Woodbridge Group Urges Shareholders Not to Return Office Depot Proxy Card
20 Marzo 2008 - 5:07PM
PR Newswire (US)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Woodbridge Equity
Fund LLLP and Levitt Corporation (NYSE:LEV), together the
"Woodbridge Group," today issued an open letter to the shareholders
of Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE:ODP) in connection with Office Depot's
2008 annual meeting currently scheduled to be held on April 23,
2008. As announced on March 17, 2008, the Woodbridge Group is
seeking to elect two highly-qualified director candidates to the
board of directors of Office Depot. The Woodbridge Group's nominees
are Mark Begelman, the former President and Chief Operating Officer
of Office Depot, and Martin E. Hanaka, the former Chief Executive
Officer and current non-executive Chairman Emeritus of The Sports
Authority, Inc. In addition, Mr. Hanaka served as President and
Chief Operating Officer of Staples, Inc. The Woodbridge Group is
nominating these candidates to serve on the board in place of
Office Depot director candidates David I. Fuente and Steve Odland,
Chair and Chief Executive Officer. "Mr. Begelman and Mr. Hanaka can
reinvigorate Office Depot's board, bringing it meaningful
leadership, a new perspective and relevant retail operating
experience," said Alan B. Levan, the Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer of Levitt Corporation and Woodbridge
Capital Corporation. "Our nominees will work with the entire board
to turn around Office Depot's business and deliver shareholder
value." The full text of the Woodbridge Group's letter appears
below: Dear Fellow Shareholder: As you are aware, the Woodbridge
Group is seeking to elect a slate of two highly-experienced
director candidates to the board of directors of Office Depot, Inc.
at the upcoming annual meeting of shareholders currently scheduled
to be held on April 23, 2008. We are taking this step because we
believe Office Depot has lost its vision and competitive position.
The Company has severely underperformed on key retail metrics, as
well as underperforming its primary competitor. Given Office
Depot's track record, we believe electing our two nominees to the
board is the best way to ensure that Office Depot takes the
immediate and aggressive actions needed to turn around its
business. Our nominees are Mark Begelman, the former President and
Chief Operating Officer of Office Depot, and Martin E. Hanaka, the
former Chief Executive Officer and current non-executive Chairman
Emeritus of The Sports Authority, Inc. In addition, Mr. Hanaka
served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Staples, Inc.
Each has over 35 years of retail experience and exceptional
expertise in the office supply retailing space. We believe they are
uniquely qualified to address the issues Office Depot is currently
facing, as well as to maximize the Company's many existing
value-creation opportunities. Mr. Begelman and Mr. Hanaka are
committed to working with the entire board to redefine Office
Depot's position in the marketplace and increase shareholder value.
We are writing to make you aware of the next steps in the proxy
soliciting process. We will soon be mailing to you our proxy
statement and our GOLD proxy card. These materials will describe
the reasons why you should vote for change at Office Depot,
including the qualifications of the Woodbridge Group's nominees and
their vision as to how to strengthen the powerful Office Depot
brand. Please refrain from voting any proxy sent to you by the
management of Office Depot until you have had the opportunity to
consider our materials. We urge you to read our proxy materials
carefully when you receive them and let your voices be heard by
electing our two nominees to the Office Depot board. We urge you
not to return any WHITE proxy card that you may receive from Office
Depot. Thank you in advance for your consideration. We look forward
to the opportunity to further explain our plans to rebuild Office
Depot. Sincerely, The Woodbridge Group For additional information,
go to http://www.rebuildofficedepot.com/. Woodbridge Equity Fund
LLLP Woodbridge Capital Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Levitt Corporation, is the general partner of, and Levitt
Corporation is the limited partner of, Woodbridge Equity Fund LLLP.
Woodbridge Equity Fund LLLP is a beneficial owner of Office Depot
securities and a participant in the proxy solicitation. Levitt
Corporation Levitt Corporation, directly and through its wholly
owned subsidiaries, historically has been a real estate development
company. Going forward, Levitt Corporation intends to pursue
acquisitions and investments opportunistically within and outside
the real estate industry. Additional Information Levitt Corporation
and Woodbridge Equity Fund LLLP (together, the "Woodbridge Group"),
and Mark Begelman and Martin E. Hanaka (together, the "Nominees"
and, together with the Woodbridge Group, the "Proponents") filed a
preliminary proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 17, 2008, containing information about the
solicitation of proxies for the 2008 Annual Meeting of the
shareholders of Office Depot, Inc. (the "Company"). Investors and
security holders of the Company are urged to read the preliminary
proxy statement (and, when it becomes available, the definitive
proxy statement) because it contains important information.
Detailed information relating to the Proponents and Alan B. Levan,
John E. Abdo and Seth Wise, who may be deemed to be participants in
the solicitation of proxies from Company shareholders (collectively
with the Proponents, the "Participants"), can be found in the
preliminary proxy statement filed by the Proponents. The
preliminary proxy statement and other relevant documents relating
to the solicitation of proxies by the Proponents are available at
no charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov/. In addition,
the Proponents will provide copies of the proxy statement and other
relevant documents without charge upon request. Requests for copies
should be directed to the Proponent's proxy solicitor, Georgeson
Inc. at 1-877-651-8856. Forward-Looking Information Some of the
statements contained herein include forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), that involve
substantial risks and uncertainties. Some of the forward-looking
statements can be identified by the use of words such as
"anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "may," "intend," "expect,"
"will," "should," "seeks" or other similar expressions. Forward-
looking statements are based largely on management's expectations
and involve inherent risks and uncertainties. In addition to the
risks identified below, you should refer to Levitt Corporation's
periodic and current reports filed with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for specific risks
which could cause actual results to be significantly different from
those expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. Any
number of important factors which could cause actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements
include: the costs and disruption to Levitt Corporation's business
arising from the proxy contest and related litigation; the
diversion of management time to issues related to the proxy
contest; and risk factors associated with the business of Levitt
Corporation, as described in Levitt Corporation's periodic reports
filed with the SEC, which may be viewed free of charge on the SEC's
website, http://www.sec.gov/. Contacts: Steve Lipin/Nina Devlin
Brunswick Group 212.333.3810 Investors: Georgeson 877-651-8856
DATASOURCE: Woodbridge Group CONTACT: Steve Lipin, or Nina Devlin,
both of Brunswick Group, +1-212-333-3810; or Investors, Georgeson,
+1-877-651-8856, all for Woodbridge Group Web site:
http://www.rebuildofficedepot.com/
Copyright
Grafico Azioni Lion Electric (NYSE:LEV)
Storico
Da Giu 2024 a Lug 2024
Grafico Azioni Lion Electric (NYSE:LEV)
Storico
Da Lug 2023 a Lug 2024