As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 6, 2024.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
TrueBlue, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Washington | 91-1287341 | |||||||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) | |||||||
1015 A Street
Tacoma, Washington 98402
(253) 383-9101
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Garrett R. Ferencz
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer
TrueBlue, Inc.
1015 A Street
Tacoma, Washington 98402
(253) 383-9101
(name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Andrew Moore
Allison Handy
Erin Gordon
Perkins Coie LLP
1201 3rd Avenue , Suite 4900
Seattle, Washington 98101
Telephone: (206) 359-8000
APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ¨
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. x
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective on filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ¨ | Accelerated filer | x | |||||||||||
| Non-accelerated filer | ¨ | Smaller reporting company | ¨ | |||||||||||
| Emerging growth company | ¨ | |||||||||||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. ¨
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission declares our registration statement effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any state or jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MAY [6], 2024
PROSPECTUS
TrueBlue, Inc.
$200,000,000
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
We may offer and sell the securities identified above from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities.
Each time we offer and sell securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the amounts, prices and terms of the securities. The supplement may also add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement before you invest in any of our securities.
We may offer and sell the securities described in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods. If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. See the sections of this prospectus entitled “About this Prospectus” and “Plan of Distribution” for more information. No securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES RISKS. SEE THE “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 4 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AND ANY SIMILAR SECTION CONTAINED IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT CONCERNING FACTORS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES.
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TBI.” On May 3, 2024, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $10.57 per share.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is May 6, 2024.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. By using a shelf registration statement, we may offer and sell securities from time to time and in one or more offerings as described in this prospectus. Each time that we offer and sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and sold and the specific terms of that offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may also add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, you should rely on the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, as applicable. Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement (and any applicable free writing prospectuses), together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information; Incorporation by Reference.”
We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectuses prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We will not make an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement to this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on its respective cover, that the information appearing in any applicable free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date of that free writing prospectus, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. This prospectus incorporates by reference, and any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may contain and incorporate by reference, market data and industry statistics and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications and other publicly available information. Although we believe these sources are reliable, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information, and we have not independently verified this information. In addition, the market and industry data and forecasts that may be included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any applicable free writing prospectus may involve estimates, assumptions and other risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on this information.
When we refer to “TrueBlue,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” in this prospectus, we mean TrueBlue, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we mean the potential holders of the applicable series of securities.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements made in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and in the reports and documents incorporated herein by reference other than purely historical information, including estimates, projections, statements relating to our business plans, objectives and expected operating results, and the assumptions upon which those statements are based, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and future events and circumstances could differ significantly from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Actual events or results may differ materially. Although it is not possible to identify all factors, these risks and uncertainties include the risk factors and the timing of any of those risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and in our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the thirteen weeks ended March 31, 2024 and those set forth from time to time in our filings with the SEC. These documents are available through our website at www.trueblue.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. We undertake no duty to update or revise publicly any of the forward-looking statements after the date they are made to conform such statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
Available Information
We file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Information filed with the SEC by us can be inspected and copied from a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information about issuers, such as us, who file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is http://www.sec.gov.
Our website address is www.trueblue.com. The information on our website, however, is not, and should not be deemed to be, a part of this prospectus. Our filings with the SEC are also available free of charge on our website.
This prospectus and any prospectus supplement are part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us, as provided below. Forms of the indenture and other documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are or may be filed as exhibits to the registration statement or documents incorporated by reference in the registration statement. Statements in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement about these documents are summaries, and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement through the SEC’s website, as provided above.
Incorporation by Reference
The SEC’s rules allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, and subsequent information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that information. Any statement contained in this prospectus or a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or a subsequently filed document incorporated by reference modifies or replaces that statement.
This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement incorporate by reference the documents set forth below that have previously been filed with the SEC:
•our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023;
•our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024;
•our current report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on February 12, 2024;
•the information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K from our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 4, 2024, and
•the description of our common stock contained in the registration statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on October 7, 1998, as updated by the description of our common stock contained in Exhibit 4.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and as subsequently amended or updated.
All reports and other documents we subsequently file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the termination of this offering but excluding any information furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC, will also be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and deemed to be part of this prospectus from the date of the filing of such reports and documents.
You may request a free copy of any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus by writing or telephoning us at the following address:
TrueBlue, Inc.
Attention: Garrett R. Ferencz
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer
1015 A Street
Tacoma, Washington 98402
(253) 383-9101
Exhibits to the filings will not be sent, however, unless those exhibits have specifically been incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.
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THE COMPANY
TrueBlue, Inc. is a leading provider of specialized workforce solutions that help our clients improve productivity and grow their businesses. We began operations in 1989 and are headquartered in Tacoma, Washington.
In 2023, we served approximately 67,000 clients and connected approximately 464,000 people with work. Our PeopleReady segment offers on-demand, industrial staffing, PeopleScout offers recruitment process outsourcing and managed service provider solutions, and PeopleManagement offers contingent, on-site industrial staffing and commercial driver services.
We filed our original articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State of Washington on May 18, 1985. On November 28, 2007, we changed our name to TrueBlue, Inc.
Our principal executive offices are located at 1015 A Street, Tacoma, Washington 98402, and our telephone number is (253) 383-9101.
RISK FACTORS
Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated by reference to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K we file after the date of this prospectus, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and the risk factors and other information contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus before acquiring any of such securities. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.
USE OF PROCEEDS
Unless specified otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, we expect to use the net proceeds we receive from the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, acquisitions, working capital, capital expenditures, repayment of debt and repurchases and redemptions of securities. We will retain broad discretion over the allocation of net proceeds from the sale of any securities by us.
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following description of our capital stock is intended as a summary only. This description is based upon, and is qualified by reference to, our amended and restated articles of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws, and the applicable provisions of the Washington Business Corporation Act, or the WBCA. This summary is not complete. You should read our amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, each of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, for the provisions that are important to you.
We are a Washington corporation. Your rights as a shareholder are governed by the Washington Business Corporation Act, or the WBCA, and our amended and restated articles of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws. The following summary of some of the material terms, rights, and preferences of our capital stock is not complete. You should read our amended and restated articles of incorporation, or articles of incorporation, and our amended and restated bylaws, or bylaws, for more complete information. In addition, you should be aware that the summary below does not give full effect to the terms of the provisions of statutory or common law which may affect your rights as a shareholder.
Pursuant to our articles of incorporation, we have the authority to issue an aggregate of 120,000,000 shares of capital stock, consisting of 100,000,000 shares of common stock, no par value per share, and 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, issuable in series, at a par value per share determined by the board of directors at the time of authorization of such series of preferred stock. As of April 28, 2024, we had 30,569,641 shares of common stock outstanding and no shares of preferred stock outstanding. We do not currently have in effect a shareholder rights plan.
Common Stock
Common shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to them. The common stock does not have cumulative voting rights, meaning that the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock voting for the election of directors can elect all the directors if they choose to do so.
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Each share of common stock is entitled to participate equally in dividends as and when declared by our board of directors. The payment of dividends on our common stock may be limited by obligations we may have to holders of any preferred stock, as well as under various agreements to which we are a party.
If we liquidate or dissolve our business, the holders of common stock will share ratably in the distribution of assets available for distribution to shareholders after creditors are paid and preferred shareholders receive their distributions. The shares of common stock have no preemptive rights and are not convertible, redeemable, or assessable, or entitled to the benefits of any sinking fund.
All issued and outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and nonassessable. Any shares of common stock we offer under this prospectus will be fully paid and nonassessable.
The common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trades under the symbol “TBI.”
Preferred Stock
Our board of directors can, without action by shareholders, issue one or more series of preferred stock. The board of directors can determine for each series the number of shares, designation, relative voting rights, dividend rates, liquidation and other rights, preferences and limitations. In some cases, the issuance of preferred stock could delay or discourage a change in control of us.
We have summarized material provisions of the preferred stock in this section. This summary is not complete. We will file the form of the preferred stock with the SEC before we issue any of it, and you should read it for provisions that may be important to you.
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement a description of any preferred stock issued by us that may be offered and sold pursuant to this prospectus.
Any shares of preferred stock we issue will be fully paid and nonassessable.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The Transfer Agent and Registrar for our common stock is Computershare, Inc., 150 Royall St., Canton, Massachusetts 02021. Its phone number is (800) 962-4284.
Dividend
No cash dividends have been declared on our common stock to date nor have any decisions been made to pay a dividend in the future. Payment of dividends is evaluated on a periodic basis, and if a dividend were paid, it would be subject to the covenants contained in the credit agreement governing our revolving credit facility, which may have the effect of restricting our ability to pay dividends.
Washington Takeover Statute
Washington law imposes restrictions on certain transactions between a corporation and certain significant shareholders. Chapter 23B.19 of the WBCA generally prohibits a “target corporation” from engaging in certain "significant business transactions" with an “acquiring person,” which is defined as a person or group of persons that beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting securities of the target corporation, for a period of five years after the date the acquiring person first became a 10% beneficial owner of the voting securities of the target corporation, unless (1) the business transaction or the acquisition of shares is approved by a majority of the members of the target corporation’s board of directors prior to the time the acquiring person first became a 10% beneficial owner of the target corporation’s voting securities or (2) the business transaction was approved by a majority of the members of the target corporation's board of directors and approved at a shareholder meeting by at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting shares of the target corporation (excluding the acquiring person's shares or shares over which the acquiring person has voting control) at or subsequent to the acquiring person's share acquisition, subject to certain exceptions. Such prohibited transactions include, among other things:
•a merger, share exchange or consolidation with, disposition of assets to, or issuance, transfer or redemption of stock to or from, the acquiring person;
•termination of 5% or more of the employees of the target corporation or its subsidiaries employed in Washington as a result of the acquiring person’s acquisition of 10% or more of the shares; or
•receipt by the acquiring person of any disproportionate benefit as a shareholder.
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In some circumstances, such a business transaction may need to comply with “fair price” provisions specified in the statute. After the five-year period, a “significant business transaction” may occur if it complies with “fair price” provisions specified in the statute. A corporation may not “opt out” of this statute. We expect the existence of this provision to have an antitakeover effect with respect to transactions that our board of directors does not approve in advance and may discourage takeover attempts that might result in the payment of a premium over the market price for common stock held by shareholders or otherwise might benefit shareholders.
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the supplement to what extent the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities.
We may issue debt securities either separately, or together with, or upon the conversion or exercise of or in exchange for, other securities described in this prospectus. Debt securities may be our senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and may be issued in one or more series.
The debt securities will be issued under an indenture that we will enter into with the trustee named in the indenture. The indenture will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or the TIA. We have summarized select portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. In the summary below, we have included references to the section numbers of the indenture so that you can easily locate these provisions. Capitalized terms used in the summary and not defined herein have the meanings specified in the indenture.
As used in this section only, “TrueBlue,” “we,” “our” or “us” refer to TrueBlue, Inc. excluding our subsidiaries, unless expressly stated or the context otherwise requires.
General
The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a resolution of our board of directors, in an officer’s certificate or by a supplemental indenture. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series (including any pricing supplement or term sheet).
We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. We will set forth in a prospectus supplement (including any pricing supplement or term sheet) relating to any series of debt securities being offered, the aggregate principal amount and the following terms of the debt securities, if applicable:
•the title and ranking of the debt securities (including the terms of any subordination provisions);
•the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount) at which we will sell the debt securities;
•any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities;
•the date or dates on which the principal of the securities of the series is payable;
•the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or the method used to determine the rate or rates (including any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the debt securities will bear interest, the date or dates from which interest will accrue, the date or dates on which interest will commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;
•the place or places where principal of, and interest, if any, on the debt securities will be payable (and the method of such payment), where the securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where notices and demands to us in respect of the debt securities may be delivered;
•the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities;
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•any obligation we have to redeem or purchase the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a holder of debt securities and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
•the dates on which and the price or prices at which we will repurchase debt securities at the option of the holders of debt securities and other detailed terms and provisions of these repurchase obligations;
•the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;
•whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities;
•the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the principal amount;
•the currency of denomination of the debt securities, which may be U.S. Dollars or any foreign currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;
•the designation of the currency, currencies, or currency units in which payment of principal of, premium and interest on the debt securities will be made;
•if payments of principal of, premium or interest on the debt securities will be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to these payments will be determined;
•the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the debt securities will be determined, if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index, or financial index;
•any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities;
•any addition to, deletion of, or change in the Events of Default described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities and any change in the acceleration provisions described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;
•any addition to, deletion of, or change in the covenants described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;
•any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents, or other agents with respect to the debt securities;
•the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of such series, into or for common stock or other securities, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price and period, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange;
•any other terms of the debt securities, which may supplement, modify, or delete any provision of the indenture as it applies to that series, including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the securities; and
•whether any of our direct or indirect subsidiaries will guarantee the debt securities of that series, including the terms of subordination, if any, of such guarantees.
We may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.
If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of and any premium and interest on any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax
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considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Transfer and Exchange
Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, or the Depositary, or a nominee of the Depositary (we will refer to any debt security represented by a global debt security as a “book-entry debt security”), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificated security as a “certificated debt security”) as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth under the heading “Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System” below, book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.
Certificated Debt Securities. You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange.
You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.
Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System. Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary, and registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary. Please see “Global Securities.”
Covenants
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to any issue of debt securities.
No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control
Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions which may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.
Consolidation, Merger, and Sale of Assets
We may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer, or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to any person, or a successor person, unless:
•we are the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than TrueBlue) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes our obligations on the debt securities and under the indenture pursuant to a supplemental indenture; and
•immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing.
Notwithstanding the above, any of our subsidiaries may consolidate with, merge into, or transfer all or part of its properties to us.
Events of Default
“Event of Default” means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:
•default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of the payment is deposited by us with the trustee or with a Paying Agent prior to 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the 30th day of such period);
•default in the payment of principal of any security of that series at its maturity;
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•default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty by us in the indenture (other than a default pursuant to either of the two bullet points above or a covenant or warranty that has been included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than that series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after we receive written notice from the trustee or TrueBlue and the trustee receive written notice from the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series as provided in the indenture;
•certain voluntary or involuntary events of bankruptcy, insolvency, or reorganization of TrueBlue;
•any other Event of Default provided with respect to debt securities of that series that is described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
No Event of Default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities. The occurrence of certain Events of Default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain indebtedness of ours or our subsidiaries outstanding from time to time.
We will provide the trustee written notice of any Default or Event of Default within 30 days of becoming aware of the occurrence of such Default or Event of Default, which notice will describe in reasonable detail the status of such Default or Event of Default and what action we are taking or propose to take in respect thereof.
If an Event of Default with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of Default related to certain voluntary or involuntary events of bankruptcy, insolvency, or reorganization of TrueBlue), then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. In the case of an Event of Default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an Event of Default.
The indenture provides that the trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, liability or expense which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power. Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method, and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series.
No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:
•that holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to debt securities of that series; and
•the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, and offered indemnity or security satisfactory to the trustee, to the trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee, and the trustee has not received from the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with that request, and has failed to institute the proceeding, within 60 days.
Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium and any interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment.
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The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture. If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the securities of any series and if it is known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall mail to each securityholder of the securities of that series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a responsible officer of the trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any Default or Event of Default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities.
Modification and Waiver
We and the trustee may modify, amend, or supplement the indenture or the debt securities of any series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:
•to cure any ambiguity, defect, or inconsistency;
•to comply with covenants in the indenture described above under the heading “Consolidation, Merger, and Sale of Assets”;
•to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to or in place of certificated securities;
•to add guarantees with respect to debt securities of any series or secure debt securities of any series;
•to surrender any of our rights or powers under the indenture;
•to add covenants or events of default for the benefit of the holders of debt securities of any series;
•to comply with the applicable procedures of the applicable depositary;
•to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of debt securities;
•to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of debt securities of any series as permitted by the indenture;
•to effect the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the debt securities of any series and to add to or change any of the provisions of the indenture to provide for or facilitate administration by more than one trustee; or
•to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the indenture under the TIA.
We may also modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments. We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will:
•reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement, or waiver;
•reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any debt security;
•reduce the principal of or premium on or change the fixed maturity of any debt security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation with respect to any series of debt securities;
•reduce the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity;
•waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any debt security (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities of any series by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
•make the principal of or interest, if any, on any debt security payable in currency other than that stated in the debt security;
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•make any change to certain provisions of the indenture relating to, among other things, the right of holders of debt securities to receive payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on those debt securities and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and to waivers or amendments; or
•waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security.
Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may, on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series, waive our compliance with provisions of the indenture. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all the debt securities of such series waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, or any interest on any debt security of that series; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration.
Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances
Legal Defeasance. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the irrevocable deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money or U.S. government obligations in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.
This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance, and discharge had not occurred.
Defeasance of Certain Covenants. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:
•we may omit to comply with the covenant described under the heading “Consolidation, Merger, and Sale of Assets” and certain other covenants set forth in the indenture, as well as any additional covenants which may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement; and
•any omission to comply with those covenants will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default with respect to the debt securities of that series, or “covenant defeasance”.
The conditions include:
•depositing with the trustee money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities; and
•delivering to the trustee an officer's certificate and an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain, or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and related covenant defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit and related covenant defeasance had not occurred.
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No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees, or Stockholders
None of our past, present or future directors, officers, employees, or stockholders, as such, will have any liability for any of our obligations under the debt securities or the indenture or for any claim based on, or in respect or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting a debt security, each holder waives and releases all such liability. This waiver and release is part of the consideration for the issue of the debt securities. However, this waiver and release may not be effective to waive liabilities under U.S. federal securities laws, and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities, including any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the indenture or the securities, will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
The indenture will provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the indenture, the debt securities, or the transactions contemplated thereby.
The indenture will provide that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the indenture or the transactions contemplated thereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the U.S. located in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the City of New York, and we, the trustee and the holder of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. The indenture will further provide that service of any process, summons, notice, or document by mail (to the extent allowed under any applicable statute or rule of court) to such party’s address set forth in the indenture will be effective service of process for any suit, action, or other proceeding brought in any such court. The indenture will further provide that we, the trustee, and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action. or other proceeding in the courts specified above and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim any such suit, action, or other proceeding has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS
We may issue warrants to purchase debt securities, common stock or preferred stock. We may issue warrants independently or together with any other securities we offer under a prospectus supplement. Warrants sold with other securities may be attached to or separate from the other securities. We will issue warrants under one or more warrant agreements between us and a warrant agent that we will name in the prospectus supplement.
We have summarized material provisions of the warrants and the warrant agreements below. This summary is not complete. We will file the form of any warrant agreement with the SEC, and you should read the warrant agreement for provisions that may be important to you.
The prospectus supplement relating to any warrants we are offering will include specific terms relating to the offering. These terms will include some or all of the following:
•the title of the warrants;
•the aggregate number of warrants offered;
•the designation, number and terms of the debt securities, common stock or preferred stock purchasable upon exercise of the warrants, and procedures by which those numbers may be adjusted;
•the exercise price of the warrants;
•the dates or periods during which the warrants are exercisable;
•the designation and terms of any securities with which the warrants are issued;
•if the warrants are issued as a unit with another security, the date on and after which the warrants and the other security will be separately transferable;
•if the exercise price is not payable in U.S. dollars, the foreign currency, currency unit or composite currency in which the exercise price is denominated;
•any minimum or maximum amount of warrants that may be exercised at any one time; and
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•any terms, procedures and limitations relating to the transferability, exchange or exercise of the warrants.
Warrant certificates will be exchangeable for new warrant certificates of different denominations at the office indicated in the prospectus supplement.
Exercise of Warrants
Holders may exercise warrants as described in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants being offered. Each warrant will entitle the holder of the warrant to purchase for cash at the exercise price provided in the applicable prospectus supplement the principal amount of debt securities or shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock being offered. Upon receipt of payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as practicable, forward the debt securities, shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants. If less than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate are exercised, we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining warrants.
Holders may exercise warrants at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants are void.
Prior to the exercise of their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities subject to the warrants.
Modifications
We may amend the warrant agreements and the warrants without the consent of the holders of the warrants to cure any ambiguity, to cure, correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provision, or in any other manner that will not materially and adversely affect the interests of holders of outstanding warrants.
We may also modify or amend certain other terms of the warrant agreements and the warrants with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in number of the then outstanding unexercised warrants affected. Without the consent of the holders affected, however, no modification or amendment may:
•shorten the period of time during which the warrants may be exercised; or
•otherwise materially and adversely affect the exercise rights of the holders of the warrants.
Enforceability of Rights
The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligations or relationship of agency or trust for or with any warrant holder. The warrant agent will not have any duty or responsibility if we default under the warrant agreements or the warrant certificates. A warrant holder may, without the consent of the warrant agent, enforce by appropriate legal action on its own behalf the holder’s right to exercise the holder’s warrants.
GLOBAL SECURITIES
Book-Entry, Delivery, and Form
Unless we indicate differently in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, the securities initially will be issued in book-entry form and represented by one or more global notes or global securities, or, collectively, global securities. The global securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, as depositary, or DTC, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of DTC. Unless and until it is exchanged for individual certificates evidencing securities under the limited circumstances described below, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.
DTC has advised us that it is:
•a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law;
•a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law;
•a member of the Federal Reserve System;
•a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code; and
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•a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act.
DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the settlement among its participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in participants’ accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. “Direct participants” in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, including underwriters, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other organizations. DTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, or DTCC. DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation, and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available to others, which we sometimes refer to as indirect participants, that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant, either directly or indirectly. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.
Purchases of securities under the DTC system must be made by or through direct participants, which will receive a credit for the securities on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of the actual purchaser of a security, which we sometimes refer to as a beneficial owner, is in turn recorded on the direct and indirect participants’ records. Beneficial owners of securities will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchases. However, beneficial owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of their transactions, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the direct or indirect participants through which they purchased securities. Transfers of ownership interests in global securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of participants acting on behalf of beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the global securities, except under the limited circumstances described below.
To facilitate subsequent transfers, all global securities deposited by direct participants with DTC will be registered in the name of DTC’s partnership nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other nominee will not change the beneficial ownership of the securities. DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of the securities. DTC’s records reflect only the identity of the direct participants to whose accounts the securities are credited, which may or may not be the beneficial owners. The participants are responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.
So long as the securities are in book-entry form, you will receive payments and may transfer securities only through the facilities of the depositary and its direct and indirect participants. We will maintain an office or agency in the location specified in the prospectus supplement for the applicable securities, where notices and demands in respect of the securities and the indenture may be delivered to us and where certificated securities may be surrendered for payment, registration of transfer, or exchange.
Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to direct participants, by direct participants to indirect participants and by direct participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any legal requirements in effect from time to time.
Redemption notices will be sent to DTC. If less than all of the securities of a particular series are being redeemed, DTC’s practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each direct participant in the securities of such series to be redeemed.
Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (or such other DTC nominee) will consent or vote with respect to the securities. Under its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns the consenting or voting rights of Cede & Co. to those direct participants to whose accounts the securities of such series are credited on the record date, identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy.
So long as securities are in book-entry form, we will make payments on those securities to the depositary or its nominee, as the registered owner of such securities, by wire transfer of immediately available funds. If securities are issued in definitive certificated form under the limited circumstances described below and unless if otherwise provided in the description of the applicable securities herein or in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will have the option of making payments by check mailed to the addresses of the persons entitled to payment or by wire transfer to bank accounts in the U.S. designated in writing to the applicable trustee or other designated party at least 15 days before the applicable payment date by the persons entitled to payment, unless a shorter period is satisfactory to the applicable trustee or other designated party.
Redemption proceeds, distributions, and dividend payments on the securities will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC’s practice is to credit direct participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us on the payment date in accordance with their
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respective holdings shown on DTC records. Payments by participants to beneficial owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name.” Those payments will be the responsibility of participants and not of DTC or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements in effect from time to time. Payment of redemption proceeds, distributions, and dividend payments to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC, is our responsibility, disbursement of payments to direct participants is the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of payments to the beneficial owners is the responsibility of direct and indirect participants.
Except under the limited circumstances described below, purchasers of securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names and will not receive physical delivery of securities. Accordingly, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants to exercise any rights under the securities and the indenture.
The laws of some jurisdictions may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Those laws may impair the ability to transfer or pledge beneficial interests in securities.
DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depositary with respect to the securities at any time by giving reasonable notice to us. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor depositary is not obtained, securities certificates are required to be printed and delivered.
As noted above, beneficial owners of a particular series of securities generally will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in those securities. However, if:
•DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a depositary for the global security or securities representing such series of securities or if DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act at a time when it is required to be registered and a successor depositary is not appointed within 90 days of the notification to us or of our becoming aware of DTC’s ceasing to be so registered, as the case may be;
•we determine, in our sole discretion, not to have such securities represented by one or more global securities; or
•an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to such series of securities, we will prepare and deliver certificates for such securities in exchange for beneficial interests in the global securities. Any beneficial interest in a global security that is exchangeable under the circumstances described in the preceding sentence will be exchangeable for securities in definitive certificated form registered in the names that the depositary directs. It is expected that these directions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from its participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the global securities.
Euroclear and Clearstream
If so provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, you may hold interests in a global security through Clearstream Banking S.A., or Clearstream, or Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear System, or Euroclear, either directly if you are a participant in Clearstream or Euroclear or indirectly through organizations which are participants in Clearstream or Euroclear. Clearstream and Euroclear will hold interests on behalf of their respective participants through customers’ securities accounts in the names of Clearstream and Euroclear, respectively, on the books of their respective U.S. depositaries, which in turn will hold such interests in customers’ securities accounts in such depositaries’ names on DTC’s books.
Clearstream and Euroclear are securities clearance systems in Europe. Clearstream and Euroclear hold securities for their respective participating organizations and facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between those participants through electronic book-entry changes in their accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates.
Payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices, and other matters relating to beneficial interests in global securities owned through Euroclear or Clearstream must comply with the rules and procedures of those systems. Transactions between participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on one hand, and other participants in DTC, on the other hand, are also subject to DTC’s rules and procedures.
Investors will be able to make and receive through Euroclear and Clearstream payments, deliveries, transfers, and other transactions involving any beneficial interests in global securities held through those systems only on days when those systems are open for business. Those systems may not be open for business on days when banks, brokers, and other institutions are open for business in the U.S.
Cross-market transfers between participants in DTC, on the one hand, and participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on the other hand, will be effected through DTC in accordance with DTC’s rules on behalf of Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case
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may be, by their respective U.S. depositaries; however, such cross-market transactions will require delivery of instructions to Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by the counterparty in such system in accordance with the rules and procedures and within the established deadlines (European time) of such system. Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, will, if the transaction meets its settlement requirements, deliver instructions to its U.S. depositary to take action to effect final settlement on its behalf by delivering or receiving interests in the global securities through DTC, and making or receiving payment in accordance with normal procedures for same-day fund settlement. Participants in Euroclear or Clearstream may not deliver instructions directly to their respective U.S. depositaries.
Due to time zone differences, the securities accounts of a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream purchasing an interest in a global security from a direct participant in DTC will be credited, and any such crediting will be reported to the relevant participant in Euroclear or Clearstream, during the securities settlement processing day (which must be a business day for Euroclear or Clearstream) immediately following the settlement date of DTC. Cash received in Euroclear or Clearstream as a result of sales of interests in a global security by or through a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream to a direct participant in DTC will be received with value on the settlement date of DTC but will be available in the relevant Euroclear or Clearstream cash account only as of the business day for Euroclear or Clearstream following DTC’s settlement date.
Other
The information in this section of this prospectus concerning DTC, Clearstream, Euroclear and their respective book-entry systems has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we do not take responsibility for this information. This information has been provided solely as a matter of convenience. The rules and procedures of DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear are solely within the control of those organizations and could change at any time. Neither we nor the trustee nor any agent of ours or of the trustee has any control over those entities and none of us takes any responsibility for their activities. You are urged to contact DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants directly to discuss those matters. In addition, although we expect that DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear will perform the foregoing procedures, none of them is under any obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures and such procedures may be discontinued at any time. Neither we nor any agent of ours will have any responsibility for the performance or nonperformance by DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants of these or any other rules or procedures governing their respective operations.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may sell the securities being offered hereby:
•directly to one or more purchasers;
•through agents;
•through dealers;
•through underwriters;
•through a combination of any of the above methods of sale; or
•through any other methods described in a prospectus supplement.
We will identify the specific plan of distribution, including any direct purchasers, agents, dealers, and underwriters and, if applicable, their compensation, the purchase price, the net proceeds to us, the public offering price, and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers, in a prospectus supplement.
The distribution of securities may be effected, from time to time, in one or more transactions, including block transactions, at-the-market offerings and transactions on the New York Stock Exchange or any other organized market where the securities may be traded. The securities may be sold at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices relating to the prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. The consideration may be cash or another form negotiated by the parties. Agents, underwriters or broker-dealers may be paid compensation for offering and selling the securities. That compensation may be in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions to be received from us or from the purchasers of the securities.
Offers to purchase the securities may be solicited directly by us or by agents designated by us from time to time. We will, in the prospectus supplement relating to an offering, name any agent that could be viewed as an underwriter under the Securities Act and describe any commissions we must pay. Any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment or, if indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, on a firm commitment basis.
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If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will sell the securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer, which may be deemed to be an underwriter as that term is defined in the Securities Act, may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. Dealer trading may take place in certain of the securities, including securities not listed on any securities exchange.
If an underwriter or underwriters are utilized in the sale, we will execute an underwriting agreement with the underwriters at the time of sale to them, and the names of the underwriters will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, which will be used by the underwriters to make resales of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered to the public. The obligations of underwriters to purchase securities will be subject to certain conditions precedent and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities of a series if any are purchased.
We may directly solicit offers to purchase the securities, and we may make sales of securities directly to institutional investors or others. These persons may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any resale of the securities. To the extent required, the prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any such sales, including the terms of any bidding or auction process, if used.
Underwriters, dealers, agents and other persons may be entitled, under agreements that may be entered into with us, to indemnification against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution with respect to payments that they may be required to make in respect thereof. Underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business.
Any person participating in the distribution of common stock registered under the registration statement that includes this prospectus will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the applicable SEC rules and regulations, including, among others, Regulation M, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of our common stock by any such person. Furthermore, Regulation M may restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of our common stock to engage in market-making activities with respect to our common stock. These restrictions may affect the marketability of our common stock and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to our common stock.
In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, any underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities or any other securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, any underwriters may overallot in connection with the offering, creating a short position for their own accounts. In addition, to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any such other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any such other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of the securities through a syndicate of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. Any such underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.
LEGAL MATTERS
Unless the applicable prospectus supplement indicates otherwise, the validity of the securities offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Perkins Coie LLP, Seattle, Washington. If the securities are being distributed in an underwritten offering, certain legal matters will be passed upon for the underwriters, by counsel identified in the related prospectus supplement.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of TrueBlue, Inc. incorporated by reference in this Prospectus, and the effectiveness of TrueBlue, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports. Such financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon the reports of such firm, given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
| Item 14. | Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution | ||||
The following is an estimate of the expenses (all of which are to be paid by the registrant) that we may incur in connection with the securities being registered hereby.
| SEC registration fee | $ | 29,250 | |||
| FINRA filing fee | (1) | ||||
| The New York Stock Exchange supplemental listing fee | (1) | ||||
| Printing expenses | (1) | ||||
| Legal fees and expenses | (1) | ||||
| Accounting fees and expenses | (1) | ||||
| Blue Sky, qualification fees and expenses | (1) | ||||
| Transfer agent fees and expenses | (1) | ||||
| Trustee fees and expenses | (1) | ||||
| Warrant agent fees and expenses | (1) | ||||
| Miscellaneous | (1) | ||||
| Total | (1) | ||||
(1) These fees are calculated based on the securities offered and the number of issuances and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time.
| Item 15. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers | ||||
Sections 23B.08.500 through 23B.08.603 of the Washington Business Corporation Act authorize a court to award, or a corporation’s board of directors to grant, indemnification to directors and officers on terms sufficiently broad to permit indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities arising under the Securities Act. Article 5(G) of the registrant’s amended and restated articles of incorporation and Article VII of the registrant’s amended and restated bylaws, provide for indemnification of the registrant’s directors, officers, employees and agents to the maximum extent permitted by Washington law and provide the directors and officers of the registrant also may be indemnified against liability they may incur for serving in those capacities pursuant to a liability insurance policy maintained by the registrant for such purpose. The registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and executive officers. The indemnification agreements set out, among other things, the process for determining entitlement to indemnification, the conditions to advancement of expenses, the procedures for directors' and executive officers’ enforcement of indemnification rights, the limitations on indemnification, and the requirements relating to notice and defense of claims for which indemnification is sought.
Section 23B.08.320 of the Washington Business Corporation Act authorizes a corporation to limit a director’s liability to the corporation or its shareholders for monetary damages for acts or omissions as a director, except in certain circumstances involving intentional misconduct, knowing violations of law or illegal corporate loans or distributions, or any transaction from which the director personally receives a benefit in money, property, or services to which the director is not legally entitled. Article 5(G) of the registrant’s amended and restated articles of incorporation contains provisions implementing, to the fullest extent permitted by Washington law, such limitations on a director’s liability to the registrant and its shareholders.
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| Item 16. | Exhibits | ||||
| Exhibit Number | Description | |||||||
| 1.1* | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |||||||
| 4.1 | Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 12, 2016). | |||||||
| 4.2 | Amended and Restated Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on October 30, 2017). | |||||||
| 4.3* | Amendment to Articles of Incorporation designating rights and preferences of Preferred Stock. | |||||||
| 4.4 | ||||||||
| 4.5* | Form of Debt Security. | |||||||
| 4.6* | Form of Preferred Stock Certificate. | |||||||
| 4.7* | Form of Warrant Agreement (including form of Warrant Certificate). | |||||||
| 5.1 | ||||||||
| 23.1 | ||||||||
| 23.2 | ||||||||
| 24.1 | Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of the Registration Statement). | |||||||
25.1# | Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, with respect to the Indenture. | |||||||
107 | ||||||||
| * | To be filed by amendment or incorporated by reference in connection with the offering of the securities. | |||||||
# | To be filed in accordance with the requirements of Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. | |||||||
| Item 17. | Undertakings | ||||
a.The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
1.To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
i.To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
ii.To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and
iii.To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii), and (a)(1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is a part of the registration statement.
2.That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
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3.To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
4.That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
A.Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
B.Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
5.That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:
The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
i.Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
ii.Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
iii.The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
iv.Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
b.The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
c.Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
d.The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Act.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Tacoma, State of Washington, on May 6, 2024.
| TrueBlue, Inc. | |||||
| By: | /s/ Taryn R. Owen | ||||
Taryn R. Owen Chief Executive Officer and President | |||||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Taryn R. Owen, Carl R. Schweihs, and Garrett R. Ferencz, or each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to file and sign any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments and any registration statement for the same offering that is to be effective under Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act, to this registration statement, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or their substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. This power of attorney shall be governed by and construed with the laws of the State of Washington and applicable federal securities laws.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement on Form S-3 has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the registrant in the capacities indicated below on May 6, 2024.
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| SIGNATURE | TITLE | DATE | ||||||||||||
/s/ Taryn R. Owen | Director, Chief Executive Officer and President | May 6, 2024 | ||||||||||||
Taryn R. Owen | (principal executive officer) | |||||||||||||
/s/ Carl R. Schweihs | Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President | May 6, 2024 | ||||||||||||
Carl R. Schweihs | (principal financial officer) | |||||||||||||
/s/ Richard B. Christensen | Chief Accounting Officer, Treasurer and Senior Vice President | May 6, 2024 | ||||||||||||
Richard B. Christensen | (principal accounting officer) | |||||||||||||
| /s/ Jeffrey B. Sakaguchi | Chairman of the Board | May 6, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Jeffrey B. Sakaguchi | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Colleen B. Brown | Director | May 6, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Colleen B. Brown | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ William C. Goings | Director | May 6, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| William C. Goings | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Kim Harris Jones | Director | May 6, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Kim Harris Jones | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Robert C. Kreidler | Director | May 6, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Robert C. Kreidler | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Sonita F. Lontoh | Director | May 6, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Sonita F. Lontoh | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Paul G. Reitz | Director | May 6, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Paul G. Reitz | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Kristi A. Savacool | Director | May 6, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Kristi A. Savacool | ||||||||||||||
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