e425
Filed by Inco Limited
Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
Subject Company: Falconbridge Limited
Commission File No. 1-11284
Inco Limited Commission File No. 1-1143
Inco Exchange
Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains forward-looking
information about Inco and the combined company
after completion of the transactions described
herein that are intended to be covered by the
safe harbor for forward-looking statements
provided by the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements
are statements that are not historical facts.
Words such as expect(s), feel(s),
believe(s), will, may, anticipate(s) and
similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. These statements
include, but are not limited to, financial
projections and estimates and their underlying
assumptions; statements regarding plans,
objectives and expectations with respect to
future operations, products and services;
statements regarding business and financial
prospects; financial multiples; statements
regarding anticipated financial or operating
performance and cash flows; statements regarding
expected synergies and cost savings, including
the timing, from the proposed combination of the
two companies; statements concerning possible
divestitures; and statements regarding
strategies, objectives, goals and targets. Such
statements are subject to certain risks and
uncertainties, many of which are difficult to
predict and are generally beyond the control of
Inco, that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those expressed in, or implied or
projected by, the forward-looking information and
statements. These risks and uncertainties include
those discussed and identified in public filings with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) made by Inco and include, but are not
limited to: the possibility that approvals or
clearances required to be obtained by Inco and
Falconbridge from regulatory and other agencies
and bodies will not be obtained in a timely
manner; the possibility that divestitures
required by regulatory agencies may not be
completed in a timely manner; the possibility
that the anticipated benefits and synergies and
cost savings from the acquisition or related
divestitures cannot be fully realized; the
possibility that the costs or difficulties
related to the integration of Falconbridges
operations with Inco will be greater than
expected; the level of cash payments to
shareholders of Falconbridge who exercise their
statutory dissenters rights in connection with
the expected eventual combination of the two
companies; the possible delay in the completion
of the steps required to complete the eventual
combination of the two companies;
business and economic conditions in the
principal markets for the companies products,
the supply, demand, and prices for metals to be
produced, purchased intermediates and
substitutes and competing products for the
primary metals and other products produced by
the companies, production and other anticipated
and unanticipated costs and expenses and other
risk factors relating to our industry as
detailed from time to time in Falconbridges and
Incos reports filed with the SEC. The
forward-looking statements included in this
document represent Incos views as of the date hereof.
While Inco anticipates that subsequent events
and developments may cause Incos views to
change, Inco specifically disclaims any
obligation to update these forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements
should not be relied upon as representing Incos
views as of any date subsequent to the date
hereof. Readers are also urged to carefully
review and consider the various disclosures in
Incos various SEC filings, including, but not
limited to, Incos Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2004, and Incos
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly
period ended June 30, 2005.
Important Legal Information
This document may be deemed to be
solicitation material in respect of Incos
proposed combination with Falconbridge. Inco
will prepare and file, if required, a
registration statement on Form F-8, containing a
share exchange take-over bid circular to be
delivered to the shareholders of Falconbridge,
and other documents with the SEC. Falconbridge,
if required, will file other documents regarding
the proposed merger with the SEC.
INVESTORS AND SECURITYHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ
THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER
RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED
WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE
THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
Investors and security holders will be able to
receive the registration statement and Incos
other SEC filings free of charge at the SECs
web site, www.sec.gov or from Incos media or
investor relations departments.
You may be wondering ...
Inco has been mentioned as a takeover target
itself. Is this our way of preventing that?
This acquisition stands on its own merits. The new
Inco will be a stronger, larger and more diversified
company with outstanding prospects in Canada and around the
world. Together, we have great projects and great
properties to meet growing demand in nickel and copper, as
well as the financial firepower to bring them on stream.
Additionally, Falconbridge brings very good assets in
aluminum and zinc. Given the metals prices that were
seeing, these operations should provide excellent cash
flow to the new company.
What happens next? Are the two companies now
officially one?
No, not right away. Falconbridge common shareholders
will need to tender shares so that our minimum bid
conditions of obtaining 2/3 of these shares will be met.
Once made, our offer must remain open for Falconbridge
shareholders for at least 60 days. We also require
regulatory clearances from the authorities in Canada, the U.S. and the
European Union. We are optimistic that this will be
accomplished in three months or so.
Who will run the new company?
Scott Hand will be Chairman and CEO of the new Inco
and Derek Pannell will be President. An integration team
will look at a host of things related to the acquisition,
including the new management structure. There are a number
of committed and talented people in both organizations to
lead the success of the new Inco going forward.
Other management team members include Aaron Regent,
Executive Vice-President, Strategy and Corporate
Development; Steve Douglas, Executive Vice-President and
Chief Financial Officer; Peter Goudie, Executive
Vice-President, Marketing; and Ron Aelick, Executive
Vice-President, Integration. Logan Kruger will be
responsible for nickel operations and Peter Kukielski will
be responsible for copper and other metals operations.
Visit The Link for more FAQs.
... for a good part of our shared history, people have been
looking at Inco and Falconbridge and saying: If only those two
could get together. Well, that day has arrived.
Scott Hand, Inco Chairman and CEO
The new company will have a leading presence in the global
mining landscape.
Derek Pannell, CEO, Falconbridge
Well keep you informed ... every step of the way
We know how important it is to keep you informed of our progress. This is a critical time for
all of us and we plan to communicate with you every step of the way. Information will be made
available to you on the companys intranet site, The Link (http://link/). An external website on the acquisition is also available at
www.inco.com/newinco.
If you have questions, we want to hear them. Employees worldwide are invited to send their
questions to: employeequestions@inco.com. In North America, employees may call 1-866-203-5138 and
leave a message. Answers to the most common questions will appear regularly on intranet updates. We
may not always have the answers right away, but well do our best to respond as quickly as
possible.
INCO | exchange SPECIAL EDITION
The New Inco: A Global Powerhouse!
Inco is in the midst of one of the most exciting times in our history. If our offer to acquire
all of the outstanding shares of Falconbridge Limited is completed as planned, we will immediately
become the worlds largest nickel producer and a top copper producer with great opportunities for
growth in both metals.
What does this mean to you as an employee?
Your talent and hard work have helped make Inco the
great company it is today. Now as we set about creating a
Canadian-based powerhouse in the global base metals sector,
well be relying on your expertise and commitment more than
ever.
Combining these two great companies will give us greater
global reach, more financial muscle and even stronger
growth prospects than we had before in nickel and now in
copper as well.
Our core belief has always been that nickel enjoys the best
prospects of any metal. That remains true. But as Scott Hand
has always said, if we could get into other metals that we
know well, we would do it under the right circumstances.
Copper is a natural adjunct to our nickel business we
believe that they are the two most attractive metals.
Coupled with strong assets in aluminum and zinc, this
combination creates tremendous opportunity for the
future.
Inco Chairman and CEO Scott Hand (left) and Derek
Pannell, CEO of Falconbridge, at the downtown Toronto
press conference held October 11, 2005.
What is the effect on jobs?
When one company acquires another, understandably one of the first concerns among employees is
job loss. This acquisition will not affect jobs at most operations.
However, in the short-term, consolidation of our combined support and service groups in Sudbury,
where both companies have operations, will result in minimal job losses. We expect to be able to
handle this through attrition. There will also be some jobs lost in our respective Toronto offices
where some functions overlap. The integration process is still being looked at and is conditional
on the transaction closing. We will keep employees informed as the combined corporate office
staffing requirements become clear.
INCO | exchange SPECIAL EDITION
Two proud histories
The new Inco will build on the strength and proud histories of two leading Canadian mining companies
(Please note all figures are in US dollars)
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Founded in 1902 as the
International Nickel Company |
Ranking: Worlds second largest nickel producer
Important producer of: copper, cobalt, precious metals and
major producer of value-added specialty nickel products
Operations: 11,000 employees in 18 countries
Sales: $2.3 billion (six months ended June 30, 2005)
Net income: $528 million (six months ended June 30, 2005)
Market capitalization: $9 billion (as at Sept. 30, 2005)
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Founded in 1922 (Noranda),
1928 (Falconbridge) |
Ranking: Worlds fourth largest nickel
producer, eighth largest copper producer
and third largest zinc producer.
Integrated aluminum and zinc operations
Operations: 14,500 employees in 18 countries
Sales: $4.1 billion (six months ended June 30, 2005)
Net income: $378 million (six months ended June 30, 2005)
Market capitalization: $10 billion (as at Sept. 30, 2005)
A snapshot of the new Inco (Pro forma)
Operations:
25,500 employees in 28 countries
Ranking:
Worlds largest producer of nickel, 8th largest
producer of copper, 3rd largest producer of zinc, and a
leading cobalt producer
Revenues:
$6.4 billion (six months ended June 30, 2005)
Production:
It is estimated that the new company will produce
735 million pounds of nickel in 2005 and 1,330 million
pounds of copper in 2005
The synergy factor
Syn·er·gy (definition): Co-operative
interaction among groups that creates an enhanced
combined effect.
How will we capitalize on synergies?
In the near-term, we estimate that merging our
Sudbury operations and administrative functions will save
us at least $350 million a year by the end of 2007. This
will also help us maximize processing capacity. Well be
able to more effectively match assets to processes and
feeds across the operations to significantly improve our
performance.
An example of how this synergy can work for us:
Right now, high-copper content ore from Incos
McCreedy East Mine in Levack travels many miles to Incos
mill in Sudbury. Nickel ore from Falconbridges
Thayer-Lindsley
Mine in Sudbury travels the same lengthy route in reverse
to the Falconbridge mill in Levack. By swapping the mill
feeds, we will save on freight costs, reduce feed
variability and improve mill recoveries. Work is also
underway to reconfigure Incos Sudbury mill circuit to
produce a separate copper concentrate that would feed the
Kidd Creek smelter in Timmins. This will reduce freight
charges and working capital associated with Kidds current
South American feed. At the same time, diverting a portion
of the copper stream will make more room for nickel in
Incos Sudbury smelter. This will mean higher mine
production and faster new mine development.
You told ... Scott Hand
Employees respond to Scott Hands announcement on October 11, 2005
Thank you Scott, for keeping me up to speed on
this issue. I am proud to be part of the new Inco
and excited about our future in mining.
Bill SanCartier, reconditioner, Creighton Mine, Sudbury
Awesome deal. Congratulations.
Dan Labine, environmental/decommissioning
co-ordinator, Stobie, Garson and Whistle Mines
This is indeed exciting news and its always nice to
be associated with the big players.
Raymond Rutherford, superintendent, warehousing, PT Inco
Tell us what you think at:
employeequestions@inco.com
INCO | exchange SPECIAL EDITION
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OPERATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
The new Inco will be more geographically diverse with operations, projects and
offices in 28 countries and a marketing network that extends to over 40. The new
company will become the worlds leading nickel producer, eighth largest copper
producer, third largest zinc producer, a leading cobalt producer, and will have 10
per cent of the United States aluminum market. The new company will also possess an
enviable portfolio of growth projects and will be a Canadian-based, global mining
leader.
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OPERATIONS
NICKEL
North America
Montcalm mine Timmins, Ontario
Novamet Specialty Products Corp. Wyckoff, New Jersey
Raglan mine Nunavik Territory, Quebec
Sudbury mines and processing facilities Sudbury, Ontario
Thompson mines and processing facilities
Thompson, Manitoba
Caribbean
Falcondo mine and processing plant
Bonao, Dominican Republic
Europe
Clydach refinery Swansea, Wales
Asia
Inco Advanced Technology Materials Co., Ltd.
Dalian, China and Shenyang, China
Inco TNC Limited Matsuzaka (Tokyo), Japan
Jinco Nonferrous Metals Co. Ltd. Kunshan, China
Korea Nickel Corporation Onsan, South Korea
Taiwan Nickel Refining Corporation Kaohsiung, Taiwan
PT Inco mine and processing facility Sorowako, Indonesia
COPPER
North America
CCR refinery Montreal, Quebec
Horne smelter Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec
Kidd Creek mine and smelter Timmins, Ontario
South America
Altonorte smelter La Negra, Region II, Chile
Antamina mine Department of Ancash, Peru
Collahuasi mine Region I, Chile
Lomas Bayas mine Region II, Chile
ZINC
North America
Brunswick mine Bathurst, New Brunswick
Brunswick smelter Belledune, New Brunswick
CEZ refinery Valleyfield, Quebec
General Smelting Lachine, Quebec
Kidd Creek smelter and refinery Timmins, Ontario
COBALT
North America
Port Colborne refinery Port Colborne, Ontario
ALUMINUM
North America
GramercyAlumina refinery Gramercy, Louisiana
Primary Aluminum smelter New Madrid, Missouri
Rolling mills Huntingdon,Tennessee; Newport, Arkansas;
Salisbury, North Carolina
Caribbean
St.Ann Bauxite mine Discovery Bay, Jamaica
OTHER
North America
Noranda Recycling Brampton, Ontario; East Providence,
Rhode Island; La Vergne,Tennessee; Roseville, California;
San Jose, California
NorFalco LLC (sulphuric acid) Independence, Ohio;
Mississauga, Ontario
The International Metals Reclamation Company, Inc.
Ellwood City, Pennsylvania
Europe
Acton refinery (platinum-group metals) London, England
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
NICKEL
Goro Nickel S.A. mine and processing facility
South Province, New Caledonia
Kabanga Tanzania
Koniambo North Province, New Caledonia
Nickel Rim South Sudbury, Ontario
PT Inco expansion Sorowako, Indonesia
Voiseys Bay Nickel Company Limited mine,
concentrator and demonstration plant
St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador
COPPER
Frieda River Papua, New Guinea
El Morro Region III, Chile
El Pachón Argentina
West Wall Region IV, Chile
ZINC
Lady Loretta Queensland, Australia
Lennard Shelf Western Australia, Australia
Perseverance Matagami, Quebec
INCO |
exchange SPECIAL EDITION