ZHEJIANG, China, Nov. 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SORL Auto Parts, Inc. (SORL) (“SORL” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of automotive brake systems as well as other key safety-related auto parts in China, today announced that it has entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Ruili International Inc. (“Parent”), a Delaware corporation and formed on behalf of a consortium consisting of Mr. Xiao Ping Zhang, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Shu Ping Chi and Mr. Xiao Feng Zhang, directors of the Company, and Ruili Group Co., Ltd. (collectively, the “Consortium”), and Ruili International Merger Sub Inc. (“Merger Sub”), a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent.

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all of the conditions to closing:

· Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company will thereafter continue as the surviving corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (the “Merger”); and

· at the effective time of the Merger, each share of common stock of the Company issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time will be automatically canceled and converted into the right to receive US$4.72 in cash (the “Merger Consideration”), without interest, except for (i) shares of common stock beneficially owned by members of the Consortium or their affiliates, which will be cancelled for no consideration, and (ii) shares of common stock owned by stockholders who have validly exercised and not effectively withdrawn or lost their rights to dissent from the Merger pursuant to Section 262 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which will be cancelled at the effective time of the Merger for the right to receive the fair value of such shares determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 262 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

The Merger Consideration of US$4.72 per share of common stock represents approximately a 26.2% premium over the closing price of the Company’s common stock as quoted by NASDAQ Global Select Market (the “NASDAQ”) on April 24, 2019, the last trading day prior to the date that the Company received a non-binding “going private” proposal from the Consortium. The Merger Consideration also represents an increase of approximately 10.8% over the US$4.26 per share initially offered by members of the Consortium in their initial “going-private” proposal on April 25, 2019 and a premium of approximately 39.2% over the Company’s closing price of US$3.39 per share of common stock on November 27, 2019, the last trading day prior to this announcement.

As of the date of the Merger Agreement, the members of the Consortium other than Ruili Group Co., Ltd., beneficially own in the aggregate approximately 58.83% of the total outstanding common stock of the Company and have agreed to vote the shares of common stock beneficially owned by them in favor of the Merger.

The Board of Directors of SORL, acting on the recommendation of a special committee of independent and disinterested directors (the “Special Committee”), unanimously approved the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the Merger, and resolved to recommend that the Company’s stockholders vote to authorize and approve the Merger Agreement and the and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the Merger. The Special Committee, which is composed solely of independent directors of the Company who are unaffiliated with any member of the Consortium or management of the Company, exclusively negotiated the terms of the Merger Agreement with the Consortium with the assistance of its independent financial and legal advisors.

The Merger, which is currently expected to close during the second quarter of 2020, is subject to various closing conditions, including the adoption of the Merger Agreement by the Company’s stockholders. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, adoption of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the Merger, by the Company’s stockholders requires the affirmative vote of (i) the holders of at least a majority of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock and (ii) the holders of at least a majority of the Company outstanding shares of common stock other than the shares of common stock held by members of the Consortium. The Company will call a meeting of stockholders for the purpose of voting on the adoption of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement as soon as practicable. If completed, the Merger will, under laws of the State of Delaware, result in the Company becoming a privately-held company and the Company Common Stock would no longer be listed on the NASDAQ.

Duff & Phelps, LLC is serving as financial advisor to the Special Committee, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is serving as legal advisor to the Special Committee. Locke Lord LLP is serving as legal advisor to the Company.

O'Melveny & Myers LLP is serving as legal advisor to the Consortium.

Additional Information about the Transactions

The Company will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a report on Form 8-K regarding the proposed transactions described in this announcement, which will include as an exhibit thereto the Merger Agreement and ancillary transaction documents. All parties desiring details regarding the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the Merger, are urged to review these documents, which will be available at the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov).