the value we seek are properly tendered), “Odd Lot” priority and conditional tender provisions described in this Offer to Purchase. Upon the terms and
subject to the conditions of the Offer, if, based on the Final Purchase Price, Shares having an aggregate value of less than $40.0 million are properly tendered and not properly withdrawn, we will buy all Shares properly tendered and not properly
withdrawn. Shares not purchased in the Offer, including Shares tendered at prices in excess of the Final Purchase Price and Shares not purchased because of proration or conditional tender, will be returned to the tendering stockholders promptly
after the Expiration Date. See Section 1.
We expressly reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to change the per Share purchase price range and to increase or decrease the value of Shares sought in the Offer, subject to applicable law.
We may increase the value of Shares sought in the Offer to an amount greater than $40.0 million, subject to applicable law. See Section 1.
THE OFFER IS NOT CONDITIONED ON THE RECEIPT OF FINANCING OR ANY MINIMUM NUMBER OF SHARES BEING TENDERED. THE OFFER IS, HOWEVER, SUBJECT TO CERTAIN OTHER CONDITIONS. SEE SECTION 7.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS AUTHORIZED US TO MAKE THE OFFER. HOWEVER, NONE OF THE COMPANY, THE MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY, MAKES ANY
RECOMMENDATION TO YOU AS TO WHETHER YOU SHOULD TENDER OR REFRAIN FROM TENDERING YOUR SHARES OR AS TO THE PURCHASE PRICE OR PURCHASE PRICES AT WHICH YOU MAY CHOOSE TO TENDER YOUR SHARES. NEITHER WE NOR ANY MEMBER OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE
INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY HAS AUTHORIZED ANY PERSON TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. YOU MUST MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION AS TO WHETHER TO TENDER YOUR SHARES AND, IF SO, HOW MANY SHARES TO TENDER AND THE PURCHASE PRICE OR
PURCHASE PRICES AT WHICH YOU WILL TENDER THEM. IN DOING SO, YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR OWN FINANCIAL AND TAX ADVISORS, AND READ CAREFULLY AND EVALUATE THE INFORMATION IN THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE AND IN THE RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, INCLUDING OUR
REASONS FOR MAKING THE OFFER.
We will pay all reasonable out-of-pocket fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Offer by the Information Agent and the Depositary. See Section 15.
As of August 5, 2021, we had 14,453,675 outstanding Shares. As of August 5, 2021, an aggregate of approximately 1.1 million Shares remained available for future awards under the Incentive Plan,
further described in Section 11, approximately 1.2 million Shares were subject to currently outstanding, unvested options awarded under the Incentive Plan, approximately 0.2 million Shares subject to currently outstanding, unvested restricted stock
with voting rights awarded under the Incentive Plan, and approximately 0.4 million Shares subject to currently outstanding, unvested restricted stock without voting rights awarded under the Incentive Plan. Under the Incentive Plan, the maximum
number of Shares available for awards is reduced by (i) one share for every one Share subject to a stock option or stock appreciation right and (ii) 1.8 Shares for every one Share subject to an award other than a stock option or stock appreciation
right granted.
At the maximum Final Purchase Price of $23.00 per Share, we could purchase 1,739,130 Shares if the Offer is fully subscribed, which would represent approximately 12.0% of the outstanding Shares as
of August 5, 2021. At the minimum Final Purchase Price of $21.00 per Share, we could purchase 1,904,761 Shares if the Offer is fully subscribed, which would represent approximately 13.2% of the outstanding Shares as of August 5, 2021. This Offer
does not cover our Class B common stock, of which there are 2,350,000 shares outstanding. The Shares are listed and traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “CVLG.” On August 6, 2021, the last full trading day prior to the commencement of the Offer,
the last reported sale price of the Shares was $20.27 per Share. Stockholders are urged to obtain current market quotations for the Shares before deciding whether and at what purchase price or purchase prices to tender their Shares. See Section 8
and Section 11.
Our principal executive offices are located at 400 Birmingham Highway, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37419, and our phone number is (423) 821-1212.
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Number of Shares; Proration.
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Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, we will purchase up to $40.0 million in value of Shares, or a lower amount depending on the number of Shares properly tendered and not
properly withdrawn in accordance with Section 4 before the Expiration Date at a price not greater than $23.00 nor less than $21.00 per Share, to the seller in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest (such purchase price,
the “Final Purchase Price”). Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, if, based on the Final Purchase Price, Shares having an aggregate value of less than $40.0 million are properly tendered and not properly withdrawn, we will buy
all Shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn.
The term “Expiration Date” means one minute after 11:59 P.M., New York City time, on Friday, September 3, 2021, unless and until we, in our sole discretion, shall have extended the period of time
during which the Offer will remain open, in which event the term “Expiration Date” shall refer to the latest time and date at which the Offer, as so extended by us, shall expire. See Section 14 for a description of our right to extend, delay,
terminate or amend the Offer.
In accordance with Instruction 5 of the Letter of Transmittal, stockholders desiring to tender Shares must either (1) specify that they are willing to sell their Shares to us at the Final Purchase
Price (which could result in the tendering stockholder receiving a purchase price per Share as low as $21.00) or (2) specify the price or prices, not greater than $23.00 nor less than $21.00 per Share, at which they are willing to sell their Shares
to us under the Offer. Prices may be specified in multiples of $0.25. Promptly following the Expiration Date, we will determine the Final Purchase Price that we will pay for Shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn, taking into account
the number of Shares tendered and the prices specified, or deemed specified, by tendering stockholders. We will select the lowest single purchase price, not greater than $23.00 nor less than $21.00 per Share, that will allow us to purchase $40.0
million in value of Shares, or a lower amount depending on the number of Shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn. We will pay the Final Purchase Price for all Shares purchased in the Offer (less any applicable withholding taxes and
without interest).
If you specify that you are willing to sell your Shares to us at the Final Purchase Price (which could result in you receiving a purchase price per Share as low as $21.00), your Shares will be
deemed to be tendered at the minimum price of $21.00 per Share for purposes of determining the Final Purchase Price. You should understand that this election may effectively lower the Final Purchase Price and could result in your Shares being
purchased at the minimum price of $21.00 per Share, a price which could be below the last reported sale price of the Shares on the NASDAQ on the Expiration Date.
We will announce the Final Purchase Price by press release as promptly as practicable after such determination has been made. We do not expect, however, to announce the final results of any
proration or the Final Purchase Price and begin paying for tendered Shares until after the Expiration Date. We will only purchase Shares properly tendered at prices at or below the Final Purchase Price and not properly withdrawn. We may not
purchase all of the Shares tendered at or below the Final Purchase Price if, based on the Final Purchase Price, Shares representing more than $40.0 million (or such greater number of Shares as we may choose to purchase without extending the Offer)
are properly tendered and not properly withdrawn, because of proration, the “Odd Lot” priority and conditional tender provisions of the Offer. We will return all Shares tendered and not purchased pursuant to the Offer, including Shares tendered at
prices in excess of the Final Purchase Price and Shares not purchased because of proration or conditional tenders, to the tendering stockholders at our expense, promptly following the Expiration Date.
By following the Instructions to the Letter of Transmittal, stockholders can specify different minimum prices for specified portions of their Shares, but a separate Letter of Transmittal must be
submitted for Shares tendered at each price. Stockholders can also specify the order in which the specified portions will be purchased in the event that, as a result of proration or otherwise, some but not all of the tendered Shares are purchased
pursuant to the Offer. In the event a stockholder does not designate such order and fewer than all Shares are purchased due to proration, the Depositary will select the order of Shares purchased.
We expressly reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to change the per Share purchase price range and to increase or decrease the value of Shares sought in the Offer, subject to applicable law.
We may increase the value of Shares sought in the Offer to an amount greater than $40.0 million, subject to applicable law. In accordance with the rules of the SEC, we may increase the number of Shares accepted for payment in the Offer by no more
than 2% of the outstanding Shares without extending the Offer. However, if we purchase an additional number of Shares in excess of 2% of the outstanding Shares, we will amend and extend the Offer to the extent required by applicable law. See
Section 14.
In the event of an over-subscription of the Offer as described below, Shares tendered at or below the Final Purchase Price prior to the Expiration Date will be subject to proration, except for Odd
Lots as described below. The proration period and withdrawal rights also expire on the Expiration Date.
THE OFFER IS NOT CONDITIONED ON THE RECEIPT OF FINANCING OR ANY MINIMUM NUMBER OF SHARES BEING TENDERED. THE OFFER IS, HOWEVER, SUBJECT TO CERTAIN OTHER CONDITIONS. SEE SECTION 7.
Priority of Purchases. On the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, if, based on the Final Purchase
Price, Shares having an aggregate value in excess of $40.0 million (or such greater amount as we may elect to pay, subject to applicable law), have been properly tendered at prices at or below the Final Purchase Price and not properly withdrawn
before the Expiration Date, we will purchase properly tendered Shares on the basis set forth below:
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first, we will purchase all Odd Lots (as defined in Section 1) of less than 100 Shares at the Final Purchase Price from stockholders who properly tender all of their
Shares at or below the Final Purchase Price and who do not properly withdraw them before the Expiration Date (tenders of less than all of the Shares owned, beneficially or of record, by such Odd Lot Holder (as defined in Section 1) will not
qualify for this preference);
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second, after purchasing all the Odd Lots that were properly tendered at or below the Purchase Price, subject to the conditional tender provisions described in
Section 6 (whereby a holder may specify a minimum number of such holder’s Shares that must be purchased if any such Shares are purchased), we will purchase all Shares properly tendered at or below the Final Purchase Price on a pro rata
basis with appropriate adjustment to avoid purchases of fractional Shares; and
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third, only if necessary to permit us to purchase $40.0 million in value of Shares (or such greater amount as we may elect to pay, subject to applicable law), we will
purchase Shares conditionally tendered (for which the condition was not initially satisfied) at or below the Final Purchase Price, by random lot, to the extent feasible. To be eligible for purchase by random lot, stockholders whose Shares
are conditionally tendered must have tendered all of their Shares. Random lot would be facilitated by the Company.
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As a result of the foregoing priorities applicable to the purchase of Shares tendered, it is possible that fewer than all Shares tendered by a stockholder will be purchased or that, if a tender is
conditioned upon the purchase of a specified number of Shares, none of those Shares will be purchased even though those Shares were tendered at prices at or below the Final Purchase Price.
As we noted above, we may elect to purchase more than $40.0 million in value of Shares in the Offer, subject to applicable law. If we do so, the preceding provisions will apply to the greater value.
Odd Lots. The term “Odd Lots” means all Shares tendered by any person (an “Odd Lot Holder”) who owned beneficially or of record an
aggregate of fewer than 100 Shares and so certifies in the appropriate place on the Letter of Transmittal and, if applicable, the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. This preference is not available to partial tenders or beneficial or record holders of
100 or more Shares, even if such holders have separate accounts or certificates representing fewer than 100 Shares. Odd Lots will be accepted for payment at the same time as other tendered Shares.
Proration. If proration of tendered Shares is required, we will determine the proration factor promptly following the Expiration Date.
Proration for each stockholder tendering Shares (excluding Odd Lot Holders) will be based on the ratio of the number of Shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn by such stockholder to the total number of Shares properly tendered and not
properly withdrawn by all stockholders (excluding Odd Lot Holders) at or below the Final Purchase Price, subject to the provisions governing conditional tenders described in Section 6 and adjustment to avoid the purchase of fractional Shares.
Because of the difficulty in determining the number of Shares properly tendered and not withdrawn, the conditional tender procedure described in Section 6 and the guaranteed delivery procedure described in Section 3, we expect that we will not be
able to announce the final proration factor or commence payment for any Shares purchased pursuant to the Offer until after the Expiration Date. The preliminary results of any proration will be announced by press release as promptly as practicable
after the Expiration Date. After the Expiration Date, stockholders may obtain preliminary proration information from the Information Agent and also may be able to obtain such information from their brokers.
As described in Section 13, the number of Shares that we will purchase from a stockholder pursuant to the Offer may affect the United States federal income tax consequences to the stockholder of the
purchase and, therefore, may be relevant to a stockholder’s decision whether to tender Shares. The Letter of Transmittal affords each stockholder who tenders Shares registered in such stockholder’s name directly to the Depositary the opportunity to
designate the order of priority in which Shares tendered are to be purchased in the event of proration as well as the ability to condition such tender on a minimum number of Shares being purchased.
This Offer to Purchase and the related Letter of Transmittal will be mailed to record holders of the Shares and will be furnished to brokers, dealers, commercial banks, trust
companies and other nominees and similar persons whose names, or the names of whose nominees, appear on our stockholder list or, if applicable, who are listed as participants in a clearing agency’s security position listing for subsequent
transmittal to beneficial owners of Shares.
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Purpose of the Offer; Certain Effects of the Offer.
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Purpose of the Offer. Our Board of Directors has determined that the Offer is a prudent use of our financial resources and presents an
appropriate balance between meeting the needs of our business and delivering value to our stockholders. Our Board of Directors determined that a cash tender offer is an appropriate mechanism to return capital to stockholders that seek liquidity
under current market conditions while, at the same time, allowing other stockholders to share in a higher portion of our future potential.
We believe that the modified Dutch auction tender offer set forth in this Offer to Purchase represents an efficient mechanism to provide our stockholders with the opportunity to tender all or a
portion of their Shares and thereby receive a return of some or all of their investment in the Company if they so elect. The Offer provides stockholders with an opportunity to obtain liquidity with respect to all or a portion of their Shares
without the potential disruption to the Share price.
The Offer also provides our stockholders with an efficient way to sell their Shares without incurring brokerage fees or commissions associated with open market sales.
If we complete the Offer, stockholders who do not participate in the Offer will automatically increase their relative percentage ownership interest in the Company and our future operations at no
additional cost to them.
Furthermore, Odd Lot Holders who hold Shares registered in their names and tender their Shares directly to the Depositary and whose Shares are purchased in the Offer will avoid not only the payment
of brokerage commissions but also any applicable Odd Lot discounts that might be payable on sales of their Shares in transactions on the NASDAQ.
We believe that the Offer is an efficient way to improve stockholder return. On February 10, 2020, our Board of Directors approved the repurchase of up to $20.0 million of our outstanding Class A
common stock. The program was suspended on March 26, 2020, after we had repurchased approximately $17.5 million of our Class A common stock under such program. On January 25, 2021, our Board of Directors approved the repurchase of up to $40.0
million of our outstanding Class A common stock. As of August 6, 2021, we had repurchased approximately $8.4 million of our Class A common stock under such program, and our Board of Directors had increased such program by $8.4 million to facilitate
the Offer. Following the completion or termination of the Offer, we may, from time to time, continue to repurchase Shares. The amount of Shares we buy and timing of any such repurchases depends on a number of factors, including our stock price, the
availability of cash and/or financing on acceptable terms, the amount and timing of blackout periods in which we are restricted from repurchasing Shares as well as any decision to use cash for other strategic objectives. Rule 13e-4 under the
Exchange Act generally prohibits us and our affiliates from purchasing any Shares, other than in the Offer, until at least ten business days after the Expiration Date, except pursuant to certain limited exceptions provided in Exchange Act Rule
14e-5.
Certain Effects of the Offer. If we complete the Offer, stockholders who do not participate in the Offer will automatically increase their
relative percentage ownership interest in us and our future operations. These stockholders will also continue to bear the risks associated with owning the Shares. Stockholders may be able to sell non-tendered Shares in the future on the NASDAQ or
otherwise, at a net price significantly higher or lower than the Final Purchase Price in the Offer. We can give no assurance, however, as to the price at which a stockholder may be able to sell his or her Shares in the future.
We anticipate that there will be a sufficient number of Shares outstanding and publicly traded following completion of the Offer to ensure a continued trading market for the Shares. Based upon
published guidelines of the NASDAQ and the conditions of the Offer, we do not believe that our purchase of Shares under the Offer will cause our remaining outstanding Shares to be delisted from the NASDAQ. The Shares are registered under the
Exchange Act, which requires, among other things, that we furnish certain information to our stockholders and comply with proxy rules in connection with meetings of our stockholders. We believe that our purchase of Shares under the Offer will not
result in the Shares becoming eligible for deregistration under the Exchange Act.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS AUTHORIZED US TO MAKE THE OFFER. HOWEVER, NONE OF THE COMPANY, THE MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY, MAKES ANY RECOMMENDATION TO
YOU AS TO WHETHER YOU SHOULD TENDER OR REFRAIN FROM TENDERING YOUR SHARES OR AS TO THE PURCHASE PRICE OR PURCHASE PRICES AT WHICH YOU MAY CHOOSE TO TENDER YOUR SHARES. NEITHER WE NOR ANY MEMBER OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR
THE DEPOSITARY HAS AUTHORIZED ANY PERSON TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. YOU MUST MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION AS TO WHETHER TO TENDER YOUR SHARES AND, IF SO, HOW MANY SHARES TO TENDER AND THE PURCHASE PRICE OR PURCHASE PRICES AT
WHICH YOU WILL TENDER THEM. IN DOING SO, YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR OWN FINANCIAL AND TAX ADVISORS, AND READ CAREFULLY AND EVALUATE THE INFORMATION IN THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE AND IN THE RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, INCLUDING OUR REASONS FOR MAKING
THE OFFER.
Our directors and executive officers are entitled to participate in the Offer on the same basis as all other stockholders. Our President, Mr. Joey B. Hogan, has advised us that, although no final decision has been
made, he may tender up to 25,000 Shares that he beneficially owns in the Offer. All of our other directors and executive officers have advised us, however, that they do not intend to tender any of their Shares in the Offer. As a result, the
proportional holdings of our directors and executive officers who do not participate in the Offer will increase following the consummation of the Offer. After termination of the Offer, our directors and executive officers may, in compliance with
applicable law, sell their Shares in open market transactions or otherwise, at prices that may be more or less favorable than the Purchase Price to be paid to our stockholders in the Offer. See Section 11.
We intend to retire the Shares we acquire pursuant to the Offer. Such Shares will return to the status of authorized and unissued shares and will be available to us to issue without further
stockholder action for all purposes except as required by applicable law or the rules of the NASDAQ.
Except as disclosed or incorporated by reference in this Offer to Purchase, we have no current plans, proposals or negotiations that relate to or would result in:
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any extraordinary transaction, such as a merger, reorganization or liquidation, involving us or any of our subsidiaries;
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any purchase, sale or transfer of an amount of our assets or any of our subsidiaries’ assets which is material to us and our subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
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any material change in our present dividend policy, our indebtedness or capitalization;
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any material change in our present Board of Directors or management or any plans or proposals to change the number or the terms of directors (although we may fill vacancies arising on the Board of Directors)
or to change any material term of the employment contract of any executive officer;
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any material change in our corporate structure or business;
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any class of our equity securities becoming delisted from the NASDAQ, or ceasing to be authorized to be quoted on the NASDAQ;
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any class of our equity securities becoming eligible for termination of registration under Section 12(g)(4) of the Exchange Act;
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the termination or suspension of our obligation to file reports under 15(d) of the Exchange Act;
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the acquisition or disposition by any person of our securities, other than pursuant to our share repurchase program and the grant of restricted stock or stock options to employees in the ordinary course of
business; or
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any changes in our articles of incorporation, bylaws or other governing instruments or other actions that could impede the acquisition of control of us.
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Nothing in the Offer will preclude us from considering any of the foregoing events or pursuing, developing or engaging in future plans, proposals or negotiations that relate to
or would result in one or more of the foregoing events, subject to applicable law, and we reserve the right to do so. Although we may not have any current plans, other than as disclosed or incorporated by reference in this Offer to Purchase, that
relate to or would result in any of the events discussed above, we consider from time to time, and may undertake or plan actions that relate to or could result in, one or more of these events. Stockholders tendering Shares in the Offer may run the
risk of foregoing the benefit of any appreciation in the market price of the Shares resulting from such potential future events.
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Procedures for Tendering Shares.
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Proper Tender of Shares. For Shares to be properly tendered pursuant to the Offer, the certificates for such Shares (or confirmation of
receipt of such Shares pursuant to the procedure for book-entry transfer set forth below), together with a properly completed and duly executed Letter of Transmittal, including any required signature guarantees, or an “Agent’s Message” (as defined
below), and any other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal, must be received before one minute after 11:59 P.M., New York City time, on Friday, September 3, 2021 (or the earlier deadline with respect to Shares held within the 401(k)
Plan) by the Depositary at one of its addresses set forth on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase. Beneficial owners should be aware that their broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee may establish its own earlier
deadlines for participation in the Offer. Accordingly, beneficial owners wishing to participate in the Offer should contact their broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee as soon as possible in order to determine the times by
which such owner must take action in order to participate in the Offer.
In the alternative, the tendering stockholder must, before the Expiration Date, comply with the guaranteed delivery procedure described below.
In accordance with Instruction 5 of the Letter of Transmittal, each stockholder desiring to tender Shares under the Offer must complete the section captioned “Price (In Dollars) Per Share At Which
Shares Are Being Tendered” by either (1) checking the box in the section entitled “Shares Tendered At Price Determined Under The Offer” or (2) checking one of the boxes in the section entitled “Shares Tendered At Price Determined By Stockholder,”
indicating the price at which Shares are being tendered. ONLY ONE BOX UNDER (1) OR (2) MAY BE CHECKED. IF MORE THAN ONE BOX IS CHECKED OR IF NO BOX IS CHECKED, THERE IS NO PROPER TENDER OF SHARES.
Stockholders who desire to tender Shares at more than one price must complete a separate Letter of Transmittal for each price at which Shares are tendered, provided that the same Shares cannot be
tendered (unless properly withdrawn previously in accordance with Section 4) at more than one price. To tender Shares properly, one and only one box must be checked in the section captioned “Price (In Dollars) Per Share At Which Shares Are Being
Tendered” in the Letter of Transmittal.
If tendering stockholders wish to maximize the chance that we will purchase their Shares, they should check the box in the section entitled “Shares Tendered At Price Determined Under The Offer” in
the Letter of Transmittal under the section captioned “Price (In Dollars) Per Share At Which Shares Are Being Tendered.” If you agree to accept the purchase price determined in the Offer, your Shares will be deemed to be tendered at the minimum
price of $21.00 per Share. Note that this election may have the effect of lowering the Final Purchase Price and could result in the tendered Shares being purchased at the minimum price of $21.00 per Share. If tendering stockholders wish to indicate
a specific price (in multiples of $0.25) at which their Shares are being tendered, they must check the appropriate box in the section entitled “Shares Tendered At Price Determined By Stockholder” in the section captioned “Price (In Dollars) Per
Share At Which Shares Are Being Tendered” in the Letter of Transmittal. Tendering stockholders should be aware that this election could mean that none of their Shares will be purchased if they check a box other than the box representing the price
at or below the Final Purchase Price.
Stockholders holding their Shares through a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee must contact the nominee in order to tender their Shares. Stockholders who hold Shares
through nominees are urged to consult their nominees to determine whether transaction costs may apply if stockholders tender Shares through the nominees and not directly to the Depositary.
Stockholders may tender Shares subject to the condition that all, or a specified minimum number of Shares, be purchased. Any stockholder desiring to make such a conditional tender should so indicate
in the box entitled “Conditional Tender” in the Letter of Transmittal. It is the tendering stockholder’s responsibility to determine the minimum number of Shares to be purchased. Stockholders should consult their own financial and tax advisors with
respect to the effect of proration of the Offer and the advisability of making a conditional tender. See Section 6 and Section 13.
Signature Guarantees and Method of Delivery. No signature guarantee is required if:
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the Letter of Transmittal is signed by the registered holder of the Shares (which term, for purposes of this Section 3, will include any participant in the Book-Entry Transfer Facility whose name appears on a
security position listing as the owner of the Shares) tendered and such holder has not completed either the section entitled “Special Payment Instructions” or the section entitled “Special Delivery Instructions” in the Letter of
Transmittal; or
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Shares are tendered for the account of a bank, broker, dealer, credit union, savings association or other entity which is a member in good standing of the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program or an
“eligible guarantor institution,” as the term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 17Ad–15, each of the foregoing constituting an “Eligible Institution.” See Instruction 1 of the Letter of Transmittal.
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If a certificate for Shares is registered in the name of a person other than the person executing the Letter of Transmittal, or if payment is to be made, or new certificates for Shares not purchased
or tendered are to be issued, to a person other than the registered holder, then the certificate must be endorsed or accompanied by an appropriate stock power, signed in either case exactly as the name of the registered holder appears on the
certificate, with the signature guaranteed by an Eligible Institution.
Payment for Shares tendered and accepted for payment pursuant to the Offer will be made only after timely receipt by the Depositary of:
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one of (a) certificates for the Shares or (b) a timely confirmation of the book-entry transfer of the Shares into the Depositary’s account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility as described below;
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one of (a) a properly completed and duly executed Letter of Transmittal, including any required signature guarantees or (b) an Agent’s Message (as defined below) in the case of a book-entry transfer; and
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any other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal.
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Odd Lot Holders who tender all of their Shares must also complete the section captioned “Odd Lots” in the Letter of Transmittal and, if applicable, in the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, to qualify
for the priority treatment available to Odd Lot Holders as set forth in Section 1.
The method of delivery of all documents, including certificates for Shares, the Letter of Transmittal and any other required documents, is at the sole election and risk of the tendering stockholder.
If delivery is by mail, then registered mail with return receipt requested, properly insured, is recommended. Shares will be deemed delivered only when actually received by the Depositary (including, in the case of a book-entry transfer, by
book-entry confirmation). In all cases, sufficient time should be allowed to ensure timely delivery.
All deliveries in connection with the Offer, including a Letter of Transmittal and certificates for Shares, must be made to the Depositary and not to us, the Information Agent or
the Book-Entry Transfer Facility. ANY DOCUMENTS DELIVERED TO US, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE BOOK-ENTRY TRANSFER FACILITY WILL NOT BE FORWARDED TO THE DEPOSITARY AND WILL NOT BE DEEMED TO BE PROPERLY TENDERED.
Book-Entry Delivery. The Depositary will establish an account with respect to the Shares for
purposes of the Offer at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility within two business days after the date of this Offer to Purchase, and any financial institution that is a participant in the Book-Entry Transfer Facility’s system may make book-entry
delivery of the Shares by means of a book-entry transfer by causing the Book-Entry Transfer Facility to transfer Shares into the Depositary’s account in accordance with the Book-Entry Transfer Facility’s procedures for transfer. Although delivery
of Shares may be effected through a book-entry transfer into the Depositary’s account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility, a properly completed and duly executed Letter of Transmittal, including any required signature guarantees, or an Agent’s
Message, and any other required documents must, in any case, be transmitted to and received by the Depositary at one of its addresses set forth on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase before the Expiration Date (or the earlier deadline with
respect to Shares held in the 401(k) Plan), or the tendering stockholder must comply with the guaranteed delivery procedure described below. Delivery of the Letter of Transmittal and any other required documents to the Book-Entry Transfer Facility
does not constitute delivery to the Depositary.
The term “Agent’s Message” means a message transmitted by the Book-Entry Transfer Facility to, and received by, the Depositary, which states that the Book-Entry Transfer
Facility has received an express acknowledgment from the participant in the Book-Entry Transfer Facility tendering the Shares that such participant has received and agrees to be bound by the terms of the Letter of Transmittal and that we may
enforce such agreement against the participant.
Guaranteed Delivery. If you wish to tender Shares in the Offer and your certificates for Shares are not immediately available or the
procedures for book-entry transfer cannot be completed on a timely basis or time will not permit all required documents to reach the Depositary prior to the Expiration Date, your tender may be effected if all the following conditions are met:
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your tender is made by or through an Eligible Institution;
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a properly completed and duly executed Notice of Guaranteed Delivery in the form we have provided is received by the Depositary, as provided below, prior to the Expiration Date; and
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the Depositary receives at the address listed on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase and within the period of two NASDAQ trading days after the date of execution of that Notice of Guaranteed Delivery,
either: (i) the certificates representing the Shares being tendered, in the proper form for transfer, together with all other required documents and a Letter of Transmittal, which has been properly completed and duly executed and includes
all signature guarantees required; or (ii) confirmation of book-entry transfer of the Shares into the Depositary’s account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility, together with all other required documents and either a Letter of Transmittal,
which has been properly completed and duly executed and includes all signature guarantees required, or an Agent’s Message.
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A Notice of Guaranteed Delivery must be delivered to the Depositary by overnight courier or mail before the Expiration Date and must include a guarantee by an Eligible Institution in the form set
forth in the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery.
Procedures for restricted stock. We are not offering, as part of the Offer, to purchase any outstanding restricted stock unless and until
the restricted stock has vested and the restrictions on the Shares have lapsed. Shares that you hold that are vested and no longer subject to any restrictions may be tendered in the Offer, subject to the terms and conditions of the Offer.
Procedures for participants in the 401(k) Plan. To tender Shares that you hold in the 401(k)
Plan, you must follow the procedures described in the separate instructions that you will receive and accept the Offer by 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Wednesday, September 1, 2021.
Return of Unpurchased Shares. If any properly tendered Shares are not purchased under the Offer
or are properly withdrawn before the Expiration Date, or if less than all Shares evidenced by a stockholder’s certificate(s) are tendered, we will credit the certificates to book-entry for unpurchased Shares promptly after the expiration or
termination of the Offer or, in the case of Shares tendered by book-entry transfer at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility, the Shares will be credited to the appropriate account maintained by the tendering stockholder at the Book-Entry Transfer
Facility, in each case without expense to the stockholder.
Determination of Validity; Rejection of Shares; Waiver of Defects; No Obligation to Give Notice of Defects. All questions as to the number of Shares to be accepted, the Final Purchase Price to be paid for Shares to be accepted and the validity, form, eligibility (including time of receipt) and acceptance for payment of any tender of
Shares will be determined by us, in our sole discretion, and our determination will be final and binding on all parties absent a finding to the contrary by a court of competent jurisdiction, subject to a stockholder’s right to challenge our
determination in a court of competent jurisdiction. We reserve the absolute right to reject any or all tenders of any Shares that we determine are not in proper form or the acceptance for payment of or payment for which may, in the opinion of our
counsel, be unlawful. We also reserve the absolute right to waive any of the conditions of the Offer on or prior to the Expiration Date, or any defect or irregularity in any tender with respect to any particular Shares or any particular stockholder
(whether or not we waive similar defects or irregularities in the case of other stockholders), and our interpretation of the terms of the Offer will be final and binding on all parties absent a finding to the contrary by a court of competent
jurisdiction, subject to a stockholder’s right to challenge our determination in a court of competent jurisdiction. In the event a condition is waived with respect to any particular stockholder, the same condition will be waived with respect to all
stockholders. No tender of Shares will be deemed to have been properly made until all defects or irregularities have been cured by the tendering stockholder or waived by us. We will not be liable for failure to waive any condition of the Offer, or
any defect or irregularity in any tender of Shares. None of the Company, nor the Depositary, the Information Agent or any other person will be obligated to give notice of any defects or irregularities in tenders, nor will any of the foregoing incur
any liability for failure to give any such notification.
Tendering Stockholder’s Representation and Warranty; Our Acceptance Constitutes an Agreement. It
is a violation of Exchange Act Rule 14e-4 for a person, directly or indirectly, to tender Shares for that person’s own account unless, at the time of tender and at the end of the proration period or period during which Shares are accepted by lot
(including any extensions of such period), the person so tendering (1) has a “net long position” equal to or greater than the amount of Shares tendered in (a) Shares or (b) other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Shares
and, upon acceptance of the tender, will acquire the Shares by conversion, exchange or exercise and (2) will deliver or cause to be delivered the Shares in accordance with the terms of the Offer. Rule 14e-4 also provides a similar restriction
applicable to a tender on behalf of another person.
A tender of Shares in accordance with any of the procedures described above will constitute the tendering stockholder’s acceptance of the terms and conditions of the Offer, as well as the tendering
stockholder’s representation and warranty to us that (1) the stockholder has a “net long position,” within the meaning of Rule 14e-4 promulgated under the Exchange Act, in the Shares or equivalent securities at least equal to the Shares being
tendered, and (2) the tender of Shares complies with Rule 14e-4. Our acceptance for payment of Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer will constitute a binding agreement between the tendering stockholder and us on the terms and subject to the
conditions of the Offer, which agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Nevada.
A tender of Shares made pursuant to any method of delivery set forth herein will also constitute a representation and warranty to us that the tendering stockholder has full power and authority to
tender, sell, assign and transfer the Shares tendered, and that, when the same are accepted for purchase by us, we will acquire good, marketable and unencumbered title thereto, free and clear of all security interests, liens, restrictions, claims,
encumbrances and other obligations relating to the sale or transfer of the Shares, and the same will not be subject to any adverse claim or right. Any such tendering stockholder will, on request by the Depositary or us, execute and deliver any
additional documents deemed by the Depositary or us to be necessary or desirable to complete the sale, assignment and transfer of the Shares tendered, all in accordance with the terms of the Offer.
All authority conferred or agreed to be conferred by delivery of the Letter of Transmittal shall be binding on the successors, assigns, heirs, personal representatives, executors, administrators and
other legal representatives of the tendering stockholder and shall not be affected by, and shall survive, the death or incapacity of such tendering stockholder.
Lost or Destroyed Certificates. Stockholders whose certificates for part or all of their Shares
have been lost, destroyed or stolen may contact Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the Depositary, and transfer agent for the Shares, at the toll-free number (877) 453-1504 or at the address set forth on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase for
instructions to obtain a replacement certificate. That certificate will then be required to be submitted together with the Letter of Transmittal in order to receive payment for Shares that are tendered and accepted for payment. A bond may be
required to be posted by the stockholder to secure against the risk that the certificates may be subsequently recirculated. The Letter of Transmittal and related documents cannot be processed until the procedures for replacing lost or destroyed
certificates have been followed. Stockholders are requested to contact the Depositary immediately in order to permit timely processing of this documentation. Certificates for Shares, together with a properly completed Letter of Transmittal and any
other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal, must be delivered to the Depositary and not to us or the Information Agent. Any certificates delivered to us or the Information Agent will not be forwarded to the Depositary and will not be
deemed to be properly tendered.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding. Payments made to stockholders in the Offer may be
reported to the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”). In addition, under the United States federal income tax laws, backup withholding at the statutory rate (currently 24%) may apply to the amount paid to certain stockholders (who are not “exempt”
recipients) pursuant to the Offer. To prevent such backup United States federal income tax withholding, each non-corporate stockholder who is a U.S. Holder (as defined in Section 13) and who does not otherwise establish an exemption from backup
withholding must notify the Depositary or other applicable withholding agent of the stockholder’s taxpayer identification number (employer identification number or social security number) and provide certain other information by completing, under
penalties of perjury, an IRS Form W-9, a copy of which is included in the Letter of Transmittal. Failure to timely provide the correct taxpayer identification number on the IRS Form W-9 may subject the stockholder to certain penalties imposed by
the IRS.
Certain “exempt” recipients (including, among others, generally all corporations and certain non-U.S. Holders (as defined in Section 13)) are not subject to these backup withholding requirements.
For a non-U.S. Holder to qualify for such exemption, such non-U.S. Holder must submit a statement (generally, an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E or other applicable Form W-8), signed under penalties of perjury, attesting to such non-U.S. Holder’s
exempt status. A copy of the appropriate IRS Form W-8 may be obtained from the Depositary or from the IRS website (www.irs.gov). A disregarded domestic entity that has a regarded foreign owner must use the appropriate IRS Form W-8, and not the IRS
Form W-9. See Instruction 10 to the Letter of Transmittal.
Stockholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding to their particular circumstances and the availability of, and procedure for
obtaining, an exemption from backup withholding.
United States Federal Withholding Tax on Payments to Non-U.S. Holders. Because it is unclear
whether the cash received by a non-U.S. Holder (as defined in Section 13) in connection with the Offer will be treated (i) as proceeds of a sale or exchange or (ii) as a distribution, the Depositary or other applicable withholding agent may treat
such payment as a dividend distribution for withholding purposes. Accordingly, payments to non-U.S. Holders may be subject to withholding at a rate of 30% of the gross proceeds paid, unless the non-U.S. Holder establishes an entitlement to a
reduced rate of withholding by timely completing, under penalties of perjury, the applicable IRS Form W-8. In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding pursuant to an applicable income tax treaty and avoid withholding under the provisions
commonly referred to as “FACTA”, a non-U.S. Holder must deliver to the Depositary or other applicable withholding agent, before the payment is made, a properly completed and executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E claiming such a reduction. In order
to claim an exemption from withholding on the grounds that the gross proceeds paid pursuant to the Offer are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States, a non-U.S. Holder must deliver to the Depositary or
other applicable withholding agent, before the payment is made, a properly completed and executed IRS Form W-8ECI.
A non-U.S. Holder may be eligible to obtain a refund of all or a portion of any tax withheld if such stockholder meets the “complete termination,” “substantially disproportionate” or “not
essentially equivalent to a dividend” tests described in Section 13 or if the stockholder is otherwise able to establish that no tax or a reduced amount of tax is due and the requisite information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of United States federal income tax withholding, including eligibility for
a withholding tax reduction or exemption, and the refund procedure.
Except as otherwise provided in this Section 4, tenders of Shares pursuant to the Offer are irrevocable. Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer may be withdrawn at any time before the Expiration
Date. Shares that have not previously been accepted by us for payment may be withdrawn at any time after one minute after 11:59 P.M., New York City time, on October 4, 2021.
For a withdrawal to be effective, a notice of withdrawal must be in written form and must be received in a timely manner by the Depositary at one of its addresses set forth on the back cover of this
Offer to Purchase. Any notice of withdrawal must specify the name of the tendering stockholder; the number of Shares to be withdrawn; and the name of the registered holder of the Shares. If certificates for Shares to be withdrawn have been
delivered or otherwise identified to the Depositary, then, before the release of the certificates, the tendering stockholder must also submit the serial numbers shown on the particular certificates for Shares to be withdrawn and the signature(s) on
the notice of withdrawal must be guaranteed by an Eligible Institution (except in the case of Shares tendered for the account of an Eligible Institution). If Shares have been tendered pursuant to the procedure for book-entry transfer described in
Section 3, the notice of withdrawal also must specify the name and the number of the account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility to be credited with the withdrawn Shares and must otherwise comply with the Book-Entry Transfer Facility’s procedures.
If a stockholder has used more than one Letter of Transmittal or has otherwise tendered Shares in more than one group of Shares, the stockholder may withdraw Shares using either separate notices of withdrawal or a combined notice of withdrawal, so
long as the information specified above is included.
We will determine all questions as to the form and validity, including the time of receipt, of any notice of withdrawal, in our sole discretion, which determination will be final and binding on all
parties absent a finding to the contrary by a court of competent jurisdiction, subject to a stockholder’s right to challenge our determination in a court of competent jurisdiction. Neither we nor the Depositary, the Information Agent or any other
person will be obligated to give notice of any defects or irregularities in any notice of withdrawal, nor will any of the foregoing incur liability for failure to give any such notification. Withdrawals may not be rescinded, and any Shares properly
withdrawn will be deemed not properly tendered for purposes of the Offer. However, withdrawn Shares may be re-tendered before the Expiration Date by again following one of the procedures described in Section 3.
If we extend the Offer, are delayed in our purchase of Shares or are unable to purchase Shares pursuant to the Offer for any reason, then, without prejudice to our rights under
the Offer, the Depositary may, subject to applicable law, retain tendered Shares on our behalf, and the Shares may not be withdrawn except to the extent tendering stockholders are entitled to withdrawal rights as described in this Section 4. Our
reservation of the right to delay payment for Shares that we have accepted for payment is limited by Exchange Act Rule 13e-4(f)(5), which requires that we must pay the consideration offered or return the Shares tendered promptly after termination
or withdrawal of the Offer.
5.
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Purchase of Shares and Payment of Purchase Price.
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Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, promptly following the Expiration Date, we will:
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determine the Final Purchase Price, taking into account the number of Shares so tendered and the prices specified, or deemed specified, by tendering stockholders; and
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accept for payment and pay for (and thereby purchase) Shares properly tendered at prices at or below the Final Purchase Price and not properly withdrawn. We intend to purchase Shares having an aggregate value
of $40.0 million and may increase the number of Shares accepted for payment in the Offer by no more than 2% of the outstanding Shares without extending the Offer. However, if we purchase an additional number of Shares in excess of 2% of the
outstanding Shares, we will amend and extend the Offer to the extent required by applicable law. See Section 14.
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For purposes of the Offer, we will be deemed to have accepted for payment (and therefore purchased), subject to proration, “Odd Lot” priority and conditional tender provisions of the Offer, Shares
that are properly tendered at or below the Final Purchase Price and not properly withdrawn only when, as and if we give oral or written notice to the Depositary of our acceptance of the Shares for payment pursuant to the Offer.
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, promptly after the Expiration Date, we will accept for payment and pay a single per Share purchase price for all of
the Shares accepted for payment in accordance with the Offer. In all cases, payment for Shares tendered and accepted for payment in accordance with the Offer will be made promptly, subject to possible delay due to proration, but only after timely
receipt by the Depositary of:
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certificates for Shares or a timely confirmation of a book-entry transfer of Shares into the Depositary’s account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility;
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a properly completed and duly executed Letter of Transmittal or an Agent’s Message in the case of book-entry transfer; and
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any other documents required.
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We will pay for Shares purchased pursuant to the Offer by depositing the aggregate purchase price for the Shares with the Depositary, which will act as agent for tendering stockholders for the
purpose of receiving payment from us and transmitting payment to the tendering stockholders. In the event of proration, the Depositary will determine the proration factor and pay for those tendered Shares accepted for payment promptly after the
Expiration Date. Certificates for all Shares tendered and not purchased, including all Shares tendered at prices in excess of the Final Purchase Price and Shares not purchased due to proration or conditional tenders, will be credited to book-entry
with the Depositary, and, in the case of Shares tendered by book-entry transfer, will be credited to the account maintained with the Book-Entry Transfer Facility by the participant who delivered the Shares, to the tendering stockholder promptly
after the expiration or termination of the Offer at our expense.
Under no circumstances will interest be paid on the Final Purchase Price for the Shares, regardless of any delay in making payment. In addition, if certain events occur, we may
not be obligated to purchase Shares pursuant to the Offer. See Section 7.
We will pay all stock transfer taxes, if any, payable on the transfer to us of Shares purchased pursuant to the Offer; provided, however, that if payment of the Final Purchase
Price is to be made to, or (in the circumstances permitted by the Offer) if unpurchased Shares are to be registered in the name of, any person other than the registered holder, or if tendered certificates are registered in the name of any person
other than the person signing the Letter of Transmittal, the amount of all stock transfer taxes, if any (whether imposed on the registered holder or the other person), payable on account of the transfer to that person will be deducted from the
Final Purchase Price unless evidence satisfactory to us of the payment of the stock transfer taxes, or exemption from payment of the stock transfer taxes, is submitted. See Instruction 7 of the Letter of Transmittal.
6.
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Conditional Tender of Shares.
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In the event of an over-subscription of the Offer, Shares tendered at or below the Final Purchase Price prior to the Expiration Date will be subject to proration (subject to the exception for Odd
Lot Holders). See Section 1. As discussed in Section 13, the number of Shares to be purchased from a particular stockholder may affect the tax treatment of the purchase to the stockholder and the stockholder’s decision whether to tender.
Accordingly, a stockholder may tender Shares subject to the condition that a specified minimum number of the stockholder’s Shares tendered pursuant to a Letter of Transmittal must be purchased if any Shares tendered are purchased. Any stockholder
desiring to make a conditional tender must so indicate in the box entitled “Conditional Tender” in the Letter of Transmittal, and, if applicable, in the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. We urge each stockholder to
consult with his or her own financial or tax advisor with respect to the advisability of making a conditional tender.
Any tendering stockholder wishing to make a conditional tender must calculate and appropriately indicate the minimum number of Shares that must be purchased from that stockholder if any are to be
purchased. After the Offer expires, if, based on the Final Purchase Price determined in the Offer, Shares representing more than $40.0 million (or such greater number of Shares as we may choose to purchase without extending the Offer) are properly
tendered and not properly withdrawn, so that we must prorate our acceptance of and payment for tendered Shares, we will calculate a preliminary proration percentage based upon all Shares properly tendered, conditionally or unconditionally
(including Shares of Odd Lot Holders). If the effect of this preliminary proration would be to reduce the number of Shares to be purchased from any stockholder below the minimum number specified, the conditional tender will automatically be
regarded as withdrawn (except as provided in the next paragraph). All Shares tendered by a stockholder subject to a conditional tender pursuant to the Letter of Transmittal and regarded as withdrawn as a result of proration will be returned
promptly after the Expiration Date.
After giving effect to these withdrawals, we will accept the remaining Shares properly tendered, conditionally or unconditionally, at or below the Final Purchase Price on a pro rata basis, if necessary. If conditional tenders would otherwise be regarded as withdrawn and would cause the total number of Shares to be purchased to fall below an aggregate value of $40.0 million (or such
greater amount as we may elect to pay, subject to applicable law) then, to the extent feasible, we will select enough of the conditional tenders that would otherwise have been deemed withdrawn to permit us to purchase $40.0 million in value of
Shares (or such greater amount as we may elect to pay, subject to applicable law).
The Offer is not conditioned on the receipt of financing or any minimum number of Shares being tendered. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Offer, we will not be
required to accept for payment, purchase or pay for any Shares tendered, and may terminate or amend the Offer or may postpone the acceptance for payment of or the payment for Shares tendered, subject to Exchange Act Rule 13e-4(f)(5), which requires
that we must pay the consideration offered or return the Shares tendered promptly after termination or withdrawal of the Offer, if at any time on or after the commencement of the Offer and prior to the Expiration Date any of the following events
have occurred (or are determined by us to have occurred) that, in our reasonable judgment and regardless of the circumstances giving rise to the event or events (including any action or inaction by us), makes it inadvisable to proceed with the
Offer or with acceptance for payment or payment for the Shares in the Offer:
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there has been any action threatened, pending or taken, including any settlement, or any approval withheld, or any statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order or injunction threatened, invoked, proposed,
sought, promulgated, enacted, entered, amended, enforced or deemed to be applicable to the Offer or us or any of our subsidiaries, including any settlement, by any court, government or governmental, regulatory or administrative authority,
agency or tribunal, domestic, foreign or supranational, that, in our reasonable judgment, seeks to or could directly or indirectly:
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challenges or seeks to challenge, make illegal, or delay or otherwise directly or indirectly restrain, prohibit or otherwise affect the consummation of the Offer, the acquisition of some or all of the Shares
pursuant to the Offer or otherwise relates in any manner to the Offer;
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make the acceptance for payment of, or payment for, some or all of the Shares illegal or otherwise restrict or prohibit consummation of the Offer;
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materially impair the contemplated benefits of the Offer to us;
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delay or restrict our ability, or render us unable, to accept for payment or pay for some or all of the Shares to be purchased pursuant to the Offer; or
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materially and adversely affect our or our subsidiaries’ or our affiliates’ business, condition (financial or otherwise), income, operations or prospects, taken as a whole, or otherwise materially impair our
ability to purchase some or all of the Shares pursuant to the Offer;
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any change in the general political, market, economic or financial conditions, domestically or internationally, that could, in our reasonable judgment, be expected to materially and adversely affect our or
our subsidiaries’ business, properties, assets, liabilities, capitalization, stockholders’ equity, condition (financial or otherwise), operations, results of operations or prospects, or otherwise materially impair the contemplated future
conduct of our or our subsidiaries’ business, including, but not limited to, the following:
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any general suspension of trading in, or limitation on prices for, securities on any United States national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market;
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the declaration of a banking moratorium or any suspension of payments in respect of banks in the United States, whether or not mandatory;
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a decrease of more than 10% in the market price of the Shares or in the general level of market prices for equity securities in the New York Stock Exchange Index, the Dow Jones
Industrial Average, the NASDAQ Global Market Composite Index or Standard & Poor’s Composite Index of 500 Industrial Companies, in each case measured from the close of trading on August 6, 2021 the last trading day prior to the
commencement of the Offer;
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any commencement of a war, armed hostilities or other national or international calamity, including, but not limited to, any outbreak of a pandemic or contagious disease or an act of terrorism, shall have
occurred directly involving the United States on or after August 9, 2021, or any material escalation, on or after August 9, 2021, of any war, armed hostilities or other national or international calamity directly involving the United
States that had commenced prior to August 9, 2021 (including the COVID-19 pandemic, to the extent that there is any material adverse development related thereto on or after August 9, 2021);
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any limitation, whether or not mandatory, by any governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or authority on, or any event that, in our reasonable judgment, could materially affect, the extension of
credit by banks or other lending institutions in the United States;
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any change in the general political, market, economic or financial conditions, domestically or internationally, that is reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect our business or the trading in the
Shares; or
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in the case of any of the foregoing existing at the time of the commencement of the Offer, a material acceleration or worsening thereof;
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a tender or exchange offer for any or all of the Shares (other than the Offer), or any merger, acquisition, business combination or other similar transaction with or involving us or any subsidiary, has been
proposed, announced or made by any person or has been publicly disclosed;
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there has been any legislation amending the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, that has passed either the U.S. House of Representatives or the Senate or otherwise is pending before the U.S. House of
Representatives or the Senate or any committee thereof, the effect of which would be to change the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the consummation of the Offer in any matter that, in our reasonable judgment, could adversely affect
us or any of our subsidiaries’ business, properties, assets, liabilities, capitalization, stockholders’ equity, condition (financial or otherwise), operations, results of operations or prospects, or otherwise materially impair the
contemplated future conduct of our or our subsidiaries’ business;
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any entity, “group” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) or person has acquired or proposes to acquire beneficial ownership of more than 5% of the outstanding Shares, whether through
the acquisition of stock, the formation of a group, the grant of any option or right, or otherwise (other than as and to the extent disclosed in a Schedule 13D or Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on or before August 6, 2021);
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any entity, group or person who has filed a Schedule 13D or Schedule 13G with the SEC on or before August 6, 2021, has acquired or proposes to acquire, whether through the acquisition of stock, the formation
of a group, the grant of any option or right, or otherwise (other than by virtue of the Offer made hereby), beneficial ownership of an additional 2% or more of the outstanding Shares;
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any new group has been formed that beneficially owns more than 5% of our outstanding Shares (options for and other rights to acquire Shares that are acquired or proposed to be acquired being deemed to be
immediately exercisable or convertible for purposes of this clause);
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any change in law or in the official interpretation or administration of law, or relevant position or policy of a governmental authority with respect to any laws, applicable to the Offer;
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any person, entity or group has filed a Notification and Report Form under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, reflecting an intent to acquire us or any of the Shares, or has
made a public announcement reflecting an intent to acquire us or any of our subsidiaries or any of our or their respective assets or securities; or
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any change or changes have occurred or are threatened in our or our subsidiaries’ or affiliates’ business, condition (financial or otherwise), properties, assets, income, operations or prospects that, in our
reasonable judgment, has or could have a material adverse effect on us or any of our subsidiaries or affiliates or the benefits of the Offer to us;
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any approval, permit, authorization, favorable review or consent of any governmental entity required to be obtained in connection with the Offer shall not have been obtained on terms satisfactory to us in our
reasonable discretion;
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any statute, rule, regulation, judgment, decree injunction or order (preliminary, permanent or otherwise) has been proposed, sought, enacted, entered, promulgated, enforced or deemed to be applicable to the
Offer or us or any of our subsidiaries by any court, government or governmental agency or other regulatory or administrative authority, domestic or foreign, which, in our reasonable judgment:
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indicates that any approval or other action of any such court, agency, or authority may be required in connection with the Offer or the purchase of Shares thereunder;
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could be expected to prohibit, restrict or delay consummation of the Offer; or
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otherwise could be expected to materially and adversely affect the business, properties, assets, liabilities, capitalization, stockholders’ equity, financial condition, operations, results of operations or
prospects of us to our subsidiaries;
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any change or changes have occurred or are threatened in our or our subsidiaries’ business, properties, assets, liabilities, capitalization, stockholders’ equity, condition (financial or otherwise),
operations, results of operations or prospects that, in our reasonable judgment, has or could be expected to have a material adverse effect on us or our subsidiaries, or on the trading in the Shares, or on the benefits we expect to receive
from the Offer; or
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we determine that the consummation of the Offer and the purchase of the Shares may (1) cause the Shares to be held of record by fewer than 300 persons, or (2) cause the Shares to be delisted from the NASDAQ
or to be eligible for deregistration under the Exchange Act.
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The conditions referred to above are for our sole benefit and may be asserted by us regardless of the circumstances giving rise to any such condition, and may be waived by us,
in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time in our reasonable discretion on or prior to the Expiration Date. Our failure at any time to exercise any of the foregoing rights will not be deemed a waiver of any right, and each such right
will be deemed an ongoing right that may be asserted at any time and from time to time. In certain circumstances, if we waive any of the conditions described above, we may be required to extend the Expiration Date. Any determination by us
concerning the events described above will be final and binding on all parties absent a finding to the contrary by a court of competent jurisdiction, subject to a stockholder’s right to challenge our determination in a court of competent
jurisdiction. See Section 14.
The Shares are listed and traded on the NASDAQ under the trading symbol “CVLG.” The following table sets forth, for the fiscal quarters indicated, the high and low closing sales
prices of the Shares on the NASDAQ:
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First Quarter
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$
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24.64
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$
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18.50
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Third Quarter
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$
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18.30
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$
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13.49
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2020:
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Second Quarter
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$
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14.43
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$
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6.61
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Fourth Quarter
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$
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19.94
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$
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13.68
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First Quarter
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$
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21.15
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$
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14.36
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Third Quarter (through August 6, 2021)
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$
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21.31
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$
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18.71
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On August 6, 2021, the last full trading day before the commencement of the Offer, the last closing sale price of the Shares on the NASDAQ was $20.27 per Share. Stockholders are urged to obtain current market quotations for the Shares.
9.
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Source and Amount of Funds.
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Assuming that the Offer is fully subscribed, the value of Shares purchased in the Offer will be $40.0 million. We expect that the maximum aggregate cost of these purchases, including all fees and
expenses applicable to the Offer, will be approximately $40.7 million.
We intend to pay for the Shares with a combination of existing cash resources and borrowings under the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, as amended (the “Credit Facility”), dated as of
September 23, 2008, by and among the Company, substantially all of the Company’s subsidiaries, Bank of America, N.A., as agent (the “Agent”), and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (together with the Agent, the “Lenders”). The Offer is not subject to a
financing condition.
The Credit Facility is a $110.0 million revolving credit facility, with an uncommitted accordion feature that, so long as no event of default exists, allows us to request an increase in the
revolving credit facility of up to $50.0 million subject to Lender acceptance of the additional funding commitment. The Credit Facility includes a letter of credit sub facility in an aggregate amount of $105.0 million and a swing line sub facility
in an aggregate amount equal to the greater of $10.0 million or 10% of the Lenders' aggregate commitments under the Credit Facility from time-to-time. The Credit Facility matures in October 2025.
Borrowings under the Credit Facility are classified as either "base rate loans" or "LIBOR loans." Base rate loans accrue interest at a base rate equal to the greater of the Agent’s prime rate, the
federal funds rate plus 0.5%, or LIBOR plus 1.0%, plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.25% to 0.75%; while LIBOR loans accrue interest at LIBOR, plus an applicable margin ranging from 1.25% to 1.75%. The applicable rates are adjusted quarterly
based on average pricing availability. The unused line fee is the product of 0.25% times the average daily amount by which the Lenders' aggregate revolving commitments under the Credit Facility exceed the outstanding principal amount of revolver
loans and the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding letters of credit issued under the Credit Facility. The obligations under the Credit Facility are guaranteed by us and secured by a pledge of substantially all of our assets, with the
notable exclusion of any real estate or revenue equipment pledged under other financing agreements, including revenue equipment installment notes and finance leases.
Borrowings under the Credit Facility are subject to a borrowing base limited to the lesser of (A) $110.0 million, minus the sum of the stated amount of all outstanding letters of credit; or (B) the
sum of (i) 87.5% of eligible accounts receivable, plus (ii) the least of (a) 85% of the appraised net orderly liquidation value of eligible revenue equipment, (b) 100% of the net book value of eligible revenue equipment, (c) 40.9% of the Lenders'
aggregate revolving commitments under the Credit Facility, or (d) $45.0 million, plus (iii) the lesser of (a) $10.4 million or (b) 80% of the appraised fair market value of eligible real estate, as reduced by a periodic amortization amount. We had
$10.0 million borrowings under the Credit Facility as of June 30, 2021, undrawn letters of credit outstanding of approximately $29.5 million, and available borrowing capacity of $70.5 million. As of June 30, 2021, there were no base rate and $10.0
million of LIBOR loans. Based on availability as of June 30, 2021, there was no fixed charge coverage requirement.
The Credit Facility includes usual and customary events of default for a facility of this nature and provides that, upon the occurrence and continuation of an event of default, payment of all
amounts payable under the Credit Facility may be accelerated, and the Lenders' commitments may be terminated. If an event of default occurs under the Credit Facility and the Lenders cause, or have the ability to cause, all of the outstanding debt
obligations under the Credit Facility to become due and payable, this could result in a default under other debt instruments that contain acceleration or cross-default provisions. The Credit Facility contains certain restrictions and covenants
relating to, among other things, debt, dividends, liens, acquisitions and dispositions outside of the ordinary course of business, and affiliate transactions. Failure to comply with the covenants and restrictions set forth in the Credit Facility
could result in an event of default.
The Lenders have in the past performed, and may in the future from time to time perform, investment banking, financial advisory, lending and/or commercial banking services, or other services for the
Company and its subsidiaries, for which they have received, and may in the future receive, customary compensation and expense reimbursement.
We anticipate that we will use expected cash flow from future operations to repay any borrowings under our Credit Facility in connection with the Offer.
The description of the Credit Facility is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the Credit Facility and the amendments thereto, which are filed as
Exhibits (b)(i) through (b)(xix), inclusive, to the Schedule TO related to the Offer, filed with the SEC on August 9, 2021, and which Exhibits are incorporated herein by reference.
10.
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Certain Information Concerning Us.
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General. We, through our subsidiaries, offer a portfolio of transportation and logistics services to customers
throughout the United States. Primary services include asset-based expedited and dedicated truckload capacity, as well as asset-light warehousing, transportation management, and freight brokerage capability. In addition, Transport Enterprise
Leasing is an affiliated company providing revenue equipment sales and leasing services to the trucking industry.
Our principal executive offices are located at 400 Birmingham Highway, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37419, and our telephone number is (423) 821-1212. Our website is located at www.covenantlogistics.com. Information
contained on our website is not a part of the Offer.
Availability of Reports and Other Information. We are subject to the informational filing requirements of the
Exchange Act which obligates us to file reports, statements and other information with the SEC relating to our business, financial condition and other matters. Information, as of particular dates, concerning our directors and officers, their
remuneration, options granted to them, the principal holders of our securities and any material interest of these persons in transactions with us is required to be disclosed in proxy statements distributed to our stockholders and filed with the
SEC. As required by Exchange Act Rule 13e-4(c)(2), we have also filed with the SEC the Schedule TO-I, which includes additional information relating to the Offer. You may access and read our SEC filings, including the complete Schedule TO-I, all of
the exhibits to it, and the documents incorporated therein by reference through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Incorporation by Reference. The rules of the SEC allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this
document, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The following documents contain important information about us and we incorporate them by reference:
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our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on March
5, 2021, and Amendment No. 1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, filed with the SEC on April 6, 2021;
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our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on May
10, 2021;
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our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021, filed with the SEC on
August 5, 2021;
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our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 26, 2021 (solely the 8-K that includes Item 5.02),
February 19, 2021, April 8, 2021, May 24, 2021, July 8, 2021 and August 9, 2021; and
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Our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 16, 2021.
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Any statement contained in any document incorporated by reference into this Offer to Purchase shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that an inconsistent statement is made in
this Offer to Purchase or any subsequently filed document. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Offer to Purchase.
You can obtain any of the documents incorporated by reference in this document from us or from the SEC’s website at the address described above. Documents incorporated by
reference are available from us without charge, excluding any exhibits to those documents, at our principal executive office located at 400 Birmingham Highway, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37419, Attention: President. Please be sure to include your
complete name and address in your request. If you request any incorporated documents, we will promptly mail them to you by first class mail, or another equally prompt means. You may also find additional information by visiting our website at
www.covenantlogistics.com. Information on our website does not form part of the Offer and is not incorporated by reference in this Offer to Purchase.
11.
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Interests of Directors and Executive Officers; Transactions and Arrangements Concerning the Shares.
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Beneficial Ownership. As of August 5, 2021, we had 14,453,675 outstanding Shares. We are offering to purchase up to $40.0 million in value
of Shares. At the maximum Final Purchase Price of $23.00 per Share, we could purchase 1,739,130 Shares if the Offer is fully subscribed, which would represent approximately 12.0% of the outstanding Shares as of August 5, 2021. At the minimum Final
Purchase Price of $21.00 per Share, we could purchase 1,904,761 Shares if the Offer is fully subscribed, which would represent approximately 13.2% of the outstanding Shares as of August 5, 2021. This Offer does not cover our Class B common stock,
of which there are 2,350,000 shares outstanding.
As of August 5, 2021, our directors and executive officers as a group (12 persons) beneficially owned, as defined in accordance with the rules of the SEC, an aggregate of approximately 2,371,234
Shares (including 165,232 shares of restricted Class A common stock subject to certain performance vesting, time vesting, and holding provisions, which carry voting rights), representing approximately 16.1% of the total outstanding Shares
(including the shares of restricted Class A common stock referred to in the preceding parenthetical). This Offer does not cover our Class B common stock, of which there are 2,350,000 shares outstanding.
Our directors and executive officers are entitled to participate in the Offer on the same basis as all other stockholders. Our President, Mr. Joey B. Hogan, has advised us that, although no final
decision has been made, he may tender up to 25,000 Shares that he beneficially owns in the Offer. All of our other directors and executive officers have advised us, however, that they do not intend to tender any of their Shares in the Offer. After
termination of the Offer, our directors and executive officers may, in compliance with applicable law, sell their Shares in open market transactions or otherwise, at prices that may be more or less favorable than the Purchase Price to be paid to
our stockholders in the Offer.
The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our Shares by (i) each of our directors, (ii) each of our executive officers, (iii) all directors and
executive officers as a group and (iv) each person or group of affiliated persons known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our Shares. We based the share amounts on each person’s beneficial ownership of our Shares as of August 5,
2021. The number of Shares beneficially owned is determined under rules of the SEC. The information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose. Under these rules, beneficial ownership includes any Shares as to which
the individual has either sole or shared voting power or investment power. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes, each person has sole voting and investment power with respect to the Shares set forth in following table:
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)
|
|
Amount and Nature of Beneficial
Ownership(2)
|
|
|
Percent of Class A common stock
|
|
David R. Parker & Jacqueline F. Parker
|
|
|
1,712,852
|
(3)(4)
|
|
|
11.7
|
%
|
Joey B. Hogan
|
|
|
217,770
|
(5)
|
|
|
1.5
|
%
|
M. Paul Bunn
|
|
|
65,085
|
(6)
|
|
|
*
|
|
Samuel F. Hough
|
|
|
76,535
|
(7)
|
|
|
*
|
|
James S. Grant III
|
|
|
3,118
|
(8)
|
|
|
*
|
|
Robert E. Bosworth
|
|
|
107,034
|
(9)
|
|
|
*
|
|
Dr. Benjamin Carson Sr.
|
|
|
—
|
(10)
|
|
|
—
|
|
D. Michael Kramer
|
|
|
5,815
|
(11)
|
|
|
*
|
|
Bradley A. Moline
|
|
|
63,358
|
(12)
|
|
|
*
|
|
Rachel Parker-Hatchett
|
|
|
78,289
|
(13)
|
|
|
*
|
|
Herbert J. Schmidt
|
|
|
21,500
|
(14)
|
|
|
*
|
|
W. Miller Welborn
|
|
|
19,878
|
(15)
|
|
|
*
|
|
BlackRock, Inc.
|
|
|
1,459,869
|
(16)
|
|
|
10.0
|
%
|
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP
|
|
|
1,243,310
|
(17)
|
|
|
8.5
|
%
|
Gregory Willet, as Trust Protector and Investment Manager
|
|
|
1,000,000
|
(18)
|
|
|
6.8
|
%
|
All directors and executive officers as August 5, 2021 as a group (12 persons)
|
|
|
2,371,234
|
|
|
|
16.1
|
%
|
|
*
|
Less than one percent (1%).
|
|
(1)
|
The business address of Mr. and Mrs. Parker and the other directors and executive officers is 400 Birmingham Highway, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37419. The business addresses of the remaining entities listed
in the table above are as follows: (i) BlackRock, Inc., 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055; (ii) Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, 6300 Bee Cave Road, Building One, Austin, Texas 78746; and (iii) Gregory Willett, as Trust Protector and
Investment Manager, 605 Chestnut Street, Suite 1700, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37450.
|
(2)
|
Beneficial ownership includes sole voting power and sole investment power with respect to such shares unless otherwise noted and subject to community property laws where applicable.
|
(3)
|
Comprised of 1,220,871 Shares owned by Mr. and Mrs. Parker as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; 165,049 Shares owned by Mr. Parker; 70,311 shares of restricted Class A common stock with voting
rights; and 39,987 Shares allocated to the account of Mr. Parker under our 401(k) Plan (the number of shares reported as beneficially owned is equal to Mr. Parker's August 5, 2021 account balance in the employer stock fund under our
401(k) Plan divided by the closing market price on such date); and 216,634 shares of Class A common stock owned by Mr. Parker’s deceased mother’s estate, over which Mr. Parker serves as co-executor, but as to which he expressly
disclaims beneficial ownership. The restricted Class A common stock is subject to vesting and, in certain circumstances, holding provisions.
|
(4)
|
Mr. and Mrs. Parker hold 11.7% of shares of Class A and 100% of shares of Class B common stock. The Class A common stock is entitled to one vote per share, and the Class B common stock is entitled to two
votes per share. Mr. and Mrs. Parker beneficially own shares of Class A and Class B common stock with 33.2% of the voting power of all outstanding voting shares.
|
(5)
|
Comprised of 48,887 Shares owned by Mr. Hogan and Melinda J. Hogan as joint tenants, 29,956 shares of Class A common stock owned by Mr. Hogan, 58,593 shares of restricted Class A common stock with voting
rights, and 80,334 Shares owned by Mr. Hogan in our 401(k) Plan (the number of shares reported as beneficially owned is equal to Mr. Hogan's August 5, 2021 account balance in the employer stock fund under our 401(k) Plan divided by the
closing market price on such date). The restricted Class A common stock is subject to vesting and, in certain circumstances, holding provisions.
|
(6)
|
Comprised of 30,847 Shares owned directly by Mr. Bunn, 11,313 shares of restricted Class A common stock with voting rights, 2,515 owned directly by Mr. Bunn’s spouse, and 20,410 Shares owned by Mr. Bunn in
our 401(k) Plan (the number of shares reported as beneficially owned is equal to Mr. Bunn's August 5, 2021 account balance in the employer stock fund under our 401(k) Plan divided by the closing market price on such date). The restricted
Class A common stock is subject to vesting and, in certain circumstances, holding provisions.
|
(7)
|
Comprised of 35,758 Shares owned directly by Mr. Hough, 25,015 shares of restricted Class A common stock with voting rights, and 15,762 shares owned by Mr. Hough in our 401(k) Plan (the number of shares
reported as beneficially owned is equal to Mr. Hough's August 5, 2021 account balance in the employer stock fund under our 401(k) Plan divided by the closing market price on such date). The restricted Class A common stock is subject to
vesting and, in certain circumstances, holding provisions.
|
(8)
|
Comprised of 3,118 Shares.
|
(9)
|
Comprised of 78,866 Shares owned directly by Mr. Bosworth and 28,168 Shares owned in Mr. Bosworth's IRA.
|
(10)
|
Dr. Carson does not hold any Shares nor any Shares of restricted stock with voting rights.
|
(11)
|
Comprised of 5,515 Shares owned directly by Mr. Kramer and 300 Shares owned as custodian for his minor grandchildren.
|
(12)
|
Comprised of 62,358 Shares owned directly by Mr. Moline and 1,000 Shares owned in Mr. Moline's IRA.
|
(13)
|
Comprised of 72,874 Shares owned by Ms. Parker-Hatchett and her husband, Robert B. Hatchett, as joint tenants and 5,415 shares owned directly by Ms. Parker-Hatchett.
|
(14)
|
Comprised of 21,500 Shares owned directly by Mr. Schmidt.
|
(15)
|
Comprised of 19,878 Shares owned directly by Mr. Welborn.
|
(16)
|
As reported on Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on July 2, 2021, which indicates that BlackRock, Inc. has sole voting power with respect to 1,328,369 Shares, no shared voting power, sole dispositive power
with respect to 1,459,869 Shares, and shared dispositive power with respect to no Shares. Information is as of June 30, 2021.
|
(17)
|
As reported on Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 12, 2021, which indicates that Dimensional Fund Advisors LP has sole voting power with respect to 1,203,636 Shares, no shared voting power, sole
dispositive power with respect to 1,243,310 Shares, and shared dispositive power with respect to no Shares. Represents aggregate beneficial ownership on a consolidated basis reported by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP. Information is as of
December 31, 2020.
|
(18)
|
As reported on Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on January 14, 2021 on behalf of Gregory Willett, as Trust Protector and Investment Manager. Mr. Willett has sole voting power with respect to 1,000,000
Shares, no shared voting power, sole dispositive power with respect to 1,000,000 Shares, and no shared dispositive. Information is as of January 6, 2021.
|
Securities Transactions. Based on our records and on information provided to us by our directors, executive officers,
affiliates and subsidiaries, neither we nor any of our directors, our executive officers, or our affiliates or our subsidiaries nor, to the best of our knowledge, any person controlling the Company or any executive officer or director of any such
controlling entity or of our subsidiaries, has effected any transactions involving the Shares during the 60 days prior to the date hereof, except for the following transactions:
Name of Reporting Person
|
|
Date of
Transaction
|
|
Nature of
Transaction
|
|
Number
of
Shares
|
|
|
Disposition or
Grant Price
as Applicable
|
|
Dr. Benjamin Carson Sr.
|
|
7/7/2021
|
|
Annual Restricted Stock Award (this restricted stock has no voting rights until it is vested)
|
|
|
3,352
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forfeiture of Shares (to cover tax withholding obligation)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
David R. Parker
|
|
7/30/2021
|
|
Receipt of an Annuity Payment from a Grantor Retained Annuity Trust
|
|
|
39,920
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
|
Receipt of the Remainder Interests upon Termination of a Grantor Retained Annuity Trust
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arrangements Concerning the Shares.
Equity Award Plan. As of August 5, 2021, we had 14,453,675 outstanding Shares. As of August 5, 2021, an aggregate of approximately 1.1 million Shares remained available for future awards
under the Covenant Logistics Group, Inc. Third Amended and Restated 2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended (the “Incentive Plan”), further described in Section 11, approximately 1.2 million Shares were subject to currently outstanding, unvested
options awarded under the Incentive Plan, approximately 0.2 million Shares subject to currently outstanding, unvested restricted stock with voting rights awarded under the Incentive Plan, and approximately 0.4 million Shares subject to currently
outstanding, unvested restricted stock without voting rights awarded under the Incentive Plan. Under the Incentive Plan, the maximum number of Shares available for awards is reduced by (i) one share for every one Share subject to a stock option or
stock appreciation right and (ii) 1.8 Shares for every one Share subject to an award other than a stock option or stock appreciation right granted. The Incentive Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.
Director Equity Compensation. Directors who are not our employees or employees of one of our subsidiaries received a grant of Class A common stock equivalent to approximately $75,000 at the
time of our Board of Director's annual meeting. The annual equity retainer vests on the first anniversary of the grant date, subject to acceleration for death, disability, retirement, and change-in-control (where the director’s service is
terminated in connection with such change-in-control).Directors can only sell these shares if, after the sale, they maintain a minimum of $100,000 in value of Class A common stock.
Covenant Transportation Group 401(k) & Profit Sharing Plan. The Covenant Transportation Group 401(k) & Profit Sharing Plan (the “401(k) Plan”) is a defined contribution plan that
covers substantially all of our employees, including our executive officers. Participants in the 401(k) Plan may select the investments in which their account balances are invested, and participants are entitled to invest a portion of their account
balances in the Company stock fund, which invests exclusively in our Shares.
Share Repurchase Program. On February 10, 2020, our Board of Directors approved the repurchase of up to $20.0 million of our outstanding Class A common stock. The program was suspended on
March 26, 2020, after we had repurchased approximately $17.5 million of our Class A common stock under such program. On January 25, 2021, our Board of Directors approved the repurchase of up to $40.0 million of our outstanding Class A common stock.
As of August 6, 2021, we had repurchased approximately $8.4 million of our Class A common stock under such program, and our Board of Directors had increased such program by $8.4 million to facilitate the Offer.
The foregoing descriptions of agreements and arrangements involving the Shares are qualified in their entirety by reference to the text of the respective agreements and
arrangements, copies of which have been filed with the SEC.
Except as otherwise described herein, neither we nor, to the best of our knowledge, any of our affiliates, directors or executive officers, is a party to any contract,
agreement, arrangement, understanding or relationship with any other person with respect to any of our securities.
12.
|
Certain Legal Matters; Regulatory Approvals.
|
We are not aware of any license or regulatory permit that is reasonably likely to be material to our business that might be adversely affected by our acquisition of Shares as
contemplated in the Offer or of any approval or other action by any government or governmental, administrative or regulatory authority or agency, domestic, foreign or supranational, that would be required for our acquisition or ownership of Shares
as contemplated by the Offer. Should any approval or other action be required, we presently contemplate that we will seek that approval or other action, but we have no current intention to delay the purchase of Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer
pending the outcome of any such matter, subject to our right to decline to purchase Shares if any of the conditions in Section 7 have occurred or are deemed by us to have occurred or have not been waived. We cannot predict whether we would be
required to delay the acceptance for payment of or payment for Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer pending the outcome of any such matter. We cannot assure you that any approval or other action, if needed, would be obtained or would be obtained
without substantial cost or conditions or that the failure to obtain the approval or other action might not result in adverse consequences to our business and financial condition. If certain types of adverse actions are taken with respect to the
matters discussed above, or certain approvals, consents, licenses or permits identified above are not obtained, we can decline to accept for payment or pay for any Shares tendered. See Section 7.
13.
|
Certain United States Federal Income Tax Consequences.
|
The following discussion describes certain United States federal income tax consequences of participating in the Offer for U.S. Holders and non-U.S. Holders (each as defined below). This summary is
based upon the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), United States Treasury Regulations issued thereunder, IRS rulings and pronouncements, and judicial decisions, all as of the date hereof and all of which are subject to differing
interpretations or change which could affect the tax consequences described in this Offer to Purchase (possibly on a retroactive basis). This discussion is for general information only and does not address all of the aspects of United States
federal income taxation that may be relevant to a particular stockholder or to stockholders subject to special rules (including, without limitation, financial institutions, brokers, dealers or traders in securities or commodities, traders who elect
to apply a mark-to-market method of accounting, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, “S” corporations, partnerships or other pass-through entities, controlled foreign corporations, passive foreign
investment companies, U.S. expatriates, tax-exempt organizations, tax-qualified retirement plans, qualified foreign pension funds, persons who hold Shares as a position in a “straddle” or as part of a “hedging,” “conversion” or “integrated”
transaction or other risk reduction strategy, directors, employees, former employees or other persons who acquired their Shares as compensation, including upon the exercise of employee stock options, and U.S. Holders that have a functional currency
other than the United States dollar). In particular, this summary does not address any tax consequences arising from the Medicare tax on net investment income, the sale of Shares acquired pursuant to employee benefit plans or the alternative
minimum tax. This summary also does not address tax considerations arising under any state, local or foreign laws, or under United States federal estate or gift tax laws. This summary assumes that stockholders hold the Shares as “capital assets”
within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). No IRS ruling has been or will be sought regarding any matter discussed herein.
As used herein, the term “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of Shares that for United States federal income tax purposes is:
|
•
|
|
an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, including an alien individual who is a lawful permanent resident of the United States or meets the “substantial presence” test under
Section 7701(b) of the Code;
|
|
•
|
|
a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of
Columbia;
|
|
•
|
|
an estate, the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source; or
|
|
•
|
|
a trust, if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more “United States persons” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of
the Code have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or, if the trust was in existence on August 20, 1996 and it has elected to continue to be treated as a United States person.
|
As used herein, the term “non-U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of Shares that is neither a U.S. Holder nor a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for United States federal
income tax purposes).
If a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes) holds Shares, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of
the partner and the activities of the partnership. A partnership holding Shares, and each partner in such partnership, is urged to consult its tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of participating in the Offer.
Each stockholder is urged to consult its tax advisor as to the particular United States federal income tax consequences to such stockholder of participating or not participating
in the Offer and the applicability and effect of any state, local and foreign tax laws and other tax consequences with respect to the Offer.
Non-Participation in the Offer. The Offer will generally have no United States federal income tax
consequences to stockholders that do not tender any Shares in the Offer.
Consequences of the Offer to U.S. Holders.
Characterization of the Purchase—Distribution vs. Sale Treatment. The exchange of Shares for cash pursuant to the Offer will be a taxable transaction for
United States federal income tax purposes. A U.S. Holder that participates in the Offer will be treated, depending on such U.S. Holder’s particular circumstances, either as recognizing gain or loss from the disposition of the Shares or as receiving
a distribution from us as described in more detail below.
Under the stock redemption rules of Section 302 of the Code, a U.S. Holder will recognize gain or loss on an exchange of Shares for cash if the exchange: (a) results in a “complete termination” of
all such U.S. Holder’s equity interest in the Company, (b) results in a “substantially disproportionate” redemption with respect to such U.S. Holder, or (c) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. Holder (together,
the “Section 302 tests”). In applying the Section 302 tests, a U.S. Holder must take into account stock that such U.S. Holder constructively owns under certain attribution rules, pursuant to which the U.S. Holder will be treated as owning Shares
owned by certain family members (except that in the case of a “complete termination” a U.S. Holder may waive, under certain circumstances, attribution from family members) and related entities and Shares that the U.S. Holder has the right to
acquire by exercise of an option.
An exchange of Shares for cash will be a “complete termination” of the U.S. Holder’s equity interest in us if either (a) the U.S. Holder owns none of our Shares nor any other Company stock either
actually or constructively immediately after the Shares are sold pursuant to the Offer, or (b) the U.S. Holder actually owns none of our Shares nor any other Company stock immediately after the sale of Shares pursuant to the Offer and, with respect
to Shares and any other Company stock constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately after the sale, the U.S. Holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives, constructive ownership of all such Shares and any other Company stock. U.S.
Holders wishing to satisfy the “complete termination” test through waiver of attribution are particularly advised to consult their own tax advisors regarding the requirements, mechanics and desirability of such a waiver.
An exchange of Shares for cash will be a “substantially disproportionate” redemption with respect to a U.S. Holder if the percentage of the then-outstanding Shares owned by such U.S. Holder in the
Company immediately after the exchange (and other exchanges made pursuant to the Offer) is less than 80% of the percentage of the Shares owned (directly and by attribution) by such U.S. Holder in the Company immediately before the exchange (and
other exchanges made pursuant to the Offer). If an exchange of Shares for cash fails to satisfy the “substantially disproportionate” test, the U.S. Holder nonetheless may satisfy the “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” test.
An exchange of Shares for cash will generally satisfy the “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” test if it results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. Holder’s equity interest in the
Company. Whether the receipt of cash by a U.S. Holder will be “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” will depend upon the U.S. Holder’s particular facts and circumstances. The IRS has indicated in published guidance that even a small reduction
in the proportionate interest of a small minority stockholder in a publicly and widely held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute a “meaningful reduction.” U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors
regarding the application of the rules of Section 302 in their particular circumstances.
We cannot predict whether any particular U.S. Holder will be subject to sale or exchange treatment, on the one hand, or distribution treatment, on the other hand. Contemporaneous dispositions or
acquisitions of Shares (pursuant to the Offer or otherwise, including market sales and purchases) by a U.S. Holder or related individuals or entities may be deemed to be part of a single integrated transaction and may be taken into account in
determining whether the Section 302 tests have been satisfied. Each U.S. Holder should be aware that because proration may occur in the Offer, even if all the Shares actually and constructively owned by a U.S. Holder are tendered pursuant to the
Offer, fewer than all of such Shares may be purchased by us. Consequently, we cannot assure you that a sufficient number of any particular U.S. Holder’s Shares will be purchased to ensure that this purchase will be treated as a sale or exchange,
rather than as a distribution, for United States federal income tax purposes pursuant to the rules discussed herein. Accordingly, a tendering U.S. Holder may choose to submit a “conditional tender” under the procedures described in Section 6, which
allows the U.S. Holder to tender Shares subject to the condition that a specified minimum number of the U.S. Holder’s Shares must be purchased by us if any such Shares so tendered are purchased.
Sale or Exchange Treatment. If a U.S. Holder is treated under the Section 302 tests as
recognizing gain or loss from the “sale or exchange” of the Shares for cash, such gain or loss will be equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of cash received and such U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Shares exchanged therefor.
Generally, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Shares will be equal to the cost of the Shares to the U.S. Holder reduced by any previous returns of capital. Any gain or loss will be capital gain or loss and will be long-term capital gain or loss if
the holding period of the Shares exceeds one year as of the date of the exchange. Long-term capital gain is subject to a reduced rate of tax for non-corporate U.S. Holders (including individuals). The deductibility of capital losses is subject to
limitations. A U.S. Holder must calculate gain or loss separately for each block of Shares (generally, Shares acquired at the same cost in a single transaction). A U.S. Holder may be able to designate which blocks of Shares it wishes to tender and
the order in which different blocks will be purchased in the event that less than all of its Shares are tendered.
Distribution Treatment. If a U.S. Holder is not treated under the Section 302 tests as
recognizing gain or loss from the “sale or exchange” of Shares for cash, the entire amount of cash received by such U.S. Holder pursuant to the Offer will be treated as a distribution by the Company with respect to the U.S. Holder’s Shares. The
distribution will be treated as a dividend to the extent of the Company’s current and accumulated earnings and profits allocable to such Shares. Such a dividend would be includible in income without reduction for the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the
Shares exchanged. Dividends are taxable at a maximum rate of 20% for non-corporate U.S. Holders (including individuals) if certain holding period, at risk and other requirements are met. To the extent that amounts received pursuant to the Offer
that are treated as distributions exceed a U.S. Holder’s allocable share of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the distribution will first be treated as a non-taxable return of capital, causing a reduction in the tax basis of such
U.S. Holder’s Shares, and any amounts in excess of the U.S. Holder’s tax basis will constitute capital gain. Any remaining tax basis in the Shares tendered will be transferred to any remaining shares held by such U.S. Holder.
To the extent that cash received in exchange for Shares is treated as a dividend to a corporate U.S. Holder, (i) it generally will be eligible for a dividends-received deduction (subject to certain
holding period, at risk and other requirements and limitations) and (ii) it generally may be subject to the “extraordinary dividend” provisions of the Code (which could cause a reduction in the tax basis of such U.S. Holder’s Shares and cause such
U.S. Holder to recognize capital gain). Corporate U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the availability of the dividends-received deduction and the application of the “extraordinary dividend” provisions of the Code in
their particular circumstances.
We cannot predict whether or the extent to which the Offer will be over-subscribed. If the Offer is over-subscribed, proration of tenders pursuant to the Offer will cause us to accept fewer Shares
than are tendered. Therefore, a U.S. Holder can be given no assurance that a sufficient number of such U.S. Holder’s Shares will be purchased pursuant to the Offer to ensure that such purchase will be treated as a sale or exchange, rather than a
distribution, for U.S. federal income tax purposes pursuant to the rules discussed above.
Consequences of the Offer to Non-U.S. Holders.
Sale or Exchange Treatment. Gain realized by a non-U.S. Holder on a sale of
Shares for cash pursuant to the Offer generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax if the sale is treated as a “sale or exchange” under the Section 302 tests described above under “Consequences of the Offer to U.S.
Holders—Characterization of the Purchase—Distribution vs. Sale Treatment” unless:
|
•
|
|
the gain is effectively connected with the non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the non-U.S. Holder maintains a United
States permanent establishment to which such gain is attributable); or
|
|
•
|
|
the non-U.S. Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and certain other conditions are met.
|
A non-U.S. Holder described in the first bullet point above will be required to pay United States federal income tax on the net gain derived from the disposition generally in the same manner as if
such non-U.S. Holder were a U.S. Holder, and, if such non-U.S. Holder is a corporation, an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate (or a lower rate if so specified by an applicable income tax treaty) may apply to any effectively connected
earnings and profits.
Distribution Treatment. If a non-U.S. Holder is not treated under the Section 302 tests as
recognizing gain or loss on a “sale or exchange” of Shares for cash, the entire amount of cash received by such non-U.S. Holder pursuant to the Offer (including any amount withheld, as discussed below) will be treated as a distribution by us with
respect to the non-U.S. Holder’s Shares. The treatment for United States federal income tax purposes of such distribution as a dividend, tax-free return of capital, or gain from the sale or exchange of shares will be determined in the manner
described above under “Consequences of the Offer to U.S. Holders—Distribution Treatment.” Except as described in the following paragraphs, to the extent that amounts received by the non-U.S. Holder are treated as dividends, such dividends will be
subject to United States federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower rate specified in an applicable income tax treaty). To obtain a reduced rate of withholding under an income tax treaty, a non-U.S. Holder must provide a properly executed
IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E certifying, under penalties of perjury, that the non-U.S. Holder is a non-U.S. person and the dividends are subject to a reduced rate of withholding under an applicable income tax treaty and that the Non-U.S. Holder is
not subject to withholding under FATCA. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding their entitlement to, and the procedure for obtaining, benefits under an applicable income tax treaty.
Amounts treated as dividends that are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the non-U.S. Holder within the United States are not subject to United States federal
withholding tax but instead, unless an applicable tax treaty provides otherwise, generally are subject to United States federal income tax in the manner applicable to U.S. Holders, as described above. To claim exemption from United States federal
withholding tax with respect to dividends that are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the non-U.S. Holder within the United States, the non-U.S. Holder must comply with applicable certification and disclosure
requirements by providing a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI certifying, under penalties of perjury, that the non-U.S. Holder is a non-U.S. person and the dividends are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the non-U.S.
Holder within the United States and includible in that holder’s gross income. In addition, a non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation may be subject to a branch profits tax at a 30% rate (or a lower rate if so specified by an applicable income tax
treaty), on dividends effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States, subject to certain adjustments.
Withholding For Non-U.S. Holders. Because, as described above, it is unclear whether the cash
received by a non-U.S. Holder in connection with the Offer will be treated (i) as proceeds of a sale or exchange or (ii) as a distribution, the Depositary or other applicable withholding agent may treat such payment as a dividend distribution for
withholding purposes. Accordingly, payments to non-U.S. Holders may be subject to withholding at a rate of 30% of the gross proceeds paid, unless the non-U.S. Holder establishes an entitlement to a reduced rate of withholding by timely completing,
under penalties of perjury, the applicable IRS Form W-8 as discussed above. To the extent non-U.S. Holders tender Shares held in a United States brokerage account or otherwise through a United States broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company,
or other nominee, such non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult such United States broker or other nominee and their tax advisors to determine the particular withholding procedures that will be applicable to them.
A non-U.S. Holder may be eligible to obtain a refund of all or a portion of any United States federal tax withheld if such stockholder meets the “complete termination,” “substantially
disproportionate” or “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” tests described above under “Consequences of the Offer to U.S. Holders— Characterization of the Purchase—Distribution vs. Sale Treatment” or if the stockholder is entitled to a reduced
rate of withholding pursuant to any applicable income tax treaty and a higher rate was withheld.
Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the United States federal income tax consequences of participation in the Offer, including the application of
United States federal income tax withholding rules, eligibility for a reduction of or an exemption from withholding tax, and the refund procedure, as well as the applicability and effect of state, local, foreign and other tax laws and treaties.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding. Payments made to stockholders in the Offer may be reported to the IRS. In addition, under
the United States federal income tax laws, backup withholding at the statutory rate (currently 24%) may apply to the amount paid to certain stockholders (who are not “exempt” recipients) pursuant to the Offer. To prevent such backup United States
federal income tax withholding, each non-corporate stockholder who is a U.S. Holder and who does not otherwise establish an exemption from backup withholding must notify the Depositary or other applicable withholding agent of the stockholder’s
taxpayer identification number (employer identification number or social security number) and provide certain other information by completing, under penalties of perjury, an IRS Form W-9, a copy of which is included in the Letter of Transmittal.
Failure to timely provide the correct taxpayer identification number on the IRS Form W-9 may subject the stockholder to certain penalties imposed by the IRS.
Certain “exempt” recipients (including, among others, generally all corporations and certain non-U.S. Holders) are not subject to these backup withholding requirements. For a non-U.S. Holder to
qualify for such exemption, such non-U.S. Holder must submit a statement (generally, an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E or other applicable Form W-8), signed under penalties of perjury, attesting to such non-U.S. Holder’s exempt status. A copy of the
appropriate IRS Form W-8 may be obtained from the Depositary or from the IRS website (www.irs.gov). A disregarded domestic entity that has a regarded foreign owner must use the appropriate IRS Form W-8, and not the IRS Form W-9. See Instruction 10
to the Letter of Transmittal.
FATCA. Provisions commonly referred to as “FATCA,” and related administrative guidance, impose a withholding tax of 30% on dividends that
are paid to “foreign financial institutions” (which is broadly defined for this purpose and in general includes investment vehicles) and certain other foreign entities unless various United States information reporting and due diligence
requirements (generally relating to ownership by United States persons of interests in or accounts with those entities) have been met, or an exemption applies (typically certified as to by the delivery of a properly completed IRS W-8BEN-E).
Because, as discussed above, the Depositary or other applicable withholding agent may treat amounts paid to non-U.S. Holders in the Offer as dividends for United States federal income tax purposes, such amounts may also be subject to withholding
under FATCA if such requirements are not met. In such case, any withholding under FATCA may be credited against, and therefore reduce, any 30% withholding tax on dividend distributions as discussed above. Foreign financial institutions located in
jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of these rules on their
disposition of Shares pursuant to the Offer.
Stockholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding to their particular circumstances and the availability of, and procedure for
obtaining, an exemption from backup withholding.
THE TAX DISCUSSION SET FORTH ABOVE IS INCLUDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND IS NOT TAX ADVICE. YOU ARE URGED TO CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR TO DETERMINE THE
PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO YOU OF THE OFFER, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF STATE, LOCAL, FOREIGN AND OTHER TAX LAWS AND TREATIES.
14.
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Extension of the Offer; Termination; Amendment.
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We expressly reserve the right to extend the period of time the Offer is open and delay acceptance for payment of, and payment for, any Shares by giving oral or written notice of such extension to
the Depositary and making a public announcement of such extension. During any such extension, all Shares previously tendered and not properly withdrawn will remain subject to the Offer and to the rights of a tendering stockholder to withdraw such
stockholder’s Shares.
We also expressly reserve the right, in our sole discretion, not to accept for payment and not pay for any Shares not previously accepted for payment or paid for, subject to applicable law, to
postpone payment for Shares or terminate the Offer upon the occurrence of any of the conditions specified in Section 7 by giving oral or written notice of the termination or postponement to the Depositary and making a public announcement of the
termination or postponement. Our reservation of the right to delay payment for Shares that we have accepted for payment is limited by Exchange Act Rule 13e-4(f)(5), which requires that we must pay the consideration offered or return the Shares
tendered promptly after termination or withdrawal of the Offer.
Subject to compliance with applicable law, we further reserve the right, in our reasonable discretion, and regardless of whether any of the events set forth in Section 7 have occurred or are deemed
by us to have occurred, to amend the Offer in any respect, including, without limitation, by changing the per Share purchase price range or by increasing or decreasing the value of Shares sought in the Offer. Amendments to the Offer may be made at
any time and from time to time by public announcement of the amendment. In the case of an extension, the amendment shall be issued no later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the next business day after the last previously scheduled or
announced Expiration Date. Any public announcement made pursuant to the Offer will be disseminated promptly to stockholders in a manner reasonably designed to inform stockholders of the change. Without limiting the manner in which we may choose to
make a public announcement, except as required by applicable law, we will have no obligation to publish, advertise or otherwise communicate any public announcement other than by issuing a press release to the GlobalNewswire
or comparable service.
If we materially change the terms of the Offer or the information concerning the Offer, or if we waive a material condition of the Offer, we will extend the Offer to the extent
required by Exchange Act Rule 13e-4(e)(3) and 13e-4(f)(1). This rule and related releases and interpretations of the SEC provide that the minimum period during which an Offer must remain open following material changes in the terms of the Offer or
information concerning the Offer (other than a change in price or a change in percentage of securities sought) will depend on the facts and circumstances, including the relative materiality of the terms or information. If:
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we increase or decrease the price range to be paid for Shares or increase or decrease the value of Shares sought in the Offer (and thereby increase or decrease the number of Shares purchasable in the Offer),
and, in the event of an increase in the value of Shares purchased in the Offer, the number of shares accepted for payment in the Offer increases by more than 2% of the outstanding Shares, and
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the Offer is scheduled to expire at any time earlier than the expiration of a period ending on the tenth business day from, and including, the date that notice of such an increase or decrease is first
published, sent or given to security holders in the manner specified in this Section 14,
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then in each case the Offer will be extended until the expiration of the period of at least ten business days from, and including, the date of such notice. For purposes of the Offer, a “business
day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or Federal holiday and consists of the time period from 12:01 A.M. through one minute after 11:59 P.M., New York City time.
If we increase the value of Shares purchased in the Offer such that the additional amount of Shares accepted for payment in the Offer does not exceed 2% of the outstanding
Shares, this will not be deemed a material change to the terms of the Offer and we will not be required to extend the Offer. See Section 1.
Stephens Inc. is providing financial advisory services to the Company in connection with the Offer and is receiving reasonable and customary compensation from the Company for such financial
advisory services and has the benefit of certain indemnification obligations we have agreed to in connection with such services. We have retained Georgeson LLC to act as Information Agent and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. to act as Depositary
in connection with the Offer. The Information Agent may contact holders of Shares by mail, telephone, telegraph and personal interviews and may request brokers, dealers, commercial banks, trust companies and other nominee stockholders to forward
materials relating to the Offer to beneficial owners. The Information Agent and the Depositary will each receive reasonable and customary compensation for their respective services, will be reimbursed by us for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses
and will be indemnified against certain liabilities in connection with the Offer.
We will not pay any fees or commissions to brokers, dealers, commercial banks, trust companies or other nominees for soliciting tenders of Shares pursuant to the Offer.
Stockholders holding Shares through brokers, dealers, commercial banks, trust companies or other nominees are urged to consult the brokers, dealers, commercial banks, trust companies or other nominees to determine whether transaction costs may
apply if stockholders tender Shares through the brokers, dealers, commercial banks, trust companies or other nominees and not directly to the Depositary. We will, however, upon request, reimburse brokers, dealers, commercial banks, trust companies
or other nominees for customary mailing and handling expenses incurred by them in forwarding this Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and related materials to the beneficial owners of Shares held by them as a nominee or in a fiduciary
capacity. No broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee has been authorized to act as our agent or the agent of the Information Agent or the Depositary for purposes of the Offer. We will pay or cause to be paid all stock
transfer taxes, if any, on our purchase of Shares except as otherwise provided in Section 5 hereof and Instruction 7 in the Letter of Transmittal.
We are not aware of any jurisdiction where the making of the Offer is not in compliance with applicable law. If we become aware of any jurisdiction where the making of the Offer or the acceptance of
Shares pursuant to the Offer is not in compliance with any applicable law, we will make a good faith effort to comply with the applicable law. If, after a good faith effort, we cannot comply with the applicable law, the Offer will not be made to,
nor will tenders be accepted from or on behalf of, the holders of Shares residing in that jurisdiction. In making the Offer, we will comply with the requirements of Rule 13e-4(f)(8) promulgated under the Exchange Act. In any jurisdiction where the
securities or Blue Sky laws require the Offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Offer shall be deemed to be made on our behalf by one or more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction.
Pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13e-4, we have filed with the SEC the Schedule TO-I, which contains additional information relating to the Offer. The Schedule TO-I, including the exhibits and any
amendments thereto, may be examined, and copies may be obtained, at the same places and in the same manner set forth in Section 10 with respect to information concerning the Company.
You should rely only on the information contained in this document or to which we have referred you. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information or to make any representation on
our behalf in connection with the Offer other than those contained in this Offer to Purchase and the related Letter of Transmittal. If given or made, you should not rely on that information or representation as having been authorized by us, any
member of the Board of Directors, the Depositary or the Information Agent.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS AUTHORIZED US TO MAKE THE OFFER. HOWEVER, NONE OF THE COMPANY, THE MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY HAS MADE ANY RECOMMENDATION
AS TO WHETHER YOU SHOULD TENDER OR NOT TENDER YOUR SHARES IN THE OFFER. NONE OF THE COMPANY, THE MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY HAS AUTHORIZED ANY PERSON TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION ON OUR BEHALF AS TO
WHETHER YOU SHOULD TENDER OR NOT TENDER YOUR SHARES IN THE OFFER. NONE OF THE COMPANY, THE MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY HAS AUTHORIZED ANY PERSON TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION IN
CONNECTION WITH THE OFFER OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE OR IN THE RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON ANY RECOMMENDATION, OR ANY SUCH REPRESENTATION OR INFORMATION, AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY US, ANY
MEMBER OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY.
Covenant Logistics Group, Inc.
August 9, 2021
The Letter of Transmittal and certificates for Shares, and any other required documents should be sent or delivered by each stockholder or the stockholder’s broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust
company or nominee to the Depositary at one of its addresses set forth below. To confirm delivery of Shares, stockholders are directed to contact the Depositary. Stockholders submitting certificates representing Shares to be tendered must deliver
such certificates together with the Letter of Transmittal and any other required documents by mail or overnight courier. Facsimile copies of Share certificates will not be accepted.
The Depositary for the Offer is:
Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
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By Mail:
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By Express or Overnight Courier:
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Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
c/o Voluntary Corporate Actions
P.O. Box 43011
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3011
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Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
c/o Voluntary Corporate Actions
150 Royall Street, Suite V
Canton, Massachusetts 02021
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Any questions or requests for assistance may be directed to the Information Agent at its telephone number and address set forth on the following page. Requests for additional
copies of this Offer to Purchase, this Letter of Transmittal, the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery or related documents may be directed to the Information Agent at its telephone number or address set forth on below. You may also contact your broker,
dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Offer.
The Information Agent for the Offer is:
1290 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10104
(888) 607-9107 (Toll Free)