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Rayonier to acquire Pope Resources for $554M

Florida-based Rayonier Inc. and Pope Resources based in Washington announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Rayonier will acquire all of the outstanding limited partnership units of Pope Resources for consideration consisting of equity and cash.

Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies as well as the special committee of Pope Resources’ board composed solely of independent directors, Pope Resources unitholders will have the right to elect to receive (i) 3.929 common shares of Rayonier, (ii) 3.929 units of Rayonier Operating Partnership LP, or (iii) $125 in cash in exchange for each unit of Pope Resources, subject to a proration mechanism as described below. Based on Rayonier’s 10-day volume-weighted average price, the transaction values Pope Resources’ limited partnership equity at USD $554 million, or $126.91 per unit (assuming 70 per cent of the Pope Resources units are exchanged for equity consideration and 30 per cent are exchanged for cash consideration).

Following the closing of the transaction, Rayonier Operating Partnership LP (n/k/a Rayonier Operating Company LLC) will own all of the assets of Rayonier and Pope Resources and will be the operating partnership of Rayonier’s umbrella partnership real estate investment trust (UPREIT). The units of Rayonier Operating Partnership LP can be converted into cash based on the market price of Rayonier common shares or, at Rayonier’s option, exchanged for Rayonier common shares on a 1:1 basis, following a 60-day notice period. Pope Resources unitholders that elect to receive Rayonier Operating Partnership LP units will generally defer any capital gain recognition on their Pope Resources units until they exchange those units for cash or Rayonier common shares.

“We are delighted to be combining two premier pure-play timber organizations using an innovative tax-deferred UPREIT structure,” said David Nunes, president and CEO of Rayonier. “Pope Resources has a strong track record as a best-in-class Pacific Northwest timberland operator and possesses an excellent set of assets in high-quality markets. Our two organizations have very compatible cultures, a complementary set of assets and a shared dedication to value maximization through intensive silvicultural practices and higher-and-better-use real estate operations. The addition of these high-quality Pacific Northwest timberlands increases Rayonier’s ownership in the region to 504,000 acres, adds 57 MMBF to our sustainable yield, increases our proportion of Douglas-fir inventory and offers a complementary age-class fit. We look forward to completing this transaction by mid-year, which continues our strategy of adding high-quality timberlands in strong log markets and building long-term value for our shareholders through prudent capital allocation.”

“This transaction is the culmination of a thorough process undertaken by Pope Resources’ board to maximize value for our unitholders,” said Tom Ringo, president and CEO of Pope Resources. “Rayonier is the leading pure-play timberland REIT, with a well-diversified portfolio of timberlands and an established track record of creating long-term value from its assets. This transaction will provide our unitholders with the opportunity to defer capital gain recognition and participate in Rayonier’s long-term upside potential, benefitting from a well-managed and diversified timberland portfolio while still enjoying a strong dividend yield. Like Pope Resources, Rayonier has a rich heritage of sustainably managing timberlands, and we look forward to working closely with them to realize the benefits of this combination on behalf of our unitholders.”

Transaction highlights

Complementary timberland portfolios

The combination will allow Rayonier to meaningfully enhance the scale, diversity and cash flow potential of its Pacific Northwest timberland portfolio, while allowing Pope Resources unitholders to participate in the long-term upside of a more diverse timberland and real estate portfolio. The addition of Pope Resources’ 125,000 acres(1) will increase Rayonier’s Pacific Northwest sustainable yield by 32% and will increase its proportion of Douglas-fir merchantable inventory from 60% to 68%. The combined organization will benefit from sharing best-in-class silvicultural practices and optimizing log merchandising and logistics, and further expects to realize operational efficiencies and cost savings from integrating systems and personnel.

High-value HBU and real estate development projects

Pope Resources’ land portfolio includes several high-potential HBU and real estate development opportunities, including projects in Gig Harbor, Port Gamble, Kingston and Bainbridge Island in the west Puget Sound area. These projects, as well as significant conservation and rural land sale opportunities within the Pope Resources portfolio, will significantly enhance Rayonier’s pipeline of value-added HBU opportunities.

Attractive private equity timber fund business

Pope Resources operates a private equity timber fund business with three funds and total assets under management of $545 million, consisting of 141,000 acres of timberland located in the Pacific Northwest. The timber fund business has historically provided Pope Resources with enhanced operational scale, access to institutional capital for growth and incremental cash flow from asset management fees. Based on its weighted average co-investment of 12%, Pope Resources’ proportionate ownership in these funds represents an additional 17,000 acres with a pro-rata appraised value of $65 million (or $59 million, net of fund debt).

Accretive to cash flow

Rayonier expects that the transaction will increase annual Adjusted EBITDA and CAD by approximately $38 million and $25 million, respectively, over the next five years. These anticipated increases are driven, in part, by estimated annual cost synergies of approximately $5 million, reflecting a reduction of overhead costs and the elimination of redundant public company costs.
Prudent Capital Structure. By limiting cash consideration to approximately 30 per cent of the total limited partnership units of Pope Resources, Rayonier will be able to maintain conservative credit metrics consistent with its long-term targets. Rayonier remains committed to maintaining its investment grade credit rating.