SEC Company Response from TMS — Nov 1, 2004
TMS INC /OK/ (CIK 0000835412)
Date: Nov. 1, 2004 · CIK: 0000835412 · Accession: 0000909334-04-000312
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McAfee & Taft W. Chris Coleman
A Professional Corporation ATTORNEY AT LAW
10th Floor Two Leadership Square WRITER DIRECT
211 N. Robinson Oklahoma City, OK 73102-7103 (405) 552-2234
(405) 235-9621 FAX (405) 235-0439 FAX (405) 228-7434
www.mcafeetaft.com chris.coleman@mcafeetaft.com
October 11, 2004
Ms. Barbara C. Jacobs
Assistant Director
Securities Exchange Commission
Washington, DC 20549
Re: TMS, Inc.
PREM14A filed on
September 16, 2003
File No. 33-22780
Dear Ms. Jacobs:
This letter is in response to your comment letter of October 5, 2004 with
respect to the above Proxy Statement. We appreciate your comments and assistance
in enhancing and improving our disclosure and have modified our disclosure
accordingly. The following are our specific responses to each of your comments.
General
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1. Please revise to disclose the information required by Item 14 of Schedule
14A, as it applies to a liquidation. For example, your proxy statement
should respond to Items 101, 102, 103, 301, 302, 303, 304 and 305 of
Regulation S-K and include financial statements meeting the requirements of
Regulation S-X. See Item 14.c.l. of Schedule 14A. Also, the financial
information presented should be current pursuant to Article 3-12 of
Regulation S-X. In the alternative, supplementally advise why you believe
that some or all of this information is not required.
Response: We believe that the information called for by the referenced
items of Regulation S-K is not required. Those Items are incorporated
by Item 14(c)(1) of Schedule 14A by reference to Part B of Form S-4.
As noted in Instruction 2(a) to Item 14, that information is not
required to be included where, as here, the consideration consists
wholly of cash, "unless the information is material to an informed
voting decision (e.g., the securityholders of the target company are
voting and financing is not assured)." In the current transaction,
financing is not a condition to closing. Although there will be a note
from the purchaser for a portion of the consideration, the note
essentially constitutes a holdback by the purchaser against which it
may make certain offsets, primarily for failure to collect accounts
receivable or failure of certain customers to accept custom software
development. Hence, the company is receiving cash for the sale of its
assets without a financing condition and the shareholders will receive
cash as liquidation proceeds. The information called for by Item
14(c)(1) is not material to an informed investment decision.
Also, Instruction B to Item 14 provides that if only the security
holders of the target company are voting, (i) the financial
information in paragraphs (b)(8)-(11) of Item 14 for the acquiring
company and the target need not be provided; and (ii) the information
in paragraph (c)(2) of Item 14 for the target company need not be
provided. Only the security holders of TMS are voting with respect to
the proposed transaction.
We do note, however, that "selected financial information" for TMS has
been provided. The parties have also agreed to include selected
balance sheet data for Pegasus and inserted additional discussion
regarding the note. See pages 16-18 attached. We do not believe that
any additional information is required to be included in the proxy
materials.
2. It appears that your plan of liquidation and the transaction with
Measurement Incorporated may be the first step of a "Rule 13e-3
transaction" as defined in paragraph (a)(3) of that regulation. Please note
that this term encompasses any series of events involving one or more
transactions described in paragraph (a)(3)(i) of the rule which has a
reasonable likelihood of producing an effect described in paragraph
(a)(3)(ii) of the rule. Also note that the rule applies to a transaction
that independently may not constitute a Rule 13e-3 transaction, but is
effected "as apart, or in furtherance, of" a series of transactions that,
taken together, have a reasonable likelihood of producing the requisite
effects. Refer to Q&A no. 4 of Exchange Act Release 34-17719. As a result,
the issuer and affiliates engaging in the proposed transactions must file a
Schedule 13E-3, the information required under the form, including all
exhibits, and disseminate the information required by Rule 13e-3(e) to
security holders. See Rule 13e-3(d). Alternatively, supplementally advise
why you believe that the plan of liquidation and the transaction with
Measurement Incorporated is not the first step in a "Rule l3e-3
transaction."
Response: First, you seem to believe that there is some relationship
by or among the parties that simply does not exist. There is no
controlling relationship within the meaning of Rule 13e-3(1) by or
among TMS, Pegasus or Measurement Incorporated. Further, although the
company's obligation to close on the sale to Pegasus is conditioned
upon the disposition of the company's interest in VSC Technologies,
the disposition of the interest in VSC Technologies to Measurement
Incorporated is not a condition to Pegasus' obligation to close. See
"Conditions to Closing and Termination" and "Summary - What will
happen to the Company's interest in VSC Technologies, L.L.C.?" The
company in fact recently reached an agreement in principal with
Measurement Incorporated, but it is not a foregone conclusion that the
sale will in fact be made to it. In any event, as noted above,
Measurement Incorporated is not an affiliate of the company within the
meaning of Rule 13e-3(a)(1). The mere fact that the company has a
joint venture with Measurement Incorporated with respect to what
constitutes a minor portion of the company's assets does not make
Measurement Incorporated an affiliate.
The sale of the interest in VSC is merely a clean up detail in the
course of selling the company's assets and liquidating it. The
transaction has neither the purpose nor the effect of taking TMS
private. Bear in mind that Measurement Incorporated is no more an
affiliate of Pegasus than it is of TMS. There is nothing remotely
close to the concerns here that were expressed in the illustration to
Question No. 4 of Exchange Act Release 34-17719, wherein two
affiliated corporations entered into a merger agreement and thereafter
but prior to the solicitation of proxies one affiliate purchased stock
of the other in the open market.
Further, there is no going private transaction to facilitate.
Certainly there is not a "sale of substantially all of the assets of
an issuer to its affiliate or a group of affiliates..." as set forth
in Rule 13e-3(i)(C). Pegasus is certainly not an affiliate of the
company. The transaction here is nothing more than it appears on its
face, i.e., a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of TMS to
unrelated third parties in a negotiated transaction. Therefore, there
is no "lack of arms-length bargaining" which was one of the principal
concerns expressed by the commission in Exchange Act Release 34-17719.
We assume that you are not taking the position that subsections
(3)(i)(A) (there is no sale to an affiliate) or (B) (there is no
tender offer) of Rule 13e-3(a) apply.
3. Please disclose whether you received a solvency opinion regarding your plan
of liquidation. If so, revise your proxy to provide the appropriate
disclosure. If not, disclose the risks to shareholders as a result of your
decision not to obtain a solvency opinion. For example, discuss the
potential for creditors of the company to pursue the assets distributed to
stockholders under state law.
Response: The Company has not received or requested a solvency opinion
at this time. The Company has not done this because they are currently
selling substantially all of their assets for cash based on a
negotiated price, but does not have any current plans to make a
distribution to the shareholders until the existing contingencies have
been defined. This is disclosed in the Proxy Statement under
"Contingencies; Creditors; Litigations", at Pages 32 - 33, attached.
Also, the risk to shareholders and the potential for creditors to
pursue assets distributed to the stockholders is described therein.
4. We note that the sale of your CPT business to Pegasus is subject to
shareholder approval, as part of the plan of liquidation or otherwise.
Supplementally tell us why you have not presented the transaction with
Measurement Incorporated as a separate matter for stockholder approval.
Response: The governing documents of TMS and the corporate law of
Oklahoma do not require shareholder approval unless the sale is of all
or substantially all of the assets of TMS. The CPT Business is
substantially all of the assets of the Company. We consider the sale
of the interest in VSC Technologies, LLC to be part of the liquidation
process, which the shareholders would have approved by approving the
liquidation.
5. It does not appear that you have filed the agreement regarding the sale of
your CPT business to Pegasus. Please include this agreement as an appendix
to this proxy or supplementally advise why you believe that the inclusion
of this agreement as an appendix is not required.
Response: Pursuant to Items 14(b)(1) and (b)(4) of Schedule 14A and
Items 1001 and 1004(a)(2) of Regulation M-A, the Company has provided
a summary of the material terms of the proposed sale of its CPT
Business. The Company is not aware of a requirement that it file the
entire purchase agreement. However, if necessary, the Company would
propose making a Form 8-K filing and incorporating that filing in the
proxy materials by reference. This would provide the shareholders
access to the agreement without substantially increasing the Company's
costs of distributing the proxy materials.
Questions and Answers about the Pro used Plan of Liquidation
------------------------------------------------------------
6. Please relocate the question "[w]hat will I receive in the liquidation" to
a more prominent position in this section.
Response: We have moved this question so that it appears after the
question "[h]as the board made a recommendation with respect to the
proposed liquidation?". See page 2 attached.
7. You estimate that shareholders will receive total liquidation proceeds
between $0.145 and $0.16. TMS's stockholders may find it useful if you
describe the liquidation range in terms of 100 TMS shares. Also, revise
your proxy statement to provide a reasonably detailed explanation of why it
is estimated that liquidation could result in cash distributions to
stockholders ranging from $0.145 to $0.16 per share. This should include
the details and factors considered in concluding the range of liquidation
values. See Item 14.b.7 of Schedule 14A. Further, in tabular form,
reconcile historical financial statement carrying amounts with the range of
estimated recovery on asset dispositions for each significant balance sheet
category.
Response: We have made revisions in the "Summary" section to the
question "[w]hat will I receive in the liquidation?" and added a
question "[w]hat is the expected timing for distribution of the
liquidation proceeds?" to address this comment. See page 2 attached.
We provided information about the estimated liquidation proceeds in
amounts relative to 1000 shares because few of our shareholders hold
stock in amounts less than 1000 shares. We have not provided a tabular
reconciliation of historical financial statement carrying amounts
because we do not believe this information is meaningful. There are
only three relevant categories, accounts receivable, computer
equipment and furniture and fixtures, all of which are being sold to
Pegasus.
8. Expand your disclosure to explain the conditions and events that may impact
the amount of liquidation proceeds that will be received by your
shareholders. Also, explain the time frame in which you plan to distribute
all or some of your liquidation proceeds. Do you plan on distributing all
of the liquidation proceeds at one time? Will you distribute portions of
the liquidation proceeds at varying intervals? For example, will you
distribute the portion of the liquidation proceeds attributable to the
Pegasus transaction before the remainder of your assets are liquidated?
Response: See response to comment number 7.
9. We note your reference to the litigation with NCS Pearson: Please disclose
the required information under Item 103 of Regulation S-K. You should also
explain contingent or future events that may impact the amount and/or
timing of your distribution.
Response: The information required by Item 103 of S-K was contained in
"Description of Purchase and Sale Agreement with Measurement
Incorporated-Indemnification" we have, however, to provide better
disclosure included this same information under "Contingencies;
Creditors; Litigation" and enhanced this disclosure. See Page 33
attached. For information regarding events that may impact the amount
and/or timing of the liquidating distribution, see pages 1, 18 and 24
attached.
Background of the Company's Decision to Liquidate
-------------------------------------------------
10. You provide a discussion of other potential options of TMS, including other
potential acquiring companies. Please revise to compare the sale of
substantially all of the assets and plan of liquidation to the other offers
that you received and describe in concise terms the basis of the special
committee and the board for concluding that liquidation was a superior
option from a shareholder perspective. On what basis did the board conclude
that the sale of substantially all of the assets to Pegasus and the
implementation of the plan of liquidation was the course most likely to
obtain the highest value reasonably available to stockholders? In this
regard, discuss the transaction valuation of the proposed transactions made
in good faith, including the range of consideration offered by each, and
disclose the basis of the special committee and the board in determining
that the sale of sub