SANDISK AND TOSHIBA SIGN DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT TO RESTRUCTURE FLASH MANUFACTURING JOINT VENTURES
Significantly Strengthens
SanDisk's Financial Position By Reducing Lease Obligations And
Increasing Cash
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, January 29, 2009-,
SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) announced today that it has signed a
definitive agreement with Toshiba to restructure their Flash
manufacturing joint ventures operating at the 300-mm Fab 3 and Fab
4. As part of the agreement, more than 20 percent of the joint
ventures'capacity will be transferred to Toshiba. The restructuring
will result in the transfer of equipment lease obligations from
SanDisk to Toshiba and a cash payment to SanDisk for the transfer
of certain equipment currently owned by the joint ventures. The
total value to SanDisk is approximately 80 billion yen, or
approximately $890 million based on current exchange rates.
Approximately two-thirds of the total amount will reduce SanDisk's
current equipment lease obligations by about 28% and approximately
one-third will be received by SanDisk in cash. The lease transfers
and cash payment are expected to be completed by the end of the
first calendar quarter of 2009.
SanDisk and Toshiba will remain equal partners for the capacity
remaining in the joint ventures. SanDisk will have the option to
purchase a part of the transferred capacity from Toshiba on a
foundry basis and retains the option to continue to invest up to 50
percent in future Fab 4 expansions and technology transitions in
Fab 3 and Fab 4. In addition, the parties will continue their
existing joint technology development in advanced NAND and 3D
read/write memory.
"We are pleased to sign this definitive agreement with Toshiba
which reflects the long-term commitment of both companies to our
partnership. This agreement will reduce our capital spending,
strengthen our financial position and increase our business
flexibility by allowing us to return more rapidly to our desired
captive/non-captive supply model. Importantly, this maintains the
economies of scale of Fab 3 and Fab 4 for SanDisk and the deep
technology and manufacturing cooperation between SanDisk and
Toshiba," said Dr. Eli Harari, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer, SanDisk.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements,
including statements about the timing and certainty of the closing
of the transactions described herein, the intended benefits to
SanDisk of the transactions, including reduced capital spending,
strengthened financial position, enhanced business flexibility,
increased cash, reduced lease obligations, strengthened balance
sheet, decreased capital commitments and an improved balance
between captive and non-captive supply, that are based on our
current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties
that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate.
Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be
inaccurate include among others: our failure to complete the
transaction on the terms set forth in the definitive agreements in
a timely manner or at all, the potential that the transfer of the
leases contemplated by the definitive agreements may not be
approved by the leasing banks, due to a default or otherwise, or
the failure of any of the other conditions precedent set forth in
the definitive agreements, and the other risks detailed from
time-to-time under the caption "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in our
Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including,
but not limited to, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and
our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. SanDisk undertakes
no obligation to update any of its forward-looking statements.
About SanDisk
SanDisk Corporation, the inventor and world's largest supplier of
flash storage cards, is a global leader in flash memory - from
research, manufacturing and product design to consumer branding and
retail distribution. SanDisk's product portfolio includes flash
memory cards for mobile phones, digital cameras and camcorders,
digital audio/video players, USB flash drives for consumers and the
enterprise, embedded memory for mobile devices, and solid state
drives for computers. SanDisk (www.sandisk.com/corporate)
is a Silicon Valley-based S&P 500 company, with more than half
its sales outside the United States.
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