"Upon completion of the transaction, the company will have a much
improved balance sheet, with minimal debt obligations and additional
working capital to fund our growth initiatives," says Richard W.
Pehlke (right), executive vice president and chief financial officer. "This
positions us well to build on the strengths of our service and
investment capabilities with increased operating flexibility."
Although
New York Stock Exchange policy normally requires company shareholder
approval to make such a transaction, such approval is not required when
the delay of a key transaction would undermine the financial viability
of the company in question.