Jos A Bank to acquire leading lifestyle brand Eddie Bauer

Issuer Tender Offer: The Company also announced that it will promptly commence an issuer tender offer to acquire up to 4.6 million of its common shares, or 16.4% of its outstanding shares, at a price of $65 per share, or an aggregate of up to $300 million. The issuer tender offer is conditioned on, and would close promptly following completion of, the Eddie Bauer acquisition.

Terms of Acquisition: The purchase price for Eddie Bauer consists of a combination of $564 million in cash and approximately 4.7 million new shares of common stock of Jos. A. Bank, issued to Everest Topco at $56 per share, a premium to the pre-announcement share price. The final share count is subject to adjustment based on the number of shares tendered in the issuer tender offer. Everest Topco will also have the right to earn up to an additional $50 million in cash based on Eddie Bauer's EBITDA for fiscal 2014. The purchase price represents a multiple of approximately 1x 2013E revenue and 9.5x 2013E Adjusted EBITDA, including $25 million of potential pro forma synergies.

Under the terms of the Agreement, Jos. A. Bank will have the right to terminate its agreement to acquire Eddie Bauer in the event an unsolicited offer is made to acquire Jos. A. Bank that the Company's Board determines would reasonably be expected to create greater value for Jos. A. Bank's shareholders than the Eddie Bauer transaction and issuer tender offer.

Following the closing of the Eddie Bauer acquisition and issuer tender offer, Everest Topco will own approximately 16.6% of the Company's outstanding shares and will have the right to designate two directors on the Company's Board of Directors.

Eddie Bauer Has Long Been of Interest to Jos. A. Bank: As the Company has publicly stated, Jos. A. Bank has been engaged in an intensive process over the last two years to identify and review high potential acquisition candidates that would enable the Company to leverage its core competencies and deliver immediate and long-term value to its shareholders. Eddie Bauer was one of the first acquisition candidates considered by Jos. A. Bank. 

The Company contacted Golden Gate on several occasions to discuss a possible acquisition of Eddie Bauer, first in early 2012, a number of times thereafter and again several months before making its offer for Men's Wearhouse in September 2013. Until recently, Golden Gate was not prepared to consider a transaction involving Eddie Bauer. However, given Eddie Bauer's accelerated momentum and the strategic merits of this transaction, the Company was able to reach an agreement with Golden Gate and is very pleased to be announcing this acquisition today.

JoS. A. Bank Clothiers