The two industry leaders envisage to empower professional integrators with better service and better solutions to more effectively serve the growing demand for connected homes and businesses. The operation is seen by both companies as a highly complementary combination that will leverage the increased resources to provide integrators with a true one-stop shop, offering a complete product portfolio of custom smart-home, control and automation solutions.
“SnapAV and Control4 share a deep understanding of and commitment to the custom installation industry and are dedicated to making professional integrators more successful. By merging, SnapAV and Control4 will combine the talent of their collective 1,200+ employees, market-leading solutions, exceptional interoperability and channel platform, dealer-first programs, global distribution and financial resources to deliver value in ways no one else can—enabling integrators to serve their customers better and grow their businesses,” the acquisition announcement states.
Together, SnapAV and Control4 expect to increase innovation in simplified integration and solutions that meet the demands of today’s expanding smart home industry. “With leading technology solutions, a broad geographic footprint and exceptional service organizations, the combined company is poised to provide integrators with better opportunities to serve customers in the connected home and business markets,” the announcement states.
Control4’s Board of Directors has unanimously approved and recommended that stockholders vote in favor of the transaction. Under the terms of the Agreement, SnapAV will acquire all the outstanding common stock of Control4 for $23.91 per share in cash. The purchase price represents a premium of approximately 40% over Control4’s closing price on May 8, 2019, the last trading day prior to execution of the Agreement, and a premium of approximately 38% over Control4’s 30-trading day weighted average share price ended on May 8, 2019. Private equity investment firm Hellman & Friedman — SnapAV’s majority shareholder since 2017 — will invest additional equity as part of the transaction and be the majority shareholder of the combined company.
“We have pursued the mission of making our integrators’ lives easier since SnapAV was founded,” says John Heyman, chief executive officer of SnapAV. “Dealers will be able to buy leading solutions, access the best service technicians in the industry and experience simpler installation through purchasing, support and seamless product integration.
“Over the past several years, we have accomplished a number of goals we felt were critical to the success of integrators and the continued growth of SnapAV — including offering local delivery and pick-up through the acquisition of distribution sites around the country and expanding the suite of products available to support integrators. Merging with Control4 and its outstanding team will help us execute on our third critical goal: delivering the industry’s leading automation platform that integrates with the numerous technologies and products required to create customized smart home experiences homeowners desire. Control4 offers a leading automation platform, along with key smart home solutions in the audio, video, lighting, security and networking categories. We are especially excited by the fact that both of our companies have similarly strong “customer first” corporate cultures centered on quality, service and innovation, and we look forward to creating new and exciting opportunities for the teams at both Control4 and SnapAV. In sum, the two companies will be better together, with better service, better solutions and better opportunities for integrators and employees.”
“We believe today’s announced transaction delivers compelling and immediate value to Control4 shareholders in the form of a significant share price premium, and we are excited to have the opportunity to join with the SnapAV team,” says Martin Plaehn, chairman and chief executive officer of Control4.
“Together with SnapAV, we will be able to invest even more in innovation, bring together and build upon the very best of our combined capabilities, and do so with improved reliability, responsiveness, security, and privacy for consumers. Today’s announcement will enable us to better serve the expanding smart home market, making the lives of integrators easier and their businesses more effective and efficient.”
More than 1,200 employees of the combined company will be led by SnapAV CEO John Heyman and an executive team made up of leaders from both SnapAV and Control4. Control4 CEO Martin Plaehn will join the Board of Directors of the combined company, helping to ensure a smooth integration of the businesses. The merger reflects the value created by bringing together two industry-leading teams of employees who, united, can better serve the needs of the growing smart home segment. The company will share joint headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Salt Lake City, Utah, with offices and local facilities around the globe.
As part of the Agreement, Control4’s Board of Directors, with the assistance of its advisors, will conduct a 30-day “go-shop” process following the date of the execution of the definitive agreement, during which it will actively initiate, solicit, encourage and evaluate alternative acquisition proposals, and potentially enter into negotiations with any parties that offer an alternative acquisition proposal. Control4 will have the right to terminate the merger agreement to accept a superior proposal, subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement. There can be no assurance that this “go-shop” will result in a superior proposal, and Control4 does not intend to disclose developments with respect to the solicitation process unless and until its Board of Directors makes a determination requiring further disclosure.
Established in 2005 and based in Charlotte, North Carolina, SnapAV is a manufacturer and exclusive source of more than 2,700 installation-friendly audio, video, networking, power and surveillance products for residential and commercial A/V integrators.
www.Control4.com | www.SnapAV.com
